Who Does Myk Berewa Speak For…President Bio or State House?

By: Lansana Fofanah

The recent absence of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio from Sierra Leone, without notifying the nation of his whereabouts, became a topic of national discussion as major news outlets reported that he was trapped in Dubai following the outbreak of the US and Israel war against Iran.

The news was first popularized by Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray; a Sierra Leonean politician based in the diaspora.

Concerns were raised by Sierra Leoneans regarding the non-public appearance of the president at a crucial time when some heads of state were trying to respond domestically to the repercussions of the new wave of war in the Middle East.

Media scrum was in search of news, and several requests were made for the government media handlers to respond.

Myk Berewa as the Director of Communication at State House, was hosted by Slik television where he was asked to confirm the whereabouts of the President.

According to Myk Berewa, the President didn’t travel out of Sierra Leone. He specifically stated that the President was nowhere near the Gulf Region.

Berewa refused to clarify the whereabouts of the President and said that, it was not mandatory for the President to tell Sierra Leoneans his whereabouts.

For every time the president travels abroad, he is not going for leisure but to represent the people of Sierra Leone and nothing else. Therefore, Sierra Leoneans deserve to know his whereabouts at any given moment. Hence, the frequent press releases from State House.

During the observance of the Eid celebration at State Lodge on Friday, President Bio, being a man of faith and truth, told Sierra Leoneans that, he was indeed in the Gulf Region during the height of the war and couldn’t return immediately due to the cancellation of flights.

“I was in the Middle East when the strikes started and bombs were being exchanged. Some people thought I would be stuck there, but God is great. The same people told me to ensure that I return home safely when I am ready to leave their country,” he said.

While such a statement serves as a gratitude to the leadership of the the UAE government, it also draws a wide margin as to how knowledgeable the Director of Communications at State House Myk Berewa is when it comes to information management about the President and the government as a whole.

Does Myk Berewa obtain permission from President Bio before talking on his behalf? How often is he being briefed on sensitive issues before engaging the media? Has anyone told Myk Berewa that most of his media appearances to discuss complex issues without statistics and facts end up creating more embarrassment for the Office of the President?

While Alpha Khan would be discussing some government policies this way, Myk

Berewa would be on another medium saying things differently. This begs the question as to who is more superior between the two: Alpha Khan and Myk Berewa.

There is an established role of a Spokesperson in the Office of the President which is handled by Hon. Alhaji Alpha Khan, an established Ministry of Information and Cvic Education headed by Chernor Bah. Does that mean that these offices that are supposed to synchronize information with the State House Communications team are not on speaking terms?

Yusuf Keketoma Sandi as the Press Secretary, has been treading cautiously in terms of information management in the Presidency because he has been around the media landscape and knows the terrain.

A messenger is as powerful as the message. And when a messenger loses his voice and trust, it becomes dangerous as even his truth can simply be waved off as a spin.

The frequent media engagements don’t guarantee the visibility of one’s work and it is always advisable to speak when it is right to do so.

Handling such a sensitive role at the State House goes beyond blogging or being the first to respond to information around the Presidency.

The colossal blunder of Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication on Aljazeera, should serve as a lesson to every information handler in governance.

Bwala had impressed President Tinubu to an extent that, he was deemed to be the best man to defend the Nigerian government’s policies on such a big stage.

His six months preparations to face Mehdi Hassan’s Head-to-Head podium created more mess for his government.

Now that President Bio has confirmed his absence at the time, will Myk Berewa be trusted again to say anything on behalf of President Bio or State House?