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Parliament Refutes Corruption Allegation

Parliament of Sierra Leone

By Esther Wright

The Parliament of Sierra Leone objects and takes serious exception that it is the second most corrupt institution in Sierra Leone; following the conclusion of a 2019 Corruption Perception Report released by the DFID-Funded PFM Consortium including Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL).

The Parliament of Sierra Leone is the supreme legislative body in Sierra Leone that has the constitutional authority to hold the executive to account.

The Parliament is accountable and answerable to the people of Sierra Leone in light of Section 5(2a) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone that places sovereignty in the people from whom through the said constitution power, authority and legitimacy is derived.

The main objections of Parliament are on the following grounds:

  1. Due to public outcry, Parliament abandons its stance for an improved conditions of service; having in mind it is the least paid Parliament in the subregion.
  2. Parliament concedes and listens to the cries of the people in light of the economic reality, even though it has power under the Constitution in Section 74(4) to determine its conditions of service and the power of the purse.
  3. Parliament openly conducts its business both at Committee and the Plenary in the full view of the public; most times it is streamed live on radio, TV and other social media platforms.
  4. Parliament had organized its Open Day in the full view and attendance of the donor community to promote an open Parliament and increase citizens understanding about the functions and operations of Parliament.
  5. Due to public outcry again, Parliament had expunged a certain section in the then Finance Act that provides for non-accountable imprest for the President, Vice-President and the Speaker of Parliament.
  6. Due to its commitment to the implementation of the Bo Declaration on procedural adherence, Parliament now settles division with voting by standing in the open.
  7. Parliament spars on radio on allegation of corruption and the matter is being investigated by the ACC.
  8. Parliament is also constrained with late disbursement of funds to carryout its oversight obligation.

This is an open, transparent and accountable Parliament to the people of Sierra Leone devoid of corruption.

In light of the above, Parliament strongly condemns the outcome of the said survey relating to its image and sees it as an affront deliberately fabricated to damage its reputation.

Parliament now challenges the said consortium to advance its evidence as it deems the outcome of the survey as a solitary figment of imagination to destroy the good image of Parliament.

The Parliament of Sierra Leone is constitutionally required to make law for the peace, security and good governance of the country; to represent the people and hold the executive to account for the overall development of the country.

Rokel Commercial Bank Opens New Branch in Kailahun

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Rokel Commercial Bank has commissioned its newly constructed branch in Kailahun District on the 5th September, 2020 during a colourful and auspicious ceremony which took place at the famous Kailahun Court Barray where the new Rokel Commercial Bank branch is located.

In attendance were the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, Resident Minister East, Andrew Ansu Fatorma, the Managing Director of the bank, Dr Walton Ekundayo Gilpin,  the Director of the  Financial Intelligence Unit , David N. Bobor, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Buffy Bailor and  people from all walks of life.

This is the first time, in almost 40 years, that the people of Kailahun can now boast of having a Government owned bank.

Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa commissioned the new branch. In his statement, the Minister stated that President Maada Bio is very much passionate about enhancing financial inclusion in the country and is therefore very pleased to see such a development.

He said the Rokel Commercial Bank paid dividends to the Government for 2019 to the tune of 79 Billion.

The Minister noted that the bank is on the path of progress underscoring how the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and Rokel Commercial Bank are the largest banks in the country.

He expressed thanks and appreciation to the Management of Rokel Commercial Bank for taking the bold step to open a branch in the district. He admonished residents to seize the opportunity to bank with Rokel Commercial Bank instead of keeping monies at home with the risk of them been stolen or gutted by fire.

Jacob Jusu Saffa revealed that the New Direction Government is poised to bring more development to the district, mentioning the provision of additional pipe borne water supply, rehabilitation of the Yenga bridge, construction of boarding schools and a host of other things.

On his part the Resident Minister East stated that the provision of a Bank was part of President Bio’s promise to the Kailahun people during the electioneering campaign.

The Managing Director of RCB, Dr Walton Ekundayo Gilpin maintained that the RCB is the People’s Bank further  highlighting how residents  do not have sufficient service delivery from the banking system which is why they decided to bring the bank to the door steps of the people.

He said the residents have been tired of being tired furthering that residents now have the opportunity of becoming financially literate, have access to finance. He said they will continue to innovate and ended up delivering an impressive economic lecture.

Rokel Commercial Bank is set to complement Government’s efforts at triggering a massive economic turnaround for what is arguably the most productive district in Sierra Leone.

Before this time most of the bank’s customers have to endure the hassle of having to travel all the way to Kenema to conduct banking transactions.

