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Students in Egypt Receive Financial Support from Embassy Staff in Egypt 

leadership of His Excellency, Ambassador Morie Fofana

By Theresa Kef Sesay

Sierra Leonean students pursuing various courses in the Arab Republic of Egypt recently received financial support from the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in that country.

The Embassy ,under the leadership of His Excellency, Ambassador Morie Fofana and his abled team of Diplomatic Staff donated on 16th April 2020 the sum of twelve thousand Egyptian pounds (LE 12,000), which is equivalent to ($765) as financial assistance for 20 students currently living in Al Azhar dormitories.

Presenting the money to the Students’ Union President, the Humanitarian Officer in the Embassy of Sierra Leone Embassy informed the Students’ Union President that the Embassy is aware of the difficulties facing the students during these trying times and assured them of continued support from the Embassy to alleviate the sufferings of Sierra Leoneans in Egypt and in all countries of accreditation.

Receiving the package, the Students’ Union President expressed his profound appreciation for the good gesture extended to his Union by the Ambassador and Staff of the Embassy. He described the Embassy Staff as brothers and sisters in need. He promised to distribute the money to the intended beneficiaries.

The President thanked His Excellency, Ambassador Fofana and his staff for the assistance and emphasized on the students’ gratitude to the Embassy as it always support the Sierra Leonean community in Egypt both morally and financially for which they are very grateful.

 The novel corona virus pandemic commonly known as Covid-19 has seriously affected the lives of millions of people around the world as a result of its unabated spread globally. Subsequently, countries around the world have been forced to impose precautionary and preventive measures in their efforts to end the spread of Covid-19.

The Arab Republic of Egypt, which is the host country of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone is also accredited to other four North African countries. These are: the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Sudan, the State of Libya and the Republic of Chad.

The Arab Republic of Egypt has taken series of precautionary and preventive measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus. These measures include a curfew that begins at 7: pm and ends at 6: am, banning public gatherings, restricting people’s movements etc.

There are over 500 Sierra Leoneans that are currently residing in the Arab Republic of Egypt among, whom are students, housemaids, Sierra-Egyptian (children born to Sierra Leonean fathers with Egyptian mothers), and few Sierra Leonean expatriates who work in regional and International Organizations.

The majority of Sierra Leonean students in the Arab Republic of Egypt pursue their studies under the scholarships of the world renowned Islamic University of Al-Azhar. Around 90 percent of these students live in Al-Azhar dormitories in an area called Darassa.

Given the danger that could be caused by the viral disease within the students’ community in the dormitories; the authorities of the dormitories headed by a superintendent imposed partial measures to ensure the safety of students, including entry and exit restrictions to prevent students from contracting the virus.

Malaria Remains a Killer Disease

Zero Malaria Starts with Me

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Malaria is said to be one of the major cause of deaths in Africa. The strides that our country has made in the fight to end malaria could understandably be overlooked against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps more so than ever, however, efforts must be  maintained and experience  lean on in fighting malaria to address emerging threats to  citizens’ health and the systems we have in place to protect it.

World Malaria Day presents a moment to acknowledge how Sierra Leone has made strides, and defied the odds, against the world’s oldest disease.

It is now one year since this country launched its national Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign, announced by Professor Alpha T. Wurie, Minister of Health and Sanitation.

Zero Malaria Starts with Me – also known as “Malaria E Don Wan Dae Na Mi Han” in Sierra Leone – is a continent-wide movement to eliminate malaria that encourages all members of society to take responsibility for the fight and contribute in any way possible to the goal of malaria elimination.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this country is one of seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa where more than a quarter of the population is infected with malaria at any given time, accounting for nearly four in ten hospital consultations countrywide.

Despite the challenge, Sierra Leone achieved significant declines in confirmed malaria deaths between 2010 and 2018, from 8188 to 1949 – the highest reduction in Western Africa.

This is partly as a result of sustained commitment from Government to provide essential prevention and treatment to everyone and it is partly due to the incredible efforts nade by community leaders and the population at large to promote the use of these essential interventions.

A spirit of inclusion, solidarity and collective responsibility must be built on and reinforced for a brighter, malaria-free future.

Sierra Leone is deeply committed to ending malaria.

