Delegates from the Kimberling Process Certificate (KPC) Company were hosted by the President of the Diamond Exporting Company Sierra Leone, Fasally Tarawally, on Tuesday 18th October 2022, in order to appeal to the Government of Sierra Leone to lower tax rates for diamond exporters like neighboring countries in the sub-region.
In addressing the delegation, Fasally Tarawally, acknowledged that it is the duty of Kimberling Process to review their counterparts in Sierra Leone on Kimberling Process certificate, import, export regime and systems of internal control, self-regulation, and statistics.
He further said that if such actions are taken it will discourage smugglers from taking the country’s precious minerals out of the country to other neighboring countries. He emphasized that the industry is doing fine because there is a strong bond of trust that exists among miners, dealers, and exporters.
Fasally Tarawally underscored that fair prices, proper service and good relationships have attracted investors into the country – and he noted that most diamonds leaving the shores of Sierra Leone are unique and of high quality. He maintained that the Diamond Exporters Association is contributing greatly to the country’s economy and development of Sierra Leone.
Mr. Tarawally concluded by assuring the KPC delegation to Sierra Leone that they have partnered with the Government to address the fake certificates, fake licenses and counter illicit mining as well.
The KPC delegates acknowledged the warm reception given to them by the President of the Diamond Exporters Association. They further explained that there are several concerns relating to illicit mining, smuggling, and processes of acquiring export certificates, as well as fake certificate among other things.
The Head of the KPC delegation Review Team, Dr. Engineer Mercy Manyuchi, disclosed that they are pleased with the legal and institutional framework relating to Sierra Leone. She went on to say that the legal framework of everything in a country is the very fabric on which transparency and accountability stand – and it also paves the way for smooth transactions with the international community.
Director of Precious Minerals Trading of the National Minerals Agency Mohamed Bah, in his brief statement said that Government has put measures like having a Kimberling certificate to export diamond which he noted has discouraged smugglers from their illegal practice greatly.
He further said that there has been an improvement on the fast-tracking of export certification for exporters.
Director Bah also noted that efforts have been made to increase annual gross profit of mining companies to one percent (1%), to improve the business transaction in communities, and to ensure that community development agreements are fully implemented.
The meeting climaxed with pleasantries and an agreement to pursue a targeted goal.
President Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China
By Wang Xinjun
The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2022. Xi Jinping delivered a report to the 20th CPC National Congress on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee on Sunday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
As a Chinese journalist working in Africa for nearly 10 years, I have been to almost half of the 54 African countries. Some of my African friends ask me the same question from time to time: Why can China create unbelievable economic and social development miracles within a few decades? I tell them from my heart that the “secret” is not complicated. In a nutshell, the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a key decisive factor to achieving China’s miracles.
As a long-term observer for international affairs, I also want to say, the 20th CPC National Congress, opened on October 16, will clarify China’s future development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Chinese-style modernization, and allow the world’s second largest economy to make more headway in different areas, including its unique socialist democratic system.
Why do I think like this?
Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Under the leadership of the CPC, China has transformed itself from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.
The CPC was founded in 1921, when China was in utter disorder, impoverished and weak, and the Chinese people were living in dire straits. The party was aimed at helping change China’s destiny, seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenating the Chinese nation.
My late father was born in the 1930s.He often told me when I was a child that China was totally poor and backward at his prime time, and that the country with a long history and splendid civilization even suffered from Japanese imperialist aggression for 14 years.
After several decades of hard struggle and sacrifice, the CPC led the Chinese people to establish the People’s Republic of China in 1949, enabling the Chinese nation to stand up as an independent nation and to take on a new look step by step ever since.
China’s per capita GDP was far lower than the world average when I was a teenager. I was deeply attracted by the modernity of developed nations after I saw some movies of the US, Japan and other countries. I dreamed that China would also realize modernization in the future.
Since 1978, the CPC has led the Chinese people onto the path of reform and opening up, a right road of realizing rejuvenation of China. Just in a few decades, China has completed a process of industrialization that took developed countries hundreds of years, and created two miracles: rapid economic development and long-term social stability. China has been growing prosperous, being the world’s second largest economy today. My boyhood vision of modernization is now a dream come true.
The past 10 years has seen China’s progress by leaps and bounds.
For China, the past decade has been an epic journey since the 18th CPC National Congress convened in 2012, when Xi Jinping was elected as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Under the leadership of the CPC, landmark projects and historic breakthroughs have taken place in China.
