Opposition Leader Calls for Voters Registration Process & Provisional Figures to be Checkmated

November 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

In a Press Statement issued by Hon. Chernor R.M Bah (Chericoco) Leader of the Opposition in Parliament dated Monday, 21st November, 2022 he stated that on Thursday 17 November, 2022, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), published what it calls ‘Voters Registration Analysis’, associating figures to districts and regions.

He continued that in that same 17 November publication, ECSL informed the public about figures it claims relate to ‘New Registration’, ‘Confirmed Registration’ and ‘Double registration’ but again only in terms of districts and regions.

According to the Parliamentary leader ,it is ,however, unclear how the ECSL arrived at the figures under those categories, particularly how the Commission arrived at deleting over 250,000 registrants on account of ‘double registration.

He argued that the fact that majority of the deletions reportedly occurred in areas where the APC draws its strongest support is a cause for concern and thus; the APC would be constrained to accept those figures under the circumstances.

The honourable Member of Parliament said the public may recall that in his press statement of 10 September 2022, following the first phase of the Voters Registration process; and in his October 2022 follow-up letter to the Chairman of ECSL, at the end of the second phase, he urged ECSL to engender public and stakeholders’ confidence in the credibility of the electoral process by demonstrating inclusiveness, transparency and cooperation with stakeholders.

He continued that additionally, during his personal engagements with the leadership of the Commission, he also urged ECSL to provide a breakdown of the voters’ registration by centres.

Hon. Chernor R.M Bah lamented that it is therefore disappointing that the ECSL has neither acknowledged nor acted upon the repeated requests he made on behalf of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) and in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

According to him, the lack of cooperation and responsiveness is concerning adding that also concerning is the fact that the ECSL similarly disregarded the protestations about the lack of clarity relating to the entire Voters Registration process made by the APC representatives in the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC).

He said in particular, the ECSL ignored their representatives’ concerns about how it (the ECSL) arrived at the huge number of over 250,000 which it says represents the number of ‘double registration’.

Regarding the district and regional tally announced by the ECSL on Thursday, Hon. Chernor R.M Bah said compared with registration figures of 2017, he noted a considerable increase in ‘New Registrations’ in the South, East and Western Rural regions.

He said at the same time, there is significant decrease in registrants in the Northeast, Northwest and Western Urban regions maintaining that such dramatic demographic shifts clearly warrant inter-institutional dialogue and the willingness to provide required clarifications.

Hon. Chernor R.M Bah stated that in view of the mistrust that appears to have characterized population figures emanating from the controversial Midterm Housing and Population Census versus the School Population Census and the highly problematic voters registration exercise and in the interest of transparency and credibility of the electoral process, it would have been expedient for the ECSL to accede to the calls for the centre – by – centre analysis of the registration figures as there could be no better way to verify the accuracy of the figures they are being inundated with.

He said the refusal by the ECSL to avail the public, the APC and other parties with the centre – based breakdown of what essentially should be public information, only subscribes to their position that the figures published may not have been the true reflection of the voter registration exercise.

Additionally, Hon. Chernor R.M Bah said it is also his considered view that the five days allocated for the voter verification exercise as per the ECSL’s 14 November, 2022 public notice, was inadequate.

He said that is particularly so in the absence of a centre -by- centre breakdown of both the registration figures and the over 250,000 registrants the Commission says it has deleted.

He also stressed that the lack of consultations on those critical actions, timelines and ECSL’s refusal to publish the registration figures by centre would suggest that the Electoral Commission intends to conduct such important elections without due reference to the concerns of the main opposition party.

Hon. Chernor R.M Bah reiterated that the failure on the part of the ECSL to provide the necessary access to the main opposition APC and other parties to verify the figures generated for elections in Sierra Leone undermines the trust of their party in the process.

He said consequently, as the Leader of the APC in Parliament, and as the Opposition Leader in Parliament, he would like to notify the ECSL that in the absence of the centre -by- centre breakdown of registration figures, including the breakdown of registrants deleted, his party would demand for an independent audit of the voter registration process and the figures that emanated from it.

The Parliamentary Leader said away from the registration numbers, he has been intimated about a proposal to enlarge Parliament to 135 seats and that the instruments seeking to change the electoral system from constituency based to proportional representation have been sent to Parliament.

He said as far as he is aware, none of those are before the House adding that should they be brought before them, the APC will stand on its existing position on the PR system and will address the proposed parliamentary enlargement accordingly and in the best interest of the people and country.

President Bio takes the House of Lords through his Leadership Style

November 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

President Dr Julius Maada Bio was on the 21^st November, 2022 in the United Kingdom to share his leadership strategies that keep Sierra Leone comparatively stable during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the current global economic crisis.

“As the pandemic spread and we lost loved ones, we relied upon each other to act in ways that would end the spread. We learned very clearly how central people are to all our economies and political stability everywhere.

