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Opposition MPs Snub Prince Harding

By Melvin Tejan Mansaray

On Wednesday 22nd April, 2020 at Committee Room No. 1 Parliament Building, all opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) that are members of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service failed to attend the public hearing of Dr. Alex Prince Harding.

Prior to that, the Office of the Clerk of Parliament issued a public notice informing MPs and members of the public about the parliamentary vetting of nine presidential nominees.

The vetting marked the fourteenth sitting of the Committee on Appointments and the Public Service which was supposed to have interviewed and scrutinise the appointment of Dr. Alex Prince Harding as proposed Chairman National Commission for Privatization among nine other nominees but unfortunately when Dr. Alex Harding was called upon as the first interviewee, no member of the APC, C4C, NGC, Independent and even Paramount Chief MPs was present except the SLPP MPs.

Dr. Alex Prince Harding who is the current Leader and Chairman of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) has been described in certain circles as a controversial politician.
Just recently Dr. Harding was the mastermind behind ousting of Hon. Sidi M. Tunis as Leader of Government Business after allegedly handpicking Hon. Mathew Nyuma to replace Tunis and Hon. Bashiru Silikie.

It however turned out that Hon. Tunis final presided as Chairman of the Appointments Committee and there was less probing (no question asked, no answers proffered) for the appointee in question.

According to Peter J. Kulangbanda, Director of Committees, the sitting had five members at the time of Dr. Harding’s interview which was enough for a quorum.

Human Rights Commission Pays Visit to Palo Conteh & Two Others  

Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone

By Foday Moriba Conteh

On the 20th April 2020 a team from the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, led by the Chairperson Patricia Narsu Ndanema, conducted a specific monitoring visit to the Correctional Service at Pademba Road, Freetown. Other members of the team included Simitie Lavaly, Over Sight Commissioner for Complaints, Investigations and Legal Services and Mr. Emmanuel Thomas-Senior Human Rights Officer.

This visit falls in line with Section 9 (1) of the HRCSL Act No. 9 of 2004 which gives the Commission access ‘to all government offices, facilities and places of detention, including prisons, police cells, remand homes and probation facilities, in order to investigate a human rights matter initiated by the Commission or brought to the attention of the Commission’.

The specific visit was intended to assess the human rights issues surrounding Retired Major Alfred Palo Conteh, George Hughes- Commissioner of Oaths & Justice of the Peace and Retired Colonel Saa Anthony Sinah – Small Arms and Light Weapons Commission detained on allegations of treason and perjury.

The visit commenced with an engagement with the above mentioned persons in the presence of four Correctional Service personnel.

Opportunity was given to the above mentioned persons to have private engagements with the team, if so desired. Thereafter, an inspection of the cells occupied by the said persons was conducted by the team.

The HRCSL focused on monitoring the following rights:

Right to legal representation , Respect for non-derogable rights i.e. freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment,  Right to visitors/communications, Right to health ,Right to food/water ,Access to other basic essentials such as Clothing ,Text books and other reading materials

In the Commission’s findings and observations in terms of Right to legal representation all three persons interviewed have legal representations of their own choice and had been able to communicate with their lawyers.

With respect to freedom from torture, inhuman & degrading treatment the team did not observe any form of physical torture on the bodies of all three of them i.e. scars, swelling or lash marks etc. All persons informed the HRCSL that since their arrival at the Correctional Centre on diverse dates commencing on 20th March 2020, they have not suffered any form of torture or been maltreated by the Centre staff. Rtd. Major Paolo Conteh in his own words informed the team by stating thus: ‘Since I arrived at this Correctional Center, no one has laid a single finger on me’.

When it comes to Access to Visitors/Communication the Commission noted that that aspect of rights has been difficult for all three of them and other inmates. With the COVID-19 outbreak, all non-official visits to the Correctional Service Centers have been banned nationwide. Due to the unavailability of Centre phones, they cannot communicate with family members via phone calls.

With Right to Health two of the said persons raised health concerns, which they have been suffering from before entering the Correctional Centre. The team took up their concerns with the appropriate Correctional Centre authority. The said persons further informed the team that they have not been denied access to their medications. All medication provided by their relatives are inspected by the Correctional Centre Staff in their presence before being handed over to them.

Regarding Right to Food/water the said persons informed the team that they are served their two daily rations; the same for other inmates in the centre. One of them, who is diabetic, has also been able to meet his dietary requirement through the Correctional Service Management. Although they have access to bathing and drinking water, they however prefer buying drinking water and other food items from the Tuck Shop located in the center. None of them have been prevented from doing so.

