The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Alie Kabba on Monday 18th March, 2019 informed Investors from Egypt that the new government under the ‘New Direction’ Leadership of His Excellency President Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio is focused on moving Sierra Leone away from dependency on foreign aid to development.

He made this statement during a courtesy call on him at his Tower Hill office, Freetown by some Egyptian Investors who are in the country to express interest in investing in the energy sector, infrastructure, Marine and Fisheries and Agriculture and Food Security sectors.

The Hon. Minister in his address said the courtesy call was an indication that their government is sincerely focused on economic diplomacy by attracting trade and investment opportunities.

He added that, the call also demonstrated their resilient efforts in attracting investors wherever they go to improve the private sector in order to create more job opportunities for the young people to move away from poverty.

The Hon. Minister recalled that during his visit to Egypt in December last year, he met with his Egyptian Counterpart and that he was inspired by their common understanding that, they need to deepen the ties between their countries, promoting trade and investment opportunities and above all to ensure that there is deeper people-to-people exchange ties between the two countries.

Historically, Minister Kabba added that the two countries have a very strong friendly relationship and that he is aware that His Excellency is particularly interested in exchanging more ties between the two countries now that Egypt is the Chair of the AU.

Sierra Leone, he told the Investor is an attractive destination for investment opportunities assuring them of a political conducive environment.

He said as a government, they are working to create an enabled investment environment in order to ensure long term investment opportunities in the country.

He disclosed that he is being in constant talks with the Ambassador of Egypt to Sierra Leone in ensuring that trade and investment opportunities flourished in the country to ensure a win-win cooperation.

The Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Egypt, Ambassador Morie Fofana in his brief remarks said the investors are here to seek possibilities to contribute to the development of the country.

The Egyptian Ambassador to Sierra Leone His Excellency Maher Almahdy Atta Alsayed assured the Hon. Minister that the investors will meet the expectations of the government.

The Chief Commercial Officer of Elsewedy Electric Company for Africa, Mr Mohamed Atef said his company is an integrated energy solution division and infrastructure service provider that is keen to support the country and share knowledge with their counterparts in the country.

He said they are very keen to support business opportunities, water treatment, infrastructure, telecom among others and that they are ready to work in the country to help develop the country and make life better for its people.

• Over 1,000 African entrepreneurs from African 54 countries to participate in the 2019 Cohort
• Event to be livestreamed on TEFConnect – Africa’s digital entrepreneurship hub

LAGOS, NIGERIA, March 18, 2019 – The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the leading African philanthropy committed to empowering African entrepreneurs, will announce the selected applicants for the 2019 cohort of the Foundation’s flagship Entrepreneurship Programme on March 22, 2019. The event, which marks the 5th round of the Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme, will take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
Every year, the Tony Elumelu Foundation opens its application portal to African entrepreneurs, with businesses of less than three years old. Through its $100million Entrepreneurship Programme, the Foundation empowers 1,000 entrepreneurs annually, who receive $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, access to mentors, a 12-week training programme and opportunities to promote their businesses to a global audience. All applicants receive access to TEFConnect, Africa’s digital entrepreneurial hub, which provides access to networks, training, further capital sources and business opportunities.

As a means of cascading its proven entrepreneurial tool kit to the huge numbers of applicants, the Foundation launched in 2018, TEFConnect, the digital networking platform for African entrepreneurs. The platform, which has currently over 400,000 users, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to network, receive training and forge business partnerships to scale their businesses beyond physical borders.

In the five years since the Foundation launched its Entrepreneurship Programme, it has empowered 4,000 African entrepreneurs directly and an additional 470 entrepreneurs supported by the Foundation’s partners. The Foundation recently appointed Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu as CEO effective from April 1. Mrs. Ugochukwu succeeds Parminder Vir, OBE, who will continue to lend her experience and expertise as a member of the Foundation’s Advisory Board.

The incoming CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, emphasised the importance of partnership in reaching additional entrepreneurs beyond the Foundation’s annual commitment of 1,000 entrepreneurs.

“Each year we see a significant uplift in applicants. Our execution partner, Accenture Development Partnerships, are currently reviewing and finalising the applications. Over 215,000 African entrepreneurs applied from across 54 African countries, up from 151,000 applications last year, with an increase in female representation from 62,000 in 2018 to 90,000 in 2019. These rising figures demonstrate the burning desire of the African entrepreneur to develop our continent, and we must urgently convert this passion into viable businesses to develop our continent.

