By: Francis F. M. Harding
With support from the European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, the House of Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone on Thursday 1 September ended a two-day training engagement with the Parliamentary Press Gallery.Hosted in the Committee Room No 1 at the House of Parliament, Parliament Building Tower Hill in Freetown, from 31 August to 1 September 2022, the training schooled members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery (PPG) on parliamentary debates and proceedings reporting.
Explaining the purpose of the training, Edward Massaquoi said the training was organized to roll out the new Strategic Plan 2021-2023 to members of the PPG, and update participants on recent development in parliament to enable them acquire knowledge about legislative processes so that they can effectively articulate and inform citizens about parliamentary matters.
He said the training was hosted to enable participants acquire clear understanding of the functions of parliament, and how they can effectively deliver such functions. He added that the training is geared towards strengthening collaboration between parliament and the PPG through the development partnership framework and regular exchanges.
Massaquoi continued that the engagement would serve as pro-pop to the two previous engagements with development partners and Civil Society Organizations, with focus of strengthen the PPG transitional responsibility as promoters of good governance especially in assuring transparency and accountability.
The Director, Parliamentary Public Relations, Sheku Lamin Turay, said the press and the parliament have a symbolic relationship and as parliament, Members of Parliament rely on the media to deliver their messages to the general public. He observed that the media monitors MPs which can result to a critical analysis of their works, and described the relationship between the media and MPs as significant in the multi-party democratic system, which the media is assured of. Turay referenced Section 25 910 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone which stipulate the freedom of the press and freedom of expression, adding that parliament should be a lawyer of equality of relationship with the media and we should allow this reality to affect its ability to work with the media.
“Parliament should support the media in observing the works of parliament,” Turay said, and continued; “Journalists should be provided with enhanced access to MPs and facilities through the accredited curses to ensure that they move freely within the premise of parliament.”
He said parliament has got a dedicated Senior Public Relations Officer, who is responsible for the Press Gallery with the required support.
Turay said parliament is aimed at exposing PPG to it Strategic Plan and its Communications Strategy with a view of understanding the document to enhance, sharpen and open their horizon about the operations and functions of parliament.
He called on members of the PPG to pay keen attention as they have to educate members of the public on the operations of parliament.
Interim president, PPG, Rev. Vincent J. Momoh, said the two days engagement of the PPG and Parliament Communications Strategy, organized by the management of the House of Parliament, with support from the EU Delegation to Sierra Leone. He added that the training cannot be over emphasised for the simple fact that parliamentary reporting is a specialised area that needs specific skills for which the training addressed. Rev Momoh said the absent of training and capacity building will lead a country to a problem.
“Since I was appointed as the, interim president of the PPG the Gallery has benefited from one capacity training, funded by the United Nations Development Programme and one strategic training funded by the House of Parliament of Sierra Leone. Today again under my watch the Gallery is going to benefit from another capacity building with the engagement with the PPG on Parliament Communications Strategy, funded by the EU,” he said. PPG president disclosed that the broad objective of the training is strengthening the collaboration between parliament and the Press Gallery in order to enhance communication sharing on parliamentary sittings, of which the media is rightly positioned to achieve.
Rev Momoh added that the training of the Press Gallery members specifically respond to the following objectives: to introduce to members of the PPG the new Strategic Plan 2021-2025 and Communication Strategy of Parliament and indirectly to the press in Sierra Leone, as a key to invite media support to achieve the shared objectives and active citizenship for effective performance of parliamentary functions as an independent arm of government, to provide update on the recent development of parliament facilitating acquisition of knowledge to the media about the legislative process, offer opportunity for questions, and on our performance to enforce their respective mandate.
The interim PPG leader called on the Department of Research and Programmes of Partnership in the PPG has developed a strategic plan which was funded by parliament and submitted it to the Clerk. He said the key components includes PPG to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with parliament, capacity development of members of the PPG, provision of Standing Orders and accreditations. He said the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, provide opportunity for international coverage of parliamentary proceedings in the sub-region, provision of equipment an office space, support for PPG to enhance public education on the role of MPs, scholarship from the administration of parliament including donors.
Rev. Momoh implored the EU to partner with PPG to achieve the key components in the strategic document and requested on behalf of the PPG for the certifications for participants.
