We have been informed that one Patrick K. Muana, a senior policy adviser to the President of Sierra Leone and director of strategic communication, and a few other Bio administration employees are now claiming that Mark Feldman of the Africanist Press has not been working with Africanist Press for over a year now. This is a complete LIE.
Let It be known to them that our own Mark Feldman is alive and right here. And we are excited about the amazing investigative work we have done on Sierra Leone. Let them present their own SLPP Mark Feldman and we will present the true MARK FELDMAN of the Africanist Press.
We want to also add that the Africanist Press is a group of academics and journalists —-many of whom are research scholars working as academics and/or PhD candidates spread across many universities in the US, Europe, and Africa. Other members of our team are also veteran journalists who have studied and covered the African continent.
We understand the level of desperation and frustration among officials of the Bio regime. For a government that promised increased transparency and fiscal discipline to the people of Sierra Leone, and now being confronted with such glaring evidence of corruption and mishandling of public funds, it is monumental a task to respond to our reports. It is obvious that representatives of the Bio regime do not know how to respond to the revealing facts of our investigation into various aspects of state organized financial crimes in Sierra Leone. They declined an invitation to respond to the BBC when they were contacted. For a government that has always given free access to the BBC in the past, that in itself was telling.
This is why efforts by representatives of the Bio administration to resort to slander and insulting remarks against staff of the Africanist Press is not surprising. In the past, rogue regimes across Africa have often murdered investigative journalists that take on corrupt politicians like those in the Maada Bio regime of today. We all remember Carlos Cardoso of Mozambique, Dele Giwa of Nigeria, and Norbert Zongo of Burkina Fasso, and how they were murdered by state agents in those countries while they were in the middle of publishing details of high profile corruption stories unearthed by their investigative work.
In the case of the Africanist Press, thanks to distance and the new instruments of mass communication, we are able to do this great work from a place where the vexatious arm of the regime can’t easily reach us.
So, we understand that the only weapons now available in the hands of representatives of the Bio regime, and which they have been using against the Africanist Press over the last couple of weeks, are “slander, insults”, and “death threats”. Unfortunately, these tactics too are proving harmless and not working for them.
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been inundated with diverse messages of harassment, insult and death threats from known and unknown operatives of the Bio regime. We have formally reported these incidents of harassment and intimidation to press freedom groups and human rights organizations across the world. We are informed that our concerns are now being investigated by a number of groups concerned with press freedom and the protection of journalists.
Thus, we will continue to encourage officials of the Bio regime to respond to the revealing information so far published by the Africanist Press.They owe the people of Sierra Leone many answers to the numerous questions and issues raised in our reports.
The Africanist Press, they must also understand, is NOT JUST Chernoh Alpha M. Bah and his co-authors of the investigative reports on Sierra Leone.Trying to single out Chernoh Bah and making him the center of false propaganda is not the answer to any of the issues so far reported in the many reports on Sierra Leone by the Africanist Press.
Genuine, responsible, and democratic political leaders often openly respond to questions raised by journalists regarding how they manage the state and its vast resources. Responsible political leaders do not embark on slanderous campaigns against journalists and civil society organizers in a bid to cover-up graft, corruption, and human rights abuse. The earlier officials of the Bio regime get to know this, the better it will be for them and the country whose affairs they have been entrusted to manage.
We encourage all our readers to direct all questions regarding any of our reports to: info@africanistpress.com or editors@africanistpress.com.
The Africanist Press Editorial Team
The Bio regime is highly frustrated over the avalanche revelations and is left with no idea of damage control but to blackmail and spread lies against officials of the Africanist Press.
Guess what? It will not work this time. We the people will say no to this bunch of SLPP crooks and liars.
Dear Team,
I felt relief with all these publications you have provided on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone. May God continue to use you more and more to free our nation from the hands of these jobless people. I am dismayed by the people of sierra Leone to have in the first place elected Bio to the highest office in the land after roaming the country for 21 years without a job. I cry for my country each day…
To help with your noble work, kindly apply the following ideas, even though it will hurt our people but if you have not done, do now. the price is freedom is never cheap. Please send these corruption analysis of Bio and his thugs to the President Biden, the EU, British PM and all the sources of income for the Bio regime to stop funding this government and or Sierra Leone for now as any support to help the people of Sierra Leone will only go to their pockets. You may also want to use the CNN/BBC to allocate special programs to expose these massive looting of state funds by Bio and the cabal of thieves. Use similar trend like the live broadcast of “Cry Freetown” this will attached the world attention on Sierra Leone.
I read your articles each day.. Kudos to the team
Great job done by the Africanist press we the masses of Sierra Leone are very much Happy on what you have done so far
Continue to do more. The end will justify the means.