In a latest move, the Government of Sierra Leone has canceled the mining license of a subsidiary of Gerald Group, the Mines Minister intimated amid a dispute over royalty payments.
SL Mining suspended its iron ore mining operations in the West African country last month after filing for arbitration over the matter in an international court.
Sierra Leone’s Mines Minister, Foday Rado Yokie, declined to comment further on the decision. “The matter is currently in court and I can’t comment on an ongoing case,” he said.
In July, authorities imposed a ban on exports from the company’s Marampa mine, saying it had failed to maintain the mine’s agreed work schedule or make royalty payments. SL Mining denies the accusations.
The International Chamber of Commerce’s emergency arbitration tribunal ruled last month that the export ban should be lifted, but Sierra Leonean authorities refused to do so.
In an updated ruling last week, the court said there was a risk the Government was taking steps to cancel the mining license, adding it did not have the right to do so.
SL Mining called for authorities to cancel the decision in a statement on Tuesday and threatened to “pursue all available remedies against the government,” including claiming compensation for over $500 million in damages.
The company estimates that Marampa holds about 1 billion tonnes of iron ore with a potential lifespan of 30 years.
The leading petroleum marketing agency or entity that has currently become a household name in the country, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd) recently let the cat out of the bag when it boldly named and by extension shamed some of its debtors.
Intimating members of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry in Parliament, which invited the company to shed light on its present status, the General Manager of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker, disclosed how the company is really going through teething challenging moments to keep functioning well as it should within the business landscape saying such is not the fault of the petroleum entity.
In stating the reason for the status quo ante bellum, the General Manager further stated that the primary reason for being in such an awkward situation is simply because various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies owe NP-SL colossal sums of monies which they are yet to honour well beyond the stipulated period of time when they should have done so.
He passionately informed how some time ago they supported the Ministry of Energy with a facility worth about Le22 billion but lamented that to date the institution is yet to settle the aforementioned debt. He furthered that under the West Africa Power Pool they rented the Energy Ministry a facility for US$ 1.3 million lasting for over three years but the amount of money the Ministry is supposed to pay is yet to be settled.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry, Honourable Veronica Kadie Sesay, stated that as a Committee they called upon NP-SL to explain its business activities and about other burning issues including implementation of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR], quality of its petroleum products and expansion plans to other parts of the country.
In his reaction, the General Manager of NP-SL explained to the MPs that his company supported the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces on a monthly basis with Le2.9 billion also pointing out that the Sierra Leone Police owes the company the sum of Le 1.5 billion.
He added that some Government contracted road construction companies like the First Tricon Group, Gento Group, CSE and the China Railway Group owe NP-SL over Le9 billion.
Walker said the amount of money that they had given out on credit basis to the various Government agencies and other companies is seriously hampering their overall performance.
The General Manager appealed to the Members of Parliament to intervene in order to help the company recover some of the monies their creditors owe them.
On behalf of the Committee, Chairperson Hon Kadie Sesay expressed appreciation to NP-SL for honouring their invitation to appear before the Committee in order to discuss issues relating to the company.
She pointed out that some of the present challenges faced by NP-SL could only be handled with the support of the Sierra Leone Parliament.
“We will try our best to look into the concerns raised so far and as a Parliamentary Committee we will endeavour to placate the MDAs in question so that we will address the issues raised,” Hon Kadie Sesay promised.
Chief Executive Officer of Magic Center Sierra Leone, Patrick Josiah
By Mohamed Lyrics Bangura
Sierra Leone was once the center for quality education in Anglophone West Africa. Formerly known as the Athens of West Africa, the country has witnessed a steady decline in good standards of quality education. This has immensely affected the human resource base of the country and productivity.
For some time now, there have been daily reports of migrants trying to go to Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea from Libya
In a bid to complement and add more value to the efforts of Government’s free quality education and also address the issue of youth and middle man power unemployment, Magic Center Sierra Leone is working towards enhancing innovation and technology and also provides more empowerment in order for unemployment to become a thing of the past.
