Concord Times (Freetown)

Sierra Leone: VP Resolves SLPP Radio Crisis

Freetown — Vice President Sam Sumana Thursday resolved the seeming crisis surrounding the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) Unity Radio.

Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) President Philip Neville told journalists after the State House meeting that the vice president has advised management of the station to work with the Independent Media Commission (IMC) and follow the due process.

"The radio station was not put off air as a result of any political reason. There was a breach of procedural process that was not followed," Neville observed.

He said after the SLPP radio was vandalized when they wanted to resume transmission the party informed that IMC of their intention to use a 1, 000 watts transmitter but chairperson of the commission raised the issued of the yet to be reconstituted board.

"One of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) technicians who was at the meeting admitted showing the SLPP officials where they should install their antenna if at all their documents were correct," he said.

The SLPP, he said was represented by Dr. Sama Banya, John Benjamin, Momodu Koroma and Hon. Emmanuel Tommy who forwarded their case suggesting that their radio station has been banned.

However, deputy minister of information and communications Mohamed Koroma argued that the radio was not banned but that the SLPP failed to follow the due process.


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