It is the only country in Africa to have rolled out Intermittent Preventive Treatment in infants (IPTi) at the national level and free malaria treatment is available to all.

A mass distribution of bed nets is ongoing geared towards equipping every household with a tool proven to dramatically reduce the risk of malaria infection. Everyone in Sierra Leone must use these bed nets and sleep under them each and every night of the year.

To achieve further progress in the fight against malaria, it must now be ensured that all members of society can access the right information and the treatments available to them with confidence.

Government public health interventions have clearly played an important role in limiting the impact of malaria, yet so too has the media.

Earlier this year, a new media coalition sought to amplify the reach and the impact of the Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign by supporting journalists to step up and play their part in the fight against malaria.

Through high-quality and factual reporting on malaria, journalists can prevent misinformation and empower Sierra Leoneans everywhere to adopt life-saving malaria interventions.

It has been accepted that fighting malaria is a team effort and each and every citizen of Sierra Leone can use their voice and take action to protect communities from the disease.

Recently, a delegation from the Ministry of Health & Sanitation and Speak Up Africa met with local councils, health authorities, paramount chiefs and religious leaders in the Kono, Kambia and Moyamba districts.

Paramount chiefs and religious leaders are vital sources of information for vast numbers of people and their role in supporting health initiatives must be celebrated and further bolstered in the coming months and years.

Efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 are necessary to protect our health systems, but that should not allow the disease to compromise access to life-saving malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

In order to achieve a Sierra Leone free from malaria, an unprecedented level of human and financial resources must be necessary to make serious headway towards the goal of malaria elimination by 2030.

Land Grabbing In Western Area… What Business Have Soldiers Got With Land?

By Amin Kef Sesay

Reports of some members of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces brazenly seizing lands belonging to their fellow citizens is something that needs serious attention by the relevant authorities.

Those with a long memory can easily recall the numerous acts of illegality committed by soldiers at a place called Jorpor Farm in the Benguema axis.

This recent report of a senior military official attached to the President at State House joining with a notorious land grabber who purports to be a Man of Collar to unlawfully seize privately owned land in the Western Rural District does not speak well about law, order and discipline among the armed force personnel, especially one of such a senior rank from whom much is expected.

Land grabbing, which most times is inextricably interwoven with the involvement of Lands Ministry officials especially surveyors, senior police, military and lawyers and senior civil servants is a phenomenon which threatens the harmonious relationship between individuals and communities.

The establishment by the Sierra Leone Police of a Special Task Force against Land Grabbing does not seem to have had any influence on the situation.

Land grabbing has led to riots and killings. The Judiciary, in handling controversial land matters, spends ages deciding on who has the rightful title deed. The reason is very obvious – corruption.

Research done by Theophilius Gbenda has shown that the provisos and applicability of laws in relation to this Rural District is akin to that of other rural areas in the provinces; especially when it comes to land.

For example, the mandatory acquisition of conveyance to prove title to land in the urban area or colony of Freetown does not apply to the Western Area Rural District, which operates a customary land ownership and acquisition system according to research.

What has brought sleepless nights to residents in villages within the Western Area Rural District is that some Magistrates and Judges are not aware of this provision and would insist on conveyances to be provided to prove title whenever there is dispute over land.

The unscrupulous have seen the loophole and would quickly grab land and prepare conveyances and then be ready for litigation since they would be in a stronger position to prove title in court.

If this issue is not swiftly addressed it will create a situation in which land grabbers would continue to have the audacity and temerity to even challenge the real owner of a land who has no conveyance.

Land grabbers don’t fear the court. They work with it. This is a crucial matter because it undermines the course of justice. I think the Judiciary has a serious job to do, to renew their laws, especially on this title deed issue.

The National Land Policy categorizes land in the Freetown area as either State owned or private owned.

State Land refers to land owned by the State, administered by the State Land Act of 1960 which empowers the President, or a Minister appointed to make and execute grants of any State land or of any interest thereof.

Private Land, on the other hand, refers to land owned by private individuals and other corporate entities and can be freely disposed by the owner.

The fact that the governance of the country’s land space is based on laws formulated even before the country gained independence in 1961, only means that the whole land business is in chaos.

Gbenda suggests that when land disputes are adjudicated in our courts of law, local authorities, including those from the Rural District Council, would be invited not only to testify but to give their expert opinion so as to guide the Bench instead of just declaring the person with the conveyance as the true owner, who could even be a land grabber.