Here are more statistics to illustrate the type of development China has witnessed over the past decade. The following is seen within each minute in China: a ‘Fuxing’ high-speed train can travel 5833 meters; 12.7 hectares of forest or grass are planted; 10 new energy vehicles are produced; 287,700 mobile payments are made totaling over RMB 1 billion; 32,000 bike sharing orders are placed; 206,000 parcels are sent or received; 31.25 million messages are sent via Wechat; takeout orders worth USD 266,000 are completed on food delivery platforms; 481 meters of highways and roads are built or reconstructed in rural areas.
In terms of collaboration between China and the world, these things are happening within each minute: the BeiDou Navigation System is accessed over 70 million times by users in more than 200 countries and regions; the China-Europe Railway Express delivers 3TEUs of goods; 30 passengers & 7 TEUs of cargo reach destination by the Chinese company constructed Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya; China’s import and export with the Belt&Road Initiative(BRI) partner countries reach USD 3 and half million; A Chinese-built water supply project in Cabinda, Angola supplies 35 cubic meters of water, benefiting 600,000 local people.
Over the past decade, the Chinese economy has sustained rapid growth and cemented its global status as a major growth contributor; China has put innovation high on its agenda to boost competitiveness and invigorate the economy. From 2012 to 2021, China’s GDP grew from 53.9 trillion yuan (about 7.58 trillion U.S. dollars) to 114.4 trillion yuan (about 17.77 trillion U.S. dollars) , and its per capita GDP jumped to over 12,000 U.S. dollars from 6,300 dollars, China’s contribution to global economic growth exceeded 30 percent in the same period.
China has made great strides in different spheres from space exploration, scientific and technological innovation to infrastructure construction; China’s elimination of extreme poverty has been one of the highlights of the country’s remarkable development. China had lifted all of its 98.99 million impoverished rural residents out of poverty by the end of 2020.
Under the leadership of the CPC, China is going to an indigenous way to achieve modernization, to navigate the nation’s economy toward a fairer, more innovative growth, and commit to goals of protecting world peace and advancing common development.
I have been following the five-yearly Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress since 1992, because it plays a guiding role in the development of China’s politics, economy, society and other undertakings.
The 20th CPC National Congress convened on October 16 to 22 in Beijing is a congress of great significance after China has accomplished its first centenary goal of building ‘Xiaokang’ , a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 , and to start the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by 2049.
At the opening of the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping delivered a comprehensive report in the presence of over 2,000 delegates representing over 96 million CPC members nationwide.
Xi’s report is very impressive to me. He said that Chinese modernization, pursued under the CPC leadership, is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature and of peaceful development.He stressed that the whole-process people’s democracy is the defining feature of socialist democracy; it is democracy in its broadest, most genuine, and most effective form.
I also noticed that China’s commitment to its foreign policy goals of protecting world peace and advancing common development is also reaffirmed in Xi’s report, providing greater reassurance to the international community. China continues to steadfastly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, as without peace and harmony all other development initiatives will be futile. There is no doubt that this is also the guiding ideology for China to develop relations with African countries.
From what we has been discussed above, the leadership of the CPC has been key to creating China’s economic and social development miracles. I wish many Chinese policies and practices can be helpful for other developing countries, including those in Africa that I have been so close to.
(Mr. Wang Xinjun is a Chinese journalist and international affairs observer based in Nigeria)
The 64th Men’s Organization Annual Thanksgiving Service of the Bishop Baughman Memorial U.M. Church held on the 16th October, 2022 will for a long time remain a memorable day as it was graced by many and to a large extent epitomizes one of the enduring legacies of the Sierra Leonean character, which is religious tolerance.
On that important day in the church’s calendar, the Grand Distinguished Patron was the unassuming, soft-spoken, pragmatic, compassionate Chief Executive Officer of the Gento Group of Companies, Mohamed Gento Kamara, the man who has declared his intention to vie for the Mayoral Seat of the Freetown Municipality.
Dressed in his usual simple but very attractive way, with his lovely wife Mrs. Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara by his side and flanked by members of his entourage, he was welcomed by the clerics of the church. As a matter of fact, his presence in the church attracted a huge chunk of onlookers within the area and soon a buzzing crowd has already gathered closer to the church.