“As a human race, our ultimate strength has definitely been tested in the past few years. Through it all, we have shown resilience, grit, ingenuity and determination to evolve stronger from the troubled times we’re passing through,” he said.

The President, who was sharing his leadership style with the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom under the aegis of the African Leadership Magazine, recalled that the last few years had reaffirmed that the fortunes of every country in the world were inextricably intertwined, adding that they had all seen how a few people infected with a disease in one town had led to deaths globally.

“We have also witnessed a crisis in one geographical region of the world having a widespread impact across the globe. This attests to the fact that we have a shared destiny, and the sooner we work collectively towards a common global good, the better for our generation and our children.

“How rewarding will it be if prosperity, equity, and relationships in one part of the world lead to prosperity elsewhere?” he asked, noting that if the events of the past few years had taught the world anything, it was that people were far more important than any possessions or politics and that people’s collective success depended on each other.

“Since assuming political leadership in May 2018, rather than focusing on digging in the ground and mining the natural resources – like diamonds – that Sierra Leone is renowned for, our New Direction Agenda focuses on nurturing the potential of our children and then mining their talents to become productive citizens.

“Investing in quality education for the future generation is the most valuable and the only truly renewable resource in the world today. My Government’s New Direction Agenda is premised on what I like to call the ‘Sierra Leone Brain Mining Company (SLBMC)’ – we nurture the talents and would eventually mine the full potential of every child in Sierra Leone,” he said.

The President said it was significant to note that even a global pandemic that caused and was causing unprecedented disruptions, irrational spikes, and uncertainties within the global economy had not weakened his Government’s resolve to keep investing in human capital development and building sustainable education systems.

“Granted this, — and the war in Europe — makes the task at hand more challenging, but we remain confident that this investment is the right thing to do. I am proud to say that despite these global challenges, our investment in education increased from 11% to 22% of our annual budgetary allocation to support primary, secondary, higher, technical and vocational education and training. My Government’s flagship Free Quality School Education program caters to 2 million pupils nationwide,” he said.

That, he added, was in addition to the gains they had already made in education by improving school governance, building more school infrastructure, expanding school feeding, accelerating the use of technology and innovation in education delivery and management, publishing developmentally appropriate learning resources and materials, and implementing a new school curriculum.

President Bio said over 600,000 additional children, especially girls, accessed schools in 2021 and over 5,000 additional qualified teachers were recruited and consequently the country recorded a higher success rate in public examinations at all levels.

“My Government particularly takes the education of girls very seriously. As a result of our policy assuring free STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths] education for girls, we have recorded ground-breaking numbers of girls who are now opting to study STEM disciplines and doing exceptionally well.

“Many parents no longer resist sending their daughters to school, knowing that our Government pays for their tuition, teaching and learning materials, and public examination fees. As we say, THE FUTURE OF SIERRA LEONE IS FEMALE.

President Bio made reference to his Government’s impressive achievements in the education sector in four and a half years, despite the worldwide challenges, which solidified Sierra Leone’s position as a global champion for education.

He clarified that he was not speaking of education as merely a means of producing skilled labour for investors in the resource-rich West African nation, but was also speaking of education as a means of liberating the country’s citizens and empowering them with the tools to lead healthy, productive, fulfilling, and even prosperous lives.

“I will end with a clarion call to strengthen ties with Sierra Leone. As we turn our near recession from the pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war into recovery, we need all the support from our friends and partners in the UK.

“We need investments in critical sectors, including education, agriculture, health, infrastructure and the extractive sector. My Government welcomes all potential investors. The perception of risk is high, but we have deliberately made tough policy choices to attract and retain investors in Sierra Leone.

“Coupled with the hard work and resilience of Sierra Leoneans – THE SKY IS OUR LIMIT. We can work together to sustain and build on the momentum and successes of my administration to move the country to the next level,” he concluded.

Koidu Limited Rehabilitation Work on Kono Blind School almost Completed

November 23, 2022

By Abdulai Mento Kamara

Koidu Limited, one of the biggest mining companies in Kono District, is almost completing the rehabilitation of the erstwhile neglected Kono Blind School in Koidu Town.

Principal of the Kono Blind School, Philip Deen Sesay, intimated this news medium that the school for the visually impaired pupils in Kono District was established way back on the 6^th September 1988, 35 years ago.

He continued that the school has survived because of the Government’s quarterly subvention but lamented that it sometimes takes the school’s administration about 6 to 7 months without getting that subvention from the central Government.

The Principal furthered that a philanthropist and a son of Kono, one Ibrahim Turay, made a commitment that Koidu Limited, under which he is working, would step in to fully salvage the state in which the school was, especially the dilapidated school building which was not properly built under the Sababu Education Project.