The Office of the Registrar General at Roxy Building in central Freetown, responsible for the registration of all title deeds with legitimate LS Numbers, is another spot where land grabbers explore for relevant information to perfect their land document forgery scam.

Rüdiger Facilitates Strides to Provide 60,000 Face Masks

German defender Antonio Rüdiger during a training session with his teammates at Chelsea

By Edward Vamboi

In an unprecedented development, Germany and Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger announced that his Foundation will spearhead an initiative to provide 60,000 face masks to low income traders in the Sierra Leonean capital Freetown in the fight against COVID-19.

Rudiger’s Foundation, Antonio Rüdiger For Sierra Leone, will partner with Madam Wokie, a Sierra Leone based fashion brand, and LunchBoxGift a not-for-profit initiative born out of the Ebola epidemic, for the initiative under the hash tag #MaskUpFreetown.

“Our target for this campaign is $30,000. I will pledge $5,000 to kick start this campaign….Keep safe and save lives!” Rüdiger tweeted.

Rüdiger also thanked fellow English Premier League stars Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud, N’Golo Kante and Callum Hudson-Odoi for donating an additional $5,000 to the cause.

This is not the first time that Rüdiger, whose mother is originally from Sierra Leone, has stepped up to help the West African nation.

In December last year, 11 children in Sierra Leone received sponsorships from Rüdiger for corrective surgeries aimed at correcting cleft lips, burns and deformations.

Returned Migrants Release Song about Coronavirus

Covid-19

By Esther Wright

Having attempted to migrate to Europe but failed in their sojourn, all is not lost for certain young Sierra Leoneans as, with support,  they are contributing immensely towards nation building.

Three talented young returned migrants from Sierra Leone, Henry Bessman (Henry B), Ibrahim Kargbo (Adkay) and Abdul Karim Sankoh (Gift), used their creative skills to write and record Corona virus is real, an original song about Covid-19. The song is available in English and Krio and aims to inspire people in Sierra Leone to take this virus seriously and protect themselves.

The young men took the initiative to write the song to raise awareness about the virus in a way that people will pay attention to. They sing, “We are calling everybody, please listen to this message… please don’t ignore this message… let us say no to this virus, let us kick it out of this world.” The song also shares practical information about hygiene, physical distancing and mask-wearing measures.

The chorus of the song references Ebola, which impacted Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016 with more than 14,000 cases and nearly 4,000 deaths, reminding people of the importance of taking action now, so that history doesn’t repeat itself: “Corona virus is real and it’s killing ….Let don’t condone it, so it won’t be like Ebola.”

Gift, an active member of the community and documentary filmmaker, said: “My motivation for doing this song came about as a result of my personal experience with the Ebola outbreak. I lost my mother to the disease and I can still clearly remember the pain.”

“I thought that the best way we can prevent corona from affecting the country the way Ebola did is to record a song to remind and sensitize people about our difficult past, to protect each other and not repeat the mistakes we made with Ebola,” said Adkay, a musician and local activist.

Henry B. aspires to be a professional musician and is motivated to empower young people with music. “My inspiration for doing this song came when the pandemic reached Africa. I decided to collaborate with Gift and Adkay to do this song in order to educate the public about the dangers of this disease if we allow it to spread in our country.”

The three talented artists are volunteers with IOM’s Migrants as Messenger project, a peer-to-peer messaging campaign supported by the Government of the Netherlands that aims to empower young people in West Africa to make informed migration-related decisions. The project works with returned migrants to share first-hand information about the trials and tribulations of irregular migration.

 

NP-SL Continues to Keep our Vehicles Moving, Our kitchens Functioning & Above All is Sustaining Lives

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, NP (SL-Ltd).

By Amin Kef Sesay

One can really imagine what life on earth would look like without petroleum products. Understandably, scientific and technological means should have been devised alternative ways of fitting into what products like petrol, diesel, kerosene, gas and other lubricants are capable of doing, maybe within the realm of renewable energy.

Fortunately, mankind is blessed with the availability of crude oil, in some parts of the world, which can be refined to produce various end products that are collectively considered as fuel.