As the Revered in charge of the service commended the men of Bishop Baughman Memorial U.M. Church for keeping the organization alive for 64 years, he also prayed for good leaders who will keep the nation intact and make it prosper. He informed the congregation that a good leader is chosen by God through the People and not one that is imposed on the people. He furthered that honestly serving others is one of the greatest qualities a good leader must demonstrate and went on to stress that a good leader must always be God fearing only if he or she must succeed to rule.
Introducing the Grand Distinguished Patron, Mohamed Gento Kamara, the Reverend told the congregation that he is the young man who has decided to come out in the open to contest as Mayor for the Freetown Municipality.
In his response, the always cool and calculated Chief Executive Officer of one of the proven indigenous road construction companies in the country, Mohamed Gento Kamara, stated that he is highly impressed by the level of fraternity seen among the men and commended them for being united in the presence of God, for propagating the word of God expressing hope that they will continue in that stead.
He said what is currently happening in the church is impossible to take place in some countries, a situation where Christians and Muslims are seen worshipping in the same place. Gento divulged that he is a staunch Muslim, that his wife is a Christian but has no reservation in marrying her and worshipping God in a church.
“This is something that we should cherish and be very proud of because being religiously tolerant is a way of saying we are all one,” he underscored adding that it is only when we set up barriers like tribalism, religious discrimination, gender inequality that we tear ourselves apart and debar our progress as a nation.
He stressed that Freetown is a melting pot where individuals from various tribal groups reside maintaining that it will be historically wrong to hold the view that one particular tribe has a monopoly over knowledge or governance ideas. “Politics played along tribal lines is very dangerous and I want to be the bridge that will connect all the tribes in the city,” he said adding that with the kind of support he looking forward to from the congregation the negative ramifications of tribalism will be drastically minimized in the not too distant future.
Gento praised the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio maintaining that the President is a developmental oriented leader who has done a lot only limited by global situations like COVID-19 and the prevailing Russia-Ukraine War. He said the President’s vision of enhancing human capital development is spot on.
He ended up thanking the leadership of the church for inviting him to worship with them informing that he is a believer in the Body of Christ, that his mother is a Pastor and his wife a member of the church stressing that he would be very happy to reconnect with them again in like manner whenever an invitation is extended to him.
Sierra Leone joined the rest of the world on the 16th October, 2022 to recognize World Food Day by examining the current national food status and strides to be made to actualize the long-desired food sufficiency and security so that the scourge of hunger will be drastically reduced.
However, it must be noted that the world is at risk of yet another year of record hunger as the global food crisis continues to drive yet more people into worsening levels of acute food insecurity, warns the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in call for urgent action to address the root causes of today’s crisis.
“We are facing an unprecedented global food crisis and all signs suggest we have not yet seen the worst. For the last three years hunger numbers have repeatedly hit new peaks. Let me be clear: things can and will get worse unless there is a large scale and coordinated effort to address the root causes of this crisis. We cannot have another year of record hunger,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.
The global food crisis is a confluence of competing crises – caused by climate shocks, conflict, and economic pressures – that has continued to push up the number of severely food insecure people all around the world.
In Sierra Leone, a lean season food security analysis that the Ministry of Agriculture conducted jointly with WFP in August found that food insecurity has further deteriorated, with over one million people (15 percent) facing severe hunger.
The Food Security Monitoring System analysis showed a significant impact of the rising food prices, exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis with the vast majority of households spending over 75 percent of their income on food.
Building on this year’s theme for World Food Day – “No One Left Behind” – WFP is calling for coordinated effort across governments, financial institutions (IFIs), private sector, and partners to mitigate an even a more severe food crisis in 2023. This includes the reinforcement of national economies, social protection systems, and regional and domestic food systems – at speed and at scale.
“One action we must take now is provide school feeding while scaling up cash transfers in the most food insecure communities so that the people’s condition does not deteriorate further,” the WFP Country Director, Yvonne Forsén, said.
Forsén said that with funding from Japan, Germany and Sweden, WFP is providing school feeding in Kambia, Karene and Pujehun districts to reach over 118,000 children.
WFP urgently needs additional funding – US$ 2.6 million – to provide emergency cash transfers to 46,000 people in Tonkolili, Port Loko and Pujehun districts where levels of food insecurity are highest.
Babatunde Ahonsi, the UN Resident Coordinator (RC), on behalf of the UN System in Sierra Leone, has called for a ‘whole-of-society approach’ if progress is to be made on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG13 – Climate Action.