He confirmed that the first consignment or gesture which was extended to the Management of the school by Koidu Limited was Seventy Million Leones (Le70M) through an organization known as Kono Lives Foundation.

Mr. Sesay, who attended the Milton Margai School for the Blind in Freetown, said during the ceremony which marked the handing over of the Le70M to the blind school, the Management of Koidu Limited also used the occasion to commit themselves that they would step in full force to rehabilitate the dilapidated school which was about to collapse.

“But with the timely intervention of Koidu Limited which conducted feasibility studies of the school observed that the building has become dilapidated and if urgent action was not instituted, it might fall down and cause untold damage,” he told this medium and continued that in May this year, Koidu Limited commenced or started a massive construction and rehabilitation work on the school.

He expressed gratitude and commended the Management of the company for even building a quarter for him and his family members to reside. The Principal compared the renovated school to a college.

He frowned at people who are still thinking that the blind or visually impaired people are less useful in society underscoring that there is no need to neglect this class of people in society stressing that, “There is ability in disability” and lamented how the school properties were carted away by heartless people because there was no better school structure and storage facility to properly protect the school materials.

He said the contractors of the school building had completed the rehabilitation of the school and they are now constructing the boys and girls quarters to fully make the Boarding Home functional.

The Principal further bemoaned that the pupils are supposed to eat three times a day but the prevailing hike in the prices of food and essential commodities had limited the children to eat only two times a day.

He informed that the total number of blind pupils in the school is 72, noting that the school administration spends One Hundred and Forty Thousand Old Leones (Le 140, 000) every single day on feeding and a bag of rice lasts only for two days. He emphasized on the uneasiness involved in running a Boarding Home.

On the issue of salary for teachers, Mr. Sesay explained that the school has six (6) voluntary teachers who are not on the payroll and four teachers including himself who are on payroll.

He further intimated how the school is facing too many constraints, including the lack sufficient food to satisfy the children and the absolute lack of teaching and Braille materials across all the blind schools in the country.

Mr. Sesay stated that braille teaching materials were not for sale in Africa except that they are ordered for or imported from either United Kingdom, America and beyond.

Sesay said as we are now living in a digital world, the blind school needs typewriters no more but is interested to have more computers so that the children would be able to compete with their counterparts as they are integrated in secondary schools.

Sesay expressed gratitude to a humanitarian organization known as Sustain For Life to approve their project which aided them greatly to secure about twelve (12) computers and one printer.

He also expressed gratefulness to the Management of Koidu Limited stating that the issue of rehabilitating the blind school was not part of the company’s mandate but they stepped in as a mining company to support the course of serving humanity, especially when the project had to do with the educational development of the visually impaired.

He prayed for the management to continue actualizing the promised to give more strength to the school feeding program so that the poor children will continue to eat three times a day as usual by January 2023.

Mr. Sesay recalled that last year, the SLPP led Government of Sierra Leone supported the school with its quarterly subvention for the whole year which they used not only to pay salaries of academic and supported staff like the cooks, drivers, cleaners and among others, but they also used part of the subvention to pay salaries to the six voluntary teachers.

Mr. Sesay clarified that the subvention which was sent last year has been exhausted or spent because the said subvention in the tune of Thirty One Million Leones (Le 31M) was not enough to run a whole learning institution throughout the year. He cited the general increase in the prices of basic commodities.

In that regard, the Principal humbly appealed to the Government to increase subventions to all blind schools across the country for their smooth operation.

ECSL Ends Training for Exhibition Staff Nationwide

November 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The training that the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) was providing for Exhibition staff nationwide has come to an end. Having acquired the requisite skills and knowledge of the procedures, it is expected that the trained staff will put what they have learnt into practice on the 24th to 28th of November 2022 which has been scheduled for the exhibition exercise to take place.

The training of exhibition staff was monitored by senior staff from the ECSL Headquarters in Freetown after an effective training of the District Staff at the regional level who then cascaded the training to the Ward Coordinators who in turn trained the Exhibition Staff. The exhibition staff and materials will be deployed to their respective exhibition centres on the 23rd November 2022.

The Provisional List of Voters will be exhibited in all 3,630 centres in 446 Wards nationwide, for registrants who registered between the 3rd of September to the 8th of October 2022 to confirm or correct their details.

National Action Plan for UN Decade of Family Farming 2021-2030 Launched by Agric Minister

November 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Abubakarr Karim, formally launched the national action plan for the United Nations decade of family farming 2021-2030 on the 17^th November 2022 at the Sierra Palms Hotel on Aberdeen Beach.

The ceremony was graced by various stakeholders in the agricultural sector including the National Farmers’ Federation, Agricultural District Officer Smallholders farmers with all admitting to have contributed towards the drafting of the document.

