Parliament yesterday approved Bernadette Cole as chairperson of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), Isaac Massaquoi as member, Joshua Nicol, Priestly Adewole Bell and Augustine Ansumana Garmoh with 11 others for various positions as chairmen and board members of various state enterprises.
Presenting the nominees to members of parliament, the majority leader Hon Edward Turay of the APC said the Parliamentary Appointments and Public Service Committee interviewed the 16 presidential nominees on Wednesday 30th April.
The majority leader said when the chairperson for the Independent Media Commission Bernadette Cole was interviewed, she assured that she would follow the regulatory Act accordingly by making media houses understand and appreciate the media code of conduct.
She however said the IMC did not have the capacity to monitor radio stations as most did not record their programmes. She called for the commission to be financially empowered to undertake monitoring mechanisms.
Mrs Bernadette Cole is the director of the Institute of Library Information and Communications Studies at Fourah Bay College and senior lecturer and head of Mass Communications department. The next to be presented was Birch Momodu Conte, as chairman of the Rokel Commercial Bank.
He told the committee on Appointments and Public Service that he would give priority to the national interest and institute proactive measures to further develop the bank through team work.
Birch Conte was the minister of Mines in 1986-1992 and was ambassador to Italy, acting high commissioner to London.
Muluka Sulaiman Sisay was also approved as chairman of SALPOST. Mr Sisay is from the Diaspora who promised to use his experience from the Diaspora to improve SALPOST. Mr Clifford Rotimi Marcus Roberts was also approved as director at the Rokel Commercial Bank. The other nominees approved were Arthur Nathaniel Yaskey to serve as board member at NASSIT, John Solomon Kamara, Franklyn L. Johnson and Felix Michael Rhodes. Saidu Abdul Turay and Richard Saesay Kargbo were approved as board members at the National Telecommunications Commission whilst Emeric Bernard- Jones and Thomas Conteh were approved to serve as board members of Sierra Leone State Lottery and Sierratel respectively.
Hon Eric Jumu of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) who seconded the motion for the approval of the nominees called on the board members not to create parallel systems and to allow their departments do their work.
He also called on them not to be seen putting pressure on the administration or making unnecessary demands. Hon Frank Kposowa of the SLPP agitated for more funding to the IMC to enable it lay the foundation for ethical journalism practice.