From left Vice President and President of Sierra Leone |
The minister who represents the executive arm of government assurance met a serious resistance from the Legislative with no less a person than the majority leader of Parliament Honourable S.B.B Dumbuya. Hon. Dumbuya on the 3rd of May 2012 attacked members of the fourth estate and threatened
that he will not help the head of Parliamentary Committee on
Information and Communication Honourable Frank Kposowa to pass the FOI
Bill.
The Bill which has been lying in Parliament for some two years SALONE TIMES learnt is still in a committee stage.
The minister’s assurance was made at an advocacy workshop on the
country’s media laws, organised by the Sierra Leone Association of
Journalists (SLAJ) with support from UNESCO, Mr Kargbo said he had
spoken with the Speaker and Members of Parliament and that the bill
would be brought before the House again this week for immediate passage.
He admitted that the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law of 1965 was bad
but sounded noncommittal as to whether the law would be repealed as had
been promised on several occasions by President Ernest BaiKoroma.
This is not the first time Government has committed itself to an
immediate promulgation of the FOI Act. In the past the pledges were not
respected. However, SLAJ President Umaru Fofana has lauded the statement
by the minister regarding the promised enactment of the FOI Law next
week, saying, “If it does happen as promised, it will be a watershed in
the country’s history”. He however questioned the “lack of commitment on
the part of government regarding a repeal of the obnoxious Criminal and
Seditious Libel Law” for which SLAJ went to the Supreme Court in 2008.
At the workshop itself, 30 journalists drawn from across the country
were told about what constitutes Criminal and Seditious Libel and when
it can and cannot be used. They were also told about the Freedom of
Information Law and what it would mean for the practice of journalism if
it were passed into law
The head of the Parliamentary Committee of Information and
Communication Honourable Frank Kposowa said that he will settle it with
his colleagues.
Currently, the parties are worries what will happen if such Bill is
not enacted more especially when the government has made several
promises to the Press about the criminal lie bell law and the FOI law.
The FOI law will pave the will for transparent and accountable
governance if enacted.
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