The Minister stated in his keynote address that he is very concern about farmers’ welfare as they are the reason for the existence of his Ministry stating that family farming will be an economic, social, cultural and environmental model governed by economic and social relations.

Minister Abubakarr Karim added that with the predominance of agroecology and other sustainable practices of production associated with business management, gender equality ,means the recognition of women’s rights and the strengthening of women’s role in family farming and food security will lead to women empowerment which will in turn improve their livelihoods and the sharing of household responsibilities .

He said, in addition, short marketing circuits will be strengthened and women and young people empowerment in value chains and food security will be boosted ,

Saeed A. Bancie, the Food and Agriculture Organization representative in Sierra Leone who also spoke on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator to Sierra Leone noted that he was gratified by the premium the Ministry of Agriculture places on family farmer stating that the Global Action Plan was launched as a tool to address some of the challenges faced by family farmers and it spans onto 2030.

The FAO Representative said family farming is very important especially at a time after the global crisis which Sierra Leone is not immune to adding that family farming will improve the knowledge input of farmers, and it is with the hope that it promotes political commitments.

He said when that is achieved it will increase the availability of a food system which in turn can offer new economic opportunities and increases urban rural lineages. He ended by stating that the FOA is committed in assisting Government towards achieving such a dream.

National Farmers Federation Sierra Leone representative described the day as a dream comes true and thanked all those who made such a dream a reality. He said the Federation exists to steer the mantle of smallholders and are well abreast with their numerical strength and weaknesses.

The grey areas, he noted, that need to be addressed are the action plan should have a strong political leadership to succeed, it should be inclusive of small holders through business models since market remains a big challenge for their products, it should strive to promote sustainability standards for farmers along the value chain and to share knowledge, experience and that procurement should involve the farmers and finally to develop a national action plan.

Dr, Mohamed Agiba Sheriff, Director of Agriculture, who chaired the ceremony stated that Sierra Leone has to domesticate that action plan after it has been finalized as it will contribute to food self-sufficiency and that they have come a very long way to making this a reality and was happy that the representative was all encompassing including academic, CSOs, media researchers among others after series of consultations with the launching to be followed by popularization and implementation of the plan

The vote of thanks was rendered by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Theresa Dick.

Government Commends Orange for Investing in Sierra Leone

November 23, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

It is an indisputable fact that an offshoot of the first telecommunications company to effectively commence operations in Sierra Leone is Orange-SL and since that time, after various transitions, the company has now clocked six years doing business in Sierra Leone and it is still doing well-offering voice calls and data bundles with a growing subscriber base.

For its effective and seamless performances throughout its years of operations in the country the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Solomon Jamiru Esq, has commended the company for holding the fort.

He commended Orange-SL for creating jobs, expanding its network and contributing to national development furthering that regardless of the economic constraints in the country, Orange-SL has not stopped investing in the country, especially on human capital development.

Indeed, the company, as widely known for, still continues to demonstrate its leadership in providing quality and affordable services to its most-cherished customers. The major successes scored in the local mobile telecommunications sector have reassured that the company’s ambition to lead the digital transformation in Sierra Leone is on course. Over the past 6 years, the company has invested over 1.7 trillion Leones in the areas of network modernization & expansion, Human Resources, and corporate social responsibility.

It has constructed over 300 new sites, modernized its network infrastructure, and built a data center in Freetown with a second data center currently under construction in Bo. Today, Orange-SL can boast of the largest network with the widest coverage in the country with over 538 sites connecting over 2,000 new localities with voice and data services.

The company has contributed to the improvement of data penetration with the launch of 4G and 4G+ services in 2019 and 2021 respectively. As a compliant company, it respects its tax obligations in the country and is one of the largest taxpayers in Sierra Leone, which has paid over 835 billion Leones in taxes and Regulatory fees.

Orange-SL fully understands that its success is heavily reliant on a vibrant Human Resource. It has invested about 225 billion Leones in the last 6 years mainly in the capacity building ensuring that employees benefit from soft skills, and technical and leadership training. The company nurtures talent from on-boarding, ensures retention, and provides exposure opportunities to other orange affiliates.

Today, the company has gainfully employed about 400 direct staff and has created over 40,000 indirect employees. This is done in a bid to promote local content and ensures skills transfer from experts to locals not forgetting women’s empowerment.

The Company’s Mobile Financial Services, Orange Money is currently leading the financial inclusion in Sierra Leone giving access to thousands of Sierra Leoneans with safe, secured, and efficient digital financial transactions, while its renewable energy business compliment the government’s drive to enhance access to electricity.

At the heart of Orange’s strategy is its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. The company strongly emphasizes good environmental, health, and safety practices and remains the first Telco to acquire an Environmental Impact Assessment License in 2018. In its ambition to become zero net carbon by 2040, Orange-SL migrated over 65% of its sites to solar energy.