It is clear that financial service in that part of the country would bring about significant improvement to the lives of residents.

Government paid workers like a nurse of the Government Hospital, Mariama Kai Kai was happy when she said; “The presence of a bank in Kailahun is a huge boost to the primary health care delivery on the district. Health workers like me would no longer have to undertake the long and expensive journey  just to collect my monthly salary….we are very pleased to have Rokel Commercial Bank here….this has been one of our cries for many years…”  Her statement was re-echoed by several other Government officials interviewed in the security, education and local administration sectors of the district.

There would have been no better assurance of a permanent presence in the district if it had not come from the Managing Director of the Rokel Commercial Bank, Dr Walton Ekundayo Gilpin, who spoke to the audience and gave them assurance.

His remark coupled with the prospect of benefiting from better banking services like loan facilities immediately resonated with the people’s desire to  brace up for a new era- an era they are bound to savour the fruits of financial inclusion brought on the golden platter of an indigenous bank.

It was mooted by some residents, during the event that they are now to open Savings and other accounts with Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) in that part of the country.

 

APC Fanatics Attack Home of SLPP Youth

Mohamed Alieu Jalloh.jpg

By George English

Mohamed Alieu Jalloh, a youth activist and staunch member of the main opposition  All People’s  Congress (APC) has been attacked by SLPP fanatics. The violent and drunk SLPP mob went to his family house to lynch him, but when he could not be found, his attacker’s according to eye witnesses even attempted to burn down the house but the prompt intervention of neighbors and friends helped save their home.

Mohamed Alieu Jalloh became a target of the SLPP immediately after the 2018 elections

because he was considered a thorn-in-flesh of the SLPP and blamed  him over SLPP losing

certain constituencies to opposition political parties.

He reportedly campaigned vigorously and fearlessly for the APC which resulted to his party

(APC) winning the elections in those constituencies, while the SLPP  lost; something which made SLPP diehards very angry with Mohamed Alieu Jalloh to the point of trying to kill him. He started receiving death threats according to our investigations.

Matters got worse. When Mohamed Alieu Jalloh could not be found, some SLPP  youth in the guise of Sierra Leone Police officers raided the APC party branch office in Calaba Town on the pretext of searching for subversive documents.

Some APC  youths at the office were arrested by police on charges that they behaved disorderly.

But it was a ploy because no sooner they were in custody, they were systematically tortured after they refused to disclose the whereabouts of Mohamed Alieu Jalloh.

In fact, some of Mohamed Alieu Jalloh’s friends have also fled the country for their  own safety.

One of his friends, Samuel told this press that he too is scared for his own safety and used the opportunity to urge Mohamed  Alieu Jalloh to remain out of sight until it is safe enough for him to return

Job Booster Sierra Leone Trains Salon Workers

Team Lead of Job Booster-Sierra Leone, Mariama Khai Fornah addressing participants

By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of their commitment to avail competitive employment services to businesses and ‘unwillingly’ unemployed and trainable young people in the country, Job Booster-Sierra Leone, a Consortium, comprising the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone, Cotton Tree Foundation and Woord En Daad has on Thursday 3rd September, 2020 trained Salon workers on Job Ethics, Traits of Entrepreneur, Record Keeping etc. as part of their Salon Project. The training took place at REAPS Vocational Training Institute on AJ Momoh Street, Tower Hill in Freetown.

In his address, Team Lead of Job Booster-Sierra Leone, Mariama Khai Fornah disclosed that the training is geared towards empowering their Salon project beneficiaries with the requite skills they need in order to operate in their different salons which will increase their efficiency, adding that they realized that for the project to become successful they need to train these beneficiaries on job ethics and other skills which will help them greatly in their daily working routine.

She added that with this training it will also help them to be sustainable in their job as it covers Job Ethics, Traits of Entrepreneur, Record keeping etc.  According to her if these beneficiaries uphold all these values it will help them to not only build and expand their salons but also they will be able to render quality services to their customers.

She said her organization was set up to contribute in the area of improving and enhancing (self-) employment of youths in Sierra Leone also adding that the Job Booster SL consortium came into being out of the need to help trainable unemployed youth to gain decent jobs in order to become self-reliant.

She encouraged beneficiaries to make good use of the training they have received in order to develop their businesses and make every opportunity count in their lives also disclosing that as Salon Owners they should ensure that their customers matter as well as treat them with respect.

