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‘Giving Tuesday’ Launched in Sierra Leone  

Giving Tuesday, Sierra Leone Chapter

By Foday Moriba Conteh

To unleash the power of people and organisations to transform their communities and the world, Giving Tuesday which is a Global Generosity Movement that believes in the power of people and organisations to transform communities and the world has launched its Sierra Leone Chapter on the 5th May, 2020. As a result of the outbreak of the Covid-19 in the country and to adhere to the Government health regulations, the launch and the campaign was done online.

Speaking to this medium in an interview, Giving Tuesday, Sierra Leone Chapter Leader, Santigie Bayo Dumbuya disclosed that Giving Tuesday is a global movement which has chapters in over 100 countries disclosing how the Sierra Leone Chapter started in January 2020, adding that the idea of forming the Giving Tuesday was first announced in October 2012, a month before the first planned Giving Tuesday (November 27, 2012).

The announcement was made by Giving Tuesday co-founder Asha Curran and it has served as a platform to bring together philanthropists, companies, individuals and organisations to help  transform their communities and the world through fundraising, donation, promotion of organisations and advocating to donors to support members including but not limited to sharing resources, funding opportunities and tools to help empower individuals and organisations in order to engage in giving to the needy.

He said that on the 5th May, 2020 they hosted a Global Campaign #GivingTuesdayNow which took place all over the world as their intervention to the fight against COVID-19 adding that they also used that Day to launch the Giving Tuesday Sierra Leone Chapter.

He said that Giving Tuesday encompasses making someone smile, helping a neighbour out, showing up for an issue or people they care about, or giving some of what they have to those who need their help. “Every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give,” he expressed optimism  further encouraging everyone to identify their gifts, pick a cause that gets them fired up, and give back not just on May 5th for #GivingTuesdayNow, but every day as a way to show generosity.

SLAJ President Talks Tough on World Press Freedom Day

President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla

By Amin Kef Sesay

As the World observed World Press Freedom Day on the 3rd May 2020, on the global theme, ‘Journalism without fear or favour’ the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, delivered an all encompassing moving statement.

Prior to his statement proper, he first noted that as the day fell on a Sunday as an Association it was decided to defer programmes to Monday 4th May 2020 during which later on that day, SLAJ will hold a virtual seminar on the theme: “The Media and the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

According to D-Monk, as he is popularly known, the next day, 5th May, SLAJ also participated in a regional webinar discussion with counterparts in Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria organised by UNESCO on the global theme.

The SLAJ President, in his statement, said strangely the world is observing this year’s World Press Freedom Day amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and for us here journalists are doing so under the State of Emergency and a lockdown.

“Nevertheless, the media in Sierra Leone continues to play its crucial role in supporting the national fight against COVID-19 and re-positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with in our governance landscape,” he furthered.

He went on to intimate how the media in Sierra Leone, and by extension journalists, enjoy relative freedom underscoring that  there is some encouraging degree of democracy, human rights, media pluralism and there is a seemingly general determination for progress and development.

The SLAJ No 1 personality disclosed how the Government of Sierra Leone has started giving annual subvention to SLAJ as a form of support to the media also revealing that they are working with the Ministry of Lands and Country Planning for the allocation of land for the construction of the Association’s headquarters in the Western Area and the regional headquarter towns.

He informed that the repeal bill for the Criminal and Seditious Libel laws has passed Cabinet and now in the final stages in the Sierra Leone Parliament.

“We are encouraged by the pronouncement of the new leader of Government Business in the House, Hon. Mathew Nyuma, that the repeal bill is among documents to be discussed by MPs in subsequent sittings before they go on recess,” he expressed hope.

D-Monk said looking beyond the repeal, the Association has launched its newly re-constituted Disciplinary Committee which now includes two members from the public and a new governance structure including district and regional monitors to aid the work of the committee nationally.

“The objective of the committee is to primarily enforce the SLAJ Code of Ethics through reactive and pro-active measures, which include training of journalists and public education on the work of the media,” he also disclosed.

He stated that in the 2020 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom index, Sierra Leone moved from 86 to 85 out of 180 countries which he said should be considered as progress, no matter if it is only one step forward.

