Samuel Wise Bangura in Limbo as John Konteh Takes Over as Host of AYV on Sunday

The professional trajectory of Samuel Wise Bangura, a well-known journalist and TV presenter from Sierra Leone, has been called into question following the announcement of a new host for the AYV on Sunday TV show.

For the past few years, Samuel Wise Bangura has held the position of host on the AYV on Sunday, a program that addresses crucial national topics. However, Bangura has been absent from television screens since early August due to allegations of unlawful activities.

Specifically, on August 8, 2023, Bangura reported a theft, stating that he had suffered a financial loss of $7,000 and the theft of an iPhone 14 Pro Max, alongside other valuable items. Nevertheless, conflicting reports from various social media outlets and other sources have raised suspicions about Bangura's potential involvement in questionable undertakings. A video in circulation purportedly depicts Bangura's involvement in dubious financial schemes. Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, the head of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), noted that Bangura denied the implications of the video, asserting that he was conducting an investigation into the matter of the money-doubling allegations.

In response to these developments, the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media conglomerate has initiated an Independent Committee tasked with examining the circumstances related to the video. As of the time of this writing, the conclusions of this investigation remain undisclosed.

Meanwhile, it has been observed that John Konteh, who serves as Africell's Media Manager and Event Host, and who has recently ventured into television broadcasting, has taken over as the host of Bangura's former show, AYV on Sunday. On the 27th of August, 2023, Konteh steered the program, which featured the Deputy Minister of Information and Civic Education, Yusuf Keketoma Sandi; Media and Political Analyst, Thomas Dixon; and the Team Leader of Feminists United Sierra Leonean, Theriyeh Korma-Nenneh.

As the AYV has yet to issue an official statement regarding their internal findings, conjecture continues to circulate concerning the future of Bangura's position.