China’s development will bring greater opportunities to Sierra Leone

October 12, 2022

By Mr. Li Xiaoyong

Chargé d’affaires ad interim

Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone

In a few days, the world will turn its eyes on the 20^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will open in Beijing on October 16,2022. The 18^th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 heralded a new era in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. I would like to take this opportunity to share with our friends in Sierra Leone on China’s achievements in the past decade.

China’s strength in economy and other fields continues to be strengthened. Over the past ten years, China’s GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 6.6%. In 2021, China’s total economic volume reached 114.4 trillion RMB Yuan, accounting for 18.5% of the world economy, an increase of 7.2 percentage points over 2012, and its average contribution to world economic growth exceeded 30%. From 2020 to 2021, despite the severe impact of the COVID-19, China’s economy still grew by an average of 5.1% for two years. In the past ten years, China’s per capita GDP has risen from US$6,300 to US$12,500, an increase of 69.7%. China’s total tradevolume in goods and services increased from US$4.4 trillion to US$6.9 trillion, ranking first in the world for two consecutive years. China’s two-way investment stands firmly in the forefront of the world. Since 2017, China has ranked second in the world in attracting foreign investment for four consecutive years.

The living standard of the Chinese people has reached a new level. By 2021, China has built a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Nearly 100 million rural poor people under the current standard have been lifted out of poverty.The problem of absolute poverty has been solved historically. And China’s poverty reduction goal of UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has been achieved ten years ahead of schedule. So far, China has contributed 70% to world poverty reduction efforts.

China’s average life expectancy has increased from 74.8 years to 78.2 years. Infant and under-5 children mortality rates are far lower than the average level of middle and highincome countries. And the core indicators of maternal and child health have further improved. In the face of the once-in-a-century pandemic of Covid-19, the Chinese government has been adhering to the principle of putting people first, protecting people’s lives and health to the greatest extent. And the infection rate and death rate are both low, making greatcontributions to the cause of global human rights development.

China’s scientific and educational development have undergone historic growth. During the past decade, China has made a historic leap in the level of universal education. At present, there are nearly 530,000 schools at all levels in China, with over 290 million students enrolled. The gross enrollment rate of preschool education is 88.1%, which is23.6 percentage points higher than ten years ago. China’s nine-year compulsory education consolidation rate reaches 95.4%, up 3.6 percentage points from a decade ago; the gross enrollment rate in high school education is 91.4%, up 6.4 percentage points; and the gross enrollment rate in higher education is 57.8%, up 27.8 percentage points. The total number of Research and Development (R&D) personnel in China ranks first in the world. The R&D expenditure increases from 1.03 trillion RMB Yuan to 2.79 trillion RMB Yuan, becoming the world’s second largest R&D spending country.

According to a World Intellectual Property Organization report, China’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index jumped from 34th in 2012 to 12th in 2021.

The ecological environment has beensignificantly improved, making China a more beautiful country. Over the past decade, China’s carbon intensity has dropped by 34.4%. The air quality indicator PM2.5 dropped from 46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 to 30 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021, making China a country with the fastest air quality improvement in the world. China actively participates in the multilateral process of climate change, and solemnly promises to strive to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.China also vigorously promotes green industrial transformation and energy structure adjustment, and accelerates the construction of large-scale wind power and photovoltaic bases. The energy consumption per unit of GDP has dropped by about 26.2%.

The fundamental reason for the historic achievements and changes in China’s undertakings in the past decade is that General Secretary Xi Jinping is at the helm in the new era, steering the country through wind and waves to a brighter future. The CPC has established Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and defined the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. This reflects the common will of the Party, the armed forces, and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, and is of decisive significance for advancing the cause of the Party and the country.

China has started a new journey to build a modern socialist country in all respects, which is called the Second Centenary Goal for the Party by the mid-century. The 20^th National Congress of the CPC will plan the goals, tasks and major policies for the development of China in the next five years and beyond, which is of great and far-reachingm significance for the future of the Nation. The Chinese people will continue to implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to gather strength to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

China and Sierra Leone are good friends and partners worthy of mutual trust. The friendship between the two countries is as sweet as sugar and as mellow as coffee. In recent years, under the care and promotion of the two heads of state, China-Sierra Leone relations have continued to move forward and practical cooperation has been steadily advancing. The future of the two countries’development and cooperation is full of hope. In the new era, China is ready towork together with Sierra Leonean friends to bring our friendship and cooperation to a new level.