The Chief Executive Officer of Magic Center Sierra Leone, Patrick Josiah, disclosed to news men that since Magic Center Sierra Leone was established in 2017, they have been able to grow from strength to strength and the company has been able to produce local high quality standard modern furniture including custom made school, college and university furniture and house furniture as well as being involved in the installation of state-of the art equipment and technology which adds value to the country’s industry, using high grade Australian materials and products at Magic Center, 13 Robert Lane, Kossoh Town in the Western Rural District.
Mr. Josiah said Magic Sierra Leone in the next one year will employ 90% of Sierra Leoneans in all categories of operation and over twenty thousand individuals at the middle man power level nationwide, equipped with skills and innovative ideas, would gain employment in the manufacturing, agriculture sectors, in graphic design and construction, since the company now largely depends on locally produced products.
Patrick Josiah noted that it has always been his dream and passion to support education, innovation and technology, to enhance middle man power and empower underprivileged school going children.
He said students have been finding it difficult to get employment after their studies because learning institutions have not been able to teach courses and requisite skills to students lamenting how some students have not been able to benefit from career counselling which to some extent makes it hard for them to get employment.
‘’I am not in a position to defend the Government about what some people are saying about the Free Education. Looking at the words Free Quality Education and its present implementation, one thing I want people to realize is that the SLPP Administration has started the Free Quality Education, and we must give them a PLUS because they took the bold step of implementing the programme. That is why our company is presently producing locally guaranteed chairs and tables to address the sitting accommodation in schools, colleges and universities nationwide,’’ Patrick Josiah said
He said unemployment in Sierra Leone is very high – over 70% of the adult population are out of work, with an adult literacy rate of just 30% and with Government paying more attention to innovation and technology, giving more moral and financial support to companies promoting innovation and technology in Sierra Leone, in the next two years the issue of unemployment will be addressed drastically in Sierra Leone.
MAGIC SIERRA LEONE CEO said he is committed to support human capital development by mobilising resources to help improve technical and vocational education and boost literacy rates in the country.
He expressed gratitude to members of ‘’we woke team’’ for their tireless efforts in the planning and creativity implementation.
Sheku Barnard the Chief Innovator at Magic Sierra Leone said that as the leading company promoting innovation, technology and access to education in Sierra Leone. He said they are ready to help the Government achieve its objectives for the development of education in the country.
Mr. Barnard disclosed that Magic Center Sierra Leone has the capacity to produce more chairs and school desks at affordable prices.
He called on the New Direction Government, schools, colleges and university authorities to ensure they visit and see the work of Magi Center Sierra Leone and make use of their local materials made in Sierra Leone as a way of promoting the local content policy.
He encouraged Sierra Leoneans who are innovative and have skills to join Magic Center Sierra Leone in order to utilize their talents.
Residents of Kholifa Mabang Chiefdom, in the Tonkolili district Northern Sierra Leone has for some months now witnessed mayhem, defiance, lawlessness and unprecedented incidences and violence leading to the burning down of two of the local authority’s court Barries in the Chiefdom headquarter of Mabang town and several others sustaining wounds and injuries, as a result of serious political wrangling and altercations between members and supporters of the country’s two main political parties, the ruling SLPP and the main opposition APC.
The whole incident, according to reliable sources, started three months back when the Chairman of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party in Constituency 49, Tonkolili District, Idrissa Maxwell Turay, who doubles as the SLPP candidate for Ward 167 in the 2018 General Elections, the Regent Chief and the other Chiefdom authorities in Kholifa Mabang Chiefdom, who were alleged and believed to be surrogates and sympathizers of the ruling party, attempted to hand over the Chiefdom’s only guest house to be used as office by the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), that is currently in the Chiefdom on a 53 million dollar project in Education, Agriculture and Health.
The NaCSA project which started during the era of the APC under former President Koroma is geared towards improving the lives of the people of Kholifa Mabang Chiefdom and make it a Class A Chiefdom in terms of development and the said project is to be completed within five years. Though it was agreed upon before the start of the project that a piece of land is to be given to NaCSA by the Chiefdom for an office space the later were using the residence of one Madam Susan, a native of the Chiefdom who resides in Freetown on rentage whiles they go about their work.
