The Managing Director of SALCAB Ishmael Kebbay on 9^th May 2019 added to his shelve another award; the National Development Award, awarded to him by a humanitarian organization called The Patriotic Sierra Leoneans at his SALCAB office at Johnson lane Aberdeen.

Chief executive officer of the organization, Mr Peter Conteh, whilst presenting the award to the MD said that his organization as part of its mandate, gives award to people who selflessly contribute to the service of humanity through the provision of humanitarian assistance and livelihood support to less privileged and vulnerable people who live a deprived state of life within their communities.

In his words, “We resulted to awarding you the Humanitarian award for the year 2018 stemming from your commitment and dedication to the promotion of the welfare of youths, women, and children who form a critical mass of the population of our society and who are also very pivotal to the advancement of our country”.

MD Kebbay is one the organization has chosen out of a careful assessment and selection from a list of three caliber nominees as a humanitarian who deserves the award as he has been noticed implementing humanitarian activities within and outside his community to the amazement of many.

Kebbay is described as a fine gentleman whose generosity and kind gesture knows no limit. He thus exclaimed the possibility of having a more serene and comfortable environment with happy people should we have the likes of Kebbay in more communities who give themselves up to the course of pulling others up. He concluded by pleading with him to stay focus on his humanitarian drive by supporting others for the attainment of a better life. This affirms the saying that, it pays to be generous and generosity has a ripple effect.

In his calmed and relaxing mood, he expressed appreciation to the CEO and his organization for having recognized the efforts he has been making to touch the lives of people in his community. “it is to me a great surprise to be presented this award in recognition of my humanitarian activities as I wasn’t expecting it. I was only doing my bits to promote the lives of people in my community and which I love doing, as it’s fulfilling. He further averred that there are more influential people in his community, but for him to be identified and awarded, shows how critical are his contributions to promoting human development in his community. He described the award as a stimulus which has warranted a more resilient response from him by doing what he has been doing best.

His contributions are categorized in variable life impacting ways that led to his reception of this award. In the area of youth empowerment, Kebbay has personally provided motorbikes (Okada) to youths on their own to help enhance their self-employment. He is as well engaged in the provision of seed capital to women within his community to help boost their small scale business. His name is also on the lips of his people for his passion for education and his contribution to assisting the students in accomplishing their academic studies.

Since taking over as MD of SALCAB, he has not only re-engineered a vibrant business operating model for profit making as evident in the Presidential statement in the state opening of parliament but has also injected in his workers the sense of humane artistry. His compassion and emotional intelligence shown to his workers have left SALCAB to becoming the ideal place to work with a high spirit of motivation which is glaringly evident in the satisfactory performance of the company of late. In the estimation of many of his staff, his appointment as MD of SALCAB is the greatest thing that has happened to the institution since its establishment in 2012.

Just before this award, Kebbay has been honored with other prestigious awards for his leadership style and contributory role in upholding the tenet that fosters social development and nation building.

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has joined supporters and well-wishers celebrating his 55^th birthday at an event organised by the Sierra Leone People’s Party Women’s Wing at their Headquarters, Wallace Johnson Street in Freetown.

In his welcome address, Secretary General of the party, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, said the members were very happy to celebrate with the President and commended the women for organising the event.

Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, who also witnessed the event, said it was a great day for the party to celebrate the birthday of their own who had risen to the highest office in the land. He expressed appreciation to the women of SLPP for always believing in and standing by President Bio.

In his brief response, the President thanked the members of the party and, in particular, its Women’s Wing for organising the event to celebrate with him. He said he was proud of the women as they had always been part of his journey and therefore commended them for their continued support to the party.

“I am truly thankful to God for this day. I want to use this opportunity to commit this nation to God and to ask Him to guide, protect and direct us in the New Direction, which is the Right Direction. I am ready to provide the disciplined leadership to deliver to this country and make our Party proud,’’ he said.

Women’s Leader for the SLPP, Fatmata Sawaneh, who delivered the vote of thanks, said: “We thank God for the life of our President and for celebrating this day with us. We have always been with him and we will continue to be with him. I want to use this opportunity to thank all those who helped us in celebrating this day”.

The National Primary School Examination (NPSE) is the gateway for pupils who have spent six years in primary school to promote to secondary school level. But Sierra Leone like any other African countries faces serious challenges during the conduction of public exams; with problems ranging from lack of proper infrastructure, furniture, shortage of examination materials and lack of proper coordination and monitoring between education stakeholders which could be another factor for the backwardness in the Education sector.