Stop Being ‘Unokas’, Become ‘Okonkwos’…

October 12, 2022

By Ranger

The Calabash met over the weekend with a very good humour White man who works with one of the UN agencies in the country. Obviously someone who has read Chinua Achebe’s classic African novel, Things Fall Apart, the author factually stated that after over fifty years of independence from the colonialists, it is high time Africans stop blaming the colonialists for their development shortcomings, like the Chinese have since the 1950s.

Achebe, the White man said, drew the analogy of Unoka and Okonkwo to show Africans that if they work hard like the latter and by no magic we can become prosperous like the Chinese. If however, we remain complacent and lazy like Unoka, we shall always remain poor and indebted to others.

This was an honest White man who pitilessly said that poor African countries continue to be heavily exploited financially by their so-called Western helpers by providing them with short term concessional loans and grants instead of helping them to improve on trade and commerce – citing how the World Trade Organization balances the terms of trade against poor developing countries.

John, to give this White man a name, said the only hope poor countries have to free themselves from the strangling forces of neo-colonialism is to critically rearrange their development priorities, streamline their expenditures to match with revenue and to take the bold decision to say, we can become productive and prosperous like the Chinese, starting right now.

If not, he stated that both internal and external debts will continue to make the majority of us victims of devaluation, increasing cost of imports, low employment and falling standards of living as we are experiencing now.

Family Laws that Promote Gender Equality & Women’s Rights in Africa Launched

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

In a Press Statement issued by an organization known as Musawah, dated 6^th October, 2022 and captioned “Status of Family Laws in Africa” it was stated that discriminatory family laws continue to deny and rob millions of women and girls in Africa access to the full realization of their human rights.

Musawah continued that most of the countries on the continent have family laws that discriminate or imply discrimination against women and girls and prevent them from accessing and enjoying various rights including economic rights, access to health, protection from violence against women and girls, gender based violence among others.

It also stated that additionally, over 45 countries in the world have codified or uncodified Muslim family laws which legitimize inequality and discrimination against women.

Citing Kenya for instance, Musawah maintains that Muslim women are not protected by the Matrimonial Property Act while non-Muslim women are barred from holding on to their matrimonial property when they remarry. Additionally, it stated how marital rape is exempted from being a crime.

According to the organization, countries such as Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, and The Gambia have discriminatory inheritance laws that deny women and girls equal access to familial property. These laws, it said, range from customary laws that exclude women from inheriting their deceased husband’s property or after the dissolution of marriage to girls being barred from inheriting their parents’ property.

The entity is of the strong conviction that the continent also continues to record high rates of unsafe abortions and child marriage with countries such as Tanzania legitimizing the practice by placing the minimum age of marriage for boys at 18 and 15 for girls, despite a court decision that upheld the minimum age of marriage at 18. It said also that Marriage of girls aged 14 is also permissible with the consent of the court.

These inequalities, Musawah stated, are further exacerbated by various human crises including pandemics and climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic for instance was not only a health crisis, but also an economic and social one that negatively and disproportionately impacted and aggravated the lived realities of many women and their families, according to the organization.

Musawah says advocates know that these crises have gendered impacts as the rate of domestic violence surges, child and forced marriages continue, amongst other abuses. However, they as an entity believes that without real equality and urgent reform of discriminatory laws and practices, women will continue to bear the consequences both in their private and public lives.

According to them, it is for that reason and their collective desire to hold their Governments to account that they launched the Africa Family Law Network as a result of three years of consistent efforts by women activists on the ground.

The Network, it was said, has been designed to galvanize their energies around the need to adopt and implement Family Laws that promote gender equality and women’s rights in Africa.

Their shared vision is an Africa where family laws and practices guarantee equality in line with regional and international human rights standards.