In his presentation on the topic Job Ethics, Musa Khalil-Koroma said that Job Ethics will help them to know how to start practicing the most relevant job ethics for them as salon workers, adding that Job Ethics are moral principles, values and rules that guide their work behavior to produce high quality work consistently.

Underscoring the importance of job ethics, he said it will lead to business growth and success and they will be also become preferences and distinguished from others. He added that it will also make them different, exceptional, outstanding and unique which will contribute to the successes of their businesses.

He admonished them to treat the training they have received with utmost respect and implement it at their work placed, which according to him will create impact on their businesses.

Alex Thomas, Principal of REAPS Vocational Training Institute, who also facilitated on the topic “Traits of An Entrepreneur”, disclosed that as Entrepreneurs they should pursue hard work, adding that being an entrepreneur means they must start working fresh when others in the team have given up.

He also encouraged them as salon workers to be morally, legally and mentally accountable for their business and put their customers’ interests first rather than self-interests.

One of the beneficiaries, Mary Lynch, Proprietress of Mary Lynch Beauty Parlor, expressed appreciation to Job Booster Sierra Leone for the training which she described as not only important but timely to enhance their efficiency.

She added that with the training she has received she is of the strong conviction that it will create a huge impact on her business and will also ensure that the knowledge she has acquired will be passed on to her subordinates.

Musa Khalil-Koroma facilitating Job Ethics Session
Cross Section of Salon Workers present at the Training

 

SALCAB Unbundling Implications

His Excellency President Maada Bio

By Amin Kef Sesay

 Privatizing the Cable Landing Station

The Sierra Leone Cable Limited (SALCAB) is a sixty million dollars (USD 60,000,000) investment by the Government of Sierra Leone which comprises the Submarine cable and the terrestrial network.

The Company was established as a Special Purpose Vehicle to support the Government in achieving its national development goals.

SALCAB’s main sustainability factor is that it operates in a monopoly market wherein it is the only authorized body to deploy and operate an optical fiber network.

Leasing the Cable Landing Station to a private body will create an open market and thereby introduce stiff competition in the private sector which will result in SALCAB not being able to drive as much revenue inflow as it is doing presently. Other Operators with sufficient funding will then be able to deploy their submarine cables thereby stifling the business of SALCAB.

SALCAB will eventually turn into another instance of Sierratel’s situation which is suffering from severe financial challenges due to the privatization of its main responsibilities.

Also private entities are mostly interested in maximizing their profits therefore maintaining the staff size of SALCAB will not be a priority of the private institution. This move will result in mass unemployment of the current human resource of SALCAB.

The effective protection and maintenance of the Government’s interest will not be a priority to the private entity whose main interest is to increase revenue by all means necessary.

Terrestrial Network as a Standalone Infrastructure

The terrestrial network currently generates USD 44,600 monthly. It does not generate sufficient revenue for its operations and maintenance.

It largely depends on the revenue from the submarine cable for its current sustainability.

Separating it from the submarine cable will incur significant investment from Government to set up an administrative body for the entity and also fund its operations and maintenance — especially in the early stages after the unbundling.

SALCAB Legal Operations

SALCAB is a wholly government owned Optical Fibre infrastructure company operating as a wholesale bandwidth and other related value added services provider to the ICT Industry.

SALCAB has two key portfolios – the Cable Landing Station (CLS) which is the submarine network and the terrestrial fiber network which is the National fiber network.

Submarine Cable

Upgrade investment of about 282,000 USD was incurred for increasing the ACE submarine bandwidth from 100Gbps to 240Gbps. This payment has already been done  the technical upgrade is in progress. The upgrade equipment shipment is enroute. An uninformed statement was offered by the Minister of Information and Communication when he indicated that SALCAB has missed the opportunity to benefit from the upgrade.

The network originally had one Edge router, however, the Management bought two additional high end Edge routers with the function to detect and deny cyber-attack i.e. Denial of Service (DoS) and two high-end aggregation switches for enhancement of quality of service, high availability and reliability and fault tolerance.

This investment cost the Company SLL 2.2 billion.

In 2018, SALCAB gave 48% reduction in the cost for bandwidth. The Company sells wholesale bandwidth to MNOs and ISPs. However, it is the responsibility of the Operators to stimulate data usage in the end-users, not SALCAB. The MNOs are the highest consumption of data.

Terrestrial Network

When the current Management took office, over 20% of the ADM sites were active at a backhaul capacity of 1Gbps. Currently, over 80% of the ADMs are active at an upgraded backhaul capacity of 10Gbps. The terrestrial network was revived to enable the transportation of data from the submarine cable to the provinces. Most of the PoPs were offered to the Operators under a promotional package in order to stimulate usage and confidence in the network.