The SLAJ Prezo said, however, the downside of press freedom in Sierra Leone is the continuous assault of journalists by some officers of security forces. This, he said, calls for serious engagement with the leadership of the security sector so that they understand and respect each other’s role in our democracy.

“Another downside is the economy of the media or rather poverty of the media which has been made even worse by COVID-19.

Businesses have closed, and adverts are not forthcoming. Prices of printing materials for newspapers, for example, have not only gone up but they are in short supply because of the COVID-19 restrictions locally and internationally.

Consequently, many newspapers have closed. Radio stations are struggling and scaling down broadcast time. The publishers and Station Managers are crying. Vendors are crying. The reporters are crying. The support staff are complaining,” he lamented.

According to him, in these tough times for the media, especially the print media, the Association is urging the Government and partners to come up with a financial scheme to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on the sector. “But we also urge the media to be creative and innovative. The COVID-19 pandemic might just be that long-awaited opportunity for the Sierra Leone media to redefine itself, be proactive, think innovatively, and take advantage of the digital revolution by moving away from traditional means of revenue generation to stay in business,” he expressed optimism..

He admonished SLAJ and its affiliate bodies (SWASAL, SLRU, WIMSAL, PPG and SLCRA), the Guild of Editors and Station Managers to re-invent themselves to be fit for purpose in this endeavour.

The SLAJ President averred that true to the global theme: ‘Journalism without fear or favour’, tensions continue to exist between some politicians and journalists.

“While the media is pushing for progress in our democracy, the rule of law, human rights, good governance, transparency and accountability, the politicians are reluctant to give themselves up to public scrutiny. They hate criticism, even if it is for the general good. The ‘yes men’ are still in vogue. The Politicians like to hear the tunes of the praise singers and their own egos. There should be a healthy relationship between politicians/public officials and journalists/media for a healthy democracy,” he lambasted and suggested.

He said on occasions like that, it is also imperative that journalists do some amount of introspection as media practitioners saying the growing interference of national politics in the media has left a thin line between who is a real journalist and who is a politician hiding under the cloak of journalism.

“This is hurting not only the media’s role as watchdog and holding the Government to account, but it is also undermining the effective administration of professional Associations like SLAJ,” the Monk highlighted.

He said meanwhile, as we continue to fully support the fight against COVID-19 they are urging the authorities to continue to respect and protect free speech at all times and ensure the free flow of information even in a State of Emergency.

“We also call on colleagues to abide by professional and ethical standards in doing their work,” he enjoined.

Quoting Thomas Jefferson, D-Monk said: “The only security of all is in a free press.”
He ended up paying tribute to departed colleagues from the last celebration, prominent among whom are the renowned correspondent for Agence France Presse (AFP) and former IMC Chairman and popular newspaper columnist Rod Mac Johnson; and former Press Attache to Brussels, Chernor Ojuku Sesay.

During the Three Days Lockdown… Dalvina Children’s Foundation Feeds the Mentally Challenged & Less Privileged

Executive Director of Dalvina Children’s Foundation, Khadijatu Dalvina Bangura

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In their quest to support the less privileged in society, especially the mentally challenged, Dalvina Children’s Foundation, a Charitable and a Non-profit making local organization started on Sunday 3rd May and ended on Tuesday 5th May, 2020 to share food and non-food items to these unfortunate persons within the Freetown Municipality in order to support them during the three days lockdown that was declared by the Government in order to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.

Speaking to this Press, Executive Director of Dalvina Children’s Foundation, Khadijatu Dalvina Bangura, disclosed that considering the fact that many homes in Sierra Leone still find it difficult to access food and water on a daily basis, added to the fact that the lockdown requires individuals to stay home for a complete duration of three days, as an organization, they  thought it appropriate to step up their usual charity work by teaming up with Social Workers in Freetown to provide food and non-food items to the mentally challenged and less privileged Sierra Leoneans within the Municipality of Freetown.

She noted that the distribution was geared towards complementing the efforts of Government in its strides towards scaling up the fight against the virus maintaining how it is one way of doing so that the common enemy could be defeated, adding that it is also a clear manifestation that as an organization they care for Sierra Leoneans and they are determined to stand by the side of the people of this country during good and bad times.