Inspecting the cells, the Team was taken on a conducted tour of the cells in the apartment in which they had lived since their arrival. These cells were separated from the rest of the inmates in the same apartment. It was observed that they were put in individual cells that are of the same sizes as other cells occupied by two inmates in the same apartment. Very large upper windows were observed in the cells visited. Two of the three cells have toilet facilities, whilst the other one has a makeshift toilet. The team observed a common gathering place within their section and found the above mentioned persons spending time with each other. Rule 44 of the Mandela Rules 2015 defines solitary confinement as ‘the confinement of prisoners for 22 hours or more a day without meaningful human contact”. The team as at the time of visit to the cells did not observe any form of solitary confinement as so defined.

The team was informed that initially, they had only 1 hour a day out of their cells for the first 72 hours at the centre, but now they are locked and unlocked for the same hours as other inmates in the centre in general.

In terms of accessing other basic essentials such as clothing and books/other reading materials the team saw some clothing in all cells inspected. Initially, they were unable to have timely access to personal clothing and other essential items during their early detention week, but this has now been resolved.

They also observed the presence of text books and other reading materials in all cells. The team was informed that the issue of reading materials is now a thing of the past, as they now have reading materials of their choice with them.

In light of the above observations/findings, the HRCSL recommended that the health concerns raised by two of persons be addressed by the Correctional Service authorities pursuant to Rule 24(1) of the Mandela Rules.

District Medical Stores Information Officer Falls in ACC Net

By Fatmata Jengbe

In a recent development the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has made public  that the High Court of Sierra Leone, Holden in Makeni, presided over by the Hon. Justice  Unisa  Kamara has on 22nd April, 2020, convicted Mustapha Kamara, a former Information Officer of the District Medical Stores, in Makeni, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, on Two (2) Counts of corruption offences.

The Hon. Justice  Unisa  Kamara convicted Mustapha Kamara,  on all two (2) counts and ruled that he pays a fine of Thirty Million Leones (Le: 30,000,000) on each count or serve three years jail term, to run concurrently. The Judge further ordered that the fines be paid in two instalments, with the 31st May 2020, as the deadline.

Mustapha Kamara, a former Information Officer at the District Medical Store and Idrissa Turay, former District Medical Store Keeper, were standing trial on two (2) counts of Misappropriation of Donor Property contrary to Section 37(1) and Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to Section 128(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, No.12 of 2008.

Idrissa Turay, the co-accused passed away during the course of the trial.

The ACC is reassuring the general public of its resolve to fight corruption at all levels and pursue justice at all times without fear or favour.

The State was represented by Timothy P.M Sowa Esq., whilst the convict was represented by Ibrahim Samba Esq.

Rokel Commercial Bank Takes Banking Nationwide

Managing Director, Dr. Dayoh Gilpin

By Amin Kef Sesay

Rokel Commercial Bank has taken a leap forward in the banking industry with a highly motivated staff and an innovative Managing Director, Dr. Gilpin, thereby improving on its customer service on a regular basis.

Rokel Commercial Bank is no doubt the Bank of Choice that enhances customer satisfaction, brand visibility, corporate social responsibility and other patriotic moves.

After the war, the Bank was struggling to get its bearing and had some challenges along the way until some two years ago when a former employee of the bank in the person of Dr. Ekundayo Walton Gilpin was appointed as the Managing Director of the Bank. Owing to his enormous experience in managing banking institutions, Dr. Gilpin, put modalities in place to restructure the bank.

From that time and henceforth, RCB has introduced new innovative products to suit the needs of its esteemed customer and at the same time opened new branches in the country to hitherto unknown areas.

Since its inception, the Bank has not renege in rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility as it continues to provide assistance to communities and the country at large.

In a bid to empower the informal sector, the Bank has introduced a ‘Keke’ Account to encourage large number of commercial tricycle riders, bike riders and other local business people to invest in profitable businesses that will improve their lives and create jobs for many.

In continuation of their strides to empower the informal sector, the Bank introduced the ‘OSUSU’ account to encourage Petty Traders to start the culture of saving with the bank. Another innovative service introduced by the Bank is the ‘Swag Account’ for students to do savings for their educational purpose.