In 2021, the company launched its Foundation to support projects aimed at improving human development in education, health, and culture with a strong focus on women and youth. The Foundation has invested over 13 billion Leones to execute many activities. The Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Basic & Senior Secondary Education has constructed 5 Early Childhood Development Schools and has launched 4 of the same in Kenema, Pujehun, Kambia, and Port Loko in support of the government’s Free Quality Education Agenda.

Under its health pillar, the Foundation has provided a multi-screening booth for antenatal and postnatal care at Kroo-Bay and it also refurbished the Kroo Bay Community Health Centre to promote health care delivery in the community. Additionally, the Foundation has refurbished 5 wards at PCMH with major interventions in the area of WASH. In the area of digital inclusion, Orange Foundation opened the first-ever Women’s Digital Centre in 2021 in partnership with NAYCOM to help train uneducated and unemployed women in basic commercial, digital and financial management. So far, 126 women have graduated from this center.

Orange-SL has also established the Orange Digital Centre along Wilkinson Road, to provide free digital training to youths specializing in Web/Mobile App Development, and soft skills, a Fab Lab to promote innovation, and an Orange Fab to enhance entrepreneurship. Very soon it will be launching these centers in the provinces.

“We want to thank the Government for providing a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. We also extend our gratitude to our regulator, partners, customers, and employees for accompanying us through this six-year journey. A journey that has been fret with many challenges, misconceptions but also resounding successes,” says the CEO of Orange-SL Sekou Amadou Bah and assured that his company remains focused to provide that which is essential to the daily lives of Sierra Leoneans. “We will continue to do so with zero tolerance to corruption and fraud as Orange maintains strong policies and processes against corruption and fraud in line with local and international laws and conventions,” he said and added that the company will continue to respect every law that is applicable to its business and as a responsible Corporate citizen it will continue to invest in Sierra Leone.

“We remain committed to delivering on our promise to provide the best telecommunications services in Sierra Leone and we hope the Government will continue to consider us as a reference partner in socio-economic and ICT development,” Bah assured.

Sierra Leone Celebrates Joseph Koroma

November 23, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The winner of the International Orange Venture Prize (OSVP) 2022, Joseph Koroma, was recognized and honored at a cocktail party on Thursday 17^th November 2022 hosted at the prestigious Lagoonda Complex in the West End of Freetown.

The event brought together representatives from the Government, Staff and Management of Orange Sierra Leone, family members and well-wishers of the Winner, private sector company officials, the media, etc.

Orange-SL Chief Executive Officer, Sekou Amadou Bah, expressed nice sentiments about the winner, noting that in three years, his company has awarded seven winners under the general and women’s categories in the sum of 365 million Leones.

“Every year, all the finalists from the different countries will participate for the international grand prize organized by OMEA. This year, out of 17 countries with over 1,400 applications, Joseph Koroma, one of the Sierra Leonean finalists emerged as the winner for his innovative project known as “Life Blood- Sierra Leone” and he will receive the sum of 25,000 Euros for this grand win. As a company, we are very excited about this win as it is a win for Sierra Leone,” he remarked and continued that the company hopes to train, nurture, finance, and provide the platform for many more innovators and entrepreneurs to thrive so that the company can produce many other Joseph’s that this country will be proud of.

“Thank you for gracing this occasion in honor of Joseph and cheers to Sierra Leone for this great win,” Bah said.

The winner, Joseph Koroma, registered his appreciation to Orange -SL for supporting his project, adding that “I owe everything to Orange-SL”.

“The company gave me a spring without idea and skills,” he said and continued by thanking those who supported him throughout the process, such as Innovation SL, one of his mentors – Mahmoud Idriss, for providing the guide; Osman Kargbo, who gave him the logic needed to perform well under his project; and his Partner Osman Sahid Sesay, for helping him so much and being a good partner.

“Lifeblood is everybody’s own. We have saved lots of lives through blood transfusion. Sierra Leone has the highest cause of maternal mortality caused mostly by bleeding. Fifteen percent of blood transfusion can help so much in saving lives,” Koroma revealed and furthered that they are pushing for about 85 percent of Sierra Leoneans to know their blood groups and want to create more blood banks to save lives.

“We created a Community App to save the gap of getting more blood in the blood banks. We need more blood banks,” he said and noted that they have created systems to take records and operate blood systems in laboratories with good practices. “The standard has been set and our system can compete with other countries,” he said.

The Winner requested more support and partnerships to enable them to increase blood availability, and blood data, create blood education, push towards SGG 3, 4, and 10, and try to do 17.

The Director General of the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM), Daniel Kaitibi, informed the gathering that he was present when Joseph was crowned as a winner. “I was very proud and excited for my country to win such an enviable prize, especially when we were competing with other 16 countries,” he said. He continued by pledging his institution’s support to the Winner, Joseph Koroma, and admonished other Innovators to showcase their talents for the benefit of the nation.

