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By Harriet Mason, UNICEF
In 2014, the world’s deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus struck West Africa, killing more than 11,000 people. Over 12,000 children in Sierra Leone lost one or both parents.
Three years later, another catastrophe hit: devastating floods and mudslides took hold of the capital city, Freetown, killing 1,141 people and leaving 3,000 homeless.
By PRO Unit – MOHS
Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has commissioned a newly constructed health centre, Haja Fanta Memorial Health Centre on Saturday September 8, 2018 at Kontha Wallah in the Lokomasama Chiefdom Port Loko district.
The health centre was built by an indigene of the village, Mrs. Aminata Sankoh Yilla with support from her husband and family members.
Pilgrims set for departure to Sierra Leone
The first batch of 420 out of a total of 828 Muslim pilgrims that successfully observed the 2018 annual Hajj pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are expected to arrive at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi on board Flynas Airlines today 7th September, 2018.
Upon arrival, the blessed men and women will then be conveyed to the Siaka Stevens Stadium on road through Port Loko, where their relatives will collect them at 7:00pm.
The KME Team well set for ECOFEST
Sierra Leone will host some of Africa’s biggest names in music on the 16th November 2018.
A stellar line-up from Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is set to thrill music fans at the National Stadium – with melodies that have graced every event on the continent and beyond. Though a list of artists from each of the five countries is not yet released for the show, the organizers, Sierra Leone’s Kabaka Multi Media Entertainment and Ghana’a Empire Entertainment have promised a cracker.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba, has said that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) provides a great opportunity for both the Chinese government and their African counterparts to sit together and discuss key priorities.
Dr. Kabba, who was speaking to this medium in an exclusive interview on Sunday, 2nd September, in Beijing, also said, “the Beijing 2018 FOCAC is a way of deepening ties both in Africa and China.”
Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Czar – Francis Ben Kaifala, knows the difficulty in the fight against corruption. He says it is a fight that must be won if Sierra Leone is to eradicate poverty and embark on the difficult road to economic development.
Delivering a keynote address on Thursday 6th September, 2018 at the West and Central Africa Regional Youth Consultation Meeting, organized by the African Union in Dakar, Senegal, he spoke about the challenges of ‘leveraging youth capacities for the fight against corruption in Africa’.
By Lansana Fofanah
For 60-year-old madam Isatu Sesay, the earth is like a woman; whatever you give it, it gives you back in manifold- although it may take a little while. That is her main reason for investing in rice farming.
“When you give the earth one seed of rice, it will give you hundreds in return,” she says, “You don’t have to have a Master’s Degree to know that. The earth is like a woman’s womb that nurtures a sperm cell for nine months and gives back a bouncing baby. We are not actually taking advantage of the vast acres of arable land we are blessed with in this country.”
Sightsavers-Sierra Leone has on Wednesday 5th September 2018 engaged two Parliamentary Oversight Committees at Committee Room One Parliament Building, in order to strengthen the good relationships that has existed between the two institutions.
Sightsavers’ Sierra Leone Country Director, Nancy Smart said that the purpose of their meeting with the Parliament of Sierra Leone is to renew their relationship and commitment with MPs, especially those of the Parliamentary Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU), to support the implementation and achievement of the SDGs.
Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Dr. Richard Moigbeh
The Sierra Leone Police says it has introduced breathalyzer as a means of controlling drink driving, which it says is a major factor in high rates of road accidents in the country.
A breathalyzer is used to measure an estimate of blood alcohol content from a breath sample.
Traffic police officers will be equipped with the handheld device and they will be selecting drivers at random for testing, disclosed police spokesman, Superintendent Brima Kamara to AYV yesterday.
The Ministry of Labor says it has instituted an investigation into the source of a press statement announcing the dissolution of the executive committee of the umbrella body of drivers in the country.
The Sierra Leone Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union has been in disarray within the last few days following the indictment of its top leadership by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over allegations of financial misappropriation.
