One of Sierra Leone’s media dinosaurs, a graduate from the reputable London School of Journalism (LSJ), who has built an enviable reputation and niche in the field of journalism, the charismatic Abdul Karim Fonti Kabia, has officially quitted the Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire, after diligently serving that renowned institution for almost eight years.

Fonti started working for the AYV Media Empire since it was established. He served in the capacity of Executive Editor of the Ariogbo Newspaper and played key roles at various management capacities.

He officially left that institution on Thursday 28 February, 2019 in the capacity of Director of Quality Assurance, Communications and Public Relations to occupy his new position at State House as Strategic Communications Specialist in the Education, Foreign Affairs and Social Development Sectors. Though it was a sombre moment, yet it was inevitable.

As a young man, Fonti acquired years of experience and remarkably contributed with his pen as well as fingers to generate meaningful and positive transformation in different spheres.

He has travelled to different parts of the world and is held in high esteem internationally, even at one point in time, meeting and having fruitful discussions with former US President Obama and other important political personalities in that country.

Fonti will be fondly remembered for his presentation of HOT SEAT and FRONT PAGE on AYV Television and Radio Stations.

Undoubtedly, knowing Fonti’s calibre, there is every possibility that in his new position he will definitely create an indelible impact, both within and outside the country, which will surely shape, influence public decisions and meaningfully change lives.
He is a very objective journalist and has been practicing professionally, displaying a high sense of independence and clarity.
The SLPP Government has indeed wooed a priceless and true asset into its fold.
Good Luck Abdul Fonti Kabia. Wishing you the best of luck in your new station.

Something that is unique but very discouraging about the general Sierra Leonean personality is the appetite for pulling down fellow Sierra Leoneans that are busy working hard to make positive impacts on the country’s crucial development needs.

One such personality that deserves praise, not the hate of his enemies and detractors, is one of Sierra Leone’s leading indigenous road construction investor, Mohamed Gento Kamara.

Being that every Sierra Leonean, by law is free to associate with any of his fellow citizens, and free to identify with any political party of his/her choice, one first of all wonders why Gento, as he is commonly called, should be attacked for (a false allegation), supporting one of the candidates vying to become councillor for Ward 196 in the Karene District?

With a manifest intent to tarnish the good name of Gento as a development oriented investor who serves any government of the day, there is an audio message on various social media platforms purported to be Gento campaigning in Tonko Limba for one of the councillor aspirants.

What comes out clearly is that the author of the mischievous social media posting completely detracts from Gento’s key message to his Tonko Limba people of bringing development to Mama Salone in general and Tonko Limba.

Hence the reason why Gento said that if God gives him the power, he will bring more development to Tonko Limba to make the district attractive; especially in terms of roads and other commonly desired socio-economic goods.

Gento explained that indigenes such as former Chief of Staff at State House, Saidu Conton Sesay, during the rule of the former government, wanted to bring development to Tonko Limba, but certain ill-motivated people stood in his way.

To have all hands on deck for development of the district and the chiefdom, Gento called on the chief and all stakeholders to give him the green light and free hand to bring development to the district, which will positively impact the lives of residents.

The audio clearly shows that Gento diagnosed the problems of the people of Tonko Limba and expressed his commitment to address those problems if God gives him the necessary resources.

So for anyone to say that Gento’s statement in Tonko Limba was political and calculated to influence the pending Ward election in favour of the SLPP candidate is not only disingenuous, but calculated to create enemies for Gento.

An employee of Gento’s road construction company that is currently at work completing the Hill Cut and King Harman Road project who listened to the audio message, described his employer as a very kind-hearted man that has provided hundreds of youths of both sexes with employment; noting that even in lean times when money was not forthcoming from the Government, Gento kept them on the payroll and paid them.

As a humanitarian and a philanthropist, Gento continues to contribute generously to many worthy social courses, including providing scholarships for needy students. As such, Gento’s detractors should not seek to drag him into the murky world of politics.

On Thursday 28th February 2019 at State House in Freetown, the Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman and the Presidential Adviser and Head of Strategic Communications at State House engaged stakeholders as a follow up on President Julius Maada Bio’s declaration of State Of Emergency on Rape and Sexual Penetration.

Welcoming representatives from partner organisations in the fight against rape and sexual violence, Press Secretary, Yusuf Keketoma Sandi said he was happy with the turnout and stated that the essence of the meeting was to discuss further plans to deal with the rape of minors and work collectively to tackle the broader issues affecting survivors of rape and sexual violence.