Our Programme has developed a robust mechanism for directing capital effectively and efficiently, to those who can deploy it in local communities with the greatest impact. We are looking forward to working with partners to collaborate with us, to scale the platform and process we have created. Empowering African entrepreneurs must be a shared responsibility to create economic prosperity for all”, she said.

Speaking on the Entrepreneurship Programme, Osato Noah, West Africa Lead, Accenture Development Partnerships, said:
“We have worked with the Tony Elumelu Foundation since the inception of the Entrepreneurship Programme. In 2015, the first round of the Programme saw us review 20,000 applications for the Foundation and this year we reviewed over 215,000 applications. The sheer diversity and speed at which applications have scaled in the last four years have been incredible. We commend the Tony Elumelu Foundation for their commitment to the transparency of the programme, and Accenture is proud to partner in the delivery of this Pan-African project.”

The Selection Announcement will also feature a Nigerian TEF Alumni Meet up, as well as an interactive dialogue with TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, CON.

One of Sierra Leone’s typical indigenous Companies, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd.), on Saturday 16th March 2019, officially opened its latest fuel station at Wara Wara- Yagala Chiefdom within the heart of Koinadugu district.
Present at the ceremony were Paramount Chief Gbawuru Mansaray III of the chiefdom, Paramount Chief Marah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NP-SL Ltd, Michael Carrol, General Manager of NP, Kobi Walker, Bernard Sisay, Marketing Manager of NP, Head of the military in the district, Major Williams, Dr. Sheku Sesay, Director Alhaji Rahman (Board Member), LUC of Kabala Police Division Lansana Koroma, the Petroleum Agency Director, Mr. Victor Sawyer, the Kabala NP Dealer, Wurie Bah, Management and staff of NP including Mr. Aboko-Cole the officer who is heading the lubricant department of NP, Mr. Gaima, the officer responsible for NP Gas, the press and residents of Kabala.
In his welcome address, PC Gbawuru Mansaray the III expressed his sincere gratitude to the company for making establishing the new NP station in that part of the country noting that the company will help to alleviate the problem of NGOs, MDAs and ordinary people accessing fuel.
He praised the Management of the company for raising the bar high in the industry further expressing hope that more stations will opened in the district.
The Paramount Chief cautioned residents that they must be mindful of the fact that the fuel which will be sold in the district is for Kabala and should not be taken outside for sale saying that residents must take ownership of the facility.
Delivering a statement on behalf of the Management and staff of NP-SL Ltd, the General Manager, Kobi Walker stressed that NP-SL is 100% owned by Sierra Leoneans.
“Not a single share of the company is owned by any politician,” he further disclosed adding that 35 Sierra Leonean workers sacrificed their severance packages and benefits and used such to establish the company.
“What is being done in Koinadugu is as a result of the sacrifice which those 35 Sierra Leoneans made in 1996,” he stated going further to reveal that today NP is in the Republic of Guinea, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Liberia.
“These materialized because of the sacrifice, vision and passion of those Sierra Leoneans,” he underscored with pride. He admonished residents in the district to own the company as it is an indigenous one.
Kobi Walker pointed that every single litre of fuel residents will purchase from NP-SL they must realize that the money will stay in the country and used to undertake other development projects stating that on the other hand, foreign companies take the bulk of the money from their sales out of the country to build their own countries.
He noted that the sacrifices of those 35 Sierra Leoneans paved the way for them to have jobs and admonished Sierra Leoneans to support the company to reach higher heights and provide the opportunity for generations yet unborn to benefit.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of NP-SL, Michael Carrol, said the reason for choosing Koinadugu is because of good security and the culture of the people. “The company is encouraged by the security of the district and we are looking forward for greater things to unfold,” he expressed optimism.
He further buttressed the point of the General Manager that NP-SL is purely owned by Sierra Leoneans and no politician has a stake in the company.
“This new station marks the 38th fuel station opened by the company within the country,” he revealed.
Further buttressing the statements of his bosses, the Marketing Manager of NP-SL, Bernard Sisay maintained that the latest investment is a demonstration of the company’s commitment and passion to serve the whole country. He thanked the Paramount Chief and the people of Koinadugu district for the warm welcome they received. “This latest station is NP’s new baby,” he euphemistically stated assuring the audience that NP will do all in its power to ensure that there is no shortage of fuel in the district emphasizing that they will not let the people down.
In his brief statement, the Local Unit Commander of the Kabala Police Division, Lansana Koroma, assured residents and the company that as far as security is concern they are on top of things.
He expressed appreciation to residents in the chiefdom for their intermittent assistances to the Police which have made it possible for that part of the country to be safe. He warned dealers and others to keep within the dictates of the law and avoid smuggling fuel to neighboring countries.
Other speakers praised NP for their intervention in that part of the country for its investment.
The vote of thanks was given by the dealer of the new NP station, Mr. Wurie Bah. The ceremony was climaxed by cultural display and social interactions.