But it is a different story of progress this year, the reason why the National Coordinator for Civil Rights Coalition, Alphonso Manley on Saturday 11^th May 2019, commended President Bio, Alpha Timbo Minister of Basie Education, Arnold B. Kamara Head of National Office West Africa Examination Council, Alhaji Kamara Chief Education Officer and Amara Sowa National Coordinator Free Quality Education for properly conducting this year’s National Primary School Examination NPSE and WASSCE.

Alphonso Manley stated that we need to commend President Bio for making education a priority in his New Direction and this individual is a servant of this nation. The Minister and his team at the Ministry are doing very well ensuring that the FQE becomes a success story. Amara Sowa the National Coordinator and Alhaji Kamara Chief Education Officer at the Ministry said they have worked so hard to change the negative trend.

‘This is the first time I am seeing this type of coordination between the Ministry of Education, WAEC, Freetown City Council, heads of schools, Civil Society activists and parents. It tells that we are really moving forward, and with this success we must commend the active players so they will have the courage to do more next year,’ said Mr. Manley.

He also raised concern over the long distance pupils walking to access examination centers in the regions and suggested that the Ministry and WAEC should use some of the primary schools in their areas as centers to ease the constrains faced by pupils in that part of the country.

Alphonso called on the government to pay the 100% allocated to the WAEC in full next year before the commencement of the exam in order to continue with efficient conduct of the exam to meet international standard.

Based on it credibility and championing education issues the Civil Rights Coalition is the only CSO given accreditation to monitor the conduct of the exams.

The National Coordinator was recently advocating for the teaching service commission to be empowered and also called on government to address the transportation challenges faces by student nationwide especially the disable and distresses affected student.

The Titanium miner Sierra Rutile has defended the planned expansion of its operations in Sierra Leone in the face of opposition by rights campaigners over its social and environmental implications.

Sierra Rutile is seeking a partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to embark on the expansion in two separate operational areas in Bonthe and Moyamba, the two districts where it operates in the country.

IFC is the private sector funding arm of the World Bank. The partnership between the Corporation and the company involves a US$60million loan which will give the lender a 10% stake in Sierra Rutile.

The board of the IFC was expected to vote for a decision at the end of April. But according to sources, the voting was put on an indefinite suspension amidst protest by campaigners who accused the miner of failure to consult with the people in the affected communities.

The civil society group Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) and its US-based partner, Advocates for Community Alternative (ACA), are behind this campaign. In a joint statement with some residents of Bonthe District, they also said the company failed to conduct its Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA).

But Sierra Rutile denied these allegations, saying it conducted extensive Public Consultations and Disclosure (PCD) of its Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment studies related to the expansion projects.

Sierra Rutile Limited, formerly a subsidiary of the British-owned Titanium Resources Group, was acquired by the Australian sand miner Illuka in 2016 as part of a major takeover involving £ 215 million.

Sierra Rutile primarily holds leases for mining rutile in Sierra Leone since its formation in the 1970s. These leases cover a land area of 580 km2, comprising some 19 identified deposits.

The company’s concessions presently span five chiefdoms in two districts: Imperi and Jong chiefdoms in Bothe; Lower Banta, Upper Banta and Bagruwa chiefdoms in Moyamba.

According to the company, the expansion is to be carried out in two of its operational areas: Area 1 in Gangama and Lanti, where it is operating a dry mining, and Area 5 in Sembehun, Bagruwa Chiefdom, Moyamba District.

In a written response to Politico, the company it hired a leading international ESHIA institution which completed the study for the dry mining expansion project in Area 1 in 2018, while another international organization, the Earth Systems, is currently conducting ESHIA studies on the Sembehun project.

“PCD of the scoping phase for the Sembehun Project was done in November 2017 and plans are underway to conduct the final consultations in August this year,” the statement reads, adding that public notices and proceedings of these public consultative meetings were published in leading national newspapers and on community radio stations in Bonthe and Moyamba Districts.

NMJD and Advocates for Community Alternative based their opposition to Sierra Rutile’s current expansion plan to the company’s past history, which they say has left behind a trace of destruction of livelihoods of the local population, by rendering farmers unproductive and polluting water bodies. They also claimed that reluctant residents were forcefully relocated to make way for the company’s operations.

But the company denied all these.

“SRL in no way has and will forcibly remove farmers from their land. Our approach is to engage with farmers and landowners and agree compensation with them and their Paramount Chiefs,” it states.

The Rutile miner catalogued a series of payments it said it had made to the local communities in 2018, from the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) to surface rent to landowners, totaling over US$800, 000, as well as plans to make similar payments this year.

