Ever since the current Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy took over, activities and programmes under the ministry for the past five years had and continue to receive very low media publicity.

However, investigations mounted by this medium has attributed the low media publicity of the Minister’s activities and programmes together with other senior official’s engagements both local and international level largely due to the incapability of the Minister’s Public Relation Unit to popularize such engagements and its importance to the economy and the New Direction job creation drive.

Going further, investigations have revealed that the Minister of Trade and Industry has over the past five years recruited over 3 different Public Relation Officers that were later fired off their job for unjustifiable reasons (they cannot perform), which makes it difficult for the media to cross check certain information before going to press.

With most professional heads within the ministry accustomed to dodging interviews, for reasons best known to them, the absence of a substantive professional to serve in such capacity posed a far-reaching effect on the Minister and the country as a whole.

The most recent blunder that has exposed the Minister’s Public Relation Unit excesses is the just concluded 2ND Edition of the two-days Trade Road Show organized by AFRICA EXPORT and IMPORT BANK LTD (AFREXIMBANK) and OAKWOOD GREEN AFRICA hosted at the Freetown City Council Hall on Wallace Johnson Street, Freetown.

The said unprofessional excesses stimulates this publication aims at drawing the attention of the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy together with other professional heads with regards the ministry’s programmes and activities either local, regional and international that has and continue to receive very low  media publicity.

Many media houses that covered the said event has intimated this medium that what was allocated for newsmen was not dish out accordingly, as a result many media houses were discouraged with the manner the press was treated although budget allocated for the media was very encouraging.

One Elizabeth, Communications Officer currently attached to the Ministry of Information and Communications stands accused of deliberately deducting the amount that was budgeted for individual media houses to what she felt like.

Reliable sources further furnished this medium that Elizabeth was so desperate to an extent she didn’t allow journalists to indicate nor sign for the amount they receive per media house.

“Only write your name, institution and signature, for the amount, I will fill myself”, Elizabeth was quoted instructing journalists after the show.

Allegations are that Elizabeth squandered well over Le23, 000, 0000 (Twenty-Three million Leones), funds meant for media engagements and publicities expected to have popularized the two-day Second Trade Show.

The said money, findings revealed was funded by Africa Export and Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) and Oakwood Green Africa respectively.

Editors who attended the two-days 2nd Trade Road Show were not treated with the expected respectability as Elizabeth’s poor PR conduct couldn’t allow her to address the concerns of journalist, reliable sources intimated the Africa 24.

According to a leaked document from a commercial bank (BLOOM BANK AFRICA) in Freetown indicated over Five Hundred Thousand Leones (Le500,000) was budgeted for daily coverage, but surprisingly, journalists received less than what was allocated for their respective media houses.

According to Elizabeth, she had left the Trade Ministry a year ago. “I and Mr. Abdul Kamara coordinated the media for the 1st Trade Road Show the time I was in the ministry,” she said.

She continued that Oakwood Green Africa was pleased with the manner she coordinated the media and the media coverage received.

“Oakwood Green Africa called and asked me to coordinate the press for the Second Trade Show, even though I told them that am no longer in the ministry,” the Communications Officer said.

She continued that “I and Konneh put the media budget together and embarked on public notices, jingles and media shows in selected radio stations.”

She told this medium that what she budgeted for was not allocated to her and as a result has to do with what is available.

This, she said was the reason why certain media houses were deleted off the media list.