Many viewers watching the Housemate Salone 2019 Reality TV show both at home and abroad are identifying with the typical Sierra Leonean home setting regardless of its pomp and comfort. What the organisers of this show, the giant of Communication, African Young Voices (AYV) and the giant of Telecommunication, Africell, are seeking to bring to the fore is that regardless of status, the typical home setting is virtually the same, enforcing the view that there is unity in diversity. The show is now the talk of the town.

As the scenes reveal tensions brewing between housemates and the freedom of expression, a characteristic of our society and how these apparent disagreements are resolved, shows the uniqueness of the Sierra Leonean society. It is a natural fact that keeping a group of people in an isolated place with no means of communication to the outside world, will bring out the best and the worst of them. Mindful of these factors, the mystery voice engages the housemates individually on their challenges. Like the father of a family, the mystery voice gives various tasks to the housemates to perform, some, filled with fun and others bordering on domestic chores. These intermittent interventions provide the participants with some respite and often serve to cool down tension, as is typical in any of our home setting.

It is should be noted that the housemates are undoubtedly talented as they could be seen mimicking people to near perfection. The show further seeks to expose these hidden talents and encourage the housemates to grapple with their mistakes and develop their strengths. By so doing, 2019 Housemates Salone Reality TV Show is empowering them and moulding their talents for further use in society and the world at large. Whilst there are scenes of heated arguments and exchange of harsh words, this is not unique to any home setting. They always happen. This is the essence of the Reality TV Show. It is a testimony that nothing is stage managed; everything is as real as it could be in such settings.

To get maximum participation and transparency, members of the public are offered the opportunity to vote to keep their favourite housemate in the house; hence the various contestants are given opportunities to appeal to their fans and the viewing public to vote in their favour via Africell No: 5500.

Housemates Salone further provide the participants with the opportunity to learn more games, effectively equipping them with alternate past-time to other vices. This message is being passed on in practical terms to the viewing public that alternate past-times are available for recreational purposes, especially for young viewers. The fun exhibited in the show keeps the public glued to their TV sets for as long as they can. Desirous of empowering the youths, Africa Young Voices (AYV) and Africell, are implementing interesting programs that will captivate the minds of young viewers and re-orientate their minds to engage in fruitful endeavours that will benefit them and the nation. As the saying goes, ‘the youths are the future leaders’, but nurturing an efficient and effective youth force could be a sine quo non to a brighter future.

As every weekend evictions of Housemates take place and today being the 18th of March 2019 (few more weeks to Mid-April), the light at the end of the tunnel is getting nearer and the race tenser. Housemates are not oblivious of this fact and will be putting their best to ensure they bag the ultimate prize of Le100 million. As consolation, every house mate, with exception of the winner, will earn Le100,000 for every day they spend in the house. This generosity of the organisers is an indication that the performances of the housemates are commendable and if they drop out of the race, it is only because they fail to get the maximum vote of the others who remain in the house.

Meanwhile off the setting of the house, the show has generated discussions in different quarters, not particularly about how it was organised or is being rolled out, but rather bordering on the performances and characters of the various Housemates presently in the House. Most often, the discussion get heated as fans of the various housemates sought to convince their peers to vote for their choice contestant. This healthy debate and discussions is even seen on the social media, an indication of the popularity that the show has raised among Sierra Leoneans. Some observers say that the show has taken over discussions which were formerly dominated by football premier league. All shades of opinions are expressed in an atmosphere of peace.

It should not surprise viewers if some of the housemates appear sexy by the kind of dresses they wear; after all, the show is about housemates in a house. One should not expect them to be fully dressed in readiness for a party, but rather be in their normal home attire performing various chores. This makes the scenes exiting, interesting, natural, real and inviting, culminating in healthy arguments between husband and wife brothers and sisters in almost every home, as they each watch the performance of their favourite housemate and attempt to woo the other to support their choice. Interestingly market women could be seen debating about the show and often times these discussion draws the customers in as they too lend their own voices to the debate.