Representative of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, Dr. Kim Dickson, said they welcomed the declaration by the President and thanked him for putting the issue of rape and sexual-based violence at the centre of his governance agenda, adding that the pronouncement was great news for all organisations advocating against rape and sexual-based violence in the country.

Dr Kim, however, urged the government to act fast in strengthening laws that could provide a broader scope to addressing the problems of rape and sexual-based violence, noting that the declaration of a state of emergency was a strong indication of intent, but was also a temporary measure.

Rev. Fr Joseph Valiplackel of Don Bosco Fambul, a charity organisation specialised in child protection, also said that they had also supported the proclamation, adding that rape and sexual violence were damaging the future of the girl child at an alarming rate. He, however, called on the government to empower the Family Support Units, which are specialised units attached to police stations across Sierra Leone.

“I think the FSU should be empowered and strengthened as they have the mandate to investigate all forms of child abuse and violence against children – sexual and physical abuse, exploitation, including commercial exploitation, as well as internal and cross-border trafficking,” he said.

Chernor Bah, Executive Director of Purposeful Production, said that building on the concrete actions announced by the President and mirroring evidence, based on good practice, the national and global plans tackling rape and sexual abuse would focus on 6 major pillars.

Laws and Policies – The Initiative will work with the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Parliament and other stakeholders to update existing laws and policies, draft new ones, clarify tensions and conflict between customary laws and other laws, draft holistic policies and plans of actions and ensure compliance with international laws and best practices.

Institutions: The Presidential Initiative will work to strengthen the capacity of government institutions to deliver on the President’s declaration.

Prevention: A key focus of the initiative will be on prevention strategies and actions. The Initiative will work with partners to understand root causes and patterns of rape and sexual violence in Sierra Leone, develop strategies to tackle all forms of discriminatory gender attitudes, norms and practices that perpetuate rape and gender-based violence.

Providing Essential Services to girls and women who come forward: This pillar is about making sure services are available, accessible, friendly and effective in responding to and dealing with rape and sexual violence across Sierra Leone. The Presidential Initiative will work with various governments, UN and local stakeholders to make sure the full range of basic health, psychological, legal and other services are available to victims and survivors of rape in every corner of the country.

Quality Disaggregated Data: Creating a quality-disaggregated database of the types of sexual violence, prevalence rates: This pillar will also work to ensure to create a sexual offenders’ database.

Women’s Movement and Civil Society: Coordinated involvement of the women’s movement and civil society actors. Providing a platform for a community-driven approach to solutions and ensuring local ownership.

The Presidential Adviser and Head of Strategic Communications at State House, Dr Patrick Muana, thanked the various stakeholders for their invaluable inputs, contributions and commitments to ensure that rape and sexual-based violence were mitigated. He promised to brief the President on the recommendations of the outcome of that stakeholders’ engagement and to inform them of future meetings that would be geared towards putting an end to the impunity of rape and sexual penetration.

On Thursday 28th February 2019 at the Bintumani Conference Centre, Freetown, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio shared the country’s comprehensive national development plan with partners, bilateral and multilateral agencies, highlighting national priorities and emphasising mutual accountability approaches that maximise impacts of growth interventions.

“When I took over the mantle of leadership of this great nation about ten months ago, I made policy statements in Parliament about our country’s development goals. I identified our country’s key national priorities and the key sectors we needed to develop. I also emphasised that what we needed as a nation was a comprehensive blueprint for sustainable long-term development – one that is consistent with global targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.

He said to ensure consistency in the execution of the medium term national development plan, he had directed that the country’s future annual budgets be fully aligned to the plan, adding that his government would also encourage development partners to channel their assistance through the national development priorities, work closely and avoid wasteful overlaps and duplications.

He added that while he had called for an inclusive approach to national development, he also had stressed that the process of developing the plan must appear to be owned and driven by citizens, inclusive, consultative and be domesticated to the country’s specific development context.

“They range from developing our human capital and infrastructure to promoting good governance and protecting vulnerable members of our society, including our women, children and persons with disabilities. But how do we fulfil our obligations to the people of Sierra Leone against the background of the bankrupt and battered economy that my Government inherited? Institutions that are responsible for driving growth and development were politicised, bloated, lacked capacity, and corrupt. Officials and politicians engaged in widespread looting of development resources,” he recalled.

He further stated that given the circumstances and upon assuming office, his government delineated key strategic imperatives to create the right environment for development by identifying the immediate needs that included institutional reform, decentralisation and taking a second look at enabling laws, capacity building and resource identification and mobilisation as critical factors for building the right context for development.

