AYV News, July 9, 2025
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) hosted a successful Orientation Ceremony in Kenema District for the incoming national and regional executives of the association.
Held at the newly constructed SLAJ Eastern Region Office Building on Maada Bio Street, Kenema City, the orientation was a strategic capacity-building program to prepare the incoming executive for the task ahead in administering the affairs of SLAJ over the next three years.
The event brought together past presidents, new executive members, and seasoned media leaders to share insights, reflections, and institutional knowledge that are critical for continuity, coherence, and the strengthening of SLAJ’s leadership tradition.
The orientation kicked off with a robust and enlightening session by Joseph Egbenda Kapuwa Esq, focusing on the revised SLAJ Constitution (2024).
A member of the SLAJ Legal Team, and Chairman of the Independent Media Commission, Kapuwa unpacked the roles and responsibilities of executive members, the principle of collective responsibility, mutual respect, and teamwork.
He also emphasised the importance of aligning with the president-elect’s vision, and fostering coordination, collaboration, and oversight across SLAJ’s regional executives, affiliate bodies, committees, and emissaries to public institutions.
The orientation tradition itself was introduced by former President Kelvin Lewis in 2016 to promote smooth transitions, preserve institutional memory, and strengthen leadership cohesion. Since then, it has become an essential pillar in SLAJ’s leadership transition processes.
Outgoing President Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, in his opening remarks, reminded the new leadership that SLAJ is more than an association; it is a union, a company, a movement, and a family. He described the orientation as a “foundational moment” and urged the new team to listen, learn and lead with vision and discipline.
Nasralla, who has steered SLAJ through a challenging political period (2019 to 2025) and landmark reforms including the repeal of the criminal libel law, created SLAJ’s first-ever Gender Policy, helped establish the National Fund for Public Interest Media, and elevated media safety and professionalism, emphasised that leadership is temporary but legacy is lasting.
In his presentation on ‘SLAJ as a Project’, he laid out a comprehensive blueprint on systems-building, professional conduct, and the dual identity of SLAJ as both an advocacy union and a corporate entity. His key message: “Projects end, but institutions endure. Build SLAJ to outlast us all.”
In his leadership experience sharing, Nasralla said serving as President of SLAJ has been one of the greatest honours of his life, and has also been one of the toughest jobs with constant demands, limited resources, and high expectations.
“But I also learned that making progress as a leader demands patience, pressure, sacrifice, partnerships, and above all, people, not just SLAJ members. No president leads alone. So to the incoming executive: trust your team, trust the membership, and never lose sight of why we exist: to defend press freedom and strengthen journalism,” he said, and urged the incoming executive to lead with humility, act with courage, and always put SLAJ above self.
Former SLAJ President Umaru Fofana took the new executive through a rich historical and strategic landscape of SLAJ’s evolution. He painted a stark contrast between his tenure, during the days of criminal libel, no subvention, and open hostility from state actors, and today’s more structured and supportive environment.
Fofana reminded the team that while the terrain has changed, the threats remain: from non-state pressure, to resource scarcity, to the rise of partisan bloggers diluting professional journalism.
He stressed the SWOT analysis approach: SLAJ’s strengths (unity, respect, partnerships), its weaknesses (chronic underfunding), opportunities (growing public trust and international interest), and threats (blogger dominance and political manipulation).
He urged the new executive to defend the legacy of SLAJ, cautioning that even elected presidents face betrayal from within. “Some of our own members will side with the attackers,” he warned. “Don’t expect too much. Let your happiness be in your hands.”
The former SLAJ president and BBC Correspondent said the biggest satisfaction you can have is to be chosen by your peers to lead them.
“You are not some member of parliament or some president or somebody who was elected by most people who are not educated. You are elected by your peers. You must always see that as a very big satisfaction. And as a result, you must always consider that and provide the right leadership in the next three years,” said Fofana.
He continued: “Whether or not you supported Manika as president of SLAJ, now that you are in the executive you must see him as President of SLAJ. There is a reason the SLAJ constitution provides that we cannot have an executive president. In other words, we cannot have the president elected, and who appoints his or her cabinet. So which means that the president must understand and must listen to the views of other members of his executive.
“In a nutshell we must all work in the best interest of SLAJ. This is the only body that I joined. I will refuse to join any other body. This is the only one I know about.”
Another past President Kelvin Lewis delivered a practical, candid, and at times humorous mentorship address via a message sent via WhatsApp and read on his behalf by the outgoing president. He urged the executive to lead with integrity and service, and to be ready for the pressures and sometimes ingratitude that come with leadership.
“You will face members who insult you even after you’ve gone begging for funds to serve them,” he said. But he reminded them that leadership is about sacrifice and calm resolve: “You cannot win a shouting match. Be calm but unshakeable in your decisions.”
He stressed unity, cautioning that “walls have ears” and that private grievances must be handled internally. His closing story of a first-time air conditioner user brought laughter but also humility, reminding all that every SLAJ member comes with a different life experience.
In his concise vision statement, President-Elect Alhaji ManikaKamara shared the guiding philosophy of the new executive: A.C.T.I.O.N.: Advocacy, Commitment, Transparency, Innovation, Organisation, and Networking.
He vowed to build on the solid foundations laid by his predecessors and prioritise unity, media independence, innovation, and members’ welfare.
“Let’s ACT. Let’s deliver. Let’s move forward together,” he declared.
The event closed with a vote of thanks by Secretary General-Elect Edward Marah, who pledged his full support to the president and to SLAJ’s mission. He also paid glowing tribute to past presidents, especially the outgoing president, for their tireless service and dedication to the development of the Association.
The Orientation in Kenema was a celebration of continuity, courage, and collective purpose. It reinforced the idea that SLAJ is strongest when it stands united, driven by principle, and powered by the voices of journalists across the country.
Nasralla closed the ceremony by appealing:
“As we begin this new chapter, we call on all members to rally around the new leadership, renew our commitment to the ideals of free, ethical journalism, and make SLAJ stronger than ever before.