AYV Television Channel 34, has become the country’s hottest TV channel and praises are being heaped on both the AYV and Africell for airing the Reality Tv show on a 24 hour basis. Some bankers, business people and other members of the public say that the Reality TV show provides some form of relief from the stress of work and the hustle and bustle of life, a kind of therapy. On the other hand what is there for the participants? The Housemates Salone 2019 was created by Africa Young Voices (AYV) and Africell to provide a platform the young competitors to benefit from motivational lectures and increase their knowledge on various issues and help in shaping their characters and fluency of speech. It further enhances their ability to become public speakers.

Both African Young Voices (AYV) and Africell are renowned for promoting young talents. AYV has provided opportunities for young people to have their voices heard, to learn new skills and meaningfully contribute to overall national development (Youth Empowerment).
Africell, in like manner has been supporting various entertainment activities and even young artists in the country with the avowed aim of catching them young and enabling young people to realise their potentials and bring them out.

Whilst not only providing entertainment to viewers, the widely watched Reality TV Show on AYV TV Channel 34, Housemates Salone has also provided a marketing platform for many corporate and business institutions such as Banks, business houses, entertainment entities etc, who are effectively making use of the channel to advertise their products and services. Products like the Brewery’s Star and other products are being consumed in the house; posters of other business entities are posted on various strategic positions in the house, thereby effectively marketing these business entities to the wider public. Thus the Reality TV show is contributing towards the growth of businesses and empowering youths, whilst entertaining and reducing stress of the public. No wonder it is the widely watch TV show across the country.

A one day workshop was organized by the Action Group for Peace and Development (AGPAD) on Friday 15th March 2019 at the Atlantic Hall National Stadium with the theme “Say No to Violence and Support the Commission of Inquiry”.
In his welcome statement, Issa Kolleh Dumbuya thanked colleges and others who are supporting the organization further maintaining that peace will be sustained through the diligent contributions of ex Services men. He noted that they fought selflessly leaving their comfort zones in order to ensure that the integrity of the State is ensured
He stated Government should encourage ex -service men because they have utilized their energies to defend the country.
Rtd. Bridger Sahr Komba Mondeh, one founding member of the organization who also served as Chairman of the event stated that the AGPAD is a national organization that encompasses certain security forces in the country including the RSLAF, RUF, Kamajors, Gbathies, that played vital roles during the 11 years civil conflict in Sierra Leone.
The workshop engagement was a clear manifestation that X- Combatants are denouncing all forms of violence extolling peace. The organization is 100% supporting the Government to continue with the Commissions of Inquiries is for the betterment of this country underscoring that it no witch hunt.
Mondeh promised to employ Ex- combatants at his private security farm.
Deputy Youth Affairs Minister in his statement said there will be no development if there is no peace furthering that the former child Ex-Combatants are now youths.He pointed out that the President himself is a retired Army Officer and the increase of the pension of Ex-servicemen clearly demonstrates that the government is committed to uplifting the status of ex-servicemen in the country.
He however pleaded to the Sierra Leone Police to be a little bit flexible with the Bike riders, as most of them are ex-servicemen.
Ambassador Joe Blell, Former Minister of Defence, encouraged the men not to politicize the organization, as that is common with most organizations, “ if any politician tells you to go out and fight for them, ask them to bring their children, because most of their children are abroad pursing their education, while they give you drugs”. He stated that there is nothing bad to set up Commissions of Inquiry.
Tamba Sam from the Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the Ministry felt humble to honor such an invitation; because the event falls under their purview, “but we are only there to design policy, we have the implementing institution.” He admonished them to use the skills accrued for the betterment of the nation.

Whilst providing fuel to enhance transportation across the country, the National Petroleum is also interested in maintaining the standard of vehicles on the road and ensure the safety of pedestrians, passengers, drivers and owners. In this vein, it has on offer, several lubricants of high quality for vehicles.
Engine oil for heavy duty vehicles and machines (diesel) are available, whilst engine oil for jeeps and other types of vehicles of both petrol and diesel are also available for sale in their different outlets. These lubricants are developed with the right formula to meet the needs of the engine specification. This is made possible by the professional work of its engineers, under the watchful eyes of it able Managing Director and team. With expert technicians, NP has been able to provide this service for its numerous customers.

In this age of technological advancement, NP has not been left behind. With expertise in technology, the company has improved on its service delivery to customers. It now has a Sim Card for fuel. With this sim card known as NP Smart Card, its customers can purchase any amount of fuel they want. Customers have a stipulated amount of fuel on the card in accordance with what they had paid for (a pre-paid system). Thus the customer has a choice to request for a lesser quantity of fuel as he so desires or take the whole total of what is on the sim card. Presently, apart from private customers patronising this system, International organisations, Banks and certain government institutions, including the Judiciary, have these sim cards. This system alleviates the long process of dealing with LPOs as done in the past. Drivers in such institutions can now easily access fuel from the fuel station with the production of the sim card, which is then run through a small device and service is rendered quickly without any itch.