“When there is no discipline, no commitment and no political will from the highest levels of power, development will not happen. When there is no structure and no consistency to development activities within the short or long term, development will not happen. When there is no predictability to development activities and outcomes and partners are unsure about how to engage and commit to national development, or worse still, when that partnership does not include continuous dialogue and feedback, development will not happen. When the government is unclear and uncommitted to clearly laid out development outcomes and a comprehensive short and long-term plan, development will not happen. So, my government developed the medium term national development plan to get the development context right once and for all,” he told the conference in Freetown.

He emphasised and recognised the fact that Sierra Leone was impatient for development and that Sierra Leoneans were impatient for development too and rightly so, adding that that was why his government did not wait for the plan to be launched before addressing some of the critical development needs that had been identified during the nationwide consultation.

“I am reminded of the saying that when one gives birth to a child, one does not plan only for the first five years of that child’s life. Let me use this opportunity to remind all of us that this Medium Term National Development Plan is the first part of the longer-term plan, which will span over a twenty-year period. During the consultation process, it clearly emerged that the majority of Sierra Leoneans prefer a long-term plan, as it allows for continuity in implementation, irrespective of a change of government. They based their argument on the overwhelming desire to have a stable development focus for our country and to ensure that successive governments are guided by broad priorities set by the people of this country,” he said.

“My government has underscored the critical need to strengthen performance management in the public sector. So, for the first time in the history of this country, a comprehensive results and indicator framework accompanies this development plan. That framework will provide further guidance to MDAs as they deliver on the people’s plan,” he added.

Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, said they had anchored the plan on the Sierra Leone People’s Party New Direction Manifesto, which was based on consultation. He said the document was a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Planning and Development and Finance as well as other ministries, departments and agencies, including development partners.

Mr Saffa also stated that as a show of commitment his ministry, for the first time, had provided both the financial and human resources to support the process of preparing the National Development Plan, saying that that was a way of showing leadership. He said the total estimated cost to execute the plan would be $ 8.15 USD billion.

Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Nabeela Tunis, said after a broad-based national consultation, she was of the belief that the Plan would transform the country. She disclosed that about two million people were consulted during the process as a way of ensuring that no one was left out. She added that the feedbacks, which contributed to the content of the document, were overwhelming.
She said the Plan was aimed at transforming Sierra Leone to where everyone had dreamt of, adding that that would only be possible through partnership and collaboration. She noted that the document would transform the President’s vision into a plan that would enable sustainable development in the country.

United Nations Country Representative, Sunil Saigal, who spoke on behalf of donor partners, congratulated President Bio for putting the Plan together and for placing human capital development at the centre of his priorities. He noted that the new plan incorporated the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development as well as the African Agenda 2063, adding that in doing so Sierra Leone was setting the example for other countries by blending both global and other African regional goals in development planning.

Over the weekend the second set of housemates’ eviction was effected from the 20 participants in the house. The atmosphere was filled with suspense and tension as supporters and fans waited anxiously to know who the victims would be, whilst participants in the house were having anxious time waiting to discover who the evicted people will be. Tension rose in the house.

As they waited nervously anticipating victory and despair, viewers say that all participants had done their best in projecting strong language, nudity and humour. Observers maintained that the housemates made use of every given opportunity to appeal to their fans and the wider citizenry here and abroad to vote for them using their tagged numbers via text to Africell Code Number 5500.

One thing that is very certain is that Housemates Salone offers the Housemates the opportunity to be empowered and after leaving the House they will definitely never be the same again but become different persons. To justify this assertion the Reality TV Show, organised by the Africa Young Voices (AYV) and Africell , provides the platform for social interaction leading to strengthening of relationships, self-expression as is evident in responding to questions posed by the unseen Chief, taking through lectures by professionals, portraying artistic skills whether in acting, poetry or modelling.

This rather unique event is now the talk of the town. AYV and Africell’s Housemates Salone 2019 has earned the name of an epitome of Reality.

During the eviction ceremony being witnessed live and via the various streaming media, fans were advised to keep the votes coming in to maintain the housemate of their choice as their vote counts in determining the position of the various contestants in the house. They were reminded that an individual’s stay in the house largely depends on the percentage of votes that each will scoop from the populace, but the evictions hinge on their performances in the House, which are closely monitored and judged.

The attractive star winning prize of Le100, 000,000 (One Hundred Million Leones) is what each competitor is eyeing, but for each day a Housemate stays in the House he or she is entitled to receive Le100, 000.
With the huge and electrifying momentum that the Housemates Salone is ascending, it has currently become the widely talked about event in the country and has indeed gone viral. Workers, school pupils, students, market women and traders are heatedly discussing it in different circles, even in Ataya Bases, with candour and varying views.