NaCSA has been using the said residence for the past two years until the coming of the SLPP to governance. Recently, according to residents, it was widely rumoured that they (NaCSA) decided to quit the house they have been using as an office and take over the Chiefdom’s only Guest house and that agreement and negotiations has already completed with the Chiefdom Authorities who are tagged by many as sympathizers of the ruling party. However, investigation conducted revealed that the Chiefdom Authorities and the SLPP Constituency 49 Chairman have conspired and the latter received over thirty million Leones from NacSA for the said Guest house.
This created tension across the eight sections of the Chiefdom and residents, mostly youths insisted that the Guest house, that was built from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) by the former Honourable Member of Parliament, Hon Mohamed Raka Kamara of the APC during the last five years of the Ernest Bai Koroma regime, and officially handed over to the people of the Chiefdom with documents, would not be given to the NaCSA to be used as an office space without involving and consulting the people of the Chiefdom.
This led to serious disagreement and uproar, as Youths in the Chiefdom, who are mostly believed to be APC supporters rebelled against the Chiefdom Authorities and insisted that the Guest house should not be handed over to NacSA on free basis and until the people of the Chiefdom are consulted and reached on a final conclusion, they would resist NaCSA entering the Guest house. The SLPP chairman and Chiefdom Authorities on the other hand, insisted that the Guest House since it is a property of the Chiefdom, and NaCSA again is in the Chiefdom for development should be allowed to use the Guest house.
Chief Executive Officer of Jam Jay Agricultural Company Limited, Denis Jusu
By Amin Kef Sesay
In a bid to support Government’s efforts to make Sierra Leone a food sufficient country, Jam Jay Agricultural Company Limited, has called on the Government of Sierra Leone and other relevant stakeholders for support in order to enable them harvest their 1200 hectares of land of rice at Malompoh village in Tonkolili District.
Speaking to this medium in an interview the Chief Executive Officer of Jam Jay Agricultural Company Limited, Denis Jusu, said that for the past weeks now they have been harvesting the rice, but said they are faced with a lot of constraints, adding that they rely on the people of the different communities to do the harvesting because the farmland is filled with water preventing machines from undertaking the task.
He applauded the various communities that have been helping him with the harvesting of the rice saying it is part of their corporate social responsibility as he cultivates 200 acres of land each in the four communities.
He called on Sierra Leoneans to engage in mechanized faming as such will help in making Sierra Leone food sufficient and reduce unemployment rate of the country.
He appealed to the Government to help him with combined harvesters in order for him to harvest the 1200 hectares land of rice as the farmland is very large and he alone cannot facilitate the harvesting adding that with the support from Government he will continue to cultivate such a farm. He reiterated that the farmland has been sponsored solely through his company’s resources.
He thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and food Security for their technical support given so far to the company.
He ended by saying all over the world where food sufficiency has been attained it is as a result of Government’s grants and subsidies, adding that if all the expenses in the production of agricultural food products are factored then the total costs will be very high.
In order to heighten the fight against human trafficking in the country a new strategy has been adopted to ensure that more successes are scored.
Sierra Leone is a source, transit and destination country for thousands of children and women trafficked for forced labour and sexual exploitation every year. Although no official database exists to accurately measure the scope of the phenomenon in the country, it is believed to be affecting mostly children who are taken from their homes and forced to beg on the streets, or work in homes as houseboys, in mines or in plantations.
Human trafficking also affects young Sierra Leonean women and girls who are scammed into paying hefty sums of money for fake employment offers in foreign countries – in the Gulf for instance – only to be coerced into modern slavery or sexual exploitation.
In 2005, three years after the end of a civil war which cost more than 50,000 lives and set the ground to human trafficking networks, Sierra Leone passed the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, thus recognizing the phenomenon as a major national issue.
A National Task Force on Human Trafficking was established with the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of this Act, especially with regard to the enforcement of the law against trafficking.
However, in 2017, only 9 per cent of the victims of trafficking identified by the Sierra Leone Ministry for Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs (MSWGCA) came from the Western Urban District where Freetown is located.
“Criminal cases rely on victim testimonies, but this can be difficult to access since the Task Force is located in Freetown and most victims come from far away provinces,” explained Marian Harding-Tommy, Senior Social Welfare Officer for Human Trafficking at the MSWGCA.
“Because victims of trafficking often cannot afford the expensive trip from their district to the capital to testify or present evidence, their cases are closed,” she added.
