Ban Ki-Moon Demands Press Freedom
As part of his visit to Sierra Leone, the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon (in photo)Â yesterday officially unveiled the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) where he called on the President of the Republic, Ernest Bai Koroma to ensure press freedom in the country if the hard earned peace and democracy are to be sustained.
“Journalists must be free to practice, practice without fear of criminal indictment but must do so without any measure of bias or partisanship,†Ban Ki-Moon said during the inaugural ceremony. Â
The Secretary General commented on the strides made so far in attaining and consolidating the peace in the country, but however added that there’s still need to continue nurturing it for sustainable development and called for the right environment for the practice of journalism which he described as a catalyst for growth and development.
Talking on the establishment of SLBC as state broadcaster, the Secretary General described the venture as a milestone in the country’s march to progress, highlighting that the public broadcaster should be seen as an asset to every man, woman and children.
Mr. Ki-Moon called on the government and the Board of Trustees at the corporation to see the SLBC as a national instrument for peace and development not one to be used as a party propaganda machine.
Ban Ki-Moon asked the nation of Sierra Leone to understand such developments to mean a transformation of an extra-ordinary journey to reconciliation and peace. The Secretary General pledged his and the support of the United Nations to continue to support progress in the country and to the SLBC in particular.
As a complement to the words of the visiting UN Premiere, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma revealed his government’s intention to pass into law the Freedom of Information Bill, an action he described as an engine to the smooth and responsible practice of media plurality in the country.Â
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