By: Ilyasa Baa
The substantive Secretary-General of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Mohammed Asmieu Bah has arrived in the country after his Hubert H. Humphrey fellowship program in the United States seeking his final term as Secretary-General of the Association.
Asmieu was elected Secretary-General in 2019; he served in that capacity for a while before attending meetings on behalf of President Ahmed Nasralla and involving in dispute resolutions between practitioners and those in authorities.
He had been an Humphrey fellow before his election so he grabbed the opportunity extended to him and left the secretariat for further studies in the USA. According to him, he had groomed his Deputy, Alhaji Madinka to handle SLAJ issues “but unfortunately, he was not able to step in my shoes”,Asmieu said, adding that even in the U.S. he had to intervene sometimes.
” While I was studying I used to contribute to decision making although my signature was not appended in the documents”, he noted, pointing out that he was surprised that the man he groomed is now standing against him for the position.
He said all efforts to get Madinka out of the race proved fruitless as elders approached him to step down and retain his deputy position. ‘He is going to have the shock of his life because I will defeat him hands down come Saturday “, Asmieu confidently pronounced.
Asmieu Bah joined the Association in 2003, during the Presidency of Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo passed through Philip Neville, and his mentor Umaru Fofanah. He has promised to serve SLAJ more now that he has benefited from professional training in America which he said he wants to impact his colleagues. While in the United States, Asmieu was privileged to visit and deliver talks in universities. He also visited policymakers and media pressure groups which he has promised to affiliate with SLAJ if he wins the Saturday pool.
A cross-section of the media has endorsed the substantive sec-gen on the grounds that he left a clean sheet before travelling and that he is one of the most hard-working and dedicated Secretary-General SLAJ has ever had.
Alhaji Mandinka, it could be recalled, had called on the membership to entrust him with the Secretary-General position. He said he has learned a lot while acting noting that he will change the narrative if elected.
