The Minister of Information and Communications Mr. Mohamed Rahman Swaray delivered his Ministry’s scorecard on connectivity and other Manifesto promises at the Sierra Leone People’s Party’s 13th National Delegates Conference held at the Bintumani Conference Center on the 8-9th February 2023.
President Dr. Julius Maada Bio in 2018 promised to expand broadband connectivity and also to ensure the media space is opened and protected. The appointment of Minister Swaray was no mistake to execute the vision of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio.
Over the years, the Government of President Bio has improved access to social media users from 360,000 in 2018 to 2.68 million as at June 2022. According to the Minister of Information, this is in tandem with President Bio’s vision to ensure citizens have unlimited access to the internet.
Another remarkable achievement of the New Direction Government is the increase in voice connectivity from 58% in 2018 to 87% as at 2022.
As access continues to expand, the Government of President Bio, through the Ministry of Information and Communications, enacted the Cyber Security and Crime Act 2021 to sanitize the cyber space in order to protect the privacy and human rights of citizens. “Equipment received from EU through ECOWAS to support Cyber Security is already in town and ready to be installed. Recently, Judges including the Chief Justice, prosecutors and law enforcement officers were trained to handle matters related to cyber crimes,” the Minister said.
The Minister continued his presentation by highlighting the $50 Million grant from the World Bank for the Digital Transformation Project to achieve increased access to broadband Internet, improve capacity building and enhance the capacity of government to deliver digital services.
Minister Swaray informed Party members that, the Government has rolled out fibre backbone to 5 Districts including Koinadugu, Kailahun, Pujehun, Bonthe and Moyamba. This according to the Minister, has saved citizens from climbing up trees or walking for miles in order to get connectivity.
In promoting the media ecosystem, President Bio has repealed part 5 of the 1965 Public Order Act which was a stumbling block to the progress of journalism in Sierra Leone. The Minister highlighted that though President Bio is the most vilified politician in Sierra Leone, yet the he instructed for the removal of that draconian law. This according to the Minster was done to ensure journalists are not gagged, but ply their trade without fear or hindrance. “To date, no journalists is in jail for the practice of his or her profession,” echoed the Minister.
The effulgent Minister updated the party about Government’s subvention to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and also the hosting of an Investment Conference for the media to address poverty in the sector.
In all of these efforts to liberalize the media, Sierra Leone has been rated and ranked highly in terms of media promotion and free speech. The latest Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) rated Sierra Leone 98% in the freedom of information category.
Minister Swaray concluded by saying his Ministry is the Government’s mouthpiece and as such, there have been weekly government press briefings, public engagements through radio, TV and town hall meetings across the country. In addition, the Minister also launched his LEH WE TOK TO DI MINISTER PROGRAM on social media to disseminate information relating to the work of the President. Ministers and other heads of agencies are regularly invited to talk to the citizens through that platform.
Credit: Strategic Communications Unit, Ministry of Information and Communications.