Ombudsman of Sierra Leone, Melron C. Nicol-Wilson Esq, was yesterday 5th September, 2018 finally sacked from his position as Ombundmans of the Republic of Sierra Leone by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio.
Yesterday, 5th September, 2018, Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire officially launched the ‘AYV Miss University Beauty Pageant 2018’ and the ‘AYV Charity Foundation’.
The spectacular event took place at the Sierra Palms Hotel, Lumley beach road in Freetown and graced by eminent personalities.
By Prince C. Kamara
Director General of National Telecommunications Commission, (NATCOM) Mr. Maxwell Hinga Massaquoi and entourage yesterday visited Orange telecom providers at Hill Station in Freetown.
The team on arrival was welcomed by the Chief Finance Officer, Gaelle Kerlin who informed the NATCOM DG and team that Orange is always open to inspection from the national telecommunications regulator NATCOM.
By PRO Unit – MOHS
Health and Sanitation Minister, Dr. Alpha Tejan Wurie has officially removed and dismantled the physical iron restraints (chaining) to a more humane (soft) restraints, a new method of chaining mental health patients on Monday, September 3, 2018 at the Sierra Leone Psychiatric Hospital, Kissy in the east end of Freetown.
Officially removing and dismantling of the physical iron restraints, Dr. Alpha Wurie disclosed that he visited the hospital couple of years ago, and could not emerging what he saw about three to four months back that the hospital would have been transformed to that kind of setting and commended Partners In Health.
By Mohamed Kai
Two alleged armed robbers have been committed to the High Court of Sierra Leone for trial by Hannah Bonnie presiding over the Freetown Magistrate Court No.2 at Siaka Stevens Street.
Both accused persons, Ibrahim Kargbo and Mohamed Kargbo were arrested by the police on 4 August 2018, within the Freetown Judicial District in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
By Mohamed Kai
One Mohamed Allieu Barrie has been re-arraigned before Abdul Sheriff adjudicating over the Freetown Magistrate Court No.7 at Siaka Steven Street for the offence of Sexual Penetration of a Child, contrary to law.
The accused person allegedly penetrated the sex organ of the victim (name withheld) on 30 January 2018, at the Milton Margai College of Education and Science and Technology campus at Goderich in the west of Freetown.
L-R: Hideki Makihara and Mrs. Nimatulai Bah-Chang
The State Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, Hideki Makihara, and his delegation of Special Envoy has paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mrs. Nimatulai Bah-Chang at her Tower Hill office in Freetown.
According to Hideki Makihara, his visit was to deliberate on international global issues and to further strengthen the existing bilateral relationship between both countries, and to broaden Japan’s continued support to the Republic of Sierra Leone, especially the priority areas of President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction Agenda, namely Education, Health, Energy, Water Supply and Agriculture among others.
Focus 1000 recently held a National strategy workshop to sustain community engagement for improved health outcomes for women and children in Sierra Leone.
Speaking at the session, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the organization, Mohammed Bailor Jalloh, said Focus 1000 is a non-governmental organization that works on the issues of women and children in the country.
Peace Africa Alliance Consulting, Education & Training Centre (PAACET), Society for Learning and Yearning for Equal Opportunities (SLYEO) and other civil society partners have in a press conference yesterday raised concern over the activities of scammers, who are seriously affecting investment climate in the country.
Families from John Obey & Lungi
The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (TCS) has continued with its six-month pilot project titled Family4Nature for six communities situated close to the Western Area Forests from Regent to Sussex.
From May this year when the program commenced to August, 100 family members from Mothaim, Sussex and John Obey have benefited with participants planting 534 seedlings (Jack fruits and plum) as well as trees to provide shade at both the sanctuary and their communities thus complementing the efforts of government and donors reforestation programs in addition to cleaning their communities and distribution of 2,000 fliers on environmental and wildlife protection.
Hon. Mohamed Bangura: APC is vex sir
Reliable sources within the corridors of Sierra Leone’s main opposition, the All People’s Congress (APC) Party have it that the hierarchy of the party is not happy and has almost concluded arrangements to expel one of its Members of Parliament, Hon. Mohamed Bangura from the party.