Sustained investigations cum research mounted in different parts of the country revealed that the majority are really commending the organizers of the TV Reality Show, African Young Voices (AYV) and Africell for packaging and rolling out what they described as a very extra-ordinary and breath-taking entertainment show.
Indeed, the House is getting hotter as the competitors are tensely battling to ultimately emerge as the winner to bag the Le100, 000,000 that is at stake.

But what is so good about rolling out this show is that it has really exposed all the participants and there is the probability that people cum investors could be interested in making use of their talents, be it in the music, acting, film industries or in modelling.
“It is indeed very good that the organisers of this TV Reality contest made provision for empowerment and for those that have been and will be evicted, to at least take home financial packages which will serve as a therapy to any unforeseen psychological anguish. To those that will be affected take heart and be courageous as there is more goodies in life after Housemates Salone,” Ann-Marie Williams, an activist shuttling to and fro the USA and Sierra Leone enthused.
Housemates Salone continues to thrill millions in and out Sierra Leone.

Positive development strides of the National Petroleum (NP) SL Limited, has made it the epitome of a viable Indigenous national enterprise in the Petroleum industry. It embodies what the ordinary Sierra Leonean can achieve when they come together with a shared vision and goal. With a capable Board of Directors and Management the company has contributed positively to the development of the nation.

NP SL-Ltd has turned the fortunes of this company since its inception into a viable profit making and job creation entity. In its employ are Sierra Leoneans occupying various senior and junior positions. With honouring its tax obligations to Government via the National Revenue Authority (NRA) in a timely manner, the company has contributed to the boosting of the country’s economy as well as the steady and meaningful execution of its Corporate Social Responsibility, which has improved the standards of living of many Sierra Leoneans.
The pro-active and sterling initiatives of NP’s Board of Directors and Management in respect of timely procurement of petroleum products and ensuring its availability on the market for public consumption, has seen a marked deviation from the days of fuel shortage to that of abundance.
It is highly commendable for a well-established and result-oriented company like NP to have climbed to such an enviable position especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that it is exclusively owned by Sierra Leonean shareholders, a typical testimony of how local entrepreneurs could raise the bar high.
Going down the annals of history the former British Petroleum Company decided to sell its shares to the Government of Sierra Leone that was in Governance at that material period of time.
Things took a different twist when in 1996 the Government sold its 60% shares in NP to some of the company’s members of staff. Again it was made known that 55 % was paid upfront from the end of service benefits of the workers from BP and the 5% offered to all the other workers. Thus the company known as LEONEOIL was born.
The 55% sale of Government shares to NP came as a result of the World Bank’s advice to privatize the latter. It was also revealed that among the 4 companies that bided, which included ELF, LEONOIL won the international competitive bidding conducted by Arthur De Little, a United States based Management consultancy firm hired by the World Bank.
It could be recalled that the World Bank, which advised Government to privatize NP, monitored the bidding process for the three international companies and one local company that competed culminating in LEONEOIL, which metamorphosed to NP, meeting all the set criteria.
Financial experts, whom the Calabash Newspaper had the privilege to talk with, noted that the aforementioned members of staff were indeed entrepreneurial enough to properly manage the company to such an extent that, unlike others, it survived most of the bottlenecks that it encountered throughout the years it has been in existence.
Shedding light on the historical background of NP, it came out glaringly that the 40% PMMC’s stake in the company, owned by the late Jamil Sahid Mohammed and Tony Yazbeck, was given as collateral for a loan from a Bank by one of the parties.
The business mogul, Jamil Sahid Mohammed, later sold to Cape Oil PMMC’s 40% shares to offset a fidelity loan, but LEONE OIL was not satisfied with that move and took the matter to court on the grounds that it was in violation of the M and A which dictates that the other side has the first option to buy. The outcome of the matter was that the High Court gave judgement in favour of LEONE OIL.
For mischievous reasons certain individuals have been churning out rumours that NP has a monopoly over the petroleum market in the country which is totally untrue, baseless and misleading as it has been factually proven that there are other Marketing Companies marketing petroleum products that are registered with the Petroleum Agency.
It must be noted that Petro-Leone is a storage company developed by both Addax and Leone Oil so that petroleum products will always be available in the country and avert shortage. Experts further stated that if such a venture is disrupted, the country will relapse to the former state of shortage of fuel and long queues will once more re-surface across the country, causing a lot of inconvenience and national hiccups.
At present, NP-SL has filling stations in different parts of the country with other facilities like tyre mending, mini marts and sale of gas in some of them. The company was also established in neighbouring Liberia offering various petroleum and other related services.
It can be asserted that the National Petroleum Limited is one that has grown by leaps and bounds. The company is an embodiment of sterling local entrepreneurship that is worthy of emulation.