The Deputy Minister of Information, Solomon Jamiru, thanked Orange-SL for creating jobs, expanding its network and contributing to national development. He continued to thank the company for exposing young people to represent the country through innovations. “I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the President and Government to congratulate Orange Sierra Leone for emerging as the winner,” Jamiru said and added that despite the economic constraints in the country, Orange-SL has not stopped investing in the country, especially on human capital development. “Once more I want to thank Orange SL and Joseph Koroma for bringing laurels to Sierra Leone for which we are grateful as a Government,” he noted.

OSVP’s Le100 million local star prize Winner 2021, Haja Isatu Bah, said in spite of the economic challenges in the country and across the world, she is happy that Orange-SL has not relented in supporting local entrepreneurs. “I am looking forward to always being part of the Orange family. They have opened doors and opportunities for us,” she said and went further to recommend that the company should be considering an increase in prizes so that the Young Entrepreneurs can boost their businesses. Bah called on her colleagues to support the company. “Everybody must work to match the prize,” she said.

Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. David Sengeh, who also doubles as the Chief Innovator, said the country has chosen what entrepreneurship has helped to do, noting that lots of Sierra Leoneans have won innovative awards. “This is part of the human capital Development. We are having a leadership that is willing to promote Sierra Leoneans taking innovation to another level,” he said. “More students have applied for science than arts and more women have applied for innovations. We the young people have to be entrepreneurs and good leaders,” Dr. Sengeh said and ended by thanking Orange-SL for the support.

It could be recalled that the OSVP was introduced by Orange Middle East and Africa in 2011 with a strong ambition to accelerate start-ups and promote local innovations with great potential to solve social and digital challenges in Africa.

In March 2019, Orange Sierra Leone launched the OSVP national competition to give Sierra Leonean innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to acquire funding, mentorship, and expansion of their businesses.

NP-SL’s Translation of its Mission Statement into Reality is Positively Changing Lives

November 23, 2022

National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL-Ltd)

By Amin Kef-Ranger

NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is a thriving indigenous petroleum marketing company that has stood the test of time since it was established by thirty-five Sierra Leoneans years back.

Overcoming turbulent times through shrewd, incisive and fine managerial initiatives, the company has gained a strong foothold in various parts of the country and has a presence in neighboring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.

The company has truly proven that it is committed to the attainment and fulfillment of its mission which borders around “maintaining its dominant leadership position in the local market and strive to operate at sub-regional level by assuring the supply of petroleum products in an environmentally friendly manner while offering superior value for their customers, employees and other stakeholders based on a proud corporate culture with emphasis on safety consciousness, profit optimization, corporate expansion thereby contributing to national development”.

To a large extent the company has, over the years, successfully rolled out what it set out to accomplish in the aforementioned Mission Statement.

Today, in Sierra Leone and within the West African sub-region, NP-SL Ltd stands tall, dominating the petroleum marketing landscape in terms of its timely importation of high grade petroleum products, its effective marketing strategies, the number of dealers it has attracted to open Filling Stations even in hard to reach areas as well as the impressive ways it is optimizing customer care, earning it the covetous accolade of 1^st for Customer Care.

With regards to safety consciousness, the company always ensures that it provides tips at all its Filling Stations on how customers should conduct themselves when they are transacting businesses. Information such as “No Smoking”, “Avoid Naked Flame”, “Turn Off Engine While Fuel is Being Pumped”, “ Don’t Make-Up While Driving”, “Switch off Mobile Phones” are just some of the precautionary measures that are constantly made visible to all and sundry amidst the fact that fire extinguishers are always handy.

In all the countries within the West African sub-region where the company opted to establish, it was more particularly concerned of building a well-run dominant petroleum company in Liberia that is poised to compete in the West African sub-region. To a large extent, that Vision has been achieved as NP-SL Ltd is a vibrant functioning entity that is assuaging the petroleum needs of people in that part of the world and doing so commendably well.

When the company was set up, the owners thought of having a Culture bordering around “developing a disciplined family with an institutional culture working towards building a great company”.

It is against such a backdrop that the company made it a policy that in terms of employment, indigenes should be given priority as opposed to expatriates or foreigners. The culture is in sync with promoting the Local Content Policy and has contributed to the improvement of the lives of many locals. Employees of the company are well disciplined, are motivated and courteous in the way and manner in which they treat customers from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Known for effective service delivery, the company has calibrated pumping machines that gives the exact amount of fuel requested for.

Also, it introduced what is now known as NP Smart Card which is a memory chip that could be credited from time to time by the holder in order to buy fuel. It is a cashless way of conducting business and many have attested that it is very convenient.

