To mark this year's World Press Freedom Day, the Umaru Fofana led Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) submitted two petition letters to President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House and Speaker of Parliament Abel Nathaniel Stronge at Parliament Building.
The two letters are published in the ensuing.
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Sierra Leone Association of Journalists
1st Floor, 56 Campbell Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone P.M.B. 724,
President: +232 76/77/33 609285, Secretary-General +232 76 460423/033 533547
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Date 3rd May 2011
His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma
President of the Republic of Sierra Leone
State House
Freetown
Your Excellency Sir,
PETITION: DE-CRIMILISATION OF LIBEL
We write to remind you of the continued existence of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in the country’s 1965 Public Order Act and your repeated assurances to us for its review and subsequent repeal before the end of your current mandate in 2012.
Your Excellency Sir, as you know, Part V of this Act was passed for one reason ONLY: to muzzle the press and inhibit the freedom of journalists. With Sierra Leone regarded internationally as a country with the potential to become a beacon of democracy and good governance in Africa, we urge you to set in motion the process by which libel can be decriminalised. We plead with you to make real your expressed commitment for the repeal of this law which serves no purpose in a civilised democracy such as we all aspire for our country to become.
Once again, Your Excellency, just as you have ensured the corporatisation of the former state broadcaster, Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation, we urge that you do all you possibly can to decriminalise libel before the end of your current mandate, as you have promised.
Looking forward to your usual cooperation.
Umaru Fofana
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PRESIDENT
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Sierra Leone Association of Journalists
1st Floor, 56 Campbell Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone P.M.B. 724,
President: +232 76/77/33 609285, Secretary-General +232 76 460423/033 533547
_______________________________________________________________________
Date 3 May 2012
Honourable Justice Nathaniel Abel Stronge
Speaker, House of Parliament
Republic of Sierra Leone
Parliament Building
Freetown
Dear Sir,
CONCERN OVER DELAY IN PASSAGE OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW
We write to express grave concern over the unexplained delay in the promulgation of the Freedom of Information Law which seems to have been bogged down in the House for several months now.
We appreciate the efforts made by especially Honourable Members of the Legislative Committee in goading the process so far but all of those efforts will be shrouded in suspicion and speculation ending in fruitlessness if the bill continues to be shelved.
On behalf of the people of Sierra Leone who badly need this law, SLAJ hereby urges the Honourable House to speed up its promulgation before the 50th independence anniversary fever vanishes. We hope this can happen in June.
Looking forward to your usual cooperation.
Umaru Fofana
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PRESIDENT
CC: Hon. Minister of Information
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