David Tam-Baryoh
Sierra Leone's Independent Media Commission (IMC) has slammed a two-month ban on what is arguably the country's most widely-listened-to radio programme, MONOLOGUE.
It followed a cabinet instruction, contained in a letter Politico has seen, instructing the media regulator to axe off the programme temporarily.
The Chairman of the IMC, Rod Mac-Johnson confirms the weekly programme, which airs on five radio stations across the country, has been banned for sixty days.
In a letter dated 4 July and addressed to the manager of the host radio station of the programme, Citizen radio, IMC says the programme has been taken off air because it aired a programme whose content was unsubstantiated.
The letter reads in part thus: "I am further directed to convey to you the cabinet conclusion C.P. (2014) at the meeting on 21st May 2014 that 'the Monologue Programme on Citizen Radio be issued a sixty-day suspension order' as from 12 O' clock today".
The letter does not explain exactly what the programme did do wrong but the IMC Chairman says "the commission cannot disobey a cabinet directive". He says MONOLOGUE broadcast unsubstantiated things about the military and the defence minister, bordering on "the security of the state". He says the presenter of the programme, David Tam-Baryoh was summoned to the commission where he admitted to wrongdoing and apologised.
But Tam-Baryoh denies this account saying the IMC absolved him of any wrongdoing after looking into the complaint.
"I am not surprised [because]...I saw it coming in the sense that it has been my belief...that there may be certain people in high places who do not certainly like some of the information that comes on my programme", Tam-Baryoh says, adding however that he is surprised at the role of the IMC in the matter. "Where is the independence of the Independent Media Commission?" he asks. He however says that he will comply with the suspension.
The unprecedented two-month ban of the programme comes just a few months after several journalists were either arrested or called in for questioning by the police on the orders of state officials, something the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) referred to as a crackdown against the media.
SLAJ President, Kelvin Lewis has questioned and expressed surprise at the manner of the axing of MONOLOGUE. He says "the law states that the IMC must act on its own, but in this case it seems somebody or some institution is pressuring the IMC to act on their behalf. And cabinet has taken a purely judicial decision".
Lewis says the ban smirks of "highhandedness" by the government.
In 2009, IMC also banned the country's two political party radio stations after their closure had been ordered by the country's vice president.
(C) Politico Online 05/07/14
