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Bio & Abdel Fattah El-Sisi Discuss AU and Africa

President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

By Alim Jalloh

His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt on Monday met in New York and discussed bilateral cooperation and progress in Africa and the African Union.

On the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and before the high-level General Debate which commenced on Tuesday 24, President Bio said the two countries had enjoyed a long relationship, which started before Sierra Leone’s Independence on 27 April 1961.

He thanked President El-Sisi and the people of Egypt for being a true friend to the people of Sierra Leone.

“As a sign of gratitude, on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone and on my personal behalf, I invite your Excellency to Sierra Leone. It will be a memorable and historic visit because you will be the first Egyptian President to visit Sierra Leone,” he said.

He also commended President El-Sisi’s exemplary leadership as chair of the African Union and for the strides that he had taken to reposition Africa on the world stage, highlighting, in particular, Africa’s recent expansion of a global reach.

In his response, President El-Sisi accepted the invitation with gratitude and agreed to visit Sierra Leone.

He affirmed his country’s continued support to Sierra Leone, adding that he was particularly very confident in President Bio’s strong commitment to coordinating Africa’s position on reforms at the United Nations Security Council, UNSC. President Bio has been the Chairman of the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government, C-10, on the reform of the UNSC since June 2018.

 

Sierra Leone Kandeh Yumkella Attends 74th UNGA

Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella

By James Kajue

Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Member of Parliament for Constituency 062, Samu Chiefdom, is in New York  for the UN Climate Summit taking place on the margins of the 74thSession of the UN General Assembly in New York, USA.

Attending in his capacity as former UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary- General and CEO of the Vienna-based Sustainable Energy for All, Hon. Yumkella will moderate a series of sessions on energy transition and attend some as a distinguished panellist.

Yumkella who serves on numerous global energy think-tanks and boards will serve as the lead moderator at an event launching a USD 500 million (half a billion dollars) fund to support Clean Cooking energy markets in developing countries.

Hon. Kandeh Yumkella will also speak at several events including the new Global Commission to End Energy Poverty which is supported by MIT and the Rockefeller Foundation, the Oil and Gas CEO Stakeholder Dialogue, the Global Ecosystem Hubs for Sustainable Energy among others. He will also give a lecture at the University of Colorado, in Boulder.

Ahead of his arrival in New York, Yumkella moderated meetings of the Africa – Europe High-Level Platform for Sustainable Energy Investments in Brussels, Belgium.

Finally, he will meet with members of the Sierra Leone Community and will deliver the 2019 keynote address at the Annual Fund Raising Dinner hosted by Scarcies Secondary School Alumni Association.

 

Sierra Leone Mayor Aki-Sawyerr Attends UNGA

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

By Thaimu Thullah

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr is in New York attending the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where world leaders will gather to discuss and work together on the most pressing global issues, from gender equality to climate change and progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr has been invited to speak at a number of high level events throughout the week.

On Sunday, 22nd September, Mayor Aki-Sawyer was at WHO’s Walk the Talk – The Health for All Challenge, where she made brief remarks about the role of city leaders in the overall health and well-being of citizens, and in building and sustaining healthy living environments. She spoke during the opening ceremony of the event, alongside WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr and other African leaders have been invited to speak during the flagship One by One Conference, where they will contribute to and learn from discussions with other African leaders, about using political leadership across health, environmental and sustainable development platforms to help achieve universal healthcare for Africa.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr will also take part in a panel discussion at UN Habitat’s Sustainable Cities as Hubs of Climate Change and Innovation event. Her contributions to the discussion will be centered on combating climate change with urban innovation in technology, partnerships and business models.

She will also participate during the SDG Summit: A Leaders Dialogue on Localizing of the SDGs and attend the African Heritage Reception hosted by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, is accompanied by Festus Kallay, Chief Administrator of the Freetown City Council, and will return to Freetown on Sunday, 29th September.

Koidu Limited Doles Le500M Windfall for Technical and Higher Education in Sierra Leone

Ceremonial Cheque of Le 500,000,000 being presented to the Ministry

By Joenal Sesay

Koidu Limited has donated five hundred million Leones (Le 500,000,000) to the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education. The event took place on Friday 20th September 2019 at the ministry’s conference hall at New England in Freetown. The thrust of the donation is to support the Kono Education Development Fund, a project that was launched earlier this year in Kono by Sierra Leone’s Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.