As a Network, they are therefore calling for the following: To Ratify, domesticate and implement the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) without any reservations; to Enact and enforce family laws and practices that abide by international human rights standards including, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and it’s Optional Protocol without reservations; Criminalize harmful practices such as child marriage and forced marriages, widow inheritance, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which impede women and girls from accessing their rights; Recognize and ensure equality in religious, customary and civil marriages; Guarantee substantive equality between men and women pre, during a marriage and in the event of the dissolution or separation of a marriage; Protect and safeguard all women and girls, from inhuman, humiliating or degrading treatment and should be accorded the right to an equitable share in the inheritance and distribution of property; Enact and implement progressive legislative framework that protects women and girls from all forms of violence particularly, domestic and intimate partner violence; We call all African state actors, religious and traditional leaders to protect, promote and respect women’s rights by acting in line with the principles of international and regional human rights law and ensuring accountability where there have been human rights violations; Implement General Comment No. 6 on the Maputo Protocol focused on substantive equality on property distribution between men and women upon dissolution or separation of marriage; We call on African Governments to provide a safe and conducive work environment for women human rights defenders, particularly those working on family laws.

They further called on all media, journalists, and campaigners to continue advocating for women’s rights and providing a voice to women’s rights defenders to continuously hold State actors accountable on their obligation to protect women’s rights’.

The Network also insisted on intergenerational dialogue and called other advocates of women’s and human rights to amplify the voices of the network; and called on all women’s rights’ advocates and defenders in the region to stand in solidarity and to amplify the voices of the network, and to reach out for partnerships as they continue to collectively strategize for family law reform.

About Musawah:

Musawah is the global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family. Since launching in 2009 in Malaysia, Musawah has built a knowledge-based global movement, bringing together activists, policy makers and scholars to challenge the ways Islam is used to justify discriminations against women in law and practice, and to offer a rights-based discourse and framework to advocate for equality and justice for women and marginalized groups living in Muslim contexts. You can check our brand guidelines and communications kit on this link. For media requests, kindly get in touch with Mariam: mariam@musawah.org

Youth Ambassador Engages Youths on Non Violence

October 12, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

In his fight to end violence in the country, one of Sierra Leone’s Youth Ambassadors, Mohamed Neimagah Lamin has on Sunday 9^th October, 2022 engaged youths during a non-violence sensitization campaign at the John James Complex on Ross Road in the East End of Freetown.

The Youth Ambassador, Mohamed Neimagah Lamin, addressed the young people cautioning them not to allow themselves to be used as willing puppets by do-or-die politicians or pessimistic agitators who wish to cause unrest in the nation.

Mohamed Neimagah Lamin stated, “I call on every youth to reject every approach from persons who foment unlawful demonstrations and politicians who recruit them for political violence.”

According to Lamin, as young people, they must uphold the principles of political dynamism and eliminate all elements that impede democracy in Sierra Leone, such as ballot snatching, looting, illegal demonstrations, and the like. He claimed that a sizable portion of the working and voting population is made up of young people. In addition, young people will be the group of people who will be most affected by any tragic circumstance. Therefore, they must take all necessary precautions to ensure future survival and wellbeing, participate actively in the democratic process, and choose the people who will lead them, keeping in mind that voting is a civic obligation that every Sierra Leonean is required to do.

He noted that although it differs across nations young people also face poverty, obstacles to education, multiple forms of discrimination, and limited employment prospects and opportunities. Because of these, he said, youths must take the initiative to be nonviolent and dedicated to peace, sustainable development, and human rights.

“Other people must be impressed by our ability, wisdom, and commitment to improving Sierra Leone,” he enjoined them.

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the National Council For Civic Education and Dev (NaCCED), Hindolo John-Langba, stated that President Bio, on his first parliamentary opening speech stated that the only way this nation will move ahead is when the citizens are well informed of their rights and responsibilities stating that’s was the reason why the National Council For Civic Education and Development (NaCCED) was established as an institution.

He added that in their existence as an institution they have been doing things that draw the attention of young people disclosing how since thirty year down the line civic education was not in vogue but said the President has incorporated it in the school syllabus this year and related books to civic education have been supplied to pupils.

According to John-Langba, civic education gives one civility and enables you to get civic disposition underscoring that as citizens they must tolerate and accept one another’s opinions and decision when it comes to politics or in any other aspect.

Making mention of the August 10 incident, John-Langba stated that it was unfortunate because he knows the nation to a law-abiding entity and that the youth must see law enforcers as friends or fellow Sierra Leoneans and not enemies.

