Since the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists was formed, journalists in this country have been looking forward to the one who will deliver them from their numerous task masters; the one who will unite them, bring sanity to the association and preach peace to them.

SLAJ, for many years suffered deep sorrow after it had continually been embroiled in many controversies.

Many “prophets” of the association have come and gone but all of them were heralding the message of the one who is to come to free the association from the stranglehold of those who held it captive for all those years.

SLAJ for the past years now, has not been itself as a force to fight the causes of journalists all over this country be they members of the association or not especially the young journalists whose rights have often been trampled under foot with very low wages and with no voice to speak on their behalf.

For all these years the Seditious Libel Law has remained intact as journalists in the country have not only failed to cry loud enough for it to be repealed and for the ears of those who must hear, to tingle, but they have failed to cry with one voice.

There are very senior journalists in this country who have failed to cry with SLAJ because they see themselves as outsiders who have been sidelined.

The prophets who have come and gone over the past 12 years have not addressed their situations so that they could join in the wails for journalists to be taken seriously in this country so that when they sneeze the whole country will catch that cold.

A messiah is supposed to be one with humility like Moses who led the children of Israel for 40 years, a unifier who is easily accessible, not one of an elite class that cannot be approached by the lowly in the journalism field.

The man called Ahmed Sahid Nasralla or De Monk is that one that can easily fit into the messiah shoes of SLAJ.

As his name, De Monk, implies, he is humble and approachable and the very one that SLAJ has been waiting for all these years.

De Monk is the Chosen One and as a chosen one, there is no need for any challenge.

All those who were once embroiled in those said controversies that beset SLAJ must now hands off.

It will be best to allow the Chosen One to sail through without any challenge so that SLAJ will be left intact not divided by a Presidential Election as have happened in the past.

De Monk has many accolades behind him including him having won awards in all IMC annual awards competitions.

As Secretary General of SLAJ he proved his mettle and his worth.

As President of SLAJ he is bound to lead the association to Canaan where flows milk and homey and from where journalists all over this country will stand united and their voices heard.

De Monk is definitely the one that SLAJ has been waiting for all these years.

Give De Monk the chance to put the Humpty Dumpty pieces of SLAJ together again.

See Monk’s official declaration below:

Declaration of Intent to Contest for the Position of President of SLAJ

Dear colleagues,

In 2016 you gave me the unique opportunity to serve you as National Secretary General of our noble Association unopposed and for which I am immensely grateful.
In return for the confidence you reposed in me, I believe I have done my best to leave you with a formidable National Secretariat which contributed to increasing the visibility and respectability of SLAJ, and which I am sure you are all proud of, and which I further trust will challenge any successor to uphold and continue to raise the bar higher and higher.

But I am not going anywhere; in fact I am pleased to once again offer my enduring services in a higher capacity as your next distinguished President.

My desire to contest is motivated by the commendable achievements we have recorded as an Executive in the past three years, and the fact that we still have more to do to take SLAJ to the next enviable level.

I will expatiate on my vision when I officially launch my campaign for the presidency.

So I gently knock on your consciences to support my candidacy for the presidency.

Together we MUST make SLAJ much greater, responsive and relevant to the needs and aspirations of all journalists- young, contemporary, senior, old, veteran and ‘political’- and the peace, stability and development of our beloved Sierra Leone.

In the mean, I kindly encourage you to join my campaign train, #demonk4slajpresident by contacting Ms Femi Coker on +232 78 544306.

Long live SLAJ!

Long live press freedom!

Long live responsible & professional practice!

Thank you all for now.

I remain your ever humble and enduring servant,

Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)