He made that clarion call ahead of COP27 to be held in November 2022.
In his remarks at the event UN Sierra Leone co-hosted with the British High Commission and the European Union, the RC said that in addition to the government, civil society, the private sector, community leaders, educational institutions, and international partners all have a role to play.
Ahonsi said, “climate change affects every country on every continent and does not respect national borders”, indicating that international cooperation, whether in the form of scientific research, new technology, or climate finance, is very important.
According to the RC, consistent with the ‘whole-of-society’ approach is the notion that the Government’s climate action must extend beyond the Ministry of Environment to include a range of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
He emphasized the impact of climate on other sectors — Agriculture and Food Security, Disaster Preparedness and Response, and Public Health. The RC further noted that “it is vital that climate is integrated into all sector strategies and national development plans.”
The RC referenced the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom he said at the closing of COP26 in Glasgow, called on the global community to make good on the $100 billion-dollar climate finance commitment to support developing countries.
He concluded by acknowledging that while climate change poses major challenges for Sierra Leone, there are also tremendous opportunities. “The emphasis on expanding global climate finance going into COP27 presents an opportunity for countries such as Sierra Leone to turn their adaptation priorities into investment plans and build a pipeline of projects,” he said.
Earlier, British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Ms Lisa Chesney, said that Climate Change continues to be a priority for the UK as they hand over the COP26 presidency to Egypt for COP27 – being referred to as ‘Africa’s COP’. She said this was important for Sierra Leone, as it takes ownership of its ambitious mitigation and adaptation plans.
Mr Gerald Hatler, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation, said it was very important to scale up climate interventions in Sierra Leone and that the Government needs to prioritize climate and environment interventions within the Nationally Determined Contributions.
“In order to reduce and reverse environmental degradation, the use of the natural resources of Sierra Leone, be for timber, agriculture, mining and fishery activities, should be carried out in a transparent, well-regulated and sustainable way,” Mr Hatler said.
Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr Francis M Kai-Kai, in his remarks, stressed the Government’s commitment to the global call for action to address the threats of climate change. “Sectors such as agriculture and food production sector, fisheries and the coastal sector, the natural resources including forestry sector, infrastructure (water Resources, energy) sector, public health sector, etc. are all vulnerable, with worrying implications for the stability of our economy,” the Minister said.
According to him, Sierra Leone’s experience with landslides and floods in the last five to six years is an indication that climate stress is never far away. He emphasized the need to build resilience through better livelihood practices.
Minister Kai-Kai mentioned the Government’s reforms in the last four years in response to climate challenges. He stressed that Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2019-2023) provides a broader framework for addressing climate change issues in the country, as contained in the Cluster Seven of the National Development Plan.
In his remarks, Minister of Environment, Professor Foday Jaward, called for swift action on Climate Change as it affects every sector of the country. Sadly, according to the Minister, “these impacts continue to affect our environment, agriculture, food security and even the lives and livelihoods of large communities.”
Professor Jaward said that policy decisions in the country are often swayed by either a backlash from voters, the prioritizing of short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability, or bottlenecks in accessing finance. “Now is the time to change that direction and act,” he said.
Sessions followed by interactive discussions were held on the following topics: Stocktake—Sierra Leone’s experience; Scaling up: Forward thinking, and Opportunities with Multilateral Climate Funds.
The Citizen Rights Network Sierra Leone (CRN SL) has on Friday 14th October, 2022 informed pressmen that the organization has concluded its comprehensive report that contains observations and recommendations on the budget hearing for the Financial Year 2023. He made that disclosure while addressing journalists during a Press Conference held at his Naimbana Street Office in Freetown.
Speaking during the Press Conference, the Executive Director of Citizen Rights Network Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Bai Koroma, stated that the organization on Wednesday 21 September 2022 embarked on the monitoring of the Financial Year 2023 budget discussions held at the Ministry of Finance.
He added that after 13 days of observations or monitoring of discussions on the budget, the organization put together and has concluded its comprehensive report which outlines best practices, corrupt practices that were identified, gaps in the process noted and concerns about the process.
The Executive Director, however, commended the Ministry of Finance over its recent activity status updates during the launch of the bilateral budget discussions on the 21st September 2022 at the Ministry of Finance conference hall, furthering that it is however important to emphasize that such an update is needed.