RCB also introduced a laudable ‘Sim Korpor’ which gives an array of after sales service to customers. This service has provided customers with the opportunity to access their accounts through their mobile phones. This is a unique banking service as it has greatly help to improve the rate of transactions, one RCB Customers maintained.

The service enables customers to collect money from any of the Bank’s outlets, even after the Bank has been closed. Many Sierra Leoneans and business people have come to bank with Rokel Commercial Bank, because of its reliability and it is here to stay.

In a bid to reach to the doorstep of its customers, the Bank has opened various outlets in the country including Bonthe, FBC, Wilberforce Barracks and many other places. It is crystal clear that people prefer to do business with RCB because of its reliability and sustainability.

Under the resourceful Managing Director, Dr. Ekundayo Gilpin, he has catapulted the institution from a liability to a profit-making one.

 

Pres. Weah Sends Independence Anniversary Message to Sierra Leone

President Weah applauds Togo and Sierra Leone on independence observance

By Amin Kef Sesay

President George Manneh Weah has sent a congratulatory message to the Government and People of the Republic of Sierra Leone on the occasion marking the country’s 59th Independence Anniversary.

In his message to President Julius Maada Bio, President Weah expressed confidence that, as both Liberia and Sierra Leone work together committing their citizens to the fight against the COVID -19 pandemic within the Mano River Union basin and Africa as a whole, succeeding anniversaries will witness the deepening of bonds of friendship that so happily subsist between the two countries and peoples.

The Liberian President also warmly congratulated the Government and People of the Republic of Togo on the occasion marking the observance of the 60th Independence anniversary of that West African State.

According to a Foreign Ministry release dated 20 April, President George Manneh Weah, on behalf of Liberia, extended warmest felicitations and best wishes to the Government and People of Togo as they celebrate their  historic milestone.

While expressing joy over the occasion, President George Manneh Weah recalled, with deep satisfaction, the relations between Liberia and Togo, which he said have evolved into strong partnership for themutual benefits of the two countries and citizens.

President Weah prayed that as the Togolese celebrate the great milestone in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Almighty God will continue to shower His blessings of protection upon President Foure Gnassingbe and the people of Togo, during the fight against the deadly coronavirus disease.

President George Manneh Weah also expressed hope that succeeding anniversaries will further strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation, so happily subsisting between Liberia and Togo.

Five to Face Death by Hanging

By Amin Kef Sesay

During the proceedings of a murder trial at the High Court of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, the Prosecution led by four witnesses including the Government Consultant Pathologist, Dr. Owizz Koroma five accused persons, said to be members of the Blood and Red Movement, were convicted and sentenced to death by hanging for murdering a twenty year old boy by the name of Tom Davies at Upper Tengbe Town in Freetown. They were convicted by Justice Monfred Sesay after the jurors returned a verdict of guilty.

According to evidence led, one of the factual witnesses, Sheaka Kargbo narrated how he was with the deceased on the said date while going for night classes at Brookfields when the five accused persons attacked them and snatched the bag of the deceased.

He continued that during the struggle to get back the bag a fracas ensued and during the process the deceased was stabbed in the left chest by one Abubakarr Turay, the second accused person.

However, the accused persons’ statement taken down at the Police Station stated that indeed there was a fight between the two groups, but not for a bag but for a red band associated to clique rivalry.

State Prosecutor, Lawyer J.A.K. Sesay prosecuted the accused persons, whilst Lawyer M. Karimu from the Legal Aid Board and Lawyer D.K. Edwards represented the accused persons.

All the five convicts pleaded not guilty .

 

Appalling State of Rural PHUs In Sierra Leone

By Amin Kef Sesay

A report monitored on the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation Radio this week describing the appalling physical dilapidation of a primary health care unit facility in a chiefdom in Koinadugu district that included gross staff shortage, and workers volunteering without salary showed clearly the urgent need for the Ministry of Health and its development partners to prioritize the development and equipping of PHUs as a critical first step towards ensuring the health of particularly the 80 percent of Sierra Leoneans that live in the urban communities.

The 2014-2015 Ebola Virus Disease (“Ebola”) outbreak in Sierra Leone has highlighted the need for high-quality health promotion and adequate investment in this critical area.

The then Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Brima Kargbo, at the time noted that, “We acknowledge the significant role health promotion played in finally containing the outbreak, particularly through social mobilization and mass media communication strategies.

“Strategic health promotion interventions continue to promote optimal health behaviours including creating demand and increasing health service uptake. The human resource challenges that the health system faces (in terms of staff numbers and skills) extended to health promotion cadres.