These are what we use to power our thermal engines to generate electricity as we do the same with generators that are used in homes, offices and business entities. Fuel is utilized in our cars, vans, lorries, trucks to convey people and goods from one locality to another. We use kerosene for various domestic purposes as well as utilize other petroleum products for their intended purposes. The significance of the availability of petroleum products cannot be overemphasized as they are inextricably linked to continued human existence.

One important entity in this country that is not only importing petroleum products but also marketing them is the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd) which has been doing such transactions remarkably well to such an extent that there have been rare cases when shortages had occurred but that in itself could not lie squarely on the shoulders of the company but rather as a result of external forces that may be beyond the control of NP-SL-Ltd.

Towards maintaining that goal, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, NP (SL-Ltd) is tirelessly working round the clock, engaging oil producing companies in business discussions, to always ensure that supply flows in timely.

Through concerted efforts the company has been making it quite possible for stocks to last over periods of time in order to avert the occurrence of shortages.

Interestingly, NP-SL is not a Government entity or appendage; no politician has a share in it as its shareholders are mere ordinary Sierra Leoneans, starting with 35 of them who some time ago bought shares from the Government out of their end of service benefits to establish what today has become a towering entity (NP-SL) to reckon with in the business landscape.

As had been fallaciously propagated by certain ill-motivated persons, who do not mean well for this country, that there are certain politicians that have vested interests in the company, our investigations have proven otherwise.

NP-SL is a 100% indigenous company to the letter and it has weathered various storms that could have dwarfed it or left it to extinct save therapeutic intermittent Managerial injections that keep it upright and on the right course.

Demonstrating its dogged commitment to the socio-economic development of the country the company is maintaining a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum of indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.

As a matter of fact some members of staff continue to benefit from various trainings that have afforded them the conduit to imbibe useful skills to efficiently carry out certain tasks.

If we are counting the number of companies that have upheld the Local Content Policy, without any iota of doubt, NP-SL could be seen at the top. This intrinsic nationalistic posture of the company runs through and it is a sine qua non for overall national development.

If such a compliance rate should have been followed by other local companies, willingly, without any pressure from the relevant authorities then indisputably this country should have been miles away in its development trajectory.

It has been made abundantly clear that the way and manner in which customers are cared for in terms of talking to them, making them feel at ease goes a long way to attract them or gain their attention. Such should be done sincerely in order to make them more important. NP-SL for a very long period now has mastered that art and executing it so well which definitely is paying dividends.

1st for Customer Care was earned by the company because it has been widely acclaimed by many for solidly executing such. In its drive to optimize customer satisfaction the company went the extra mile to install calibrated pumping machines which are not only modern but trustworthy, as opposed to old pumping machines which certain unscrupulous individuals used to cheat unassuming customers.

This is helping in holding customers’ confidence high assuring them that they are dealing with a very transparent entity. The friendliness of NP’s pump attendants is very impressive and they are always there to timely respond to various concerns.

Still within the purview of 1st for Customer Care, the company is always in position to enter into payment plans with its reliable and dependable customers including Ministries, Departments and Agencies for supplied fuel and lubricants as long as all the necessary modalities have been put in place.

When cognizance is taken of the fact that some of these institutions receive intermittent budgetary allocations then such an arrangement is very significant. Its significance in real terms borders on functional continuity of those institutions as they will be assured of supplies of petroleum products in as much as they keep honoring their obligations.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any working time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the required financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA).  NP is one big tax payer to Government and it has been doing so timely.

The company’s presence in Guinea, Liberia, The Gambia and Ivory Coast shows that it is around for serious business. It is an embodiment of serious mindedness on the part of Sierra Leoneans who believe that what man can do then man can still do. It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubts that NP-SL is the power-house that powers power. It is the incontestable power house of the nation.

Our cars are moving, our NP Gas keeps serving us, lives are being changed in communities, employment opportunities are offered and above all the nation is benefitting all becoming possible simply because NP is vibrantly operating. The company is indeed seriously contributing to the socio-economic growth of the country and many are appreciative of all what it is doing in effecting positive changes.

 

US Commits $6.4M Health Assistance to Combat COVID-19    -U.S. Ambassador Maria E. Brewer

U.S. Ambassador Maria E. Brewer

By Amin Kef Sesay

If ever the world needed a reminder of the critical importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is it.  The coronavirus knows nothing of national boundaries, race, religion, nationality, or politics.  We are at risk simply because we are human.  But we can – and we will – defeat this virus using the strengths that respect for human rights give us.