He informed pressmen that during the budget hearing the Vice President, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh, highlighted the tight fiscal space in the national budget due to external forces referencing the Russian war in Ukraine which he said is having negative effects on the world economy.
He continued that the Vice President, however, advised senior Government officials of the Ministry of Finance to prioritize activities related more to service delivery rather than administrative spending.
Underscoring some of the observations made during the process, the Executive Director disclosed that the organization observed that 65% of MDAs were not present on time and that the Ministry of Finance technical teams eclipsed the financial year bilateral discussions, adding that the organization further observed that the technical team of the Ministry of Finance turned a blind eye to the process of standing down MDAs during the hearing.
Ibrahim Bai Koroma, however, said that the organization wishes to make the following recommendations: Firstly for the sake of transparency and accountability the Ministry of Finance should have given right to CSOs, NSAs to stand down MDAs based on improper presentations.
Secondly, all presentations in different groups should be conducted in Virtually.
Thirdly, that the Ministry of Finance should timely disbursed allocations to MDAs furthering that the Ministry of Finance should enforce the 2018 Finance Act (41) in all public institutions among others
The Executive Director noted that they are of the firm conviction that the right of citizens must be guaranteed and that every citizen of Sierra Leone must be given a fair chance to participate in any Ministry of Finance budget discussions for the general good of the State and for good governance to prevail.
He concluded by reaffirming their commitment to continue to work and advocate for and on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone with the objective of promoting their democratic rights in the country.
The Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, on the 14th October 2022 received and congratulated the newly appointed Sierra Leonean ECOWAS Court Judge, Honourable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma.
Justice Sengu Koroma and Justice Claudio Monteiro Goncalves from Cape Verde were sworn-in by the Chairman of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), His Excellency President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau at a ceremony held in Bissau on Thursday, 6th October 2022.
The new Judges will join the President of the ECOWAS Court, Honourable Justice Edward Amoako Asante from Ghana, the Vice President, Justice Gberi-be Ouattara from Cote d’Ivoire and Justice Dupe Atoki from Nigeria, whose terms were recently renewed because of the disqualification of Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso as countries of ECOWAS.
“On behalf of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone especially Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature, I congratulate you, firstly, on your excellent performance at the interview and finally for being elevated to such an enviable position,” said Chief Justice Edwards, adding that, “this is no mean feat and I am certain that your expertise will enrich the Court’s jurisprudence. Congratulations My Lord.”
Justice Sengu Koroma is a Supreme Court Judge of Sierra Leone. He firstly graduated with Bachelor of Arts in English and History in 1985. His thirst to become a lawyer compelled him to gain admission again at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. In 1990 he graduated with BL at the Sierra Leone Law School. His insatiable desire for higher and quality education enrolled him for his Master of Laws with Merit in 2009 from the University of London.
As a Barrister and Solicitor, he was Head, Maanah Chambers. He was the Company Secretary of the National Development Bank and later became Acting Director of Administration from 1997 to 1999. In 2002, he gained appointment into NASSIT, and was later promoted to the position of Director, Legal Affairs and the Board Secretary of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT). He is a Lecturer, Department of Law, University of Sierra Leone. He was called to the Bench in April 2015 as a High Court Judge. He is currently the President of the Industrial and Social Security Court.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary School, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, on the 11th October, 2022 revealed that the Ministry has received the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
According to the Minister, the Ministry will do a summary analysis, release the hard copies to schools and seek to make available via SMS Result Checker as soon as possible.
As he promised the results are now out.
It must be noted that the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) saw a pass rate of 84.05% in Language Arts, 87.75% in Mathematics and Integrated Science had the highest pass rate (87.78%), which is the best BECE result in recent memory.
The number of candidates sitting BECE increased by 43% in the period 2018-22, reaching 127,889 students for whom results have been released to the MBSSE. Note that 2,427 fewer candidates sat BECE in 2022 than in 2021 largely due to fewer candidates having to repeat the exam in 2022 as many had passed in 2021.
For the second year in a row, there are more female students than male students sitting BECE.
The pass rate for individual papers climbed from 76.8% in 2021 to 84.4% in 2022.
The number of candidates obtaining a minimum of 5 passes inclusive of Language Arts or Mathematics increased by 73.6% in the period 2018-22. In 2022, 112,131 candidates obtained a minimum of 5 passes inclusive of Language Arts or Mathematics, which is the highest ever, even without the 1,167 results that are being with-held.
