The press secretary of the Sierra Leone government at State House has been accused of not doing his job to task, with many accusing him of giving the president the wrong even misleading advice or information.
Concerned members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government have asked for president Bio’s press secretary, Yusuf Keketoma Sandi, to clarify what he exactly does at State House as they believe that the president seems out of touch with the public because he is not getting the proper information.
According to a source at State House, among other things, the press secretary is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within the president’s administration and around the world, and interacting with the media, generally in a daily press briefing.
For example, the White House press secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch of the United States federal government, especially with regard to the president, senior aides and executives, as well as government policies.
“We as a party government are concerned that the president is not being briefed on what is actually going on as his press secretary that is responsible to cascade such information is almost always missing in action in the local media. So how does he advise the president when he obviously does not know much about the country? Is he advising the president based on the president’s or the press secretary’s own personal interests?” asked a ranking SLPP executive who said the press secretary is too much out of the media spotlight for him to be effective as the president’s media person.
Meanwhile, members of the media profession that spoke to nightwatch on this issue have claimed that president Bio’s press secretary does not leave State House and come down to Dove Cot, King Jimmy, Belgium, asking: “So how does he know about the issues from all across the country?”
“We are really at a loss for words when it comes to the role of the president’s press secretary. Here is a guy that does not have a good relationship with members of the media fraternity because he does not answer our calls neither does he return them. We in the media would call the press secretary with vital or critical information but the guy does not answer his phone. President Bio’s press secretary is not new to his role so he knows what he is supposed to do and the kinds of relationships that are good for him with regard getting information from all across the media landscape so as to be equipped to give the president the best and most recent and up to date information. From State House he was moved to the Ministry of Information as deputy minister. Now he is back at State House, which leaves me with the question: ‘Is Keketoma Sandi the only qualified Sierra Leonean for both positions? Or is it that he is the most qualified party pekin?” asked a publisher who has spent time behind bars for publishing works the government finds contrary.
The seasoned journalist informed nightwatch that the fault with whom the president appoints can be placed on the shoulders of the president’s Appointment Committee, who are expected to be thorough when investigating people the president appoints to positions of power, responsibility and accountability within his government regime.
“Obviously the president’s Appointment Committee has not done a good job. You have these Samdi guys the president keeps recycling as if there is no one else in the country, party, even the opposition the president could hire for either the deputy minister of information role or the one as press secretary to the president. But with this regime you never know because president Bio’s press secretary, we believe, has some kind of influence over members of the Appointment Committee for him to be getting sent here and there when there are others who can get the job done. So, is the president’s press secretary influencing the Appointment Committee? Is he part of the Appointment Committee because we know that just like the Clerk of Parliament, the press secretary also influenced for his wife to get a government job? On this vein, does the president’s press secretary appoint people or recommend them as he did with his wife? Is that part of his role as press secretary?” the media owner asked.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Keketoma Sandi, Esq has been accused by members of the ruling party government and the media fraternity of short-changing the president with the kinds of information he makes available to the president. He has also been accused of having an undue influence on the president’s Appointments Committee and for spending way too much time at State House instead of with the people on whose activities he is supposed to advise the president.
This is an on-going investigative work and will continue in subsequent editions…