“As a result, we face challenges of adequately addressing the health needs of the population. This Strategy consists of national health priorities that all partners must rally around, including a plan for improved human resources for health promotion, capacity strengthening, advocacy and strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems.

“The work plan that accompanies this Strategy provides a solid roadmap, in the medium term, to improved health promotion that benefits the people of Sierra Leone…”

According to official source, in Sierra Leone, the burden of disease is predominantly communicable disease, with 25% of deaths due to malaria, 9% due to hypertension and 9% due to maternal causes. In outpatients, the predominant conditions are tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, hypertension and diabetes.

Ebola exacerbated an already challenging situation in terms of human resources. There were 1.4 doctors, nurses and midwives per 10 000 population compared to the most recent sustainable development goals threshold (set in 2016) of 44.5.

In absolute terms, this equated to a qualified workforce of just over 1000 doctors, nurses and midwives, with an approximate shortage of 32 000. There was only one medical school in the country from which approximately 30 graduates pass out per year.

Within Sierra Leone, there is also an urban–rural split, with many doctors preferring to live and work in the urban areas.

Each district has a health management team and an average of 50 peripheral health units (PHU) and over 100 technical staff. The management team is responsible for planning, organizing and monitoring health provision, training personnel, working with communities and supplying equipment and drugs.

Critically, it is the PHUs that are designed to be the delivery point for primary health care in the country and there are three main types.

The community health centre carries out health prevention measures, cures and health promotion activities and is in charge of overseeing the other PHUs in the area. It is planned that in each chiefdom, the unit of local Government in Sierra Leone below the level of district should have at least one community health centre.

Community health posts perform a similar function to community health centres but have fewer facilities and are used to refer patients to the health centre or the district hospital.

Maternal and Child Health posts are the first level of contact on the ground and are located in smaller towns with populations between 500-2000. Much of the health care infrastructure was decimated during the Civil War. Long after the war, and after Ebola, the health service is still in the process of being organized with hospitals and PHU being rebuilt or created and staff being trained.

 

Over Demolition of Project Site… FCC Mayor Schools Lands Minister

Mayor of the Freetown City Council, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In a letter dated 23rd April 2020 written by the Mayor of the Freetown City Council, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr and addressed to the Minister of Lands, Dr. Denis Sandy , she expressed utter disappointment over  the demolition of an erected fence and preliminary construction work done for the Waste Transfer Station on Jomo Kenyatta Road/Pyke Street in New England.

The said incident took place on Friday 17th April 2020 and according to her the Minister deployed armed soldiers at the site who physically assaulted the staff of the contractor, carted away tools and personal items belonging to the contractor and staff.

The FCC Mayor stated how she subsequently saw the written Statement issued by the Ministry of Lands on Monday 20th April 2020 maintaining that there are legal and factual inaccuracies in the Statement.

According to her, it was entirely inappropriate for the Ministry to have proceeded directly to demolish the site without any prior communication with the Freetown City Council (“FCC”) or herself. “This is particularly so given the fact that representatives of the Ministry have attended meetings with the FCC relating to this specific site within the past 2 months. Further, the work that was demolished was public infrastructure supporting sanitation provision in the city, being built for the benefit of Freetonians, with funds donated by the UK Government,” she posited.

She said her assumption was that the Minister may not have been adequately informed by his team, as there is no way on the true facts, and given the Ministry’s presence at meetings, that the Ministry could have taken the approach that they did.

The Mayor said for that reason, as she is prepared to work with the Ministry to explore any legitimate dispute or concern she would like to correct certain  facts.

“The land in question was until recently a very narrow strip of land along the waterway which was substantially widened through the process of backfilling during the recent construction of the Jomo Kenyatta and Hill Cot Roads,” she disclosed adding that the FCC began communications with relevant central Government Ministries and Departments about the site well over 6 months ago.

She underscored how these communications included a meeting in February with an official from the Lands Ministry, at which no suggestion was made that the Ministry of Lands had any objection either to the project or to the work at the New England site.

“On 11th October 2019, FCC wrote to the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to update him on progress of the transfer station project, attaching a detailed Briefing Note. That letter informed the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development that FCC had identified 7 suitable sites, which included the New England site. FCC requested the Minister’s support on liaising with relevant entities on 4 of the sites,” she mentioned.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr stated that on the same day there was a meeting (to present and discuss the Briefing Note) between the Deputy Mayor and the Deputy Minister for Local Government, which the Minister for Local Government himself was able to join for the last few minutes. The Deputy Minister and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development expressed their support and willingness to assist.