It is said that Hon. Bangura may soon face an APC disciplinary committee for what is being described as “making public utterances that contravene the stance of the party”, citing a recent TV interview he granted on the Africa Young Voices (AYV) in regard to the Commission of Inquiry.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially given the checkmark of approval to cannabidiol, a relaxing compound in medical marijuana, ruling it is not a dangerous drug.
The compound, also known as CBD, can be an effective treatment for cancer, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy and in palliative care, with WHO now ruling it does not have any risks of addiction.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation, Kabineh Kallon, has signed an agreement with Golden Dragon, a Chinese transportation company, for the supply of two hundred buses to Sierra Leone.
In his statement during the 2018 Beijing Summit for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which he referred to as an “epoch making event,” the Minister said the new government in Freetown is struggling to provide certain social amenities to its citizens, adding that President Julius Maada Bio is determined to change that.
President Bio joined by the First Lady and government ministers
The President of Sierra Leone, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, has urged investment in his country, while assuring investors that his government has put policies in place to support their businesses.
President Bio, who addressed both the Sierra Leonean and Chinese business communities in Beijing assured investors that his government will create a lawful environment so that they can conduct business in the country without fear.
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has confirmed to this press that the Shandong Steel Mining Company has completed payment of end of service benefits to 1,127 redundant workers.
According to SLP Director of Operations, Elizabeth Turay, the payment went on smoothly as planned with no breach to peace and security in the region.
Police have confirmed that three school authorities from various schools in the country have been arrested for extorting money from parents for admission of their children and other charges even though a moratorium is in force against such payments.
Briefing journalists at Police Headquarters on George Street, the Director of Operations, Assistant Inspector General of Police Augusta said despite the efforts of the president to provide give free quality education, some school authorities are still bent on extorting money from parents which she described as undermining the much-appreciated presidential initiative.
Staff at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, instituted a strike action on Monday over non-payment of backlog salaries and poor working conditions. The issue is still unresolved and the protesters demands are yet to be met, according to a number of the affected staff that spoke with this press.
However, administrative work was brought to a standstill at the Malaysian-owned institution on Monday after all the local staff laid down their tools in protest against delay in their salary, among other concerns.
Sulaiman Bah
In a bid to promote economic development through investments and improve the lives of youths, a young man Sulaiman Bah founder of the Traffic Lights Investment Company is ready to roll out thousands of dollars investment packages for Sierra Leone and Africa.
Speaking to this writer in an exclusive interview at the Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko Hotel in Aberdeen, the investor disclosed that his inspiration to establish Traffic Lights is to translate his business knowledge and a wealth of experience gained through his living in West and other African countries for decades. Sulaiman Bah said Traffic Lights is a parent investment company which aims to promote the relevant sectors including mining, import and export, procurement, entertainment among others.
By Max A Konneh, Press Officer, MLGRD
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Anthony Brewah has described the just concluded National Cleaning Exercise held on Saturday, 1st September, 2018 as impressive. Speaking during an inspection tour of various communities in Freetown, the minister commended stakeholders, especially youths for their enthusiasm and commitment in ensuring that their surroundings are clean. At the junction of Jui where he first met with key stakeholders, including the Councilor and Headman of the community, Mr. Brewah thanked them for taking the lead in cleaning their environment. He reiterated the government’s determination and commitment to promoting a safe and healthy society. In response, the stakeholders thanked him for the gesture, noting that his visit will serve as a source of motivation for others, especially youths.
His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio past weekend engaged the PowerChina International Group Ltd. on the construction of Lungi Bridge despite the fact that he has never promised it in his manifesto and campaigns.
The president, who had always kept the massive project very close to his heart, could not hide that sentiment weeks ago when a foreign delegation paid him a courtesy call at State House and he told them that he was actively looking for reputable companies to engage in the construction of a bridge linking the port city of Freetown on the Atlantic Ocean to the north-western airport town of Lungi.