The Executive Director explained to the beneficiaries and others present, during the distribution exercise, the various measures that should be taken to prevent contracting the disease, which include: frequent hand washing, avoid body contacts, avoid hand shaking, using face masks etc. She also admonished them that in the event of experiencing persistent coughing, uncommon fever, extreme fatigue and difficulty in breathing, residents should call 117 for emergency response.

She admonished them to adhere to all the precautionary measures that the Government and its partners have put in place; also underscoring that it is only when strict adherence is maintained that we all could stay safe.

Mariama Kallon, a beneficiary expressed gratitude to Dalvina Children’s Foundation for the gesture which she described as not only important to them but very timely adding that some of them only live by begging arms from people and that during the period of lockdown they are finding it difficult to survive. She urged citizens to adhere to the coronavirus messages in order to combat the spread of the virus in the country so that they can live normal lives.

To Consolidate Peace and National Cohesion…  SLPP Leadership & Opposition Parties Must Engage in Meaningful Dialogue

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Peace is very key towards the development of any nation. In Sierra Leone as a nation it is no secret that there have been political tensions among our politicians in the country which many have described as not good for the development of the nation and in winning soon the fight against Covid-19.

It against such a backdrop that I want to urge President Bio, his administration and  the SLPP leadership to engage in meaningful dialogue with the opposition parties especially the leadership of the Main Opposition  All Peoples Congress (APC) Party,  in order to consolidate peace and enhance national cohesion in our beloved nation.

 It could be recalled that on Friday 13th September, 2019 His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio and the leadership of the All People’s Congress party signed a Joint Communiqué in order to consolidate peace and enhance national cohesion in the country.

The signing of the Joint Communiqué came after President Bio met with the leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC) party including the Chairman and Leader of the party, former President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House on the 12th September, 2019 during which they deliberated on issues relating to peace, good governance, national cohesion, the rule of law, human rights, the economy and State Security.

During their meeting they both agreed that democratic institutions, including the Judiciary, National Electoral Commission, the Police, Anti-Corruption Commission and the Political Parties’ Registration Commission should assist in promoting peace, stability and democracy by dealing with all parties fairly and transparently. They also recognized that because Parliament is the foundation of our democracy, all stakeholders should revisit grey areas in its standing orders procedures.

They further agreed that further dialogue and engagements should continue as they build trust and deepen mutual confidence between the Government and the opposition parties. They agreed to resume and refocus the work of the Post-Election Cross-Party Committee on sustaining heightened engagements and resolving the triggers of conflict.

Regrettably, it is now over nine (9) months since both parties signed that joint communiqué but we are yet to see the sincere implementation of the communiqué. On the contrary, things are getting worse every day creating the tendency to destabilize the progress so far made by our beloved nation and also undermine the fight against Covid-19.

After the recent unfortunate incident at the Pademba Road Maximum Security Male Correctional Centre we saw press releases coming from both parties casting blame on each other and making negative and inciting statements that are not in the best interest of promoting peace and stability in the country. I believe at a moment like this what should be our priority is how to join hands together in order to defeat the global pandemic that is ravaging our nation.

In that regard I want to plead to His Excellency President Maada Bio and the leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC) party including the Chainman and Leader of the party, former President Ernest Bai Koroma and their followers to stop the attacks on each other for peace and stability to hold.

I will also want to use this opportunity to call on Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora to stop spreading inciting and hate messages but rather preach peace among Sierra Leoneans because as the saying goes “United we stand divided we fall”.

After 15 Days Self-Isolation… President Bio Resumes Work Today

President Julius Maada Bio

By Amin Kef Sesay

It was reliably learnt that President Julius Maada Bio, his family and close aides have all tested negative for the coronavirus, according to presidential spokesman, Keketoma Sandy. Keketoma assured that the President would resume work from his office on Wednesday, the 6th May 2020 at the end of the three-day lockdown.

The President had been working from home throughout the period after one of his guards tested positive for the Covid19.has intimated that after his fifteen-day self-isolation period, all tests for coronavirus proved negative. “I am very healthy and determined as ever to fight this Corona pandemic in Sierra Leone,” he said in a tweet.