But this will soon change. Last week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) supported the MSWGCA in the decentralisation of the National Task Force in 14 of Sierra Leone’s districts to increase victims’ and potential victims’ access to information, protection and justice mechanisms, and avoid procedural delays related to prosecuting traffickers.
The new district task forces will be co-chaired by the MSWGCA and the Office of National Security (ONS), and composed of traditional and religious authorities, the police’s Family Support Unit, youth committees, motor bikers’ union, teachers’ guild and radio journalists.
“Our aim is to bring the lifesaving services of the Task Force closer to the populations by bringing together key community members,” said Mangeh Sesay, National Project Officer for IOM Sierra Leone.
Through monthly meetings, it is expected that these new district task forces will contribute to collecting more data and testimonies to assess the scope of human trafficking in the country. In the future, task force members will also be trained in identifying, referring and providing immediate assistance to victims of trafficking.
IOM’s counter-trafficking activities in Sierra Leone are implemented in the framework of the Africa Regional Migration Programme funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
In a strong worded response to a letter cum notice dated 2nd October 2019 by the Chief Justice of the Sierra Leone Judiciary, Babatunde Edwards, which has gone viral on social media, the Council of Legal Education, Yada Williams Esq. in a letter dated 3rd October 2019 reacted by raised what it termed as salient issues.
On its part, the Council referred to the contents contained in the said letter of 2nd October as subterfuge maintaining that it is plainly unlawful and a flagrant attempt at undermining the authority of the Council of Legal Education. It pointed out that the Council of Legal Education Act 1989 makes Council the governing authority of the Law School.
The letter highlighted that notwithstanding the fact that the Chief Justice is Chairman of Council he is just one member of the Council who is entitled to one vote just like any other member.
Chief Justice Babatunde was further reminded not to subvert the authority of Council by giving directives which run contrary to the decisions of Council. The caution went further: “You are cognisant that Council at its meeting of the 24th September and 30th September unanimously and unequivocally resolved that clauses 14.8 & 14.9 of the published “Regulations for the Conduct of Examinations” be respected i. e. that students who have exhausted three chances shouldn’t be allowed to take the September exams.
Your directives of the 2nd are therefore a very brazen attempt at subverting that decision. It is only Council that can overturn its own previous decisions.”
The Council said what bothers them also is the very wrong impression conveyed in the letter that a decision of Council on the matter is pending adding that the admonition is that persons in positions of authority must be circumspect in what they do whilst in office.
It states: “Wrongful conduct today that are not held accountable could be looked at differently in the future. As Chairman of Council you ought to be the Chief respecter of its decisions and not the one who singlehandedly seeks to subvert its authority.”
In its quest to successfully combat graft on the 4th October 2019 the ACC Scorpion Squad raided the premises of Madam Mabinty Daramy, former Ambassador to Guinea under the APC administration, and extracted what are suspected to be Diplomatic vehicles once assigned to the former Ambassador.
The vehicles with Guinean diplomatic license plates were found parked in her compound at Hill Cut Road, Freetown. She is currently out of the country. The house is occupied by a caretaker.
A very reliable source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has confirmed that both license plates are diplomatic registrations assigned to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Guinea; and ought to have been handed over after she was replaced.
However, verification is ongoing by the ACC to ascertain whether they are merely private cars with the wrong license plates, or indeed embassy vehicles as suspected. Whatever belonging to the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Guinea will be returned to the Embassy, the ACC maintained.
As examination malpractice has become the latest topical issue in the country with suggestions coming from different individuals as to how to squarely deal with this cankerworm on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019, officials of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) were alerted that certain individuals were re-taking the just-concluded private WASSCE examinations in someone’s home around the Agape Primary School in the Goderich Section of Freetown.
The Ministry’s WASSCE examination monitors, accompanied by police officers raided the reported home and arrested individuals who were retaking the exams. Police also seized completed answer sheets from the just-concluded private WASSCE examinations. The suspects and the examination papers were taken to Lumley Police Station for further investigation.
MBSSE officials led by the Deputy Minister, Mrs. Emily Kadiatu Gogra were accompanied by police to the headquarters of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for further investigation – precisely to compare the seized WAEC documents with those that are officially in the custody of WAEC; and to also ascertain as to how those examination documents left the WAEC headquarters. However, up to going to Press it was inconclusive.
