Gento Promises to Break Tribalism & Transform Freetown

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef-Ranger

The result oriented, development centred, pragmatic and charismatic Freetown City Council Mayor in the pipeline or in waiting for the appropriate time, Mohamed Gento Kamara, whose occupation of that covetous position is a foregone conclusion, evident in the mammoth support he has already garnered or have rallied around him within the Municipality, especially in the East End of Freetown, from day one when he made his intention to vie for the position known, has intimated this medium that he is determined and resolute to break the back of tribalism in the country and enhance the transformation of the Freetown Municipality to become hospitable, accommodating with the vital amenities that behooves any standard city.

Mohamed Gento Kamara underscored that Freetown is the residence of indigenes from various tribes across the country further maintaining that one of the factors that has hindered the development of the nation is the fusion of politics and tribalism.

“It is always worrisome to see politics being practiced along tribal lines as such most times leads to violence, bloodshed and sometimes deaths,” he lamented emphasizing that there will be stunted development whenever we witness members of the Temne tribe pitching tent against members of the Mende tribe on political lines with the main objective of scoring cheap political points. He pointed out that even though it is well known that the All People’s Congress (APC) Party draws its main support from the Temne ethnic group and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) from the Mende ethnic group that trajectory must be stopped and there is a need to turn a new page in the politics of this country.

According to him it was against that backdrop that he recently decided to engage all the tribal heads in Freetown to reason out with them to put tribalism aside and unite to rally behind the Head of the Municipality to ensure that development objectives are realized.

Addressing Traditional leaders from the Western Area, the astute personality succinctly informed them that his aspiration to contest as Mayor for the Municipality of Freetown is grounded on “breaking the hydra of tribalism” which has been heightened by bad politics.

“For far too long, there had been so much tension among the tribes in Sierra Leone and we need to put an end to hypocrisy and work together to develop the Freetown Municipality in particular and Sierra Leone in general because this is the only country we have,” he reasoned out with the revered and highly respected leaders.

Indeed, this has been the first time in the history of Sierra Leone for one personality to bring together all the Tribal Leaders within the Freetown Municipality and prevail on them to appeal to their subjects to desist from tribalism and stay united for development.

The unassuming road construction expert intimated that when he emerges as the Mayor of the Municipality he will ensure that the issue of residents within the Municipality finding it difficult to access pure and clean water supply becomes a thing of the past assuring that with his construction background he is of the strong conviction that he will be able to accomplish that.

He stressed that he is knowledgeable in changing utility infrastructure, an ability which he said he has demonstrated for over 10 years now.

In his usual candid manner Mohamed Gento Kamara, also revealed that his conviction to aspire for the Freetown Mayoral seat partly emanated from the 10th August incident.

“Some people will not understand the impact of the August 10 incident… That incident has taken this country backward for another five years because big investment companies or banks would be afraid to invest in Sierra Leone because of instability,” he bemoaned.

The philanthropist, who, in the past and even present, has positively impacted lives directly and indirectly further explained that bad politicians are responsible for the political tension in the country adding that the people who are most affected by such a tension are business owners because they are the cogs of the economic machinery of the State.

“For some of us, for far too long our voices were not here because we are businessmen, but I am stepping in now to fight against bad politicians and politics, this is why I don’t preach party politics but appeal to all Sierra Leoneans who believe in me to follow me,” he reaffirmed.

He stated that tribal heads are an epitome of unity and a microcosm of how we should be as a nation noting that his aspiration is not to challenge the creoles but rather an opportunity for all to understand that we are all Sierra Leoneans maintaining that it should take all of us to develop Freetown come 2023.

Mohamed Gento Kamara informed the audience of how he strongly believes in President Bio’s commitment to develop Sierra Leone, which is why he is aspiring for the mayoral seat to help build a progressive and unified nation.

Capitol Foods Limited Bags African Achievers Awards in UK

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The first and leading fruit juice producer in Sierra Leone, Capitol Foods Limited has made Sierra Leone proud when it bagged the most coveted and prestigious African Achievers Awards at an auspicious ceremony held in London, United Kingdom recently.

Capitol Foods Sierra Leone was listed among several other prominent African personalities and businesses that were nominated and received awards during the African Achievers Awards (AAA) and International Summit held on 20th September 2022 in Queen’s Gate, London, United Kingdom. The Theme for this Year’s Ceremony & Summit was: “Sustainable Development in Africa: Through Innovation, Preservation and Green Energy.”

In a special invitation letter to Hamza Hashim, Chief Executive Officer Capitol Foods Limited in Sierra Leone, the AAA organizers wrote: “We are pleased to inform you that you have been shortlisted and selected as an Honouree for the 12th Edition of the African Achievers Awards under the ‘Outstanding Business Award’ Production Category.”

The citation reads: “For Capitol Foods – Sierra Leone’s exceptional stride and contribution towards the growth and development of Business and Production in Sierra Leone, this Award is in recognition of continued excellent service delivery.”

