European Union Capacitates Members of Parliamentary Press Gallery
The President of the SLPPG, Rev. Vincent Jabbie Momoh called on the EU to support the Parliamentary Press Gallery on their strategic Plan. According to Rev. Vincent Jabbie Momoh, the importance of training cannot be "overemphasized" for the simple fact that parliamentary reporting is specialized reporting that needs specific skill sets for which it was aimed to address.
With support from the European Union (EU), the Directorate of Programs, Research, and Partnership of the Sierra Leone Parliament has organized a two-day capacity training and engagement with Members of the Sierra Leone Parliamentary Press Gallery (SLPPG) at Committee Room One Parliament Building in Freetown. The training which commenced on Wednesday 31 August and on Thursday 1 September brought over 50 journalists from different media houses across the country.
In his opening statement, the Director, Parliamentary and Public Relations Office, Sheku Turay said Parliamentarians and the media have a symbiotic relationship, adding that members of parliament and parliament rely on the media to derive their message and opinions to the general public.
“Parliament is seeking to expose Members of the Press Gallery to its Strategic Plan and Communications Strategy over a two-day period with a vision to understanding those documents to enhance, sharpen and broaden their horizons about the operations and functions of the Parliament of the Republic of Sierra Leone ” he stated.
The President of the SLPPG, Rev. Vincent Jabbie Momoh called on the EU to support the Parliamentary Press Gallery on their strategic Plan. According to Rev. Vincent Jabbie Momoh, the importance of training cannot be “overemphasized” for the simple fact that parliamentary reporting is specialized reporting that needs specific skill sets for which it was aimed to address.
He said the absence of training and capacity building would lead a nation to a crisis, adding that since he was appointed as Interim President of SLPPG, the Press Gallery has benefited from one capacity training funded by the UNDP and one Strategy planning workshop funded by Parliament of Sierra Leone.
Addressing Members of PPG, the Director General of Parliament, Finda Fraser, said for a Parliament to be “open” means, most obviously, that its proceedings are physically open to the public, noting it is one that encourages transparency, participation, and accountability both within the parliamentary institution and throughout government.
“To strengthen our democratic institutions, restore citizens’ trust and improve our ability to achieve sustainable development, a democratic parliament must lead by example and open legislative processes to citizens. They also have an important role to play in promoting open government through lawmaking, oversight, budgeting, and awareness-raising. This requires parliamentarians to expand their knowledge base and exchange experiences with their peers to develop effective solutions” she said.
Serena Bertaina, Team Leader, Governance and Civil Society, EU Delegation expressed that they were truly honored to be able to partner with Parliament and wish to recognize and laud the strides recorded to make the Parliament an even more effective and transparent harbor democracy for Sierra Leone.
She pointed out that the two-day engagement with members of the media provides a further opportunity to anchor the Parliament of Sierra Leone’s strategic vision, transparency, communication, and outreach to the citizens of Sierra Leone.
By Mohamed Amara Gando