On Friday 1st March 2019, in an unprecedented move aimed at strengthening political engagement and collaboration, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio met with all the leaders of the registered Political Parties in the country. This maiden consultative meeting, State House say is part of his inclusive governance approach to state governance.

Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Hon Sidie M. Tunis, in his welcome statement told the various political party representatives that he was instructed by the President to contact the leadership of all political parties for a meeting that will strengthen political engagement and collaboration.

Addressing the members of political parties, President Bio maintained that politics was now over and it was time for governance, adding that it is his belief that all political parties would want the best for the country but that the routes to achieve that goal are different. He further maintained that the meeting was meant to show that politicians are not enemies but that all of them can work in the best interest of the country. “This meeting is to encourage dialogue among political parties for national development and social cohesion in the country,” President Bio stated.

President Bio also used the forum to update political parties on three recent national issues which have stirred up public debates: the appointment of the Electoral Commissioner – South, the Commissions of Inquiry and the declaration of the State of Emergency.
On the three issues, President Bio briefed the leaders of political parties that all of the decisions have been taken in the best interest of the country and that the forum will now strengthen the consultation and dialogue among political parties. “For instance, the Commissions of Inquiry is for all of us as politicians so that it can serve as a deterrent and draw a line under corruption,” President Bio asserted.

Explaining the rationale for the State of Emergency, President Bio emotionally explained that when he heard the statistics and listened to the stories of survivors, he felt compelled that something urgent needed to be done not just to call for action, but to mobilise resources to support the survivors. He assured the leaders of political parties, including representatives of the All People’s Congress, that the State of Emergency was specific to address rape and sexual violence and not for politics.

Responding to President Bio, various senior members of other Political Parties including Hon. Minkailu Mansaray and Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh of the All People’s Congress, Dr Dennis Bright of the National Grand Coalition, Dr Jonathan Sandy of the National Unity and Reconciliation Party, Tamba R. Sandi of the Coalition for Change among others, praised President Bio for the initiative to engage leaders of other political parties on national issues and individually stressed that such dialogue will promote social cohesion and reduce political tension. Detailed discussion also took place in camera between the President and political party leaders.

All seventeen (17) political parties were represented at the meeting by their senior leadership and these registered Parties are: Alliance Democratic Party (ADP); All People’s Congress (APC); Citizens Democratic Party (CDP); National Democratic Alliance (NDA); National Progressive Democrats (NPD); National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP); Peace and Liberation Party (PLP); People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC); People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP); Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP); United Democratic Movement (UDM); United National People’s Party (UNPP); Unity Party (UP); National Grand Coalition (NGC); Republic National Independent Party (RENIP) and Coalition for Change (C4C). His Excellency President Bio also assured the leaders of political parties that such a meeting will be held more frequently to enhance political dialogue and collaboration.

Stakeholders have at the end of the Western Area Peninsula (WAP) Land Use Conference held at the Hill Valley Hotel on 21st and 22ndFebruary 2019 committed to the development of a Land Use Plan for the Western Area Peninsula landscape and re-affirmed intentions to introduce strict compliance of existing rules and regulations.