President Bio entered self-isolation after a bodyguard of his tested positive for the virus.

According to what was also learnt  the  President has directed the military to immediately deploy to the international airport and land crossing points in order to enhance security and support compliance with all public health directives advisories.

The country yesterday ended a three day nationwide lockdown which was imposed by the First Gentleman to contain community transmission of the virus. The case statistics as of May 5 were as follows: 199 confirmed cases, 11 deaths and 43 recoveries.

Prior to the lockdown the President said “epidemiological data and other evidence” indicated that “there is community transmission of the virus.”

In an earlier nationwide address he said the Government decided “to intensify contact tracing and detection; scale up testing and isolation and expand treatment.”

President Maada Bio becomes the second known African leader to self-isolate, the first being Botswana President Eric Masisi who self-isolated after attending an inauguration ceremony in Namibia. At the time his country was uninfected while Namibia had recorded three cases.

It could be recalled that, in March, twenty-four hours after confirming an index case, Sierra Leone announced a second case which involved a medical doctor with no links to the first patient. Both cases were registered in the capital, Freetown.

On Wednesday April 1, authorities announced the first three-day nationwide lockdown as a containment measure against the spread of the virus. Defence Minister and National COVID19 Coordinator, Brig (Rtd) Kellie Conteh announced that coming Sunday, Monday & Tuesday (April 4 – 6) are stay-at-home days.

When the country was Virus-free Government announced closure of its borders for a 30-day period barely days after President Julius Maada Bio announced a state of public health emergency.

According to reports, the measure was to keep out the coronavirus which has engulfed all of West Africa except for Sierra Leone. The country tested two cases which turned out to be negative. The border closures came in the wake of same action taken by neighbouring Guinea and Liberia. Guinea President Alpha Conde declared a state of emergency on for 30-days over the virus.

The closure was for a renewable period of 30 days excepting cargo vehicles which will be limited to two apprentices & a driver. They’ll be subjected to a 14-day surveillance by both countries on entry and exit.

All learning institutions & entertainment centers have been closed, as have churches & mosques. All cultural events have been prohibited.

Liberia is currently in a lockdown over the pandemic. The three countries were at the heart of the Ebola epidemic that killed thousands years ago.

Aftermath of Tombo Riot… Police Mounts Man-Hunt For APC Youths

Tombo.jpg

By Samuel Kargbo

Reports reaching this medium has revealed that the Sierra Leone Police has mounted a man-hunt for some 5 youths believed to be behind the riot that took place in the Western Rural fishing village of Tombo, a known stronghold of the opposition party, on Wednesday 6th May 2020, in which some 7 people were shot dead by a combined team of military and police officers.

According to the police, these youths are said to be members of the main opposition’s (APC) Zone 5 area, and are believed to have masterminded the riot that took place in Tombo. They are all youths living on fishing in the village. Our investigations revealed that the riot was as a result of directives given by the government that out of a total of over 100 fishing boats in the village, only 15 boats should go out to fish, as part of the COVID-19 containment measures.

This action, it was revealed, infuriated the fishermen, and after efforts in engaging the district authorities to increase the number of boats proved futile, they then embarked on a peaceful protest in the village. During the said protest, the aggrieved fishermen matched up to the residence of the district officials and the Police station, in a bid to register their discontent.

Sources say that the protest turned violent when some irate youths joined in the procession, and these then threw stones at the police station, leading to a request by the Local Unit Commander in the area for support from Waterloo, its divisional headquarter. It was revealed that a team of military and police officers descended on the village, joined by youths believed to be supporters of the ruling party, and an all-out running battle between the youths and the security forces ensued, in which road blocks were set up by the angry youths of the village.

The security forces then resorted to the use of a barrage of tear gas canisters and live bullets, killing some 7 people and making some arrests. Backed by ruling party youths, the armed security officers then stormed the houses of residents in search of alleged perpetrators of the violence, using a list of names of alleged perpetrators provided by the Sherbro Tribal Chief for Western Area Rural, Michael K. Benka, a known supporter of the ruling party. Among the names were Alpha Kamara, Mohamed I. Sesay and others. It was also disclosed by eye witnesses that some youths were arrested and taken away, whilst others are said to be on the run.