SAVE SL & SL Brewery Limited holds Underage Drinking Prevention Workshop for Pupils

October 12, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

200 children/pupils from 20 schools in Freetown benefitted from a workshop and training on Underage Drinking Prevention with the theme: “Below 18? Zero Tolerance Against Alcohol”, conducted by the Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited on the 7^th October 2022.

The program which attracted pupils/students, teachers, parents, law enforcement officers and policymakers aimed at helping children to understand the effects, impacts and consequences of drinking alcohol at an early age.

The National Director of SAVE SL stated that the purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under the age of 18 is illegal. He said that Alcohol alters an individual’s vision, reaction times, perception of distance, and judgment of their abilities. For adolescents, whose brains are still developing in critical ways, using alcohol make them more vulnerable to learning and memory impairments.

“The use of alcohol is frequently coupled with risky and potentially destructive behaviors, such as physical and emotional violence, rude or thoughtless remarks or actions, sexual mistakes or misjudgments, sexual assaults, and suicide acts and attempts. SAVE Sierra Leone believes that young people can have fun, enjoy life, and nurture positive personal relationships without the distraction and distortion of alcohol,” he stated.

He ended up stating that they seek to demonstrate positive and attractive alternatives to alcohol and other drug-infused activities for teenagers as their organization recognizes that the pressures on young people to drink, use illicit drugs and engage in other unhealthy behaviors are strong.

“We seek not to punish or alienate those students who make unfortunate choices but rather aim to inform, educate, engage, support and empower young people to make positive decisions in their lives,” he concluded.

According to the Corporate Affairs Manager of Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Foday Daboh, he stated that there are laws in the country that prohibits children from accessing and drinking alcohol. He also said that children should not follow their colleagues or parents in drinking alcohol because they are below the age of consent.

“As a responsible company, we want the children to be healthy and successful so that when they are above the age of 18, educated and financially stable, they can choose to drink alcohol or not,” he stated.

He also said that they will continue to support SAVE Promise Club to propagate the message of Underage Drinking and that their non-alcoholic drink, Maltina, is rich in vitamins and that the can is good for children and non-alcoholic drinkers.

Mohamed Saidu, a Parent and PTA Chairman of Caleb Academy School stated that other companies are producing alcoholic drinks that contain large volume of alcohol for cheaper prices. They are making their products accessible to everyone with no responsibility to educate the children or youths about responsible consumption.

“Government needs to look into companies that are producing high percentage of alcohol at a cheaper price that children and youths can afford. They are destroying the future of this nation,” he expressed his view.

Other speakers included the Principal of the Government Municipal Junior Secondary School, Mohamed Bangura, the Deputy Director of Education Information Management, John K. Ansumana, the Local Police Partnership Board Regional Chairman, Melbourne Green, SL Police Regional Coordinator for Freetown East, Emmanual S. Dumbuya, SLRSA Director of Research & Development, Ambrose Tucker, SL Police Rep. Sgt. Dumbuya, SLCS rep, CSP David Dauda Kamara and representatives from the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone, Joseph Sesay (Pharm) and Mariama S. Jalloh (Pharm).

Tourism Ministry & Line MDAs Inspect Finish Line Sites

October 12, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The various finish lines sites ahead of the Budapest-Bamako Freetown Challenge rally in Freetown were on the 6^th October 2022 visited by officials of the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and line Ministries, agencies, and departments in preparation of the event.

It must be noted that the purpose of the visitation was to assess the sites and ensure the facilitation of necessary amenities including clearing, parking space, energy, security, water and sanitation.

600 participants with 242 vehicles will enter Sierra Leone through the Kambia-Pamlap Guinea border and will drive through Masiaka and Bureh beach where a grand festival will be organized for them.

This medium was also informed that a State welcoming ceremony will be organized for the participants, and it is expected that President Bio will address them at the finish line of the event.

