Opening courtesies…
Before I begin, I crave your indulgence to allow me a few extra minutes.
This is my final address as President, and six years of collective struggle, learning, and triumph deserve a proper goodbye.
First, let us please rise, if you are able, for a brief moment of silence in honour of the colleagues we lost over the past year: Austin Thomas, Samuel Brima Mattia, Dauda Kamara to name some of them. Their voices may be silent, but their bylines and devotion still light our path… (Pause)
May their memories be a blessing and a charge to uphold the standards for which they lived.
It is an honour to welcome you to the 2025 Triennial Elective Congress of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists. This is not just another congress; it is a significant turning point for our Association, for the media in Sierra Leone, and, if I may say so, for me personally.
Six years ago, you handed me the baton through the quiet storm Kelvin Lewis. You entrusted me with the highest responsibility in our profession, to lead SLAJ. It has been the greatest privilege of my professional life. And today, as I prepare to hand over the baton, I do so with a full heart, proud of what we have accomplished together, mindful of the unfinished work ahead, and hopeful for the future we are building.
Please allow me to highlight, not elaborate, some of these key achievements:
- We completed the long journey of the Repeal of Part 5 of the Public Order Act of 1965, signaling a new dawn for the media in Sierra Leone, and new leaps in the World Press Freedom rankings by RSF. It was a collective triumph involving SLAJ, civil society, media stakeholders, the diplomatic community, the entertainment industry, international media development partners, and the Government of Sierra Leone.
- We organized the first ever media viability and investment conference, which gave us the opportunity to better understand the industry challenges, assigning responsibilities, and providing a clear vision and roadmap for SLAJ and the media landscape, through the National Action Plan (NAP).- Thanks to the BBC Media Action, IFPIM, and the Government of Sierra Leone.
- From the NAP, we have launched the National Fund for Public Interest Media and the Fund is now ready to give out grants to eligible media outlets to embark on investigative journalism and in-depth analysis of national issues. This is what we have been working on for the past six years, to provide alternative resources to help media outlets and their journalists do quality and public good journalism that contributes to national development.
- Then we launched our own SLAJ Media Manifesto: The Media We Want (thanks to the EU through International IDEA) with 8 thematic areas that are priorities for SLAJ and the media in Sierra Leone. Both the Media Manifesto and the NAP now serve as national blueprint for media development in Sierra Leone.
- Another significant achievement is the development of the SLAJ Gender Equality Policy for the Media (thanks to the Embassy of Ireland) to guide us address the gender imbalances in SLAJ and the media industry in general.
- The establishment of the UNDP SLAJ Iverify plaform is also a key achievement in this age of dis/misinformation and fake news and conspiracy theories. Since the 2023 elections the platform has continued to play a very important role in countering manipulated information and providing the public access to credible information on national issues, including politics and governance.
- We have worked with the MoICE to develop a National Media and Information Policy, which has been approved by Cabinet.
- We have strengthened our democratic structures and internal control systems and processes to make us more transparent and accountable to our members and to the general public. We have a revised our SLAJ Constitution 2024 that has provided for all of these structures and systems, including an electoral court, internal auditors, integrity management committees, logistics and procurement committee (thanks to the ACC’s systems and processes review of SLAJ).
- Beyond that, we have strengthened SLAJ institutionally, improved coordination with our regional, affiliate bodies and sub bodies.
We supported the SLRU to hold elections after several years without leadership and we now have a young and vibrant woman as president.
We supported the SLCRA to hold their first AGM in 17 years.
We supported the GoNE to hold democratic elections after more than a decade.
And we are working with the Parliament of Sierra Leone to get the SLPPG back on track after years of political infighting.
- We have maintained unity and political neutrality within the Association, and championed the welfare and protection of journalists nationwide. We strengthened our regional structures, supported our affiliate bodies, defended press freedom without fear or favour, and stood firmly behind our members whenever their rights were threatened.
- Also outstanding is the SLAJ Eastern Region Office Building project which we are looking forward to commission after this Triennial Conference by God’s grace. The other regions are also gearing up to embark on similar projects.
- I will also like to mention the kind of selfless, honest, inclusive, transparent, accountable leadership and profile we have given SLAJ in the last six years, opening up the Association to many partners and working in collaboration with other industry players to address our collective challenges and utilizing the opportunities we have had.
These wins were carved out of collaboration, strategic engagements, constructive dialogue, recognizing and respecting the role of other industry players, civil society stakeholders, development partners, and the Government of Sierra Leone. We have done all of these together.
Distinguished guests, colleagues, the theme for this elective congress: “Electing a new executive, moving SLAJ Forward”, is not simply a slogan. It is a roadmap, a reflection, and a challenge. It reminds us of how far we’ve come, how far we still must go, and what it will take to get there.
We have come a long way as an Association. If we don’t build on the gains we have made, we risk sliding back. If we treat these milestones as the end, rather than the beginning of a stronger future, then our struggles would have been in vain.
We need a SLAJ that is not just reactive, but proactive. One that moves beyond survival to influence policy, set standards, and shape national discourse.