Public Relations Officer of the police, Superintendent Brima Kamara, told this medium that the incident happened in the morning, and that “some guys came from the wharf and attacked the station. They were told only fifteen boats should head out to fish. This made some of them aggrieved and decided to go on a rampage, We cannot confirm the death toll, nor the number of those arrested, at the moment. The investigation is ongoing to verify those claims of death.” He furthered that some of the alleged perpetrators are now in police custody, but that a few others have escaped and are being sought after by the police, with the help of some youths and the tribal authority.

Our source furthered that as the search for the escaped youths continued, a curfew was declared in the village to discourage gathering, with members of the Sierra Leone Police, (SLP) Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and the Operational Support Division (OSD), the armed wing of the SLP, patrolling the streets of the village. All fishing boats were grounded. It was also disclosed that the security forces targeted youths who were active members of the opposition, including one Mohamed I Seasy, an opposition party agent.

Some villagers spoken to, say that the arrival of the security forces aggravated the whole situation, as they descended menacingly, and things took a different turn when they began to storm residence, beating up opposition party youths and young men in front of their families, shooting down doors of houses, and injuring inmates.

One youth, displaying a bullet wound on his back, alleged that an OSD (armed wing of the police) in the company of some soldiers shot them in their house, and this was replicated across the village, resulting in more violence, as youths began to defend their families. The security forces are said to have been firing indiscriminately at people, and many are said to have been wounded by gunshots.

It was also revealed that those youths who escaped were attacked at their homes by the police, and managed to escape through the help of other youths, who came to their rescue. This, it was further revealed, was due to the list given to them by the tribal headman of the village, who merely wrote down the names of active party youths of the opposition party in the village, among whom was Mohamed i. Sesay, a young man and an agent of the APC, residing at Wharf Road.

Speaking to a family member of Mohamed I Sesay, they informed this medium that they were attacked by armed police and Mohamed managed to escape through an open window at the back of the house, pursued by the armed men. They explained that they saw the men enter a nearby bush, where Mohamed had entered and heard gunshots, but do not know whether Mohamed had been killed, and up to the time of going to press his whereabouts and that of the other youths are unknown, and they are feared dead.

Eye witnesses have also corroborated the story of this family and many others. They further explained that the Sherbro Tribal Chief, Michael K. Benka, is a known ruling party member, and that he gave a list of youths known to be opposition party activists in the village, whom he described as the ring leaders of the riot, to the police. It was also disclosed that this was the list that the security forces relied on to go about arresting people during the curfew and targeted homes of known opposition activists. Many youths were arrested violently, with some suffering gunshot wounds and taken to the station in Waterloo and Freetown, often without medical attention.

After video footage of wounded victims were shown on social media, youths, including female business people with gunshot wounds, were then taken to the hospitals.

Police sources say that they have mounted a man-hunt for Mohamed I Sesay and others and have declared them wanted and a bounty put on their heads for any information that would lead to their arrest.

As we go to press, family members of Mohamed have confirmed to us that they are constantly under police harassment and threat, and the whereabouts of Mohamed I Sesay is still unknown, and feared dead.

CAER-SL Organizes online National Essay & Poetry Competition 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In order for students to exercise their calligraphic abilities in inking sound write-ups that can also be used by state and non-state actors in addressing the challenges that the coronavirus poses and the post impact of the virus, the Centre for Academic Excellence and Research, (CAER-SL) is now poised to host its National Essay & Poetry Competition 2020 on the theme: “My Role in the Fight Against Covid-19”.

To adhere to the preventive measure that Government and its partners have put in place the competition will be focused on online.

Speaking to this medium, the Programs Manager of Centre for Academic Excellence and Research, Alex A. Bah disclosed that since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus as a pandemic it has seriously hampered all major spheres of society globally and has affected all fabric of society, adding that however, with past experiences of the Ebola outbreak that affected many students and left a number of girls pregnant, it’s of paramount essence to seek out effective means to academically engage their mental faculties.

It is against such a backdrop, they therefore planned the event to galvanize students to exercise their calligraphic abilities in inking sound write-ups that can also be used by state and non-state actors in addressing the challenges posed by the virus.