A team from the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs including the Deputy Minister, William I.K. Robinson and the Permanent Secretary, Edward Kwame Yankson was accompanied by representatives from the Ministry of Energy, SALWACO, Sierra Leone Police, Sierra Leone Roads Authority, National Fire force, Immigration Department, Visit Salone Travels and organizers of the Budapest-Bamako Freetown Rally. The visitation and assessment started at the entry point of Kambia-Guinea border and Madina Oula by-pass route to ascertain the accessibility and functionality of the Kabba Ferry. The team proceeded to Masiaka Town where the participants will be camped and overnight, followed by a visit to Bureh beach and Lumley beach finish line where the State welcoming ceremony will be held.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, William I.K. Robinson urged stakeholders of the various finish line sites to provide the best hospitality to the participants as there are lot of benefits attached to the hosting of the finish line in Sierra Leone. They assured that they will put necessary arrangements in place to ensure that the 2022 event is held in grand style.

Six Lecturers Booted Out for Sexual Harassment

October 12, 2022

By Millicent Mannah

Dr. Philip John Kanu, Vice-Chancellor and Principal (VCP) of the Milton Margai Technical University (MMTU), on Saturday 8^th October 2022, in a very confident and determined mood, intimated newsmen at his Goderich campus office in Freetown that six lecturers, including Deans of Campuses and Heads of Departments have been dismissed for various professional misconduct including sexually harassing female students, promoting and changing the grades of students, inciting colleagues not to teach while four others have been sacked for abandoning the classroom for between six and nine months asserting that the primary responsibility of his administration is to protect students, especially female students who are vulnerable.

“Some of the lecturers even impregnated the students, used their offices as bedrooms to sleep with them with some of the girls competing for the lecturers in spite of the fact that some of the wives of the lecturers are themselves students. The lecturers also extorted monies from the students and failed those who refused to cooperate regardless of the fact that we had organized series of professional trainings for lecturers and warned them against professional misconduct,” he disclosed.

He continued that the entire student body has commended the administration for the latest development assuring all that the students are in safe hands at MMTU as the administration is determined not to disappoint the President and promised that the affected lecturers would be named and shamed to serve as a precedent otherwise the practice would destroy the country stressing that MMTU has a zero tolerance on sexual harassment.

He further clarified that the affected lecturers confessed doing the act, that the female students were bold enough to divulge information to the Special Committee setup to investigate the matter and that the lecturers had audios and videos of their sex ordeals with the students assuring all that the affected students would be protected until they complete their courses at MMTU.

The Vice Chancellor and Principal also disclosed that due to the unprecedented increase in the number of passes in this year’s West Africa Senior Secondary School Examination which he attributed to the free quality education, over 1,000 pupils with 77% clear passes nationwide are qualified to enter tertiary institutions and assured that the MMTU is prepared and capacitated to admit the increasing number of students into its various faculties and departments but warned that the MMTU may not admit all students and encouraged would-be applicants to apply for Certificate and Diploma courses before proceeding to Degree courses guaranteeing that when they graduate they would be fit for purpose.

Dr. Philip John Kanu reiterated that the college would not admit students above its capacity as well as admit those without the requirements affirming that English Language and Mathematics cannot be trivialized as the President is working hard for the country to compete with the world assuring that MMTU has the laboratories, workshops, libraries, manpower, generators and other facilities to teach quality education and intimated that quality goes with professionalism.

EU Delegation & Partners Undertake Beach Clean-Up 2022

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

People from various walks of life converged on the Aberdeen to Lumley beach on Saturday 1st October 2022, to voluntarily take part in the EU beach clean-up event which is one of EU’s Sierra Leone annual activities which had been going on for years.

The clean-up event, which was organized by the EU Delegation in partnership with Shout Climate Change Africa (SCCA), the Sierra Leone Government, Freetown City Council (FCC); and National Tourist Board (NTB), attracted hundreds of participants/ dignitaries ranging from Government officials, diplomats to representatives from various communities, corporate persons, students, waste management teams and a host of other beach lovers/participants.

The EU Team and partners chose the beach location so Freetown residents could have and feel the positive impact on the state of cleaning the ocean in municipality areas like the Lumley -Aberdeen beach: a place that draws a handsome number of visitors daily.

The event was kickstarted by a brief remark from the Head of EU Delegation, Ambassador Manuel Muller, who welcomed the participants. In his words; the Ambassador appreciated the EU collaboration with FCC, NTB and SCCA. He also commented on the importance of beach cleaning, raising awareness about the need to protect the environment and keep the ocean clean for aquatic and public health safety.

