Some stalwarts of the main opposition, Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) have alleged that the party’s chairman, John Oponjo Benjamin is working on plans  to stage manage the party’s forth coming delegates convention in March next year. The three stalwarts who spoke to CTN on the condition of anonymity said “the All Peoples Congress administration has given huge sums of money to  Mr.  Benjamin to influence delegates to elect a weak flag-bearer for the twenty twelve presidential election.”  They alleged that Mr. Benjamin had once refused to support one of the candidates Julius Maada Bio on the grounds that he betrayed them, when he handed power to former President Ahmad Tejan Kabba in 1996.   But John Oponjo Benjamin told CTN that the information was false. He added that some people did not recognize his effort and work in the party. Mr Benjamin said the party’s executive was bent on ensuring a fair convention, while maintaining its neutrality. He said the rumour was a deliberate attempt by the ruling APC to dismantle the structures of the SLPP.   Secretary General of the APC, Victor Bockarie Foh, dismissed the SLPP chairman’s claims, noting that it was “baseless and ridiculous.” He said       their  leadership was strong enough and ready to out rightly defeat any candidate in the twenty twelve presidential election.        

Information and Communication minister, Ibrahim Ben Kargbo says government is currently investigating the alleged arrest and beating of journalists in Freetown and Bo on the orders of two ministers of government. Mr Ben Kargbo told CTN that “the government would take necessary actions against what he called those at fault.” He said the government would not condone anything that would impede freedom of expression and “sour the relationship between the government and the media in Sierra Leone.” He however called on journalists to exercise restraint over the recent issues between two ministers and the journalists. The Information Minister said the government was working assiduously to ensure that the Freedom of Information Bill was enacted by parliament. Some members of the public have described the alleged acts of the ministers as “barbaric,” noting that such acts were not synonymous with democratic principles. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest of Mohamed Daramy, a radio presenter and Ibrahim Farmer, technician for KISS FM Radio in Bo, southern Sierra Leone.  

The Minister of Information and Communication has said that it is the responsibility of the government of Sierra Leone to provide the requisite infrastructure, rules, guidelines and regulations that will enable the country to be part of the international telecommunication sector. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo was speaking in Freetown after representing Sierra Leone at a Beijing conference on the modernization of the Communication sector in third World Countries. He said the government has already engaged the Indian government to refurbish the country’s entire telephone system. He said the landing of the Africa Coast to Europe fiber optic and the Eco-One project are all geared towards improving the telecommunications network in the country. The Minister disclosed that the results from several national surveys on the country’s telecommunication system reveal a number of weaknesses and challenges.  Mr. Ben Kargbo said the government would have to address the telecommunications gap by taking into account the outcome of the survey.    

The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists SLAJ has condemned the arrest of four journalists, on the purported instructions of a government minister. The four journalists, Abdul Rahman Kamara of The Torchlight, Razrok Wurie of The Satellite, Sheik Unisa Thoronka of Global Times and Alfred Koroma of The African Champion, were arrested by police allegedly on the orders of the Lands Minister, Allieu Pat Sowe.The journalists were investigating an apparent financial scam as contained in an audit report of funds provided to the Lands Ministry by the Investment Climate Facility. According to the journalists, while investigating the matter at the Lands Ministry on Monday, the new minister entered one of the offices, and asked what the journalists were doing there. They told him they were investigating a story but the minister said he was not satisfied as the journalists had certain documents in their possession. The minister it is further alleged later called the Inspector General of Police for the journalists to be arrested.SLAJ president has called on the police not to undermine the journalists’ investigation into the apparent disappearance of donor funds as contained in the said audit report. Meanwhile, the Minister of Lands Allieu Pat Sowe has however denied the allegations made against him by SLAJ.