As far as customer care is concern, NP-SL Ltd, has the most exemplary service to its customers. Smartly dressed, its pump attendants exude the quality service that the company is known for. Politely talking to its customers and directing them to the various pumping points, they deliver a service that is exceptional in that field. In its determination to serve the public, NP offers the exact litre quantity for its products, thereby attracting many customers, including commercial drivers to its stations. Mohamed Kamara, a taxi driver, maintained that he buys fuel from NP because their quality and quantity are good and cannot be compared to any in the petroleum industry.

Whilst the above are concern with transportation, the National Petroleum realises that there is a need to cater for the domestic needs of people with the introduction of the eco-friendly NP Gas. NP notes that cooking is part of human activity and it takes different forms. In this country, because of poverty, the vast majority of the citizenry rely on traditional and archaic means of cooking such as using fire-wood and charcoal. But the effect of the use of such practices have endangered the environment, prompting environmentalists to raise alarm about the hazards that deforestation and inhalation of fumes from coal can cause to human health. The introduction of NP Cooking Gas is geared towards providing a better alternative, which is environment friendly.
These NP Gas Cookers are readily available in the company’s different filling stations and are going for affordable prices. Most of those that were interviewed by this medium disclosed that the cookers are very user friendly and good to be used for various cooking purposes. “We derive optimum satisfaction in using our NP Gas Cooker as it is very fast and reliable,” Mariatu Kanu said with a big smile on her face, adding that accessing gas to replenish used stock is very easy at NP filling stations.

One Chief Executive Officer of a reputable insurance company intimated that he finds it convenient to buy provisions at a NP mini mart, adding that since accessing the other supermarkets in town has proven difficult due to lack of parking space, NP-SL provides the perfect alternative to them, especially as what is desired is also available at the mini-mart.
NP-SL Ltd has bagged certain accolades on various fronts.
The company is held in high regard for availing Sierra Leoneans job opportunities, which have somehow helped in drastically reducing the unemployment rate in the country. If this country were to have had similar businesses owned by purely indigenous shareholders, then the problem of unemployment would have long been a thing of the past.

The origin of NP is very fascinating and very inspirational.
It goes like this; that British Petroleum (BP) Company decided to sell its shares to the Government of Sierra Leone that was in existence at that time.
In 1996 the Government sold its 60% shares in BP to some of the company’s members of staff. 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 a new company known as LEONEOIL started operations.
It was the World Bank that proffered advice for the privatization of the company. The 55% sale of Government shares to NP therefore came as a result of the World Bank’s admonition. 4 companies took part in the bid, but it was LEONOIL that won the international competitive bidding that was conducted by Arthur De Little (a United States based Management consultancy firm). LEONEOIL later on metamorphosed into NP, meeting all the set criteria.
It was understood that the members of staff were very serious and capable enough to properly manage the company to such an extent that, unlike others, it survived most of the challenges that it had encountered.
It was learnt 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.
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.
Certain people have suggested that the Government and other stakeholders must give NP all the necessary support it deserves to make it further formidable and highly competitive.
But what for now is very certain is that NP-SL Limited has the safest cooking device (NP Gas).