The top candidate sat and passed all 8 of her subjects with an aggregate score of 6 (perfect) an average grade of 1.00, i.e. the candidate obtained a 1 in all her 8 subjects. She was closely followed by 26 candidates with aggregate scores of 7, 11 of whom had 7 Grade/Unit 1s and just one Grade/Unit 2.
The top candidate was a girl and 16 out of the 27 candidates with aggregate scores 6 or 7 were also girls i.e. there were more girls than boys at the very top in terms of performance in BECE 2022.
The top school saw 100% of its candidates obtain a minimum of 5 passes inclusive of Language Arts or Mathematics, with an average grade of 1.56. A total of 322 schools saw all of their candidates passing for senior secondary school general programme and a further 395 schools had 95.00% or more of their candidates also passing for senior secondary school.
There remains some variation in performance across subjects but none had pass rates below 70%. Of the subjects with candidates sitting numbering in excess of 100.000, Integrated Science had the highest pass rate (87.78%).
There remains a large variation in performance across districts, including in terms of average grade/unit and pass rate for senior secondary school – general.
7 districts had SSS pass rates in excess of 90.00%. The best district had an SSS pass rate of 95.38% and an average grade of 3.75 and candidates from Guinea, which were the worst performing, had a combined SSS pass rate of 42.98% and an average grade of 5.72.
1,167 candidates also sat but their results have been with-held. However, please note they have been included in computing the % change in number of candidates sitting).
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) comes at the end of formal basic education in Sierra Leone. It is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
During a Press Conference held on Friday 14th October, 2022 at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone Office on Waterloo Street in Freetown, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone, unequivocally condemned a planned Wonde Society initiation ceremony slated to take place in Taima, Moyamba District.
President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone, Bishop Akintayo Sam-Jolly, revealed to newsmen that there are contents making the rounds on Social Media relating to an initiation ceremony to be conducted by the Wonde Society in Taiama, Moyamba District.
He said that the said initiation, if undertaken, as stated on social media, poses an infringement on the rights of Christians living in that part of the country.
The President of PFSL maintained that investigations conducted by some members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone on the ground revealed the following: Firstly, there was a meeting called by the Paramount Chief of Kori Chiefdom, in which the Chiefdom Speaker, Chief Yambasu declared the decrees of the Wonde Secret Society before the masses and emphasised that everybody must obey them regardless of his or her status, tribe or religion.
He continued that it was also stated that no electronic instruments (keyboards, P.A system, guitars etc,) should be used in the Chiefdom during the four months of their initiation activities which he said simply means no other music is to be heard in the Chiefdom other than the society’s music.
Bishop Akintayo Sam-Jolly pointed out that the authorities also stated that no outdoor programs should be held by churches which include crusades and revivals and that they have indicated that a non-member should be around on the day of commencing the ceremony.
He disclosed that the foregoing laws are not only an infringement on fundamental human rights and freedom of worshippers but they have the potential to spill beyond what the Wonde society had prescribed.
“In all of these, a certain Lawa-Kigba Madiye from Tongie Gorama Mende Chiefdom, Kenema District is trying to refute the above details but he has confessed that he was not present in any of the meetings nor does he reside in the chiefdom. So his statement is taken with a ‘pinch of salt,” he maintained.
The President stated that matters of such nature have the tendency to undermine the peace and security of the nation and the socio-economic livelihood of the people, adding that these secret society operations are threatening Christianity in some regions, affecting education, and causing much unrest as young men flee districts stating that currently some Christians are also planning to evacuate.
He described the ordeals that Christians in Kailahun and Kenema districts are facing as a gross violation of their human rights and should therefore be condemned unequivocally.
Commenting on its action point, he disclosed that PFSL has adopted a spiritually proactive step by calling all Pentecostals and God-fearing Sierra Leoneans to join in a three-day fasting that commenced on Thursday 13th and lasted till Saturday 15th October 2022.
“We are praying to overturn every planned initiation, stop every evil agenda designed to hinder Christian activities, abort plans of abduction, stop the spread of darkness, and reverse evil plots against the Church and people of Sierra Leone,” he concluded.
Other members present, including the Secretary General of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone, Rabbi Tamba Eric Mbayo, and Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone, Kambia District, Bishop Simon B. Kamara also delivered statements during the press conference.
