It was all praises for Asmaa James yesterday, Thursday 8th August 2024, in the well of the Sierra Leone Parliament as the honorable members on both aisle of the house sang from the same hymn book in approval of the popular broadcast journalist as Sierra Leone’s Deputy Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, accredited to the Kingdom of Netherlands, France, Greece, Grand-Duchy of Luxemburg, Holy See and European Union.
The overwhelming approval of the house was reiterated by thunderous applause from the lower and upper galleries of Parliament, full of journalists and supporters of the various presidential nominees, every time the name Asmaa James was spoken by the honorable members and Speaker of the House, paying tribute to her contribution to the country’s democracy, public interest and accountability journalism, and mentorship. Members of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), and Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL) of which Asmaa is a member and a former President, made their presence purposefully felt.
However, to Asmaa, the most emotional and inspiring approval came earlier, following her appointment by President Bio, from another distinguished compatriot she regards as an inspiring role model. This power woman is now serving globally: Madam Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura:
“Good morning. I heard the good news and so, so I’m so very proud of you. Please do not hesitate to accept it. It is a great multilateral duty station. Now I know I go to Brussels for a break. You have reached the pinnacle of your career. Sierra Leone is becoming smaller. You need to move out. We all did it. The job though of a deputy is a very tough job. After you go through the parliamentary screening and ready to leave, please let us talk, and I will give you my own genuine advice. Thanks.”
We at Ticha Lemp Lemp are not surprised. About nine years ago, the Chief of the New England Ville community, Chief Mammy Kamara, called on the Government and People of Sierra Leone to entrust Asmaa James with any position of trust because ‘she deserves it’.
We reproduce below our article published on 9th July 2015 on this ‘dangerous’ go-getter woman called ASMAA JAMES, when she made headlines for relocating Radio Democracy 98.1FM to its own newly erected building at New England Ville, Freetown.
“Give Asmaa any position she wants in this country, even if it’s the Presidency!”
By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)
If Station Manager of Radio Democracy 98.1, Mrs. Asmaa Kamara James, has any ambition of becoming the first female President of Sierra Leone one day, she does not need to hire a Chief Campaigner because she’s already got an influential volunteer.
The Chief of the New England Ville community, Chief Mammy Kamara, moved the audience to loud applause at the formal opening ceremony of Radio Democracy’s new studio building at New England Ville on Tuesday 7th July 2015, when she called on the Government and people of Sierra Leone to entrust Asmaa with any position of trust because ‘she deserves it’. And that’s just not an ordinary audience.
“When I first met her I said to myself: ‘is this the Asmaa?’. She’s a young but wonderful woman. Asmaa is a true democrat and she’s honest. With the construction of this new studio building, she has proven that she can accomplish great things. So give Asmaa any position she wants, even if it’s the Presidency,” said Chief Mammy with amazing conviction.
Chief Mammy said because she believed in Asmaa and the work she was doing she went all out to help her secure the piece of land in the New England Ville community which now houses the new studio building.
Setting the stage for what turned out to be a tribute session rather than a launching ceremony and birthday celebration, speaker after speaker heaped praises on Asmaa and her team for the ‘wonderful work’ they have done.
The Chairperson of the occasion, Mamadi Gobeh Kamara- who has been a source of inspiration to Asmaa- aimed to impress rather than scare the men when she declared:
“Let me quickly warn the men present here to keep their jealous pride locked up in their pockets because today we are here to acknowledge that when the opportunity is presented to women- we deliver.”
She recalled that Radio Democracy was nurtured and breastfed by a remarkable female Sierra Leonean broadcaster, Miss Hannah Foullah, “but 18 years later today we are here to equally acknowledge the achievement of another remarkable young lady- Mrs. Asmaa Kamara James”.
Equally, the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Kelvin Lewis, said obviously the mantle of leadership of running the radio station has passed on from a phenomenal woman, Miss Hannah Foullah, to Asmaa.
“But, on behalf of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists, let me register our pride in having Asmaa as a member, and congratulate you for this remarkable achievement. Today you have written your name in the annals of 98.1. The history of Radio Democracy will never be complete without a mention of your name,” Lewis said proudly.
The SLAJ President described the opening of the new studio building as a very important event for broadcasting in Sierra Leone.
