allAfrica.com: Sierra Leone: Deputy Minister Says 'Ministry of Information is Not Only a Talking Drum' (Page 1 of 2)

Sierra Leone: Deputy Minister Says 'Ministry of Information is Not Only a Talking Drum'

Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Daudis Koroma, explains to Concord Times how his ministry is being run, some of the success stories, his future plans, how he wants to deal with the 'ghost workers' at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service and what is left of the Sierra Leone Daily Mail.

CT: How will you introduce yourself to those who do not know you?

MDK: My name is Mohamed Daudis Koroma and I am a professional journalist.

CT: Can we say you are the same Mohamed D. Koroma of the African Champion newspaper fame?

MDK: Yes, I am the same man of the African Champion.

of course, people call me Mohamed Champion.

CT: When retiring from politics, will you go back to practice journalism?

MDK: Of course, yes! In fact, this is a question people should not bother to ask because once a journalist is always a journalist. Writing is my calling. News writing and investigative journalism are my major disciplines.

CT: In your candid opinion, can you say the development currently being experienced in the Sierra Leone is commensurate to your expectations?

MDK: To a very large extent, yes; especially when the aims and objectives of the government are still on course- restoring democratic practices and providing the enabling atmosphere for the survival of the average Sierra Leonean. At the moment, there is stability and peace, and everybody is free to go about their activities within the law, without hindrance. Of course, many will say that the market price is biting.

Indeed yes, but I will like to draw the attention of the general public that the rising cost of commodities like rice and fuel has international implications, which the government is trying to solve.

CT: How will you rate your ministry in terms of performance?

MDK: Sometimes it is very difficult to assess one's self but so far, we are doing extremely well.

In-fact, my Minister Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo is a veteran journalist with over 30 years experience.

Within a very short time in office we have been able to transform the Ministry into a true Information agency of government. We have let people know that the Ministry of Information is not only a talking drum as believed by many, but it can also create, implement and deliver.

Also this Ministry has now converted the President's vision of attitudinal change into a real project, reviewed the National Communication Strategy Project and launched the Open Government Initiative. It is now the responsibility of the Ministry to let everybody know about government information, programs and activities. We are trying to make sure that in everything we do or plan the general public is fully involved.

We are also trying to make communication affordable to our people - even the poor on the street. My Ministry has made the Telecommunication Commission and other systems functional in the country. By August and September SIERRATEL will be boasting of a CDMA Telephone system-cordless system. We are also trying to introduce the new digital system. Laudable projects have come and are working 24 hours on a visibility study to upgrade the standard of land phones like those in the developed world.

CT: What is the present status of the SLBS; is it going to be privatized by the government?

MDK: At the moment, SLBS is undergoing drastic restructuring which we think can help it undertake its rightful role in the new dispensation. It is doing fine because it can now broadcast throughout the country. I don't think whether there is need to talk about privatization, the SLBS is still under the Ministry's supervision. It is our responsibility to provide the leadership and direction it needs.

CT: How did the pay exercise you undertook last week at SLBS go?

MDK: The pay exercise went on well and officials on contracts came for their salaries.

The aim of the exercise is to weed out ghost workers from the actual ones, and we will succeed in doing so with time. We also realize that some other workers have their salaries sent to the banks, so it will be very difficult to determine whether such persons are amongst the ghost workers or not. I will not relent; I have to talk to the Finance Secretary about it and suspend all bank transactions till we are able to verify all SLBS workers. We want to make sure that only people who report regularly for work and actually work, do receive salaries.

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