He solicited the attention of the Director General of Parliament reiterating that the PPG had submitted its activities to be included in the national budget for the allocation for the 2022 financial year, as the third quarter, but to date the PPG anticipated allocation is yet to be actualise, thus called on the good office of the DG and the office of the Clerk of Parliament to support the PPG actualise achieve it desired goals.
“As the saying goes to whom much is given much is expected, to attend training is good but the positive impact go a long way in our noble profession therefore, we are calling and encouraging members to take the training very seriously as it will help to improve our profession,” he said.
The Director General of the Parliament, Finda Fraser, said for parliament to be opened means obviously that its proceedings are physically open to the public and that will encourage transparency, participation, and accountability both within parliamentary institutions and throughout government, which according to her strengthen our democratic institutions, restore citizens trust and improve our ability to achieve sustainable development. She informed that a democratic parliament must lead by example and open legislative processes to citizens as they have an important role to play in promoting open governments through law making, oversight, budgeting and awareness raising so that the parliamentarians will expand their knowledge base and exchange experiences with their peers to develop effective solutions.
The DG reminded participants of a training that was organized in 2019 on the first ever Open Day, of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone, with theme: “Making Parliament of Sierra Leone Visible and Engaging with the Public.” She recalled that the event was timely in accentuating the country’s democratic gains and helped in demystifying perceptions as it brought parliament closer to the people, considering the critical role of parliament plays in democratic and sustainable good governance.
She continued that on the 10 and 11 August, 2022, the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone through funding from the UNDP, organized media training for parliamentary reporting which was also aimed strengthening the Parliamentary Public Relations Unit on Professional Reporting. She maintained that the purpose of the event was also to enhance the knowledge of personnel of the PPG in their activities and complimented their media functions. Fraser said that the training is in consistent with Goal 4 of the Strategy Plan of the Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, making Parliament open, accessible, representative, inclusive, transparent and accountable to citizens.
Team Leader, Governance and Civil Society European Union Delegation to Sierra Leone, Serena Bertaina, said the concern raised by the PPG interim president that parliamentary proceedings must be physically opened to the public, encourages transparency, participation, and accountability both within parliamentary institutions and the government.
“To strengthen our institutions, restore citizens’ trust, and improve their ability to achieve sustainable development and a democratic parliament must live by example and open legislative process to citizens,” she said and adds, “parliament have roles to play through law making, oversight, budgeting and awareness arising.
“This requires parliamentarians to expand their knowledge based on exchange experience to develop effect solutions. As the 2019 first open day was making parliament visible and engaging with the public, the event was timely that concentrating on the country democratic gains and has help to demystify the perception and even draw parliament closer to the people.”
She reiterated that the training is for the PPG as they media support the social cohesion as they know the challenges in the media. Bertaina said the event hopes that the workshop would strengthen the work of parliament and enable journalist to report on competency, accuracy, and neutrality.
The enthusiastic Dr. Francis Sowa, lecturer, from the Mass Communication Department, Fourah Bay College presented a paper on ethics in parliamentary reporting. He said ethics are in any other professions, the media has rules and regulations and that the things we ought to do.
Dr Sowa said ethics are concerned with right and what wrong, and it involves characters and conducts of individuals and institutions. The media and communication expert said the PPG and ethical reporting, ethical issues should be span on all spheres in parliamentary reporting.
He said journalists should use a systematic, resourced or rational approach based on set of principles to determine what is good or ethical and what is bad or unethical in human conduct.
Dr. Sowa highlighted the ethical provisions in Sierra Leone that practitioner of major groups of the media codes or standards of ethical behaviour.
Topic covered in the training were: the Parliament Strategic Plan 2021-2025, Presenter Mr. Gilbert Nhabay, Director of Programmes, Research and Partnership Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the communication Strategy of parliament in the areas of legislative, representative and Oversight functions, Presenter Mr Sheku Turay, Director Parliamentary & Public Relations Office, Maintaining the Balance: Journalism and Public Relations in Parliament Presenter Mr. Cyril Juxon-Smith, Communication Practice Expert, Smith Multimedia, and Ethics in Parliamentary Reporting Presenter Dr Francis Sowa, Lecturer of Mass Communication Department at Fourah Bay College. Break-out-session was staged with action planning.