Brief statements were also made by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Freetown City Council Deputy Administrator, and the Deputy General Manager of National Tourist Board.

The event was a huge success and the participants removed over 2,500 trash bags of rubbish from the beachside.

Volunteers collected an array of waste materials, but the main types were sewage, glass bottles, single-use plastic bottles, cans, unidentified plastic pieces, pieces of clothing, shoes and fishing debris such as fishing threads, gauge, and ropes. This was another real eye opener for the Freetown city residents/volunteers as it highlighted the amount of rubbish that actually makes its way to the oceans – waste that could be avoided if people chose more sustainable alternatives, recycled the items where possible or disposed off their waste correctly.

One of the major EU partner in the event Shout Climate Change Africa CEO, Finnex John Asibor, has this to say: “We are very happy being an implementing partner with EU on beach clean-up for good five years consecutively, Which beach cleaning is part of SCCA’s mandate we see it as part of our responsibility, we look forward to planning more events like this in the future to help combat the amount of waste in our communities and our oceans”.

At the end of the cleaning process, the cleaning tools were donated by EU Delegation to the National Tourist Board presented by EU Ambassador Manuel Muller and received by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Andrew L. Sorie.

The event ended up to be a huge success as thorough cleaning was done within the demarcated beach locations.

NP-SL Continues to Maintain its Enviable Status of 1st for Customer Care

October 12, 2022

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

By Amin Kef-Ranger

NP-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is tirelessly working round the clock, engaging oil producing companies in business discussions, to always ensure that supply is continually flowing in or maintained. This pro-activeness, on the part of the company, has made it quite possible for stocks to last over periods of time in order to avert the occurrence of shortages.

Interestingly, NP-SL is not a Government entity or appendage; no politician has a share in it as its shareholders are mere ordinary Sierra Leoneans, starting with 35 of them who years back bought shares from the Government out of their end-of-service benefits to establish what today has become a towering entity (NP-SL) to reckon with in the business landscape of not only Sierra Leone but the West African sub-region.

As had been fallaciously propagated by certain ill-motivated persons, who do not mean well for this country, that there are certain politicians that have vested interests in the company, our investigations have proven otherwise.

NP-SL is a 100% indigenous company to the letter and it has weathered various storms that could have dwarfed it or left it to extinct save therapeutic intermittent Managerial injections that keep it upright and on the right course.

Demonstrating its true Sierra Leonean identity the company has maintained a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.

As a matter of fact some of its members continue to benefit from various trainings that have afforded them the conduit to imbibe useful skills to efficiently carry out certain tasks. If we are counting the number of companies that have upheld the Local Content Policy, without any iota of doubt, NP-SL could be seen at the top.

This intrinsic nationalistic posture of the company runs through and it is a sine qua non for overall national development. If such a compliance rate should have been followed by other local companies, willingly, without any pressure from the relevant authorities then indisputably this country should have been miles away in its development trajectory.

Business Management experts have made it abundantly clear that the way and manner in which customers are cared for in terms of talking to them, making them feel at ease go a long way in attracting them. Such should be done sincerely in order to make them feel more important. NP-SL for a very long period now has mastered that art and executing it so well which definitely is paying dividends.

1^st for Customer Care was earned by the company because it has been widely acclaimed by many for solidly rolling out high grade petroleum products and for efficient service delivery.

In its drive to optimize customer satisfaction the company went the extra mile to install calibrated pumping machines which are not only modern but trustworthy, as opposed to old pumping machines which certain unscrupulous individuals used to cheat unassuming customers.

This is helping to repose confidence in customers that they are dealing with a very transparent entity. The friendliness of their pump attendants is very impressive and they are always there to timely respond to various concerns.

Still, within the purview of 1^st for Customer Care, the company is always in position to enter into payment plans with its reliable and dependable customers including Ministries, Departments and Agencies for supplied fuel and lubricants as long as all the necessary modalities have been put in place.

When cognizance is taken of the fact that some of these institutions receive intermittent budgetary allocations then such an arrangement is very significant. Its significance in real terms borders on functional continuity of those institutions as they will be assured of supplies of petroleum products in as much as they keep honoring their obligations.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the required financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA). NP is one big tax payer to Government and it has been doing so timely.