Capitol Foods Limited’s mission is to nurture lives whilst empowering farmers. It is the first and leading bottled natural fruit juice producer in Sierra Leone under the iconic Sierra® brand.

Capitol Foods’ story began in Tiama, Bo District, Southern Sierra Leone. Its products are made from locally, ethically and sustainably grown ingredients. Farmers in the surrounding communities rely on farming pineapples. However, the community could barely make ends meet.

Their traditional planting practices gave low yields. Market inefficiencies, on the other hand, left their fruits rotting without a buyer. Ironically, at the same time the imported fruit juice, that is not affordable to the majority, continued filling shelves in shops.

Capitol Foods became the missing link between the farmers and the market becoming Sierra Leone’s first and only natural fruit juice producer.

Ambitious to do more for the country, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio officially commissioned a cocoa processing factory established by Capitol Foods in Tissor Village – with an annual production capacity of 4,000 metric tons. Sierra Leone has been growing large quantities of organic cocoa for export but this is the first cocoa processing factory in the country that is creating employment for dozens of local people.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Capitol Foods Limited, Hamza Hashim, says his company is one of the earliest post-war cocoa traders and exporters that still play a crucial role in reviving the flagging cocoa and coffee sector in Sierra Leone.

He added that with support from the World Bank, and Ministry of Agriculture through the Sierra Leone Agribusiness Development Fund, (SLADF), they have conducted training for 2,831 farmers on several topics including best agricultural practices, integrated pest control, and disease management techniques. They have provided 60,000 improved seedlings and 100,000 local seedlings to farmers to rehabilitate their farms and increase their production.

The African Achievers Awards has consistently honoured great African Achievers from African Leaders, Young Achievers, Community Builders to Captains of Industries across the continent. The Awards ceremony has fast become established as one of the biggest gatherings of influential and global African Achievers on the continent.

This Award ceremony has been rated by FORBES Magazine as one of the most prestigious award ceremonies on the African continent.

Host for the prestigious event was Susan Fajana Thomas @susanfajanathomas (Chair of the African Achievers Awards Board), Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services and former Mayor of London Borough of Hackney, UK.

The event, which also took the form of a Red Carpet & Dinner reception, was supposed to be held at the Palace of Westminster, Houses of Parliament, UK, however, due to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II it was shifted to Queen’s Gate, London, United Kingdom.

The AAA partnered with top Global reputation management firm; Reputation Poll International (United Kingdom) for the 12th edition of the awards. Among the high point of the ceremony, was the African Achievers Awards, presented to Africans making a difference.

This year’s AAA International Summit included a broad range of discussions by top facilitators from Africa and Europe bringing theoretical and practical experiences to guide on how various sectors can work together to promote sustainable development across Africa. Key stakeholders included top organizations, donors, investors, policymakers and regulators.

August 10th Rioters Sentenced to Maximum Jail Term of 36 Months with Le 5,000 Fine Each

October 12, 2022

By Amin Kef (Ranger)

Magistrate Hadiru Daboh has given Judgement in a matter that was before the Magistrate Court No 3 on Ross Road in Freetown, which he presided over, including 14 Accused Persons who were standing trial on two counts charges of Riotous Conduct, Contrary to Section 12 (a) of the Public Order Act, No. 46 of 1965 and Disorderly Behaviour Contrary to Section 12 (a) of the Public Order Act No. 46 of 1965.

The matter was brought before the court presided over by Magistrate Hadiru Daboh on the 5th day of September, 2022 and he gave judgment on the 11^th day of October ,2022.

The fourteen (14) Accused Persons were standing trial for offences committed on the 10th day of August, 2022 against the Government and People of Sierra Leone.

In prosecuting the matter, the Prosecution brought five witnesses; PW 1 Abubakar Mohamed Kamara testified as one of the Arresting Officers attached at the Operations Division of Ross Road Police Station.

PW2 – Sumaila Ishmail Alie, PW3 at Mohamed Lamin Bangura, PW4 Tamba Syrus Marrah, and PW5 – Alfred Conteh all testified as Investigators in the matter.

All accused persons were defended by S. Campbell Esq, R.S Bangura and M .Gbongboto Esq.

In a whole, their Testimonies in Chief appeared to be credible and consistent with the facts that all the Accused Persons were arrested in a public place conducting themselves in a riotous and disorderly manner to the discomfort of peaceful Sierra Leoneans, with reckless songs against the Government.

He continued that the riots caused the lives of innocent Civilians and Law Enforcement Officers who were standing in the gap to control the disorderliness also stressing that it also caused wanton and malicious damage of Police Stations, Market Places, Private and Government vehicles plying the streets of Eastern Freetown.

According to the Magistrate, those actions, in context, could not be defined as freedom of speech, peaceful call for the reduction of high prices, and shortage of fuel but instead they undermined the democratic structures relentlessly built together with International Development Partners, who also suffered the said senseless insurgence on that day. He said those facts were uncontroverted by the numerous Cross Examinations by the Defence Lawyers.