Making a statement during the donation, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education Professor Aiah Gbakimah said the donation could not have come at a better time, noting that education is a priority in the Bio led administration. He thanked Koidu Limited for the gesture, adding that other institutions should emulate such positive steps. The minister added that the new direction government is committed to providing quality education for all and sundry.

In his statement, the General Manager of Koidu Limited Rocco Vermeulen said that since the launch of the Kono Education Development Fund, his company thought it fit to get involved in the entire process so as to help government achieve its aspirations in providing quality education in the country. He added that education is a fundamental aspect of the growth of any nation and that Sierra Leone is not an exception. He noted that a Science and Technology college is needed to match 21st century educational trends.

The Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education Dr. Turad Senesie thanked Koidu Limited and added that there would be more fruitful collaborations.

 

 

Chief Brima Keita Is Sierra Leone NEA 2019 Chairman

Chief Brima Keita, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Voting Panel for NEA 2019

By Alhaji Kamara

As the 3rd annual National Entertainment Award (NEA-2019) nomination nears its closing date, Chief Brima Keita, a successful politician and entrepreneur with one of the biggest construction companies in Sierra Leone, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Voting Panel for NEA 2019. Chief Keita will work alongside with 25 other members, hereby referred to as industry professionals.

There would be 2 representatives from the various sectors like Film Union, Music Union/All Stars, Fashion and Pageantry Union, Sports Writers Association, Comedy Union, DJs Union, the Diaspora Entertainer reps, etc. The panel will constitutes the above mentioned sectoral representations to continue to ensure fairness and credibility as the bedrock for the successful implementation of the National Entertainment Award in Sierra Leone.

Brima Keita is a well-established entertainer who has been supporting the Sierra Leone entertainment industry for quite a long time. He commands huge respect and personality in and out of Sierra Leone. Despite being a politician, he has always been a promoter and fervent financial supporter of entertainment from the background. He was one of the longest serving Vice Chairmen of E.E Lions football club, current Board Chairman of LAKE Production (SL) Limited, former Board Chairman of the National Sports Achievers Association (NSAA), a successful former Chairman in the Western Regional of the governing Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP).

Mr. Keita holds a BSC in Marketing and Project Management and in Civil and Construction Studies from the National Association of Power Engineering in Washington DC. His company is registered with the Sierra Leone Association of Engineers. He is also a member of the National Association of Home Builders in Washington DC.

He is the 3rd person to serve in this position, previously held by Dr. Julius Spencer in 2017 – the former Minister of Information and Communication, and Mr. Brima Sheriff in 2018 – the former Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone. They have all successfully served the entertainment industry in various capacities.

The Chairman of the Board or Panel is tasked with the responsibility to ensure the smooth running of the vetting and voting processes of the Nominees, independently. He will monitor all voting from online to SMS. Chief Keita and 25 other members to constitute the panel will have to make their independent nominations by filling the Nomination Forms, latest the 26th September 2019. Official appointment letters have already been sent to the various entertainment sectors to select and send their representatives to the Panel.

LAKE Productions and its organising partners are working tirelessly to ensure they deliver a classic award ceremony in Africa. The goal is to bring the flavours of the BET, Grammy, Oscars, Headies, Afrima, etc to Sierra Leone. LAKE has brought in top-notch professionals that will produce the event on the 23rd December 2019 at the Five Star Golden Tulip Kimbima Hotel in Aberdeen, Freetown.

Sierra Leone LAB Tours Waterloo Detention Facility

By Joseph Dumbuya

A team from the Legal Aid Board including its Executive Director, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has toured the new Pre-trial Detention and Simulation Center in Kissi Town in Waterloo.

The facility will host remand inmates and those who will be sentence to prison terms below three years by the Magistrate Court in Waterloo. Those who are convicted for felonious offences such as murder, Sexual Penetration, rape will serve their sentences at the Pademba Road Correctional Center.