In a bid to create an invaluable opportunity for young people from across the country to directly engage and collaborate with our health care workers to actively address some of the most important issues Youth and Adolescent are faced with today on Family planning in the country, Health Alert Sierra Leone in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone with support from Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) USAID has on Saturday 8th October, 2022 concluded a two day National Youth and Adolescent Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health Conference on the theme: “Strengthening Youth & Adolescent Voice as a Moment for Investment, Action & Accountability on Family planning.” The Two Day Conference was held at the Bintumani Hotel on Aberdeen in Freetown.
The Conference brought together stakeholders, Non-Governmental Organizations, social change-makers, health workers, community advocates, Youths and Adolescents from the 16 Districts in the country.
Giving an overview of the conference, the Executive Director of Health Alert Sierra Leone, Victor Lansana Koroma, said that Sierra Leone is proud to join other countries in the world to look at issues relating to Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health in the country.
He said that as an organization they met in 2019 to also discuss mortality rate issue in the country, adding that girls are around 34 percent of which 28 percent of these girls in the country are adolescent between the ages of 15 to 19 years.
He said that as an organization they are aware that Government of Sierra Leone has made progress in terms of Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health issues in the country but said more need to be done, pointing out that as part of their efforts to sexual reproductive health in the country the Government of Sierra Leone has introduced the Comprehensive Sexual Education in the school curriculum and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School has trained over 785 health workers to look at issues relating to adolescent friendly services, furthering that the Government has also created adolescent youth friendly centers in 2019 and the review of the Sexual Offences Acts of 2019 as amended.
Victor Lansana Koroma revealed that regardless of these efforts made so far, the challenges relating to Family Planning and Adolescents are huge. He stated that the Government of Sierra Leone allocated 1 percent of the country’s budget to Family Planning of which he called on the Government of Sierra Leone to make a clear budget line in relation to family planning.
The Executive Director said that as an organization they deemed it fit to hold the two days National Youth and Adolescent Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health Conference in order to bring stakeholders, Non-Governmental Organizations, Youths and Adolescents from the 16 Districts in the country in a conversation on issues relating to Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health.
He concluded by calling on the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure the implementation of its commitment to family planning and sexual reproductive health in the country.
The Country Director for Jhpiego& Consortium Lead for the USAID Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project, Baindu Kosia, said that the conference is part of their strides of them supporting family planning in the country.
She added that the Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project supports Governments, local partners, and initiatives at national and international levels to advance technical leadership and achieve goals around maternal, newborn, and child health, voluntary family planning, and reproductive health services of which she noted that they are very happy to support the two day National Youth and Adolescent Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health Conference.
She pointed out that there a lot of statistics showing that adolescent girls are getting pregnant and ended up losing their lives in the country, stating that as part of Momentum and Global Leadership Project work they believed that family planning can address all those issues.
Baindu Kosia pointed out that the National Youth and Adolescent Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health conference is a follow up to a conference held by Health Alert Sierra Leone two years ago and the conference will create the opportunity for adolescent girls from the 16 districts to discuss the successes and challenges of family planning and for them also to bring out innovative ideas to address issues of Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health in the country.
On his part, the Programme Manager for Reproductive Health and Planning at the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Francis Moses, commended Health Alert Sierra Leone and partners for the laudable venture of bringing together adolescent girls around such a conversation which he described as not only important but very timely towards addressing issues related to family planning and sexual reproductive health in the country.
He stated it started in 2018 when the idea of bringing youth and adolescent girls together to discuss family planning issues and that after listening to all the discussions by the adolescent he was very much impressed with their contributions.
Dr. Francis Moses said as a Government they are very happy that young people have taken interest in the issue of discussion of which, on behalf of the Government, he assured all that the Government has listened to the recommendations made by participants and is very much committed towards implementing those concerns going forward.
Commenting on behalf of participants, Fatmata Sankoh from Bo District, commended Health Alert Sierra Leone and partners for organizing the two day National Youth and Adolescent Family Planning & Sexual Reproductive Health Conference which she said has equipped her on Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health issues.
She called on the Government of Sierra Leone and its partners to ensure that the implementation of the recommendations made by young people during the conference takes place.
Fatmata Sankoh also assured all that as adolescents they will take the knowledge they have gained on Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health during the conference to their communities.
Closing the conference were group presentations on family planning by participants from the 16 districts in the country followed by a Hackathon which was won by participants of the Western Urban.