He said that with almost all attention by both Government and non-governmental institutions focused on sensitization on covid-19 and other laudable mechanisms to curb the spread of the virus, it gives them motivation and befit them to direct their energies in squeezing out the brilliance in future leaders.

Alex A. Bah further disclosed that as in compliance with the stringent measures by the Government of Sierra Leone to maintain social distancing, the official launching was done via the media (TV, radio, and social media handle).

He called for entries for Essays by secondary school pupils on the topic “The Role of Parents and Pupils in the Fight Against COVID 19”, and for university/college students; “Impact of COVID 19 on the International Political Economy”, Which should be sent via info.caesl@gmail.com. He added that the Essays for the senior school and university categories should be not less than 450 and 1000 words respectively. Bah also stated that the topic for the poetry  competition is “COVID 19” which remains the same for both secondary schools and universities/colleges respectively and that all entries will close on the 27 May, 2020.

 “As an institution we strongly believe that the integrity of judges demonstrates the credibility of the competition, thus, we have secured the services of individuals with the required academic expertise and moral standing to determine the best essay and poem.

Entries should be sent online and a panel of judicious judges will independently surf through all of them, and will send their judgments to a Chief Judge who will determine winners on a consensus basis, for both respective categories; essay and poetry.

Results will be announced via both the mainstream media; TV and radio, as well as the social media.

Winners will be called upon and attractive prizes will be given to them either live on TV or in the presence of media personnel. “This is to enhance transparency as well as to serve as a motivating factor,” Bah concluded.

‘Giving Tuesday’ to be launched in Sierra Leone

Cross Section of Giving Tuesday Sierra Leone Charter membership

By Foday Moriba Conteh

To unleash the power of people and organisations to transform their communities and the world, Giving Tuesday which is a Global generosity Movement that believe in the power of people and organisations to transform communities and the world will be launching its Sierra Leone Chapter on the 5th May, 2020. As a result of the outbreak of the Covid-19 in the country and to adhere to the Government health regulations, the launch and the campaign will be done online.

Speaking to this medium in an interview, Giving Tuesday, Sierra Leone Chapter Leader, Santigie Bayo Dumbuya disclosed that Giving Tuesday is a global movement which  has chapters in over 100 countries disclosing how the Sierra Leone chapter started in January 2020, adding that the idea of forming the Giving Tuesday was first announced in October 2012, a month before the first planned Giving Tuesday (November 27, 2012).

The announcement was made by Giving Tuesday founding partner Mashable and it has served as a platform to bring together philanthropists, companies, individuals and organisations to help  transform their communities and the world through fundraising, donation, promotion of organisations and advocating to donors to support members including but not limited to sharing resources, funding opportunities and tools to help empower individuals and organisations in order to engage in giving to the needy.

He said that on the 5th May, 2020 they will host a Global Campaign #GivingTuesdayNow which will take place all over the world as their intervention to the fight against COVID-19 adding that they are also using that Day to launch the Giving Tuesday Sierra Leone Chapter.

He said that Giving Tuesday encompasses making someone smile, helping a neighbour out, showing up for an issue or people they care about, or giving some of what they have to those who need their help. “Every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give,” he expressed optimism  further encouraging everyone to identify their gifts, pick a cause that gets them fired up, and give back not just on May 5th for #GivingTuesdayNow, but every day as a way to show generosity.

Envoy Calls for Strengthening of trade ties between Nigeria & Sierra Leone

By Edward Vamboi

Sierra Leone has pledged to strengthen economic relations and create the enabling environment to attract Nigerians to invest in the mining sector. Dr. Solomon Gembeh, High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to Nigeria, said in Abuja on the sidelines of the commemoration of Sierra Leone’s 59th Independence Anniversary that trade cooperation existing between both countries  dated back to 1961.

He noted that Nigeria and other African countries have huge deposits of diamond and iron ore and stressed the need for a review of Sierra Leone’s laws with a view to promoting bilateral trade. “We are open to Nigeria to invest in Sierra Leone. Nigeria as our big brother has been good to us all through our development after the civil war, to Ebola, and recently in education.