There is also NP-Gas which is a cooking devise that could be refilled with gas. Manufactured in different cylinder sizes it is said to be very efficient and they are sold at the company’s Filling Stations or authorized dealers at affordable prices.

With the core values of NP-SL Ltd anchored on: Safe Working Environment, Good Customer Service, High quality products, environmental sustainability and building positive teams, NP-SL Ltd has come a long way in executing its roadmap to become a viable business entity.

Telecommunications Companies are going through Extreme Difficulties to Operate

November 23, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Though it is most times said that Sierra Leoneans are a resilient people, however, the rate at which prices of essential commodities and services are skyrocketing have forced the vast majority into abject poverty as most could not even afford a three square meal a day.

Under the prevailing inflationary situation, it is hard to contradict the fact that political ineptitude alone as to how the economy should be handled has made it difficult to easily access the much needed bread and butter as it is evident that the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war are also at play. Today, it is an established fact that the country falls among those with one of the hungriest populations in the universe.

Some have been advocating for some form of price control but that cannot be done within the context of the Government determining prices the prices of goods and services as those are really determined by the prevailing market forces of demand and supply.

Government, through the Trade Ministry, can just regulate prices just to ensure that consumers are treated fairly but whether the Government has been doing so effectively could be the subject of another day.

However, when this medium ventured out into the business and corporate world with a view to investigate how certain companies, with particular reference to telecommunications service providers, are coping under this galloping inflationary period, the findings were really startling leaving doubts in mind as to why some entities of theses GSM or Mobile Companies are still up and running, providing the much needed telecommunications services required in any modern society.

It was really mind boggling to learn that although these telecommunications companies, with special reference to Africell-SL, Orange-SL and Qcell-SL are registered to operate as business entities in the country, paying their taxes and positively contributing to development through the implementation of various projects under their Corporate Social Responsibilities, seemingly they are being remotely muzzled to operate according to the prevailing economic circumstances, legislation, best practices and the dictates of the right market forces.

Cost of operations incurred by all telecommunications companies have quadrupled over the past few years to such an extent that the profit margins of these GSM Companies are dwindling by the seconds and for now are barely functioning based on the existing resources they were able to garner before things really became rough and tough.

Doing businesses under such difficult operational circumstances it could only be an option, on the part of GSM Companies, to increase the prices on the data bundles that they market ,which indeed was what they resorted to only to evoke a loud hue and cry from subscribers in different parts of the country until the Government stepped in and ordered that the telecommunications companies must revert to the former prices.

From the discoveries made during the investigative period it came out glaringly that these GSM Companies are incurring high production or operational costs to ensure that various telecommunications services are provided which many are presently making use of.

As the situation now stands, there seems to be no ending in the increase in Foreign Exchange rate against the Leones. The present day value of the UD Dollar is at Le. 18,000 (Old Leones) to $1. This record an increase of 148% since the last GSM tariff adjustment was done in 2017 when the exchange rate was Le. 7,258 (Old Leones) to $1. Obviously, with these new increases, telecommunications companies are forced to make adjustments in data prices just to ensure that they are not losing.

Telecommunications companies are also presently contending with an increase in fuel cost. It must be noted that Fuel price is at Le 25,000 (Old Leones) against Le 6,000 per litre 5 years ago when the telecommunications sector tariff was last reviewed. This records a colossal increase of 317% for a product that account for a major part of the total operations of telecommunications companies in this country.

As if to add salt to injury, the cost of Electricity Tariff has also gone up. Even electricity tariff which is a similar utility service and a cost driver for telecommunication services has witnessed a significant increase of 78% from Le. 1,890 (old Leones) to Le. 3,364 (New Leones) as at July, 2022.

Presently, the use of the internet has become very trending as many are using it for various purposes, other than, to conduct academic research. Since Zoodlabs took over the control of the internet from SALCAB the connectivity cost has increased. It is worthy of note that at the beginning of 2022, the cost of 1 Gbps data from Zoodlabs was Le 156 Million (Old Leones). Today, it is Le234 Million per Gbps recording 53% increase in the direct cost of the internet.

There are companies that are using the Terrestrial Fiber for internet connections. As at present, the cost per Mbps that was $0.4 has also increased to $10 recording a 2,400% increase. Telecommunications companies have no alternative but to comply.

With all these costs that telecommunications companies are currently incurring, their move to increase data prices was stiffly resisted against by the Government only because the vast majority of subscribers were complaining of another addition to their existing hardships.

Sweeping such a sensitive issue like that under the carpet could never be a positive move on the part of the Government as it is in no way a sustainable solution to the problem as the writing is clearly on the wall that contradictorily while the GSM Companies on the one hand are doing business to maximize profits the Government, on the other hand, is trying to protect or insulate subscribers from additionally paying for the consumption of data bundles. Interestingly, while the GSM Company are losing profits the Government is only concerned in creating the impression that it cares for the masses.