These promotional packages are some of the reasons why the terrestrial network is not generating as much revenue as it should. The Management decided to firstly stimulate interest in the terrestrial network with these promotional packages and then later set a price point for their usage.

In 2018, only 10% of clients uptake on the national fiber network, with investment and enhancement the institution is currently experiencing 90% uptake with high utilization.

The terrestrial fiber backbone network upgrade investment from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, MNOs, ISPs, Schools, Universities and provincial Government agencies are fully utilizing the service.

If the 40% of the ADM sites are not operational, the business will not experience such uptake.

The terrestrial network is mostly for the provinces. About 70% of the nation’s data traffic is located in Freetown. Contributions to the limitation of data penetration in the provinces are power, digital literacy, socio-economic factors (purchase of relevant equipment to utilize the service), etc.

No Firewall at the Cable Landing Station

The initial business model of SALCAB was to provide an international private leased circuit for the operators to pass their traffic without SALCAB’s interference. The model has evolved to include the provision of Internet Protocol Transit services which still does not change the neutrality of SALCAB.

Placing a firewall at the cable landing station for the inspection and filtration of every traffic defeats the purpose of fast speed broadband. The cable landing station’s primary function is to transport data with the fastest speed possible and less interference as possible.

SALCAB as an aggregator and open neutral network for MNOs, ISPs, Government, etc. transmits huge gigabits of data per day. With this huge responsibility, installing a firewall in the network will seriously drag the data transmission rate thereby defeating the purpose of fibre optic speed to the international world.

Furthermore, as an aggregator of all traffic in the country, SALCAB is not legally authorized to filter, inspect or block packets as the Company cannot predict the needs of the Operators or their subscribers and the citizens of the nation as a whole. This is the responsibility of the MNOs, ISPs and Government networks.

If for any reason the Government wishes to deploy a firewall, i.e. inspect and filter traffic, the ONS is responsible for ensuring the security of the Government’s data. ONS can be supported with Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) solutions to sniff out any suspicious data on the network and raise appropriate alarms with the relevant bodies furthermore to be used for the fight against cyber-crime.

When the e-Government Network was at a minimal capacity, there was a firewall installed in the network to secure the traffic. However, the Government’s data capacity has far exceeded the initial capacity (now at 5.9GB) therefore the firewall had to be removed as it could no longer support the traffic. Installing a firewall for the e-Government Network requires significant financial investment and given that SALCAB is not being paid for the connectivity provided, it cannot make that commitment.

Also, if it is decided that a firewall should be deployed on the network, ONS should be empowered to play that role.

Revenue and Expenditure

8.4% of the Company’s total revenue comes from the terrestrial network.

26.9% of the Company’s revenue is spent on the operation and maintenance of the terrestrial network

91.6% of the Company’s revenue inflow is from the submarine cable. The cable suffers minimal technical faults and all maintenance on the cable is coordinated effectively by the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) consortium.

15.9% of the Company’s revenue is spent on the operation and maintenance of the submarine cable.

Debt Exposure

The Company is currently owed SLL 70.5 billion Leones from Operators and the Government. Most of this debt was accumulated during the previous administration.

41.7% (SLL 29,439,221,344 billion) of the debt was accumulated by the e-Government Network (in which MIC was designated to collect the payments for connectivity from the MDAs and pay to SALCAB). MIC has never made any payment for the connectivity provided to the e-Government Network

23.7% (SLL 16,741,272,688 billion) of the debt was accumulated by Sierratel (another Government institution that could not survive due to privatization.

17.1% (Sierra WiFi SLL 10,811,178,944.40 billion, Atlas Communication SLL 811,393,877.52 million, Intergroup SLL 481,813,199.68) of the debt was accumulated by companies that closed operations before the new administration took office

Total Monthly Recurring Costs from Sierratel and the e-Government Network is SLL 1,189,211,297 but SALCAB is not receiving this money and this severely affects the savings of the organization.

SALCAB Achievements

SALCAB is not subvented by the Government.

The Company has secured 3 redundancies on the submarine cable in order to guarantee more Operator confidence in the network; 2 to Europe (Lisbon and Penmarch) and 1 to Africa (Nigeria).

SALCAB has been efficiently supporting the e-Governance Network since 2016. The Company manages its administrative and technical costs from the revenue derived from its business activities.