“We have a lot of bilateral relationships with Nigeria being the largest economy in Africa and also the largest black nation in the world,” he said. “Out of 13 banks that are operating in Sierra Leone, 9 are owned by Nigerians and 95 percent of the people, who work in those Banks are Sierra Leoneans.

“We need to look at our relationships in Africa; how we can look at ourselves after this COVID-19; how we can trade with each other with free movement policy in place within the ECOWAS region.

“We should be able to trade and do things where we can be able to compete with the Western economies and not solely depend on them,” he said.

He said that although the mining sector in Sierra Leone is in a deplorable condition, measures had been taken to privatise some state owned enterprises and bring about economic profit. “We reviewed the mining agreement in the interest of our country to enable us to focus on legalities and to strengthen the fight against corruption.

“Lots of people so far have been brought to book to account for over $100 million,” he added.

2019 Corruption Perception Survey Report Presented by CARL 

Ibrahim Tommy Esq – Executive Director, CARL

By Foday Moriba Conteh

According to the Corruption Perception Survey Report 2019 efforts in controlling corruption in the country has yielded tremendous dividends. The Report, which was presented on Wednesday 29th April 2020 at the Headquarters of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) office, was conducted by the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL), Public Finance Management Consortium , the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Christian Aid (UK) in order to gauge the views and perceptions of citizens about the ongoing fight against corruption, with focus on the administration of President Bio’s leadership of the country and Francis Ben Kaifala’s tenure at the helm of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) since 2018 but also draws insights from three (3) years before.

The Report, according to the Executive Director of CARL, Ibrahim Tommy, states that, 80% of respondents in the survey sample size of 2,619 persons in all the 16 Districts of the country said that corruption still remains a very serious problem in the country citing poverty, greed and lack of integrity as the main reasons for such.

However, 92% of the respondents believe that the ACC can make (and is making) the biggest impact in the fight against corruption, and that the presence of sacred cows has decreased from 57% three years ago to 47% over the last year. Also, 71% of respondents claimed it was common to pay a bribe 3 years ago but that in the last 12 months that number has dropped to an encouraging 56%. It also confirms that 91% of respondents have heard of the ACC and its work – which underscores that the Public Education drive is effective in disseminating anti-corruption messages to the general public. Critical also is, 69% of respondents who believe that prosecution is the most effective way of combating corruption.

With regard to the “Counting the cost of Corruption” Report (a joint report of the Corruption Perception Survey), Ibrahim Tommy noted that, according to estimations, the country has lost, between 10.45 Trillion Leones and 15.9 Trillion Leones in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He furthered that, it was estimated that this figure was higher than the combined revenue for the three years aforementioned, which totalled 8.8 Trillion Leones. He said an average of 12.7 percent GDP was lost to corruption in each of the three years mentioned. It also shows that corruption galloped massively in 2017 (which may be due to the fact that it was the year before election).

The data that informed this Report was collected from ten sectors which according to the report, accounted for 72.5% of the economy. These sectors ranged from Agriculture, Mining, Health, Energy, Education, and Transport; to name a few.

Receiving the Report, Commissioner of ACC, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. expressed his appreciation by stressing his reliance on coalition building and partnership. Commissioner Kaifala reiterated that the Commission relies on feedback from the public to ensure the socio-economic emancipation for the people of Sierra Leone is pursued and realized. He said, to the Commission, there is no negative or positive feedback as feedback is feedback. It is what we do with the feedback that matters.

A number of recommendations are contained in the Report which the Commissioner encouraged all to read and digest in a bid to properly plan for effective engagements. He emphasized his aim to making things better through partnership with the public and private sectors; albeit for the betterment of the lives of Sierra Leoneans. The Commission, he ended, has its reserved strength to provide leadership in the fight against corruption within the agenda of the President, His Excellency, Brig. (Rtd.) Julius Maada Bio.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie who chaired the program, registered his appreciation to CARL for such an undertaking and the positive effect it will have on the Commission and its work going forward. He said the ACC cannot be a player and a referee at the same time, hence, the activities and performances of the Commission need to be measured and assessed by outsiders, particularly independent ones like CARL. He assured we will build on the positive feedback to correct the negative ones.

The closing courtesy was done by Emmanuel Koivaya Amara, Coordinator of Operations at the ACC.

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