The facility will hold a maximum of 110 remand and prison inmates. This will comprise 100 males and 10 female inmates from courts in Waterloo.  The team inspected the various cells, beddings, toilets, kitchen and sanitary conditions. ‘I am impressed with what I have seen so far; the fencing, cleanliness, serenity of the environment, number of inmates per cell and the paintings,’ she said.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles suggested that a wall should be erected to separate the male and female inmates. Also, the facility will need a clinic to treat minor ailments. She further suggested that the compound comprising the Pre-trial Detention and Simulation Center and the Training facility should be fenced to put a stop to ongoing encroachment and grabbing of the land. She added that there is need for a guard post to ensure the compound is not used as a thoroughfare.

Prior to the tour, the team had a meeting with the leadership of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service including the Director General, Mr. Joseph Lamboi and deputy, Dennis Harman. Ms. Carlton-Hanciles welcomed the new facility which she noted will reduce the overcrowding at the Pademba Road Correctional Center.

‘Waterloo has a high crime rate and this is largely responsible for the overcrowding we see at the Pademba Road Correctional Center,’ she said. She called on the leadership to provide rehabilitation opportunities for the inmates which will ensure their smooth reintegration into society upon serving their sentences.

 

Sierra Leone LAB Holds Mapping of Legal Aid Providers’ Workshop

By Joseph Dumbuya

The Legal Aid Board has organized a one-day United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded Workshop on the Mapping of Legal Aid Providers for 127 legal aid providers drawn from the Western Area. The workshop was held in the Solidarity Hall of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress on Wallace Street in Freetown on September 17.

The Workshop follows the completion of the second phase mapping of 619 Legal Aid Providers in Sierra Leone.  This includes 376 organizations (including community based and civil society organizations) and 376 persons providing legal aid. Both the first and second phase mappings were funded by the UNDP.

Giving an overview of the workshop, the Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles said the production of a comprehensive database of legal aid providers will usher transparency and accountability in the provision of legal aid in the country.  She added that this will bring about increased and quality legal aid services. It will also improve collaboration and networking.

‘The mapping has provided an insight into the number of legal aid providers in the country, type of legal aid services they provide, the areas of the country where they operate, their target beneficiaries and resources – both human and material –  at their disposal,’ she said. ‘This is important in our work in terms of resources sharing, referrals and collaboration,’ she added.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles spoke on efforts by the Board, Judiciary, UNDP and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) at training Paralegals which is a requirement for their being accredited to do Paralegal work in Sierra Leone. ‘A curriculum has already been developed, thanks to support from UNDP and OSIWA,’ she said. ‘The Judicial will be introducing courses in Paralegal studies through the Judicial and Legal Training Institute (JLTI). Also, the Board is in discussion with the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education on the introduction of Paralegal studies in universities and colleges.’

The opening session was followed by three Presentations: Accreditation of legal aid provides which is a requirement to engage in the provision of legal aid; Reporting on activities – narrative and financial – and data collection and the Draft Cooperation Agreement which will be entered into by the Board and Legal Aid Providers. This is consistent with Section 33(1) of the Legal Aid Act 2012 which provides that for purposes of implementing the Legal Aid Board Act, the Board may enter into cooperation agreement with legal aid providers

The Legal Aid Providers agreed not to charge a fee or demand in kind payment for their services. They also agreed to submit quarterly reports and returns of their activities to the Board.

The regulatory body, the Board shall monitor and evaluate the quality of legal services provided by legal aid providers, make available to the Legal aid provider a template for data collection, refer a legal aid practitioner or pupil barrister to the General Legal Council for appropriate action where the results of monitoring and evaluation indicate that a legal aid practitioner or pupil barrister has been guilty of unprofessional conduct and  assist with capacity building training depending on the availability of funds.

The workshop will be replicated in the other four regions in the country in the coming week.

 

Sierra Leone LAB Secures Discharge of 14 Prison Inmates

By Joseph Dumbuya

As part of the usual briefing for newly discharged clients by the court before their return into mainstream society, the Legal Aid Manager of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Cecilia Tucker has warned 14 discharged clients from the Pademba Road Correctional Center in Freetown not to resort to crime.