The capacity of the national fibre backbone was increased from 1G to 10G capacity. This led to an increase in the use of the National Fibre Network by the MNOs, ISPs and MDAs due to increased confidence in the network.

All international technical consultancy services were terminated. The network is now fully managed by the SALCAB local team.

The Company is engaged in several impactful CSR initiatives; One Access, SmartBus, Tech Startup Challenge, Doubling Offer for Operators. The One Access project is designed to connect 500 schools to the internet against 2023 and not 1000 schools in 12 months as was presented by the Minister of Information and Communications.

To date, 80 schools have been connected via microwave and 6 schools have been connected via fiber. The fiber deployment to schools is halted because the contractors have run out of fiber drop cables and the shipment of fiber drop cables is currently stuck in Ghana due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Minister criticized the use of modems for the provision of internet services in the school buses. It must be noted that given that the school buses are mobile machinery, the provision of internet services must be from a Mobile Network Operator. SALCAB has a fixed infrastructure therefore it cannot support moving connectivity hence the collaboration with Africell.

Internet Penetration/Accessibility

The Government, through the Ministry of Finance, has secured a loan of USD 30 Million from the Exim Bank of China for the National Fiber Backbone phase 2 (NFB 2) project. NFB2 will cover 14 new towns.

NFB 1 was implemented during the reign of the previous administration. The Government secured a loan of USD15 million from the Exim Bank of China at an interest rate of 2%. NFB 1 covered 9 towns.

NFB2 will increase mobile and broadband penetration to underserved regions in Sierra Leone. It will also make data transportation cheaper and faster and make the internet network more resilient. The project implementation has halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Opportunities of the Terrestrial Network

With the advent of NFB 2 and sufficient support from the Government, the terrestrial network can generate significant revenue.

A total cost of 226,000 USD has also been incurred as management and commitment fees to support the NFB2 ExIm-Bank un-lending to GoSL. SALCAB has already paid the full amount.

The terrestrial network can be the main enabler for connectivity for all Government institutions. e-Government Network and One Access will be implemented solely on the terrestrial network with the support of contracted private Operators for last-mile connectivity.

With the necessary education policy, all Government schools nationwide can be required to pay a monthly minimum fee for connectivity.

All Government institutions (MDAs, hospitals, police stations, military barracks, etc) will transact directly with SALCAB for the provision of connectivity to their workplaces.

Future Plans

SALCAB Management is exploring a PPP model for the deployment of a second submarine cable. The Management has already approached partners of the 2Africa Cable and expressed interest in partnering with the consortium for the deployment of a second fiber cable. SALCAB has been tasked to meet the requirement to make the commitment fee.

The second submarine landing station will enable the deployment of a full LTE/5G network in the country as well as a Government data center.

Rolling of the E-Governance network package as a full service

Ring fence the terrestrial fibre backbone through the NFB Phase 2 project and support the roll out of rural connectivity.

Use the SALCAB infrastructure to build smarter communities at strategic locations nationwide.

Activate regional and international PoPs in major cities around the world.

Metro fiber network infrastructure in Western Area Urban (Freetown) and rural areas which is a work that is currently ongoing.

Industrial Strike Action by ASA & NU Suspended

Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Aiah Gbakima

By Ralph Sesay (PRO Njala University)

The Academic Staff Association (ASA) of Njala University has on Wednesday 2nd September,2020 suspended an industrial strike action announced on the 21st August,2020 after a meeting with their plenary at Towama Bo Campus.

A release from the Association earlier on Wednesday agreed that ASA suspends the strike action till the end of the second semester, December 2020 to give  the University Administration ample time to address the eleven point  issues raised in their press release.

The release was clear that ASA will revoke the strike action after a day’s notice if at the beginning of next academic year the University authority fails to address their demands.

The Academic Staff Association down their tools a week ago amidst concerns around payment of the annual leave allowance, payment of benefits to retirees and deceased colleagues, honouring emoluments due newly promoted staff members, review of the Conditions of Services which has stalled for a number of years and general working conditions were some of the reasons advanced by the Association for the industrial strike action.

ASA further requested that they would only resume normal services to the University if they have audience with President Bio.

Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal, Mallam .O. succeeded in deferring the strike action planned for Monday 24thAugust,2020 which coincidentally was the start of the Final year Comprehensive Examinations with a view to get ASA to meet the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education to start the necessary dialogue.

On Friday 28th August, 2020 ASA met with the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education alongside the University Administration in Freetown and a number of resolutions were agreed upon including the possibility of subsuming the concerns of ASA into a bail out for the attention of the Government of Sierra Leone.

The Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal, his Deputy Vice Chancellors for Njala and Bo Campuses and his entire administration were pleased that the strike has been lifted and the final Year Examinations and other university functions would continue.

Very Little Been Done To Protect Our Remaining Forests

Professor Foday M Jaward, the Minister of the Environment

By Amin Kef Sesay

Very recently, what was announced as the discovery of a magnificent waterfall at Mambo in the Western Rural District was made, that drew the nation’s attention to how much is pristine and beautiful that this country has to offer to tourists. What immediately came to mind was would this national asset be protected from deforestation and other forms of human damage by the Government and the community?

Very disheartening that this week, monitoring the news, report was heard from a Government official responsible for protecting the environment that, in fact, close to this natural beauty, somebody, using our traditional slash and burn shifting cultivation form of farming that is very destructive to the environment had a farm close to the waterfall. It immediately reminded me of how human beings have naively, over the years removed all the forest cover from the Guma Valley dam area; thereby drastically reducing conservation of water in the dam during the dry season.

Trees and human beings live as one. Without trees, human beings will eventually end up living in arid conditions. Such conditions are characterized by water and food shortage.

Trees are an essential part of our existence; or else God would not have created them. They help mitigate the effects of rising temperatures, air pollution and climate change.

In which light, the President’s laudable initiative of planting five million trees across the country in the next four years must be highly targeted and localized in order to improve the health and well-being of our rapidly disappearing forest covers.

Trees are vital to our existence because they and other green vegetation are responsible for naturally cooling the air.

They also provide habitat for wildlife, reduce storm-water runoff and sequester carbon from the atmosphere which helps to mitigate climate change.

Where tree planting as a climate change reduction strategy really stands out is its ability to address both urban heat and air pollution.

Thus, planting trees, particularly in large urban and rural communities should be viewed as a low-cost solution that can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as improved health levels of societies.

The calming effect of nearby trees and urban greening can significantly reduce workplace stress levels and fatigue, calm traffic, and even decrease the recovery time needed after surgery.

There is also a growing body of research showing  that people living in communities where there are a lot of tress trees and other vegetation enjoy mental health, especially children. All of these benefits speak to the wisdom of greater investment in trees and urban green infrastructure such as parks and rain gardens.

Trees intercept water, store some of it and reduce storm water runoff. Air quality is improved through the use of trees, shrubs and turf. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles. Rain then washes the pollutants to the ground. Leaves absorb the green-house gas carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and store carbon as growth. Leaves also absorb other air pollutants – such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide – and release oxygen.

Aesthetically, by planting trees and shrubs around our dwellings, we return developed areas to a more natural environment that is attractive to birds and wildlife; thereby restoring the ecological cycles of plant growth, reproduction, and decomposition both above and below ground.

Thus, more need to be done by us individuals, communities, councils and government to not only ensure that we protect trees but also plant more to replace those lost in order to protect our environment from future degradation.

Finance Minister Assures CDS of Close Working Relationship

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Lieutenant General Sullay Sesay, Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Sullay Sesay with an entourage of his team of Generals from the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces on Wednesday 2nd September 2020 paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa and his team at the Ministry of Finance on George Street.

CDS Lt. Gen. Sullay Ibrahim Sesay initially thanked the Minister of Finance and his team for their support to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and the security sector in general.

He thanked the team at the Ministry of Finance for fast-tracking the payment of backlogs on rice, fuel, and other items and highlighted several areas of concern that he will want the support of the Ministry of Finance to consider for the development of the Republic Sierra Leone Armed Forces.

The Chief of Defense Staff expressed concern over the need to look into the conditions of service for members of RSLAF, noting that this has been a very huge concern for them especially in boosting the morale of members of the force.

The Lt. Gen Sulay Sesay raised the issues on Peace Support Operations deployment and equipment, Army Engineering, Training and Recruitment, Agriculture, Accommodation, Health, and other issues for the consideration of the Minister of Finance for the next budget cycle.

In his response the Minister of Finance Jacob Jusu Saffa congratulated the new CDS on his appointment and reassured him of the Ministry’s commitment to work with the Armed Forces to ensure the security of the state.

“Issues regarding the military are very critical to the security of the State and therefore must be given high priority,” he emphasized.

He asked the CDS to work with his team at the Ministry of Finance and look at the financial implications relating to the issues of conditions of service, accommodation, and other issues raised by the Chief of Defense Staff.