At a press conference held in Freetown on 13 May, 2019, a statement issued to journalists by Gabriel Madiye, Executive Director, Shepherds Hospice Sierra Leone (NGO)  indicated that state securities and agencies are being informed about the unfolding human rights violations in a part of the Republic of Sierra Leone that is called Timdale Chiefdom, Moyamba District.

The attack which started at 2:30 am on Monday 6^th May, 2019 on innocent citizens was reported to have been ordered by PC Joseph Stevens Sologni, who won a rather cloudy election in 2015. Since his election, opponents had lodged an election petition in the High Court of Sierra Leone. This case is now reaching conclusion, causing some state of paranoia for the Paramount Chief. He is now using violence to subdue people he considers to be his opponents. Sadly, he does this evil with the support of the Member of Parliament, Hon. Mustapha Musa Sellu of Constituency 095, Moyamba District. Hon. Mustapha Musa Sellu, is no stranger to violence. He uses violent youths to fight, wound and destroy property of his own constituents, because he wants to coerce obedience.

In 2018, part of his constituency 095 (Bagruwa Chiefdom) suffered violence that witnessed destruction of property and injuries to citizens. This violence forced the paramount Chief, PC Robert Coker Selelo Papapwe to flee his Chiefdom.

Now this is the turn of Timdale Chiefdom to suffer organized violence, where he is working with the Paramount Chief to rule through violent youths.  The organized violence has enjoyed protection from the AIG South, Mr. Saidu Kamara whose strategy of policing and investigation of the report violence in Timdale has turned the victims into perpetrators; holding wounded persons in police cells without access to medical care. All attempts by relatives of the injured person to persuade AIG South, to grant access to medical care have failed.  Shepherds Hospice has projects in the Timdale Chiefdom and promoting health development in the community. We stand with the vulnerable citizens who are suffering this extreme violation of human rights who are served through our health and development projects. In this regard, we call on the Inspector General of Police to release the wounded suspects for medical care and transfer the investigation into more competent hands under a special crime syndicate that is capable to investigate this crime without the undue interference by Hon. Sellu and PC Solongi, who is allegedly editing suspect’ statements in all police stations in Moyamba and Bo.

Another letter of complaint sent to the Inspector General of Police, copied to the Minister of Local Government and the Minister of Internal Affairs; titled: Report of Violent Attack on a Training Workshop in Bomotoke Town by Chiefdom Speaker Jusu Mansaray and Others on Sunday 5^th May 2019 states:

I write to report Chief Jusu Mansaray and fifteen (15) others who violently attacked a training workshop that was organized by our NGO Shepherds Hospice. The objective of this training was to introduce farmers to improved farming technology in the multiplication of Plantain and Banana Crops. The workshop was held in the Charles Yimbo Secondary School, Bomotoke town, attended by 60 participants selected from all sections of the Timidale Chiefdom. The notices for the training were sent to our focal persons who contacted all Section Chiefs to identify and send interested farmers. It was this workshop that Chief Jusu Mansary led youths to attack violently, alleging that they were acting on the orders of Paramount Chief Joseph Stevens Solongni.

Sir, it might interest you to know that Shepherds Hospice has worked as Non-Governmental Organization in the chiefdom since 2005, promoting health care and improving farming. It is in this cognizance that this training of farmers’ workshop was held. Sadly, a mob led by Chief Jusu Mansary, Dauda Sesay, Pastor Kelly, Morie Kamara, Samfa Mopala attacked participants of this training and assaulted some community members who were at the workshop site on Sunday 5th May 2019 between hours 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. In the fracas that ensued, two community members who attempted to question their actions to obstruct the training were assaulted very seriously. These victims are Mr. Saada Dem and Mr. Alpha Kaindor both of Bomotoke town. Because of the unfolding violence against the participants of the training we stopped the training and fled for our lives, returning to Freetown where our headquarters is located.

The following morning of Monday 6^th May 2019, I got a call from a community member that the same mob continued their violence and looted a warehouse belonging to Mr. Saada Dem, burnt a neighbor’s house, and wounded other citizens.

On receipt of this report on the riot, I called the LUC in Moyamba on my phone to intimate him but was unsuccessful. However, against the background knowledge that I have with the attackers, they reported to me that they were acting on the instructions of P.C. Bobor Stevens Solongni of Timidale Chiefdom. It is sad though that this riot targeted property and lives of innocent citizens for destruction.