What is expected at this material time is for Government to step in and see how best it could help in reducing the operational costs that telecommunications companies do incur to function effectively. Such could be in the forms of waivers or tax exemptions.

Caught up in this quagmire, the telecommunications regulatory institution, NATCOM, promised to do the necessary consultations and arrangements in order to come out with a final decision that will be satisfactory to all concerned. However, from the time of making that statement to now, time has elapsed but the problem still remains and nothing seems to be done.

It is anticipated that with the current stalemate the GSM companies could ultimately resort to technicalities in order to work out the calculations in terms of how long a megabyte should last just to ensure that what is dished out should be commensurate to what is paid for.

There is also the probability that these GSM Companies would reduce the number of projects to be funded and rolled out under their Corporate Social Responsibilities as a way to recoup the operational costs expended by them.

Some have speculated that promotional programmes, though conduits of advertizing, which have transformed the lives of lucky winners could be dwindled by these GSM Companies.

It must be underscored that the situation is a very sensitive one and must be carefully handled.

But as the situation now stands, if not quickly addressed, it will degenerate into telecommunications disruptions countrywide as another alternative until a meaningful headway is forged.

If that takes place then the consequences could only be dire and negative far reaching leaving only the option of the Government and GSM Companies hurriedly coming together to reach an agreeable position.

AU Ambassador Appreciates China’s Support for G20 Membership, as African Voice Should Not Be Sidelined

November 23, 2022

The African Union (AU) appreciates China’s and Indonesia’s support for the AU to join the Group of 20 at the just concluded G20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Rahamtalla M. Osman, Permanent Representative of the AU to China, told the Global Times, stressing that many common challenges facing the world need to be collectively addressed in a global manner.

In his address at the G20 summit in Indonesia on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China supports the AU to join the G20.

“This stand from China is not surprising, as it tallies with continuous support to the African countries in the international fora. It is also a reflection of the mutual support that characterizes the political relations between China and Africa,” Osman commented.

Africans must be better represented in world key decisions fora, and not just as observers, he stressed.

Inspired by Xi’s announcement that China supports the African Union in joining the G20, Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar, said, “As the largest developing country, China has been in the forefront in championing the interests and legitimate rights of developing countries,” the Xinhua News Agency reported.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for the AU to be included as a permanent member of the G20 leading economies at the summit in Indonesia on Tuesday. “We call for continued G20 support for the African Renewable Energy Initiative as a means of bringing clean power to the continent on African terms,” Ramaphosa said.

“Africa, with its huge resources and almost 20 percent of the world population, if it joined the G20 would contribute positively to the holistic solutions for sustainable development and good global governance,” Osman told the Global Times.

Africa has been an active member of all international organizations, but not the G20. The call for the admission of AU to G20 is of significant value to the global economic order, according to the ambassador.

As such, the inclusion of the AU in G20 is critical for the promotion of structural solutions that benefit the entire continent, he noted.

“African countries are suffering from the impact of environmental challenges which also strike their economies. When you look to the advanced countries, especially the G7 countries, which are not willing to pay what has been agreed upon at different international platforms to assist the developing countries on environmental issues as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, you will understand why Africa needs full membership across global multilateral mechanisms to deeply, and collectively, deal with the issue, but not just in a very superficial way,” he told the Global Times.

“China has been helping us in Africa since the eruption of the pandemic. But there are issues that should be globally dealt with, because those are challenges we are all facing. It is a matter of the global economy, not only for Africa,” said Osman.

“The experience of the G20 is definitely very useful. If you take the example of the first meeting of the G20 in 2008, it is only the G20 which managed to help solve the economic crisis,” he added.

Photo taken on Feb 5, 2022 shows the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo:Xinhua

The AU is made up of 55 member states which represent all the countries on the African continent, and has about 20 percent of the world population.

“As it has been regarded as the eighth-largest economy, Africa’s development can impact the global economic system for sure, so it should not be sidelined in international fora,” Osman underlined.

Indonesia, as the host of this year’s G20, has also pushed to include the AU to ensure that the plight and concerns of the continent will be represented in key meetings.

Osman said the AU has clear regional integration instruments and processes similar to the EU, which is the only regional organization that has membership of G20 despite having three G20 members – Germany, France and Italy.

The AU is playing a much bigger role in Africa than in previous years, and can serve as a vessel for countries on the continent that do not have the same development problems as South Africa, the only African member of the G20, said Osman. “But on many issues, AU is able to represent and speak in one voice, one stand on global and domestic issues.”

The AU membership of the G20 will not only benefit Africa, and the G20 needs African countries as they have vital resources to address energy challenges abroad. Africa is a major supplier of critical raw minerals globally, which are essential to different sorts of technologies from smartphones and electric vehicle batteries to satellites, which are sold and consumed globally, the envoy concluded.