‘You may not be fortunate to receive free legal representation from us should you reoffend because there are thousands out there waiting for our services,’ she warned. She reminded the clients that their discharge has coincided with the passage of a tough law on sexual offences, the Sexual Offences Amendment Act, 2019 which stipulate stiff penalties such as life imprisonment for rape and sexual penetration of a child.

The Legal Aid Board secured the discharge of the 14 accused persons at the Special Criminal Session (Prison Court) on Friday, 20 September 2019. Their ages range from 22 to 43. Also, the offences for which they were held range from Fraudulent Conversion to Motor Manslaughter.

One of the accused persons discharged by the Court, John, 37, from Kenema had been without indictment and therefore not on trial since 2006. Five had been in the same position since 2016. One of the eight accused persons without indictment since 2017 had died in detention and was discharged posthumously.

Legal Aid Counsel, Mrs. Nicky Spenser-Coker had prayed the court to discharge the 14 accused persons for want of prosecution if the state could not show cause for which they were being held. The request follows habeas corpus applications which were granted by Justice Alusine Sesay after the state failed to justify their continued detention.

The Special Criminal Session (Prison Court) came about after the Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Leone Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards requested the Sierra Leone Correctional Service to produce a list of inmates without indictments and therefore will not be brought before the ongoing Criminal Call Over.

The 158 inmates on the list produced by the Correctional Center were consequently issued with indictments by the Law Officers Department.   50 accused persons were represented by the Legal Aid Board from the inception of the session on September 17 to September 20, 2019. The accused persons were distributed among the Legal Aid Board Counsels who filed Habeas corpus applications on behalf of each for the state to explain why they were being held.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles has extolled the strong leadership of the Chief Justice in ensuring the accused persons have their day in court. ‘This wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of the Chief Justice,’ she said, adding ‘These were cases he inherited, but we cannot continue to keep them in detention in flagrant disregard of their human rights regardless of the prejudices people may have about them.’

Sierra Leone ACC Indicts Principal, Others on Exam Malpractices

By Alim Jalloh

The Anti-Corruption Commission, has on 19th September 2019, filed an indictment against Mannah Lahai, Principal of Fatibu Technical Junior and Secondary School and Supervisor for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mohamed Kamara, a teacher, and Edward Lamboi, a Facilitator for WAEC, on various counts of Corrupt Transaction with an Agent, contrary to section 39 (1)(b); Receiving a Gift For Corrupt Purpose, contrary to section 47 (a); Accepting an Advantage For a Public Officer, contrary to Section 35 (1); Obstruction of Justice, contrary to Section 127(1) (a); and Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to section 128 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, respectively.

The Public can recall that on Saturday 7th September 2019, the Commission, acting on intelligence that WASSCE examination malpractices were happening at the Fatibu Technical Junior and Secondary School in Freetown, deployed the Scorpion Squad who were instructed to arrest any person(s) found to have engaged or was engaging in examination malpractices. The raid that followed led to the arrest of the persons aforementioned who were detained by the ACC but subsequently released on bail.

Following the arrests, investigations revealed that Messrs. Mannah Lahai and Edward Lamboi were both Supervisors and Facilitators, respectively for WAEC, for the 2019 Mathematics Private WASSCE examination at the Fatibu Technical Junior and Secondary School – a centre designated for the examination; and that Mr. Mohamed Kamara was co-opted by Mr. Lahai in coordinating assistance to be given to certain candidates at the aforementioned centre.

Mr. Kamara received money on behalf of Mr. Lahai so as to make available to the cooperating candidates answers to the exam which were later copied for distribution to those candidates who had paid for assistance with the aim of passing the exam through various acts of malpractices. Those candidates were placed in a “special room” (Mr. Lahai’s office) to sit for the said Mathematics exam, as agreed, without there being proper examination conditions applicable. Mr. Lamboi, on the other hand, was arrested and charged for assaulting an Officer who was part of the ACC team on assignment at the School.

The three indicted persons are expected to make their first appearance before an Anti-Corruption Judge in the High Court holden at Freetown on the 25th September 2019.

The Commission wishes to reassure the general public of its commitment to controlling corruption at all levels and at all times.