Take freedom of expression.  As individuals, we are powerless against this virus, so we warn one another by using every means of communication at our fingertips.  We share vital information about the disease and its spread and sound the alarm if something (or somebody) is a threat to our communities. Or, consider freedom of religion or belief.  Individuals may seek spiritual guidance and protection from the pandemic, either individually or in community.

Then there’s the right to assemble peacefully and to freely associate.  We work with others to organize efforts to support and keep safe our committed first responders and essential workers, including through online advocacy.

And, because our very lives depend on it, we expect our political leaders to tell us the truth about the challenges ahead, and to accept criticism and responsibility with humility, grace, and compassion.  This is political and moral accountability.

When our leaders and media share credible, timely information about risks and benefits, citizens can make informed choices about how to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors.

Without these freedoms and the accountability that comes with them, it’s impossible to develop either the medicines that will defeat this virus, or the political and financial strategies needed to repair our economies.  It is Government’s responsibility to protect both.

Officials who choose to protect their power and pride rather than the health and welfare of their people place their own people’s health and future at risk.  We know that a bright, post-pandemic future is possible if – and only if – Governments listen and serve the public during this time of adversity.

Authoritarian systems, by contrast, expose their weaknesses in times of crisis.  Governments that imprison or oppress those who would warn us that something is seriously amiss engage in the crudest form of denial.  Governments that forbid or seek to limit publication of vital information or to limit scientific, social or political collaboration not only threaten the lives of their own people, but of people in other nations as well.  And Governments that use this pandemic to crush religious expression seen as a threat to their control suppress both the instincts of their people and a profound source of personal strength and social solidarity.

It is contrary to the very concept of human rights to suppress communication of crucial public health information.  “Public safety” demands freedom and political accountability.  Without that accountability, our communities are put at risk.

By contrast, history proves that leaders who are truly transparent, accountable and responsive to criticism better protect the safety and flourishing of the families and communities that they serve.

Democracies like Germany and the United States have been open and honest about not only the grim statistics, but also the aggressive tactics they are employing to fight the virus.  Taiwan and South Korea were among the first to record infections outside of Wuhan, and quickly managed to prevent run-away outbreaks without resorting to oppression and fear.

As Americans, we are proud that our public and private sectors – in an “All of America” approach – have already marshaled resources to help the fight against COVID-19.  Since the outbreak began, the U.S. government has committed $775 million in assistance.  American businesses, NGOs, faith-based organizations and individuals have given at least $3 billion in donations and assistance. In Sierra Leone, we have committed $6.4 million in health assistance to address the COVID-19 outbreak.  This assistance joins decades of U.S. investments in Sierra Leone, totaling more than $5.2 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $260 million in health assistance.

There is profound wisdom in the African proverb that says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”  Our American communities face the same suffering and the same challenges as yours.  We will overcome this crisis by reaffirming that which makes us human and free:  honest and transparent communication, creative collaboration and genuine accountability to our loved ones and communities.

Aki-Sawyerr Draws on Experience to Fight COVID-19

By Alpha Sesay alias Penpusher

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr Mayor of the Freetown City Council- Yvonne, former Director of Planning at the National Ebola Response Center  (NERC) during the Ebola epidemic thought it fit to inject her wealth of experiences and expertise in the fight against the roving pandemic. Through the knowledge gained in the defeat of the Ebola epidemic couple of years ago, she has now sought to embark on localizing the fight against the dreadful monster (Covid-19).

In her strides and efforts to actualising her dreams of defeating the Covid-19 in the Capital, she thought it prudent to engage Ward Councillors as well as Ward Committee Members across the 48 wards under her watch on an intensive training program.

These trained Councillors and WDCs were capacitated with the requisite COVID-19 education and messages that they could efficaciously serve as community champions in sensitizing, educating, and influencing their people of  various communities in ensuring adherence to all the necessary precautionary measures that should  be used to curtail and contain the  pandemic.

The commencement of this community engagement on Saturday, 25/04/2020, across almost all the municipalities has vividly unravelled the need for such bottom-top approach as the nation is trying to decelerate the speed of the virus.