In the aftermath of a three-day workshop held on the 5th – the 7th March 2019, journalists from community and national radio stations in Sierra Leone established a unique kind of national network against trafficking in persons (TiP) in the country. Through radio broadcasts, the network will contribute to educate Sierra Leoneans on the identification of fake job offers, and report suspected cases of trafficking to the national anti-trafficking task force. The Communication for Development Workshop was organized through the Africa Regional Migration Programme implemented in Sierra Leone with funding from the US Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
The establishment of the network is the result of a three-day (5-7 March) workshop on Communication for Development (C4D) during which 27 Sierra Leonean radio journalists debated on the best practices to reporting and raising awareness on trafficking in persons in Sierra Leone.
According to the US Department of State 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report, Sierra Leone is both a source and destination country. Forced labour and sexual exploitation are the main purposes of human trafficking in and from the country.
Traffickers recruit boys and girls as young as nine years old from rural provinces to urban and mining centres for exploitation in sex trafficking and forced labour in domestic service, artisanal diamond and granite mining, petty trading, rock quarrying, street crime, and begging.
Some Sierra Leoneans, especially young women, are also coerced by sham recruitment and placement agencies, and then smuggled across international borders to be subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking primarily in Gulf countries.
During the debate, Mohamed Sajuma of Radio Mojcar said “This is a first step towards what we hope will be a long-term strategy to help Sierra Leoneans better understand the dangers of trafficking in persons.”
In her own contribution, Margaret Mansaray from Radio Bintumani, a community radio located in Kabala in Northern Sierra Leone, said that “This is the first time that such a network is established in Sierra Leone. I hope that it will be a place where we can learn from each other, and that it will foster good journalistic practices with regard to trafficking in persons in Sierra Leone,” said Margaret Mansaray from Radio Bintumani, a community radio located in Kabala in Northern Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone recent history of civil war, Ebola and the closing down of operations of major iron ore mining companies in the country exacerbated an already dismal situation characterised by high level of joblessness. This appalling situation fuelled the scourge of trafficking in persons for forced labour.
“More than half of the youth population is unemployed so when an exciting offer, especially to go abroad, is presented, most young people seize it, often without checking its authenticity,” explained Sanusi Savage, Head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Sierra Leone.
“Young people’s desperation in the face of hardship often blinds them to the scams that permeate the recruitment sector,” Sanusi added.
Over seven weeks, the journalists will collaborate on the development and broadcasting of a seven-episode radio series to raise awareness on the risks and dangers of both domestic and transnational trafficking in Sierra Leone, as well as the methods for identifying and reporting suspected cases of trafficking.

On Friday 15th March 2019, at Casablanca in Morocco, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio was honoured by the organisers of the 6th International Africa Development Forum in Casablanca for his outstanding leadership in Africa in less than one year in office.

Handing over the award on behalf of the organisers – AL MADA, Africa Development Club and Attijariwafa Bank – President Bio was praised for championing human capital development in Africa, waging a war on corruption to promote transparency and accountability, instituting reforms and structures to promote private sector investment and advocating for intra-African trade and investment.

In recognition of his impressive performance, President Bio was also selected as the Chairman for this year’s 6th International Africa Development Forum, which brought together over 2000 investors across Africa to promote intra-Africa Trade and Investment. The President used the platform not only to rebrand Sierra Leone as the best investor destination, but also highlighted the new reforms, processes and institutions to promote investment.

President Bio also inaugurated the Investment Market Place, which provided a platform for countries including Sierra Leone to engage investors about the investment opportunities in their respective countries. Both the Hon. Jacob Jusu Saffa, Minister of Finance and Micheala Mackay, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of Corporate Affairs Commission, took part in the pitching programme on behalf of Sierra Leone.

In a separate engagement, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Sierra Leone and Attijariwafa Bank. The Government of Sierra Leone was represented by Hon. Peter Bayuku Conteh, Minister of Trade and Industry and Mr. Mohamed El Kettani, Chief Executive Officer, represented Attijariwafa Bank Group.

The award of President Bio by the organisers at the 6th International Africa Development Forum is an endorsement of his impressive leadership in the African continent by African investors. As one of the recently elected Presidents in Africa, President Bio has established his credibility in fiscal discipline, an anti-corruption crusader and a champion of human capital development. President Bio represents the hope and optimism of Africa.

The general public is reminded that the act of indiscriminately attaching stickers, posters, flyers, and other advertisement to walls, trees or any other structure along streets, roads, footpaths, and highways is an offence, according to Section 3(j) of the Freetown City Council Statutory Nuisance Bye-laws of 2010, which states:

“Without prejudice to the exercise by a Health Authority of any other powers vested in them by Public Health Act, 1960, the following matters shall, subject to these bye-laws, constitute statutory nuisance —
(j). Any display of banners or erection of billboards or other advertising hoardings without first obtaining appropriate permits from Council;”

Such advertisements can be an eyesore, nuisance, or distraction to road & footpath users, potentially causing road accidents and they undermine the Council’s city beautification efforts.

Following prior consultation with various stakeholders and affected groups in the city, notice is hereby given to the general public that effective 31st March 2019, Freetown City Council will carry out its mandate and ensure that any person or organisation caught contravening the above law will face enforcement action.

Any costs incurred by the Freetown City Council to remove such advertisements will also be charged to the person or organisations responsible for placing them.

The Freetown City Council is urging the general public to heed to this notice and support the Council’s efforts to Transform Freetown!

Festus B. Kallay
Chief Administrator
Freetown City Council