NEW Raises Concern over Election Violence in Sierra Leone

By Amin Kef Sesay

National Election Watch (NEW) a coalition of Civic and Non-Governmental Organizations has in a press release said it is disturbed by the violence which characterized the Parliamentary Bye-election held in Constituency 043 in Koinadugu District on Saturday 21st September, 2019.

NEW is therefore calling on all Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to put necessary measures in place to address incidences of violence in future elections.

It could be recalled that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) conducted Parliamentary Bye-election in Constituency 043 in Koinadugu and two Headman elections in Waterloo and Cole Town in the Western Area Rural District on Saturday 21st September, 2019.

Whilst the Headman elections in Waterloo and Cole Town were conducted in a relatively calm and peaceful atmosphere, the Parliamentary Bye-election in Constituency 043 was characterized by violence.

In this regard, NEW, however, notes that despite the incidences of violence, polling went undisrupted.

NEW deployed stationed observers in all polling centres in Constituency 043 and Village Head Elections (VHE) in Waterloo and Cole Town. 5 roving supervisors to support the stationed observers and to respond promptly to incidences were also deployed.

Additionally, NEW deployed 3 oversight support teams comprising members of the Strategic Management Committee (SMC) and Secretariat staff. NEW observed the entire process, including opening, polling, closing and counting, tallying, and the announcement of results, which was done at NEC District Office in the Western Area Rural District on Saturday 21st September, 2019 and in Kabala Community Centre on Sunday, 22nd September, 2019.

NEW observed that: Polling stations were opened on time in the 3 locations; NEC polling staff was mainly youth with gender considerations.

NEC provided Tactile ballots for visually impaired voters; Political Party agents in Constituency 043 and candidate agents in the VHE were present in all the polling stations; Security personnel were deployed and visible in all the Polling Centres; Other observers were the Office of National Security (ONS), British High Commission (BHC) and the media; Voter turn-out for constituency 043 was satisfactory (52.46%), while the VHE was very low with 21% in Waterloo and 13.8% in Cole Town; In Constituency 043, a sitting Member of Parliament, Hon. Foday Lamin Kabba of Constituency 044 of the main opposition APC Party was reportedly abducted on his way to Kamayortortor to deploy his party agents, but he emerged at Bafodia later in the day; Between Kamadaindaina and Bafodia, 4 men who claimed they were timber operators were beaten and two of them wounded by unidentified people.

The police found in their possession: spade, axe, hammer and cutlass. They were issued with medical report by the Bafodia Police Division; In Polling Centre Code 6020 WCSL Primary School Kakoya, a group of young people who could not be identified as residents of Kakoya were roaming around the vicinity of the centre; A similar group of young people were also seen at Polling Centre Code 6021, WCSL Primary School, Sakuta throughout the polling day; A vehicle with licensed no. plate AOW 362 with a group of young people on-board was moving from centre to centre especially between Kakoya and Sakuta with no accreditation from NEC; Towards the close of the polls indigenes of Kakoya gathered around few meters from the Polling Centre Code 6020 claiming they were protecting their community as they have observed many unfamiliar faces in their community; NEC used the national voter register for the VHE in Western Area Rural District (WARD) rather than individual village voter register. This caused chaos when people came from Benguema Village and other villages to vote in the Waterloo VHE; At Nelson Mandela Secondary School Centre Code, 15004 at York Road in Waterloo a youth was apprehended with a fake voter ID Card and handed over to the police; Towards the close of the polls at Hartshorn Street, Frandie Hall, Centre Code 15037 a black Mercedes Benz Car with licensed no. AOB 961 with youth onboard drove with excessive speed which had the propensity to endanger lives and disrupt the counting process; This same black Mercedes Benz Car with registration no. AOB 961 was earlier seen driven by a man who was distributing food to candidate agents.

The NEW therefore recommended that ONS and PPRC should enforce all MoUs and other agreements they signed with political parties to ensure peaceful conduct of elections; Political parties should desist from importing youth to areas where elections are being held to cause violence and confusion; SLP should ensure that all cases of election related-violence reported to them are speedily investigated and prosecuted regardless of who is involved; SLP should restrict the movement of people in and around election areas prior to polling day to prevent miscreants from infiltrating these areas; NEC should consider developing individual Village voter register in the WARD for future VHE.

 

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