NP-SL remains undaunted, unperturbed amidst all the challenges it is going through and conscientiously it is steadily contributing to the socio-economic development of the country as well as positively changing communities and lives.

Sorie Obai Kamara (Obi Phrase) brings Foreign Direct Investments to Sierra Leone

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The first Sierra Leone/Finland Investment Forum commenced on the 11^th October, 2022 and will end today, the 12^th October, 2022 at the Cultural Center Caisa, Helsinki.

Organized by the Sierra Leonean Consular Office in Finland,

the Sierra Leone/Finland Investment Forum provided an opportunity to hear about Sierra Leone’s business environment and current business opportunities and to meet Sierra Leonean companies and Government representatives.

Finnpartnership, a development entity, actively participated in the event when it talked about its services and business partnership support grant which offers a support of 85 % for Finnish companies that want to start a business in Sierra Leone.

Inspired by Finland’s Africa strategy, companies and Government representatives from Sierra Leone were given the opportunity to know cooperation opportunities with the Finns, who are particularly interested in commercial cooperation in the following sectors: education, agriculture, technology, industry, services, tourism, housing, construction and real estate business.

Sorie Obai Kamara, the Head of the Sierra Leone’s Consulate Planning Team Office in Finland, in a snap chat ,stated that the just mentioned office decided to organize the first Sierra Leone/ Finland Investment Forum on the 11th and 12th October, 2022 in Helsinki, Finland.

He intimated further that on the 11th October, the event was held at the Caisa Auditorium in Helsinki whereas today, the 12th October, 2022 it is taking place at the European Hall (Eurooppasli) in Helsinki, Finland.

Sorie Obai Kamara also revealed that the conference is supported by the Government of Finland and Sierra Leone including the Finnpartnership adding how there are also auxiliary/participating organizations such as Finn Fund, Finland Chamber of Commerce, and MTK in attendance.

He emphasized that the conference is geared towards channeling Foreign Direct Investments ( FDIs) into Sierra Leone from Finland and Scandinavia Europe further revealing that is why the theme for the Forum is : “The Present Business Climate in Europe, Finland and Sierra Leone” taking into cognizance their unique role in building a resilient trade relationship between Sierra Leone and Finland for job creation, poverty alleviation and the overall economic development trajectory as enshrined in Sierra Leone’s Medium Term National Development Plan tailored by the Government of Sierra Leone.

“Our Consulate Planning Office in Finland is complementing the efforts of our Government in the road map towards achieving sustainable economic development in our beloved country,” Sorie Obai Kamara maintained.

He continued that the Sierra Leone’s Consulate Planning Team Office in Finland, under his leadership, unanimously invited certain Government functionaries to represent the country in Finland among whom were: Dr. Umaru B. Wurie, Special Adviser to the President of Sierra Leone and Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Abu Bakarr Karim, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security ( Leader of the delegation), Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh, High Commissioner in UK, Yvonne King, Deputy High Commissioner in UK, Emily K. Gogra, Deputy Minister 1 Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Bockarie Kalokoh, Deputy Minister 2 Ministry of Finance, Professor Marda Mustapha, Executive Director National Investment Board, Dr. Dauda A. Kuyateh, Director Private Sector Unit Ministry of Finance, Ms. Darlyn Lucy Muloma Brima, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone among others.

According to Sorie Obai Kamara the Government of Finland, through its Finnpartnership, allocated a whooping sum of money to induce Finnish companies and investors to do business in Sierra Leone with an awesome reward of 85% grant of each company’s total capital intended for investment in Sierra Leone.

From what this medium learnt, apart from the stated conference, Sorie Obai Kamara has worked relentlessly to create some impactful opportunities for his country in Finland which are as follows;

During the visit of the high status delegation to Finland, Sierra Leone will be discussing plans to be an official member of the Finnish Coalition of Ministers of Finance on Climate Actions.

The Deputy 1 Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education has been officially invited to join the Finnish Government School Meal Coalition which will help boost our educational fabric to a greater extent as Finland has the best education system in the world.

There is a greater possibility of a trade treaty between both countries and several closed door meetings are already planned focusing on cementing the long existing diplomatic / bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and Finland during this very visit of the country’s Government delegation to Finland.