Through engagement with community people, it came to be realized that many held different perspectives about the virus. Some hold the belief that the virus is real but not here, others are still skeptical about its existence looking at the massive death rates in the Far East and the Western world and the slow pace of deaths or its shocks in our country. However, with this timely training, the Councillors and WDCs have started engaging their communities and these engagements are proving fruitful and so worth the efforts to obliterate the former perceptions and myths locals have towards the virus that has caused a total halt of operations in all spheres of our socio-economic activities.

A Community Chief revealed to this medium that during the Ebola epidemic, he was solidly informed and involved in  the fight against Ebola as he was trained by so many organizations including SMAC to be able to actively take part in the fight. But the COVID-19 fight is a different ball game altogether as till date there has not been any training or dialogue from any organization or NGO with regards the current virus. Thus, he urged the authorities concerned to localize the fight and get them involve.
He however commended Mayor Aki-Sawyerr for such an approach.

Govt. Secures $30M Loan to Commence Fiber Optic Connectivity, Phase 2

By Foday Moriba Conteh

President Julius Maada Bio on Friday, 24th April, 2020, through the Ministry of Information and Communications,  fully kick-started his agenda of digitalizing the entire Sierra Leone as promised in the last elections campaign of 2017.

Realizing that to participate in the global economy, every country requires to be digitized, President Bio has successfully negotiated and secured a loan of 30 million Dollars with one percent interest rate to ensure the effective implementation of the Fiber Cable Network project tagged as Phase Two Project. The loan is intended to finance the essential infrastructure required to connect the Fiber Cable to hospitals, schools, colleges across all districts headquarter towns and villages in Sierra Leone.

The Phase Two of the Fiber Cable Network Project as intended by the President is to boost both the public and private sector economy thereby activating the engine of the economic growth nationwide.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray when receiving the fiber optic cables, stated that he was excited to be part of history making and that the resources of  the State would be all time effectively and efficiently managed under President Bio’s Administration-hence the one percent interest rate of the fiber programme. The Minister further referenced President Bio, that Sierra Leone like the rest of Africa has missed out on three industrial revolutions but can no longer afford to miss out on the fourth digital revolution under his stewardship; and this fiber network project would lead to easy connectivity of schools, councils, hospitals, communities etc.

The Managing Director of the Sierra Cable Limited (SALCAB), Mr. Kebbay stated that he would do everything within his powers in ensuring that the digitalization dream of the President succeeds and in making the fiber project a reality, he would ensure that there’s always effective collaboration between the Information Ministry, Huawei and SALCAB.

The Acting Director of Communications of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mr Muemeen Jalloh, took the Minister and team, the SALCAB team, journalists etc. round the Sierra Leone Shipping Agency’s warehouse and premises as to see all the fiber cables and all other required equipment and pledged unflinching commitment to the realization of the project.

 

Rokel Commercial Bank Joins COVID -19 Fight with large Donation

By Samuel Serry Jr

On the 24th April 2020 the Rokel Commercial Bank became the first indigenous corporate financial institution to identify itself with the Government’s fight against COVID-19.

A mouth watering consignment of food and medical accessories presented to the Ministry of Health and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was nothing short of the Bank’s overarching goal of giving back and standing with the nation in its trying times.

The excitement from the Hon. Minister of Health, Alpha .T. Wurie and his EOC allies was palpable. The Minister believed Rokel Commercial Bank’s donation will blaze the trail for both Government and private corporate institutions in the fight against COVID-19. “This is not just very very timely…it shows great responsibility from one of our most reliable financial institutions in Sierra Leone…… feeding represents a major pillar in our fight against COVID-19….” he averred.

Rokel Commercial Bank’s Managing Director, Dr Dayoh Gilpin, brilliantly analysed the obvious consequences of COVID – 19 to the country’s human resource base as well as the economy emphasizing that “This is an invisible enemy and we are standing with the Government of Sierra Leone to eradicate this plague and we truly don’t have a choice in this…” he stressed.

The Head of the EOC, who was also in attendance to receive the donated items assured that the items will be used for their intended purpose.

The donated items included: 100 bags of rice, 200 bags of sugar 50 bags of onions, 100 gallons of cooking oil, hundreds of dozens of other cooking condiments, facial masks and PPEs.

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