We need leadership that is bold, but humble. Strategic, but grounded.
Leadership that listens more than it speaks, and serves more than it shines.
We need to invest in the next generation, not just with training, but with mentorship, protection, and opportunities. Because the future of journalism in Sierra Leone will depend on how well we prepare them today.
Let me pause here and say, this job has not been easy. There were moments I felt overwhelmed, moments I felt the task is herculean, and moments I questioned whether the sacrifices were worth it. But every time I stood with a journalist facing threat, intimidation, harassment, assault, and lamenting poor conditions of service; every time I see the glowing face of a journalist winning an award for their good work, I knew it was worth it.
I remember during one of our district visits for a funeral, a young female reporter in Kambia told me: “For the first time, I feel like SLAJ sees us.” That stayed with me. Because seeing each other, and standing for each other, is what makes SLAJ more than an association. It makes us a family.
So, I say to the incoming leadership: lead with empathy. Lead with integrity. Lead with humility. Lead with the understanding that every decision you make affects real people, in real newsrooms, doing real journalism, often under very difficult conditions.
Colleagues, our profession is under pressure, from misinformation, political interference, economic hardship, legislations that threaten our work, and public distrust. But we cannot afford to falter. Not now.
Let us go into our closed sessions today not just to debate motions or present reports, but to recommit to the ideals that brought us here: truth, courage, fairness, and selfless service.
And as we go into elections tomorrow, let us vote with a clear conscience, acknowledging what others before us have done to push our Association forward, and entrusting leadership to those who have made a genuine commitment to continue that journey in the interest of all of us and our nation.
SLAJ is bigger than any individual. It is an institution, one that has weathered storms, challenged power, and defended democracy. Let us honour that legacy. Let us protect it. Let us pass it on, stronger, united, and ready for the future.
Leading SLAJ has been my crash course doctorate, call it a PhD in Resilience and Hope. Over the past nine years, three as Secretary General and six as President, I have learned that leadership is not about knowing it all, or doing it all. It is about building trust, working together and with other players, respecting yourself and others, and staying grounded, listening deeply, and showing up, every time, especially in difficult times.
I have learned that progress in our field is never linear. It takes time. It takes relentless advocacy. It takes negotiation, diplomacy, collaboration, measured approach, and, sometimes, strategic confrontation. But above all, it takes unity of purpose.
I have learned that journalists, despite their struggles, remain some of the most committed, passionate, and selfless professionals in our society. We do not prioritise our interest, we uplift others. Many of us do this work not for money or fame, but for love of country, and that, to me, is the soul of SLAJ.
But let me be the first to say this, even if I did my very best, I could not solve all the challenges facing SLAJ or the broader media landscape. And I never pretended I could. What I hoped, and still hope, is that we’ve laid a stronger foundation, inspired new ideas, and created more room for progress.
As I prepare to hand over, I urge the incoming leadership to continue where we left off, and to go even further.
Some critical areas that need sustained focus include:
– Continue advocating for the review of the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act, to ensure it protects our work and citizens without criminalising free speech or press freedom;
– Continue engaging the Presidency through the AG to return the Counter-Terrorism Act to parliament for broader and inclusive consultations on what is best for us;
– Continue the search for a permanent, independent headquarters for SLAJ, while we are proud to be nearing completion of the SLAJ Eastern Region building, a project championed by Chairperson Victoria Bernard with our support, we must go further. I’m proud that the Southern and Northern Regions have followed suit by acquiring land for their own offices. This momentum must not stop;
– Working on improving the welfare, safety, and security of journalists, especially those outside the capital, who remain most vulnerable;
– Build better relationships with bloggers and social media influencers, while promoting digital literacy and ethical standards across both traditional and new media.
These are not just organisational goals, they are national imperatives. Because a strong, independent, and professional media is essential for democracy, development, and peace.
Finally, to every single SLAJ member across the country, thank you for your faith in me. Your solidarity made this journey possible.
To our corporate partners, the Government of Sierra Leone, Parliament, civil society, the entertainment industry, and the international community, development partners, thank you for walking with us. I am coming around to say thank you after the elections and to introduce the new team. Your partnership has empowered SLAJ to remain vibrant, visible, and impactful.
To our friends in media development and democracy support, your resources, expertise, and moral backing have helped us grow in ways we couldn’t have done alone.
To my Executive, the regional and affiliate leaders, and the secretariat staff, thank you for your service, loyalty, and the many sacrifices you made alongside me.
And to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and the two ministers of information I worked with during my tenure, I say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart. Apart from courtesy calls and sharing the same high table during programs, I have never met the President one on one or privately. But he seems to believe in my leadership, and respect what we have been doing. Every year, since I came in, he has been proclaiming an increase in the annual subvention to SLAJ. These resources continue to help our operations greatly. Thank you Mr. President.
This Association is stronger today because of all of us, not me or one of us. And I step aside not with regret, but with pride, peace, and an unwavering belief in SLAJ’s future.
Let us protect what we’ve built.
Let us complete what we’ve started. Let us rise together, again.
Long live SLAJ.
Long live Sierra Leone.
Long live press freedom.
Thank you.