The statement is made taking cognizance of the fact that the government of Sierra Leone, under the leadership of His Excellency, President, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio with the support of environmental conservation organizations, is keen to institute responsible management of land, the environment and state resources.
The WAP Forest has been a protected Forest Reserve since 1916 and most of it was designated a National Park in 2012. The WAP National Park is a Globally Important Key Biodiversity Area and is currently on the Tentative List of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with the potential to become a fully accredited World Heritage Site.
Stakeholders have therefore unanimously declared that activities within the boundaries of the National Park should be strictly controlled; cognizant of the extent of land and forest degradation of the Western Area Peninsula (WAP) landscape; recalling the 2017 mudslide disaster and the increasing trend of disaster events and loss of natural resources and ecosystem services in the country mostly as a result of human activities.
According to the Program Manager of the Sierra Leone Conservation Society, the Western Area Peninsula receives the highest rainfall in the country-200 inches (5,000 mm) annually; and elevation rises in places up to 1,798ft (548m), that the WAP Forest Reserve stores and provides the water needs of nearly 1.5 million people settled around the reserve (Guma Valley and the Congo Dams), that the remaining forest ecosystems and endangered biodiversity need to be protected and provide the potential for sustainable development on the WAP, including social and economic benefits, if well-managed (e.g. through habitat restoration to protect water supplies; potential financing for storage and ecotourism.
However, according to Edward M. Sesay, the conference observed that the following activities greatly impact the people, land and environment of WAP negatively-massive degradation of the natural environment triggered by land grabbing, illegal and un-regulated construction, deforestation (0.7% annually), marijuana farming, logging, pole and fuel-wood cutting, sand mining, stone mining, illegal fishing and hunting and generally poor land use compounded by crime and lack of law enforcement.
Furthermore, the conference recommended strict enforcement and compliance of existing government policy and regulations on land use in and around the Western Area Peninsula Forest to be undertaken and reinforced, that all stakeholders must support government in monitoring, stopping and preventing current illegal activities that negatively impact the environment on the WAP, that a Western Area Peninsular Landscape Partnership of Government Agencies, NGOs, and civil society be established/promoted/re-vitalized highlighting that the partnership will coordinate Western Area Peninsula conservation and sustainability initiatives and oversee development of a Land Use Plan for the WAP.
Mr. Sesay further stated that funding will be sought to support the development and implementation of a WAP Land Use Plan; using a framework approved by the Government, the WAP Partnership, and local communities, develop WAP Land Use Plan /Map, to be published, popularized and implemented as quickly as possible.
Also, systems to be put in place for strict enforcement/observance of the WAP Land Use Plan, that once funding is available, a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) of the current WAP landscape will be commissioned focusing on areas bordering the forest and identifying major risks to the WAPF ecosystem and the human population, immediately work to institute plans, including feasibility studies and pilot demonstrations, for sustainable practices and alternatives to address key threats to WAP, develop and operationalize Disaster Early Warning Systems (EWS) for particularly vulnerable areas in the WAP, development of programmes of community benefits/ livelihoods–activities that can also support forest restoration and conservation and depend on sustainable use and management of the resources of the WAP in perpetuity and awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns to be undertaken by all stakeholders to highlight the value of the WAPF to people and biodiversity.