Sorry, Inspector General, sir, your good offices must stop Hon. Sellu from obstructing the course of criminal justice as it relates to the 6^th May Timdale violence that left one house burnt, and at least seven people seriously wounded and property looted.

These rioters are common criminals who have nothing to offer but out to loot and steal cattle and wares of private investors and NGOs. I have been alerted that this group is planning an attack on our project property including a Community Health Centre in Mopala Village and a Cattle and Organic farm in Talaiye Village.

Please Sir, can the Police advise our agency on any pre-emptive measure the police can help with to protect our staff and property in the Timdale Chiefdom? At the moment, we are grateful to the LUC, CSP Khrushchev Kargbo, Moyamba Police division and the ONS for the prompt action taken to make police presence felt in the community on the 6th May 2019. However, just two police officers are not of enough strength to fight off countless rioters. Recognizing the danger now posed by this breakdown of law and order in this part of the republic, I request the Inspector General of Police to take necessary actions that protect life and property by sending reinforcement of security personnel so that the wounded can be evacuated without undue delay. Adequate strength of security can discourage further violent attacks on lives and property in the Chiefdom since this incidence is a symptom of a chronic condition of organized violence by some interests.

The release added that they recount that on Monday 31st December 2018, Shepherds Hospice reported a matter relating to rustling or theft of eight (8) cattle to Moyamba Police Station that were pregnant. Three (3) suspects were arrested and released on the request of PC Solongni. Sadly, the Moyamba Police are yet to return with any feedback on this matter since the receipt of an SMS message dated 10^th February 2018 reading: ‘Mr. Gabriel your case and enquiry file has been sent to the principal state counsel South Bo for his perusal and legal advice. If we receive it we will inform you accordingly. Much respect Sir.

However, an earlier report to the Moyamba Police Station relating to an alleged arson on our Community Health Centre which left part of the building destroyed did not get any meaningful outcome. Because we have allowed crime to fester with impunity, citizens’ safety and security is now trampled upon by violent crime in the Timdale Chiefdom. This state of insecurity must not continue without the attention of the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police. Against this background, I suggest that a special crime syndicate of the Sierra Leone Police force be assigned to assist the limited capacity of security personnel in Moyamba District. Again, we thank the Inspector General of Police for the show of strength which affected the arrest of twenty-eight (28) suspects, twenty-six (26) of whom are now held in Moyamba Town.

Gabriel Madiye

Shepherds Hospice in Sierra Leone (NGO)

Following this expose, the Calabash newspaper reporters tried as best as possible to get a response from the other side without any success. However, we shall keep on trying.

Commissioners of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) on Monday 13^th May, 2019 started a regional tour in Makeni by  engaging the Paramount Chief PC Bai Shebora Kasanga II, the AIG North East Ambrose Sovula and his Local Unit Commanders, the Resident Minister North, Hon. Abu Abu and members of the Provincial Security Committee in Bombali.

The Commissioners also met with the Bombali District Human Rights Committee and also held similar outreach activities in Port Loko.

The Commissioners are undertaking a human rights outreach to the regions so that the populace gets to know the new policy drivers of the country’s human rights architecture and their vision for human rights in the country.

The tour is also for them to have a sense of the prevailing human rights challenges across the country and how they can be best addressed in fulfilment of the mandate they have set themselves to implement as enshrined in the HRCSL Act 2004.

It also gives an opportunity for them to interface, share experiences and practice directives with relevant interlocutors and key stakeholders engaged in human rights work in the regions.

It would be recalled in September 2018, following a public notice from the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice; commenced the legitimate process of the recruitment of five Commissioners for the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone. A selection panel was set up in which five out of seven candidates were appointed by the President. The five appointees were  later approved by parliament to be followed by an oath of office before the President.

The outreach/regional tour continues in Moyamba, Bo, Kailahun and Kenema respectively in the coming days.

It is very unfortunate that among both the ruling SLPP and the main opposition APC there are some intolerant misguided diehard party fanatics that firmly believe that SLPP and APC should not in any way collaborate to work to make the country better for its citizens.

However, as can be seen in the picture above, the SLPP elected President Bio and the APC elected Freetown City Mayor, Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr in their thoughts, words and deeds prove that they in no way share this myopic view of politics being a war between opposing politicians.

It could be recalled that along that line of thinking, there were many APC fanatics who decried the Freetown Mayor for being seen side by side with President Bio in Canada during the TED conference when even though finding themselves on different sides of the political fence, both have the same ambition of making the capital city a pride of place that every Sierra Leone can point to as an emblem of collective political efforts between the ruling party and the APC culminating in it become the best and the cleanest city in West Africa.