In an effort to find a lasting solution to the endemic and nationally embarrassing problem of examination malpractices in Sierra Leone, the MBSSE has registered that it will stop at nothing to stringently monitor those exams, and bring academic crime rings to face the full penalty of the law.
The case is now in the hands of the Police and the entire WAEC is being investigated.
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China, Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina
By Samuel Koroma in Beijing, China
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China, Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina has on the occasion of the National Day Celebration for Sierra Leone in China vouch to strengthen Sierra Leone’s bilateral relationship with China, and make that relationship a win-win one. The celebration held at the Beijing 2019 International Horticultural Expo was characterized by traditional pomp and pageantry, as the audience was wowed with pristine Sierra Leonean cultural performances.
The theme of the Beijing 2019 International Horticultural Expo centers on “Live green”, and “Live better”. It’s a platform that aims to enhance advocacy for efforts to tackle global environmental issues of climate change and disappearing ecological systems.
Ambassador Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina delivered an impressive speech, noting among other things ,the preparedness of Sierra Leone to showcase its rich culture and horticultural beauties . He commended Beijing Expo 2019 for the occasion, while noting with delight that it was positively rewarding to see the two countries share the significance of the occasion.
He commended President Julius Maada Bio’s commitment to the global concerns of biodiversity conservation and climate change, and ensuring the participation of the Republic of Sierra Leone at the Expo through the country’s abled Commissioner General, Philip Conteh. He said the Republic of Sierra Leone has had 48 years of fruitful friendly diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Both countries have held years of successful cooperation and partnership, Ambassador Ndomahina said, noting that their bilateral ties have been to a comprehensive strategic status.
He furthered that Sierra Leone accepts and upholds the one China policy with the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate Government of China. The Government and the People of Sierra Leone continue to be thankful to the People’s Republic of China for the cooperation and support that they enjoy from their bilateral relations. He assured the People’s Republic of China of Sierra Leone’s firm commitment to strengthening the brotherly ties that have held both countries together.
Though frantic efforts have been made through speeches, awakening of the minds’ eye through exhibitions, the drums meeting the rhythms of ones hearts and echo in the air, the Great Amazon Forest Ambassador Ndomahina said is on fire and burning, hurricanes and typhoons are raging with devastating effects, and instability and wildlife poaching are taking their toll on ecological systems in different parts of the globe. Yet, he noted there are communities that are pushing to derail the efforts of others in the fight against climate change with its attendant effects of disruption of the global ecological systems.
He urged communities of every nation to work and ensure they deliver a safe and healthy environment to the generations that would succeed it, if each community must survive the decades and centuries that lie ahead. The constant obstruction of our global ecological systems by the way of life of man has proven to be nothing but disastrous to our world, the only home we know, Ambassador Ndomahina added.
He concluded by reechoing Sierra Leone’s effort to deliver a healthy biodiversity-rich environment to explore nature at its best, citing the numerous and wide white and gold sandy beaches, shallow coastal wet lands and mangrove swamps, it wildlife sanctuaries at Tiwai Island in the South and Taca-Guma on the Freetown Peninsular in the West. Forest reserves and mountains, he added provide homes to different species of primates and aquatic bionetworks, and the various vegetation distinguished according to land forms, which remains the untapped treasure that Sierra Leone, the most peaceful and tolerant nation on planet earth, could offer to the world.He called on all to visit Sierra Leone for a fresh breath of the gifts of nature.
Delivering a statement during the ceremony, Head of Infrastructure, Beijing Expo 2019, Zhang Lannian said China respects the autonomous choice of the people of Sierra Leone, and is willing to engage in close and high-level contacts with Sierra Leone to strengthen the exchange of experience in the rule of law and administration, to expand on cooperation in the fields of infrastructure construction, agriculture, fisheries, health, education, and capacity- building, and to continue to support each other in the multilateral sphere.
The two countries, he affirmed, has made tremendous efforts to promote bilateral relations.
Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have always been realizing the common interest and having a good friendship, Mr. Lannian noted.
Every community of every nation must work to ensure it delivers a safe and healthy environment to the generations that would succeed it, if each community must survive the decades and centuries that lie ahead.
