His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has met the national executive of the Sierra Leone Union of Photographers, who expressed hope in the government’s openness to transform their age-old profession.
The Union President, Stephen Elongema Momoh, said they were mindful of the fact that their profession was under attack as a result of the use of smartphones for photography but assured that despite those challenges they had embarked on rebranding the profession.
He added that the President’s recognition of their union, through the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, as a critical contributor to national development, could not be compared to any other.
“His Excellency, as a union, we have taken part in the development of this country since its inception, and our contributions have resulted in positive historic evidence for our country, including capturing images of historic sites and places, prominent people, and events, among others.
“As we crown you today as the first Chief Photographer in Sierra Leone, we call on you to assist us with a photo lab to improve on the printing quality of pictures,” he appealed.
In his remarks, President Julius Maada Bio said he was happy to welcome and receive the union, stressing that history and pictures had always gone together. He said he had always wanted to meet with photographers to express how happy he was for the great contributions they were making to the development of the country.
“Photography is a great profession that has moved on with technology, but your work and that of mobile phones will never be the same because you are professionals, and you have the patience to take pictures that can always stand the test of time. A picture that is taken by a professional photographer can explain better.
“Pictures are so reliable that they tell different stories depending on who looks at them. As President and champion of gender empowerment, I want to thank you for including women in your profession, even though their number is still small. I am hopeful that more women will be inspired to join in. I want to say thank you and be rest assured that you matter to me and my government. In today’s world, pictures mean a lot, and as a government we are going to help you with copyright on your pictures,” he said.
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernoh Bah and the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Mrs. Nabeela Tunis, both expressed their commitment to working with the union on transforming the sector into a viable one that would be the envy of many people.
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