The Financial Secretary, Sahr L. Jusu, described the meeting as an opportunity for the economic and financial expert at the Ministry of Finance and that of the security expert at the Ministry of Defense and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces to work together. He appealed to the CDS to engage the Ministry of Finance on major procurement processes before awarding contracts to ensure a smooth payment.

The team of Generals that visited the Finance Minister include; Maj-Gen Peter K. Lavahun (CJF), Brig.-Gen Ronnie B. Charleston, Brig-Gen Yayimba Marah, Brig-Gen Saudi Alph, and Brig-Gen Berber Jalloh.

Big Idea of the Week: Wearing Face Masks Saves Lives

Big Idea is No Mask? No Go

By Amin Kef Sesay

This week, 30th August – 5th September 2020, the Big Idea is No Mask? No Go. Indeed it is very apt that notices and emphasis are placed by private institutions admonishing members of the public to wear face masks before entering their premises.

This sterling action has made it possible for some people to always make sure that they have face masks in their possession before leaving home .  It is good that certain institutions display signs at their frontage demanding people or visitors to put on their masks before entering their buildings. Such will continue to instill a sense of consistency among the populace of always moving about with face masks.

It is very important to underscore that we must continue the practice of wearing face masks in public places. The wearing of face masks in public places, especially at this crucial moment when the world is battling with the corona virus cannot be overemphasized. It is one of the precautionary health measures that must be adhered to by all and sundry to prevent the spread of the virus.

As a matter of fact it is deemed illegal for members of the public to deliberately refuse to wear face masks in public places and as such is punishable by law.

Masks keep transport running and safe for all Transport unions and drivers, let’s come together in solidarity and say no to any passenger not wearing a face mask. One person without a mask is a risk to all. If all drivers refuse to take any passenger who is not wearing a face mask, then passengers will know they cannot move without a mask.

Your mask is your safety ticket for transport! Taking only passengers with face mask helps avoid delays by law enforcement and fines. Taking less passengers and having to pay fines for taking passengers without face masks are making it challenging for some drivers to stay in business. Let’s make sure we all wear our face masks to keep transport running smoothly and safe for all.

When using transport, passengers put their safety in drivers’ hands – safety from accidents and from coronavirus. All drivers and passengers deserve safe transport! Corona fet na we all fet! Suggestions for people to interview Heads of transport unions, Drivers, Police officers, people who have had COVID-19, Community leaders.

Suggestions for questions for interviews and panel discussions: Why should we wear face masks correctly when taking transport? Why is it important for all drivers to refuse passengers who are not wearing a mask?  What can we do if a driver/other passengers are not wearing a mask correctly? What challenges might you face when taking transport if not everyone is wearing a mask?  What role does everyone (drivers, passengers, law enforcement) play in making sure we keep transport running smoothly and safely for all?

Additional messages For Drivers/Operators: Most of us use transport at some point. That means you may be riding with others who are more likely to get seriously sick from coronavirus including older people and people with other health conditions. You will make your job easier and your life safer by refusing all passengers who are not wearing a mask.

Local transport drivers and law enforcement should work together in busy areas to make sure only passengers with mask board transport. If you allow people to board your vehicle, bike or keke without face masks, you are putting everyone’s health at risk. Other passengers depend on you to protect their safety and only take passengers with masks. Drivers should continue to help passengers keep a distance from others while on board.

Remember coronavirus spreads from person to person so putting space between people will make it harder for the virus to spread. For Passengers Always put on a cloth face mask when leaving your home and keep it on correctly when using public transport and riding in any private vehicle with more than one person. Without a mask, a driver has the right to refuse to take you. Your mask is your safety ticket for transport! Without a mask, both you and the driver can be fined.

Getting stopped by the police also can make you late and create stress. Wearing your mask will keep you moving and avoid stress. If a vehicle pulls over to pick you, but the driver or others are not wearing a mask, it is okay to say you will wait for the next vehicle. “Yu nor mask, ar nor go!”

You have a responsibility to always wear a mask to protect fellow passengers. You don’t know if they have other health conditions that can make them more likely to get seriously sick if they get the virus.

Wearing a mask every time you are riding in any form of public transport helps protect you and helps protect others. For everyone Let’s make sure coronavirus does not travel between us by washing our hands frequently with soap and water, wearing masks correctly by covering our noses and mouths, keeping distance from each other in transport, and staying home and calling 117 if you have fever, tiredness, and cough. Wearing a mask can help stop the spread of coronavirus, but only if it is used correctly by covering your mouth and nose. So please let us wear our face masks over our noses and mouths at all times in public.