She said she followed up the request for support with the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development later in October and in January 2020 relating to a specific issue that had arisen on one of the other sites.

“The Minister replied to me by email dated 18th January 2020, stating among other things that he had proposed a date to meet with you and the Minister for Environment to discuss the matters which had previously arisen,” she stated.

She said on the 16th January 2020, an issue arose on the New England site. According to her the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) expressed their intention to build a 12-15 vehicle car park on the proposed transfer station site but she raised this issue with the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development on 18th January 2020.

“As a result of the helpful support of the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, and the Honourable Vice President, a meeting was convened on 6th February 2020 chaired by the Minister for Works and Public Assets and also attended by officials from the Ministry of Lands and Housing, the Ministry of Works, the Office of the Presidential Infrastructure Initiative (OPII), SLRA and FCC,” she disclosed.

From what was intimated at that meeting SLRA’s position was that the New England site was a Right of Way and that SLRA proposed to build a car park for 12-15 vehicles on that site but, however, no funding was available for the scheme.

She said it was determined that FCC should proceed with the transfer station project at the site as this would service approximately 240,000 households thus significantly improving sanitation in the city and because DFID project funding had already been secured.

The Mayor pointed out that accordingly, the Ministry of Lands was involved in discussions of this specific site since February 2020 and was party to the agreement that the site could be used for a transfer station.

“It is, to say the least, surprising that you took the action you did on 17 April without ever raising any issue with FCC,” Aki-Sawyerr expressed indignation. She said they are aware that the Ministry of Lands has in practice continued to issue building permits, outside its legal powers.

On the need for FCC to apply for a building permit for the works FCC’s response was that the building permit function has legally been devolved to local councils, including FCC, since 2004.

She said ,however, acknowledging the practical position, FCC’s Estate Department has been progressing a site survey plan submission to the Ministry of Lands which was due to be submitted shortly. She added that FCC’s Estate Department’s advice to her was that FCC has not previously been requested to seek building permits for the construction of public toilets, markets or other municipality structures.

The transfer station is part of a plan for 7 such stations at sites across the city. It is part of FCC’s sanitation plans, which will ensure that the city is clean, improve the health of Freetonians, and increase both the number of waste collectors operating in the city and their income.

She registered that FCC remains committed to working collaboratively with Government and all MDAs in order to deliver a safe and clean environment for the residents of Freetown.

Support to the SLAJ ‘Wear A Mask’ campaign

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

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Mahdi Kallon, the Chief Executive Officer of Al-Mahdi Apparel, disclosed that the masks were produced with caution in line with the intended purpose and well packaged as a further protection from the virus.

“This quantity may be small but it’s the quality and fit for purpose that matter,” said Kallon and called on the public not to use masks just for the sake of it but to use them properly with the intended purpose in mind always.

President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, while receiving the masks thanked CEO Kallon and his team for what he described as a ‘timely gesture’, coming immediately after the Association launched the ‘Wear A Mask’ campaign.

Nurses Association Raises Concern over Poor Treatment of Quarantined Nurses

Nurses Association

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Nurses Association, which is the umbrella body of professional nurses in Sierra Leone, has expressed concern over the plight of its members who are under quarantine and appealed to the Government to work on improving it.

Dozens of nurses were placed under quarantine within the largest maternity hospital in Freetown after a Covid-19 confirmed case was reported to have gone through the facility.

The Nurses Association of Sierra Leone said a total of 34 nurses were identified as part of the contacts of the case and were subjected to quarantine without been provided with the necessary support.

The incident led to the temporary shutting down of a section of the hospital, keeping out pregnant women and lactating mothers for about two days. Latest reports indicate that some of the nurses have been moved to a more conducive facility.

Secretary General of the Nurses Association, Haurace Nyandemoh, said they were concerned by the fact that all the nurses were placed in the same section of the hospital with the risk of infecting those who may turn out not to have the virus.

“Putting people in one confinement area is not good. If one case becomes positive, all the others are at risk,” he said. According to the Association, the nurses were left without food.

When they were later given cooking ingredients, they were not provided with materials to cook with. They were also concerned that all the nurses had only one toilet available for them. Officials said samples taken from the nurses are being used for testing.

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