Christian Aid, Kombra Media Network (KMN) and FOCUS 1000 on Thursday 28th February 2019 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the headquarters of FOCUS 1000, Main Motor Road, Brookfields in Freetown to, among others, Strengthen Accountability, Build Inclusion (SABI) a four-year citizen-led accountability programme funded by the International Development Agency UK Aid. The project is implemented by a consortium of leading international and Sierra Leonean Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), led by Christian Aid.
Christian Aid was represented by Jeanne Kamara, Christian Aid Country Manager, Kombra Media Network (KMN) by Kemo Cham, National Coordinator and FOCUS 1000 by Alhaji Mohammad Bailor Jalloh, Chief Executive Officer.
The one-year MoU is with effect from 28th February 2019.
The SABI project aims to contribute towards improvements in basic services by delivery of quality basic services; building relationships between citizens and the state; supporting the Government’s development plans and promoting gender equality and social inclusion.
The project’s approach includes full participation and engagement of different cohort of stakeholders at the community, district and national levels. It covers key aspects of the design and delivery of services that will ensure sustained improvements in the quality of life of the citizenry.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of FOCUS 1000, Alhaji Mohammad Bailor Jalloh, the national level engagement and consultation with government and key stakeholders will create the enabling environment to facilitate effective dialogue and interaction between policy makers, service providers and the citizenry, articulating that the national level engagement with key duty bearers is predicated on the premise that unless political will and resources are provided to support improvements in service delivery, which are sought through community action plans, there will be limited changes in citizens’ access to quality delivery and improve trust between them and the State.
Highlighting the project’s expected outcomes, Alhaji Jalloh, enlightened that citizens targeted by SABI, demonstrate increased awareness of their rights and entitlements to services within the health, education and social protection sectors (in particular women, youths and Persons With Disability (PWD), that accountable relationships are leading to increased responsiveness from service providers to the demands of citizens targeted by SABI (in particular women, youths and PWD).
Christian Aid is an international development agency that has been in existence for nearly seventy-five years now. Its operations in Sierra Leone started in 1988 with a focus on service delivery and humanitarian assistance. Since the civil war ended in 2002, Christian Aid’s work has had a greater emphasis on building the capacity of local partners to challenge the systems and structures that perpetuate poverty and inequality. It is with that pedigree that Christian Aid leads the consortium of NGOs that is implementing the SABI Project.
FOCUS 1000 is a Sierra Leonean NGO that is committed to making the best investment in the most crucial time in a child’s life: the first 1000 days (the number of days from conception and pregnancy until the child reaches age two). It is primarily engaged in evidence generation and community engagement to influence health policies and promotion of utilization of health services for better health outcomes for especially women, children and the most vulnerable groups in society.
FOCUS 1000’s main responsibility under the SABI project is to engage national level stakeholders including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) involved three key sectors – health, education and social welfare/protection, to ensure that infrastructure and policy bottlenecks are adequately addressed.
The Kombra Media Network (KMN) was established in March 2015 as part of the Civil Society Platform hosted by FOCUS 1000 to contribute to Scaling-Up Nutrition and Immunization (GAVI). KMN’s key objective is to report on health- related activities like issues in nutrition, immunization and other topical health concerns as well as sensitize the public for a positive behaviour and social change.
The KMN has also pledged to communicate correct information; promote and be an advocate for proper health behaviors, including use of services; be a credible link between health providers and the general public.
The Network is currently made up of 70 journalists from different media houses (Print and Electronic Media) and is represented across the country. An interim executive coordinates the activities of the Network.
The MoU establishes a formal relationship between FOCUS 1000 and the SABI Project on the one hand and the Kombra Media Network on the other. It clearly states the roles and responsibilities of each party in the implementation of the SABI Project.
All parties agreed to carry out their roles and responsibilities as detailed in the MoU.
Furthermore, all parties understand that the MoU is not a commitment of funds but rather a commitment of a strategic partnership, based on a shared vision and mutual goals, that the SABI project objectives and activities may be revised from time to time, which may require changes to the terms of the MoU and that all such changes will require an agreement of all parties in writing.
SABI is being implemented at district, chiefdom, ward and community levels across all 16 districts of Sierra Leone. As at February, 2019, the SABI Project is operating in 610 communities, from 106 wards. SABI is also being implemented at national level via engagements with relevant national stakeholders.
The project targets citizens, civil society organizations, district councils, Ward Development Committees (WDCs), women, marginalized young people and PWDs.
SABI Partners, through FOCUS 1000, shall collaborate and share lessons learnt with the KMN on the implementation of the SABI Project on a monthly basis, commit to working with the KMN in a collaborative, open, fair and honest way, where funding is still available, each of the SABI partner shall facilitate learning visits for members of the Kombra Media Network in their districts to observe and report on the SABI work within communities, plan activities 3 or 4 days earlier and share with the KMN representative in their district, provide support to identify and ensure participation of the right people for interviews or as resource persons for radio or television discussion programmes. This is to ensure high quality interactive discourse on the activities of the project.
Kombra Media Network for its part shall have a SABI focal personnel within the Kombra Media Network, report fairly and in a balanced manner on the implementation of the SABI project, hold service providers and duty bearers accountable for their stewardship by using their journalistic skills and media houses (print, radio, television and social media platforms) to report human interest stories on access to health, education and social protection.
KMN will also make input into the development and review of the SABI citizens’ perception data collection process including input into the development of questionnaires and related tools and report on the findings from the survey, publicize SABI activities, lessons learnt and publications and share their insight on the project with the general public on a monthly basis. To this end, KMN will publish/report in the media at least one story or editorial piece on the SABI Project each month. Evidence of all publications by the KMN shall be made available to SABI through FOCUS 1000.
Furthermore, KMN will ensure regular media coverage of SABI activities to be in interactive formats that include the interviewing partners and stakeholders for news stories in both print and electronic media; inviting SABI partners for panel discussions on topical issues in health, education and social protection sectors as well as KMN attending SABI events (workshops, press conferences, district and national service summits, learning events etc.) as and when requested and report in the media the findings, discussions, outcomes, action points, etc. of the events.
The parties agree to meet every two (2) months to discuss the progress of this partnership, identify any issues or risks to the SABI project generally, or this partnership and jointly agree on how these can be addressed. These meetings are to be hosted by FOCUS 1000.
Also, both parties agreed to notify the others as soon as possible of any significant change in the project or any difficulty or delay which might significantly affect adherence to the proposed and/or the execution of the project.
Nothing in this MoU stops the KMN from signing a separate MoU or other partnership under other projects with one or more of the SABI partners as long as the Network continues to fulfill its responsibilities assigned herein.
The Memorandum of Understanding shall be guided by the following principles and practices such as all parties shall share responsibilities and show mutual respect and tolerance to each other’s views in order to achieve the desired objectives; honesty and transparency: being open in judgment and communication by sharing reliable information pertaining to the SABI Project and being sincere in dealing with stakeholders of the project.
Accountability: all parties shall establish and maintain good records and systems, demonstrate probity in all dealings, sacrifice and hard work: all parties should keep to agreed commitments, show a high level of commitment to the project, be selfless and not look for personal gains and good planning: all planning must be participatory involving all stakeholders.
In compliance with the terms of this MoU, it is implied that all parties are obliged to be aware of and comply with laws relating to the protection of children and vulnerable adults, respect for diversity and inclusion of women, marginalized young people and PWDs.
All parties must work to ensure that no one, irrespective of sex, age, ethnicity, religion and political inclination, is discriminated against and that everyone is given equal opportunity to express their views and opinions.