GoSL Enhanced COVID-19 Prevention Measures for local transport while the inter-district lockdown has been lifted, the earlier changes to operating and using public transport to help keep us all safe and prevent the spread of coronavirus remain in place. All transport parks must have hand washing stations.

Use them to wash your hands when entering and leaving the park and before getting into any vehicle. All drivers, including okada and kekeh drivers, should carry and use hand sanitizer with at least 60% base alcohol. All kinds of motor transport will continue to help passengers keep distance from others. Coronavirus spreads from person to person so putting space between people will make it harder for the virus to spread.

Taxis will continue to be limited to three passengers at a time (one front, two at the back seat).  Kekehs will continue to be limited to two passengers at a time.  In poda-podas and buses, there will continue to be no middle row seat and no standing.

Ferries and boats must not carry more than half of their normal capacity of passengers at a time. Less people on board gives passengers room to keep safe distance of at least one meter, or arms-stretched length, from others. Always put on a cloth face mask when leaving your home and keep it on correctly when using public transport and riding in any private vehicle with more than one person.

Wearing a cloth mask can help stop the spread of coronavirus but only if it is used correctly by covering your mouth and nose. Remember – coronavirus is not spread from our chins; it is spread from our noses and mouths. So please let us wear our cloth face masks over our nose and mouths at all times in public.

Anyone using public transport, including drivers, who is not wearing a mask, may be fined one hundred thousand Leones (Le100, 000) or detained by police.

If a driver or passenger is found not wearing a mask for a second time, the vehicle will be seized. All seized motorbikes and tricycles may be reclaimed on payment of a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand Leones (Le250, 000) and one million Leones for cars and buses (Le1, 000,000). If a vehicle is not reclaimed within one month, it will be permanently impounded and disposed of.

Targeting 48 Wards in Freetown… Aki-Sawyerr Enhances COVID-19 Community Engagement  

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr

By Amb. Penpusher Sesay

As the fight against the novel corona virus continues relentlessly in the country, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, who played a pivotal role in the fight against the Ebola scourge in the country few years ago has again drawn from the plethora of experiences and lessons learnt to put the Freetown Municipality at a margin of safety as Sierra Leoneans continue to grapple with this deadly scourge that has adversely stagnated socio-economic activities and thus causing huge setbacks.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, having realised that the Municipality had been the epicentre for the virus, took  retrospective stock and aptly as well as timely applied the Ebola localization technique which to a very large extent has brought considerable impact in terms of acceptance by Freetonians at Ward level to adhere to the COVID-19 health measures for the past months.

Owing to her firm belief in  localization, particularly in containing  the coronavirus outbreak of such magnitude, the pragmatic and restless  Mayor,  Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, has succeeded in setting up  community outreach and leadership teams in all  the 48 demarcated Wards within her Municipality that are charged with the responsibilities of embarking on robust Covid-19 Community Engagements and sensitization.

The team ,which comprises ten influential members in each Ward in their agile mood, has been committed in raising awareness on the preventive measures against COVID-19 by  holding focus group discussions, undertaking door -to-door sensitization, and also embarking on community outreach activities targeting community stakeholders schools, market places, ataya bases, churches, mosques, and other high risk places for almost a couple of months now.

Also, the team of ten in each of the 48 Wards are bisected into two groups and are made up of grassroots representatives, together with a Coordinator and Supervisor for each Ward.

The Leadership Team comprises the following: a Religious Leader, Community Chief, Youth Leader, Mammy Queen and the Ward Councillor.

On the other hand, the Outreach team comprises the Ward Secretary, Ward Committee member and three youth influencers, making a total of ten members per Ward.

These ten community mobilizers have been so assertive in ensuring that locals comply to the preventive measures of COVID-19, and the measures set aside by   NaCOVERC and the Government by a means of educating them about the virus, distributing face masks, engaging community stakeholders on focus group discussions, responding and addressing to issues relating to the fight against the virus in all the 48 Wards.

It is interesting to note that these volunteers have been and still receiving weekly stipends to ensure effectiveness, consistency and efficiency in discharging their tasks.

Freetonians have attested to the fact that the localization of the fight by Her Worship- Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr for the past months has actualized a geometric decrease in the number of infected cases in the capital city.

The corona virus community engagement, championed by the Freetown City Council has created much dividends in terms of adherence, compliance, reporting of suspected cases, taking ownership and the establishment of community bye laws which to a very large extent has put an halt to the fast pace of transmission of the virus for the past two months in the Freetown municipality according to views expressed by many Freetonians across the length and breadth of the capital city.

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