Along that line, Thursday 24 January 2019 was a big day for the more than 2 million people living in Freetown with the official launching of a Blueprint and Strategic Programme, aimed at transforming the city into a twenty-first century city.

Speaking at the launching of the Freetown City Council (FCC) initiative, president Bio confirmed that the ‘Transform Freetown’ Blueprint and Programme align very closely with his government’s New Direction priorities and vision.

He said that the insistence on purposeful planning, local participation and engagement with the private sector and other stakeholders, public accountability, improving the efficiency and quality of public service delivery, are aimed at providing opportunity and making Freetown a better, more livable and more resilient city.

The three-year programme for transforming Freetown deserves and will get the full support of his government, the president said.

“Paopa, our Freetown will be clean,” President Bio said. “So, within the last 8 months in governance, my government has supported the Freetown City Council with direct financial disbursements of 18.3 Billion Leones. My government is committed to working for Freetown and in making our Freetown a better city for all of us,” he assured.

President Bio commented on the Council’s proposed plans for managing municipal assets, congestion in the city, disaster management during the rains, leveraging ICT to boost revenue mobilization, promoting tourism and the many informal settlements that are dotted across the city. These he said, relate to the wider issue of social exclusion and social injustice.

“In the past, we saw how municipal assets were illegally appropriated by the politically powerful and their rogue agents. My question is, does the initiative aim to recover those assets? And is it not possible to plough back proceeds from value-added city assets into the development of the city, especially in new infrastructure for sewage disposal, water supply, and sanitation?” he asked.

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr who said that circumstances in Freetown have been challenging over the years, adding that there are a lot of pressure in Freetown on housing, the environment, as well as the growing need to provide basic social facilities for residents, congratulated the President for his commitment to decentralization, and said that his presence at the launching of the Transform Freetown initiative is a testament to that.

“We want to ensure that by working with the central government, Freetown will be restored to its lost glory. The Freetown City Council has sought to align its agenda with that of the national development plan,” the Mayor said.

Minister of Finance – Jacob Jusu Saffa, commended the Mayor for moving in the right direction and aligning the Council’s programme with the vision of the New Direction, adding that because local council resources are scarce, it is the responsibility of government to provide funding for councils.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr’s commitment to transform Freetown is divided into three work streams:

• quick wins and urgent activities (e.g. flood mitigation work, drainage rehabilitation, the rehabilitation of the Taylor-Cummings Gardens);
• Process improvements (e.g. mobile money local tax payments and the digitization of the FCC property rate system); and
• Developing the Transform Freetown agenda.

The Chairman of the Mines and Minerals Committee in the Sierra Leone Parliament Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina has described as ‘laudable’ the three Mineral Sector Policies recently launched by the Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Dr. Juldeh Jalloh at the Bintumani Conference Center in Freetown. Hon. Lamina who doubles as the minority leader for the coalition for change (C4C) Party in parliament acknowledged that before now, stakeholders in the mining sector had done little to come up with crucial policies to manage the mineral potentials of the country.

There have been “adhoc structural response to guide our mineral potentials as opposed to these three polices which are the most comprehensive documents since diamonds were discovered in my home district of Kono some 89 years ago” Hon. Lamina noted. He added that this has been the reason for Sierra Leone’s little gain or not from its mineral riches.

Hon. Lamina commended the efforts of the President Bio led Government for putting together policies and programs to accelerate economic development in the “once used but neglected mining sector” in the country. “We appreciate policies and programs aimed at making Sierra Leone an even more attractive destination for mining investment, job creation and additional income” Hon. Lamina said. He furthered that if the newly launched documents on the mining sector were thoroughly implemented, the country’s story would change for the better, as he assured, “they are aligned with international best practices”. Speaking at the launch of the policies; Sierra Leone Mineral Sector Bench Marking Assessment Report, Geo Data Management Policy, and the Artisanal Mining Policy, the Minister of Mines Morie Manyeh said “the objective of the policies is to enhance inter-governmental and multi-stakeholder coordination” in the minerals sector.

He continued that the three policies are directed towards improving revenue management with more equitable distribution of benefits and prudent investment of mineral revenues. Hon. Lamina therefore called on relevant authorities in the mining sector to see to it that basic information about the country’s geo-physical data and mineral potentials reach the local miners, land owners and community leaders. “We also hope that the policies ensure local communities benefit more from the allocation of revenues from the extractive industry and compliance issues are adequately addressed” he urged.