“This is because the erection of a building sends a few messages. It sends the message of permanence, which sends a message of security which gives the feeling of stability and makes the statement that 98.1 is here to stay forever by the Grace of God,” Lewis said.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Media Reform Co-ordinating Group (MRCG), Ransford C. Wright, makes reference to a quote by T.E. Lawrence which says: “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” He described Asmaa as a go-getter and a dangerous woman because she dreams with her eyes wide open!
Furthermore, Wright referred to the achievement of Asmaa and her Radio Democracy team as a celebration of women’s achievement, youth empowerment, teamwork, and self-confidence.
For the CEO of NERC, Rtd. Maj. Alfred Palo Conteh, Asmaa is a young but strong and determined woman with a great team behind her.
“Today is a remarkable day in our young democracy. At 18 years of age, Radio Democracy’s contribution to peace and democracy in Sierra Leone cannot be over-emphasized.
“For us politicians, you give us the platform to respond and give our own side of the story, especially when we are wrongly accused, while other radio stations lock themselves up after castigating us and we are not there to defend ourselves. We may be politicians, but we also have rights and families too,” Palo said.
The World Bank Sierra Leone Country Manager, Francis Ato-Brown- who fell in love with Radio Democracy when he was posted to the country almost three years ago- said no subject is big or small for the station as everything matters to them. He said Radio Democracy also allows the public to know the movers and shakers in the country as they are held accountable daily.
Equally, the Board of Directors of Radio Democracy commended Asmaa and her team for upholding the standards and vision of the station.
“The success of Radio Democracy is a lesson Sierra Leoneans can learn from- that we can all rally around the development of our nation irrespective of our differences. Many people have come and gone but the vision of the station to uphold democracy, the rule of law, and good governance remains,” said the Board Chairman, Mohamed Sillah.
He continued: “But we have not been carried away by our successes. We are aware that we should continue to maintain high standards and provide the space to hold government, powerful persons, and big businesses accountable to the public.”
JOE Hindovei Pemagbi, Country Officer for Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), whose organization has provided crucial support to Radio Democracy in the last three years, recalled that 18 years ago the station represented ‘the only ray of hope and the most potent evidence that Sierra Leone’s trajectory to sustainable peace and development was unstoppable’.
“Today, the station provides an alternative voice for the voiceless devoid of political, religious, and ethnic affiliation. That’s what participatory democracy is all about. So it is my pleasure and honor to congratulate Radio Democracy for this milestone in OUR lives. I say OUR lives because we at OSIWA consider ourselves as part of this station as they strive to promote open society values which we at OSIWA stand for. These values include freedom of information, access to information, accountable governance across the board – government, citizens, and even NGOs,” Pemagbi said.
Meanwhile, Asmaa humbly thanked God ‘for the strength, courage, and guidance throughout my leadership thus far, as it has not been an easy one’. She also thanked her husband whom she described as the unsung hero behind her achievements. She paid special tribute to her team of dedicated and promising young journalists, to fallen colleagues, and to those who have moved on to other institutions.
Finally, she specially recognized with plaques the three pioneers of Radio Democracy: Dr. Julius Spencer, Amb. Allie Bangura and Hannah Foullah.
Brief Profile:
Amaa James is Chief Executive of ASMAA JAMES NETWORK which consists of Rise Radio 96.3FM, a community service media organization that seeks to provide a platform and, opportunities to amplify the voices of women, girls, and young people to help address critical and emerging issues affecting them, promote human rights, advocate for a just and inclusive society and progressive governance through radio broadcasts. The Girls+ Plus – is a non-profit organization that is driven by community-level interventions aimed at providing adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights, services, and education in Sierra Leone; delivering programs that help mitigate the risks and incidence of sexual abuse and violence against girls in Sierra Leone. Her Asmaa James Foundation –focuses on empowering women and girls through mentorship, scholarship, and life skills training. The Sierra Leone Deputy Ambassador to Belgium was privileged to be selected as a young and emerging leader from Sierra Leone to participate in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), under the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She is also recognized as the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential Women from around the world who are social change makers in the 21st century. She is a graduate of the London School of Journalism and has attended several training programs and seminars in Africa, Europe, and the United States.
She participated in the European Union Visitor’s Program (EUVP) where she had the opportunity to learn about the EU, its roles, and its relationship with African countries especially Sierra Leone.
CREDIT :Ticha Lemp Lemp
