The Ministry of Information and Communications has officially commissioned the newly rehabilitated SLENA Office at Wallace Johnson in Freetown.
The acting Director of Communications at the Ministry of Information and Communications, Emmanuel Turay, welcomed representatives of Orange Sierra Leone and other senior government officials to the opening of the refurbished Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) office in Freetown.
He lauded the support from Orange which, according to him, was just the first phase, noting that government is seeking more resources to bring the structure into speed.
Madam Aminata Kane, CEO Orange Sierra Leone noted that her company is proud to join the Ministry of Information and Communications to officially open the newly refurbished SLENA Office.
She recounted that the state of SLENA when the Minister of Information and Communications approached them, was deplorable and not safe for newsmen to work.
The Orange CEO disclosed that they are happy that they have contributed in ensuring that the newsmen are provided with a conducive working environment for journalists.
She called on other GSM Companies to come on board and support the Ministry in ensuring that SLENA receives a boost.
Minister Rado Rahman Swarray in his keynote statement noted that as a government they are always committed to ensuring that journalists are not only provided with a repeal of the criminal libel law, but with also a conducive environment to work.
He described the deplorable state of the building and noted that it was a death trap for the people working in it.
The Minister noted that he is also in talks with other players in the sector with a view to ensure that they also contribute to the continuous rehabilitation of the building.
Minister Swarray also spoke very strongly to members of Sierra News Newspaper who will be working in the structure to ensure that what is produced as content is up to standards, and noted that he would not settle for any sub-standard work.
He entreated them to settle down for quality work and content befiting their newly earned status.
The Sierra Leone News Agency building was built some three decades ago as a hub to house government’s official mouthpiece which was responsible for filling important news both locally and internationally on government’s happenings.