“We promised at the end of 2018 that in 2019, we will push the boundaries of the fight against corruption further than ever, and make corruption a very costly and terrible choice for every Sierra Leonean who crosses the line against corruption that has been drawn by His Excellency the President,” the ACC boss said.
To make good on that promise, based on the experiences and challenges with loopholes and weaknesses in the current Anti-Corruption Commission Act, he disclosed that they have now tabled before the current Parliament a very progressive amendment that, if Parliamentarians does not stand in its way, it will revolutionise and consolidate the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone for good.
Here are the highlights of that proposed amendment:
1. The assets declaration pool at present is too wide, unmanageable and cumbersome as it comprises every public employee including cleaners, teachers, all police officers, all military, every auxiliary staff of public institutions, etc.
This makes asset declaration management by the ACC wholly inefficient and compliance rate very low. We are now reducing the pool to comprise only persons in elective offices, such as; presidential appointees; public officers in grade 7 and above; and public officials below Grade 7 who handle or control cash payments; make decisions for licenses or income generating processes; and are in regulatory institutions dealing with compliance, monitoring and inspection.
All others will only declare on a need to do so basis, as the commissioner will from time to time direct by public notice.
The punishment for failing to declare assets will now include withholding of half salary of public officials after default pending declaration, naming and shaming and removal of the public official from office after over 3 months default.
2. The minimum penalty for serious corruption will now be increased from 3 years minimum to five (5) years imprisonment.
3. The minimum fine will now be increased from Le30 million to Le50 million.
4. Judges will no longer have discretion to order restitution as conviction for misappropriation of public funds will now be followed by a mandatory order to additionally pay back the full amount misappropriated to the State.
5. The civil powers of the commission will be strengthened to enter into settlements with corrupt persons. But, any settlement emanating from that settlement shall mandatorily recover the full amount at stake as a minimum, and go with an additional mandatory ban from holding public office for 3 years minimum.
6. Since bad contracts are responsible for drowning Sierra Leone into billions of dollars in local and foreign debts, due to overpriced and wickedly negotiated contracts, the ACC will now have preventive authority to intervene in contract negotiations on grounds that they are against the interest of the people of Sierra Leone, and stop any performance on the contract for seven days within which time both parties will be at liberty to proceed to court, before a judge, to consider whether the ACC’s claim is justified or not. This action will be taken in line with the principle of “Prevention is better than cure”.
The burden of proving that justification, will rest on the ACC failing which the order will be discharged.
7. We are re-positioning and tilting the evidential burden of proof as follows:
i. Where it is alleged that a public officer has been bribed, any gift above the value provided in the current Act or advantage given to that officer shall be presumed to be a bribe, until and unless he proves otherwise.
ii. Where it is alleged that money entrusted to a Public Officer has been misappropriated, the full amount will be deemed misappropriated, until and unless that Public Officer sufficiently establishes that it was used for the intended purpose.
8. Witnesses will now be better protected and severe penalties included for anyone who interferes with, unduly impedes witnesses or retaliates against any one assisting the ACC to report, investigate or prosecute corruption.
9. Many other revolutionary provisions to assist Sierra Leone place itself firmly on a footing for sincere accountability, transparency and integrity in Public Life.
Every Sierra Leonean should spread this message. Above all, let your Parliamentarians from your respective constituencies know that this is the people’s amendment.
For me, this is what will firmly help us deal corruption a deadly blow once and for all, as long as the political will remains as positive as our President, His Excellency Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio, has demonstrated, and we at the ACC remain courageous in executing our duties fairly but fiercely without fear or favour for anyone.
The fight against corruption is actually won on the bedrock of prevention – and this will be our key focus.
While prevention systems are not cheap, we however encourage our government to invest in prevention technology and systems to remove incentives for corruption and make detection and investigation faster, more efficient and better, while we battle on with this malaise that has left us as a country unjustifiably poor and beggarly.
That said, at this stage of our history, where corruption had shackled the soul of the country with public officials selfishly disrespecting their people – overcoming the collective good and benefit, with this amendment we will make any one either bankrupt or go to prison, or both, while we do our best to prevent.
This amendment is the right direction in the new direction.