In terms of the defence, the Magistrate stated that the Accused Persons at the close of the Prosecution’s Case, selected to rely on their Testimonies from the Police Station.

However, he said in those Testimonies, he confirmed that they all denied the allegations, and he was further informed that they were arrested on the 10th August, 2022, at the following Public Places; Kissy Road, Upgun, Kanikay, Cline Town, Ferry Junction, Fourah Bay Road, Moyiba, Race Cross, PWD, and Akram in a riotous and disorderly manner.

In interpreting the law, the Magistrate said in criminal cases, it is a fundamental rule of English Law that the Prosecution to bear the burden of proving the guilt of the Accused. He furthered that in almost all cases, this means proving all essential elements of the offence charged, ie. the Actusreus and mens rea.

Magistrate Daboh stated that such was emphasized in the landmarked decision in Woolmington Vs. DPP, 1935, where in holding that the direction of the Jury was improper, Lord Viscount Sankey LC said:

“Throughout the web of the English criminal law, one golden thread is always to be seen, that it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoner’s guilt …If, at the end of the whole of the case, there is a reasonable doubt the prosecution has not made out the case and the prisoner is entitled to an acquittal. No matter what the charge or where the trial, the principle that the prosecution must prove the guilt of the prisoner is part of the common law of England and no attempt to whittle it down can be entertained”.

He continued that the Law also imposes a higher standard of Proof on the prosecution with respect to the issues of guilt. Hence, the invariable rule is that the Prosecution must prove the guilt of the Accused beyond reasonable doubt. For this high standard requirement, Lord Denning J, in Miller Vs. Minister of Pensions (1947) said that the standard of Proof… “need not reach certainty, but it must carry a high degree of probability in favour of the Prosecution. Proof beyond reasonable doubt does not mean beyond the shadow of a doubt”

Magistrate Hadiru Daboh stated that in the given circumstances, the Court is sure that the Prosecution has proven a case on a high probability against the Accused Persons maintaining that their Actions, on the 10th August, 2022, could be defined as cruel, reckless, barbaric, malicious, and a stark product of incitement against the Government.

He therefore found all the accused persons guilty on both Counts, and sentenced all of them to (18) months on each count, same to be served concurrently and a fine of Le 5,000 (Five Million Leones) each.

According to the Magistrate the court should be seen as a safe haven for both citizens and the Government.

Angels To Angels Renovates 3 Classrooms Within Christ the King Lutheran Primary School

October 7, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In a bid to complement the Government’s Free Quality Education Initiative in the country, Angels To Angels Sierra Leone, a US based non-profit entity established by a group of visionary women with the avowed aim of providing educational opportunities for girls particularly in Sierra Leone and Africa in general has successfully renovated three class rooms of the Christ the King Lutheran Nursery & Primary School unfinished zinc building located at Baw Baw Peninsula Road in Freetown. The organization also used the opportunity to donate learning materials to pupils of the school.

Speaking to this medium, the Founder of Angels 2 Angels, Fatu Quinie Sesay, said the move made by the organization was geared towards complementing the efforts Government is making in rolling out the Free Quality Education Initiative in the country.

She pointed out that due to the deplorable condition of the building the organization deemed it fit to renovate the school with the strong conviction that such could help in increasing the academic performance of the pupils.

Fatu Quinie Sesay added that with the renovation of the school she is with the strong belief that the school now has a better educational environment suitable for learning in which children can thrive.

The Founder pointed out that having a better educational environment will positively impact the academic and social performances of the pupils furthering that it will make them happy and help them to grow, develop and interact easily with each other and also engender confidence, contentment and successful progress in their lives.

She informed all that that her organization seeks to equip young girls with skills and tools that will empower them to put them at vantage positions to have a better and brighter future, adding that the organization has been empowering these girls by providing them with educational scholarships and funding their education pursuits in order to go through the primary and secondary school levels.

Fatu Quinie Sesay revealed that the renovation package includes fixing of 8 double windows, roofing, demarcation of the classrooms etc. She urged the school authority to make good use of the renovated facility provided by the organization for its intended purpose.

Speaking on behalf of the school, the Head Teacher of Christ the King Lutheran Nursery & Primary School, Rev. Yassim Sandro Turay, commended Angels to Angels Sierra Leone for renovating the three classrooms of the school.

The Head Teacher described the move by the organization as a valuable venture towards supporting the Government Free Quality Education Initiative in the country.

He said that pupils has been going through a lot of constraints especially in the raining season, adding that the aforementioned building hosts Classes One (1) to three (3) and that because of the unfinished condition of the building whenever it rains they are forced to move the pupils from the affected classes, a situation which obviously affected effective leaning in the school, furthering that due to the linkage when it rains parent do not allow their children to attend school.

Rev. Yassim Sandro Turay said that with the renovation of the building by Angels to Angels Sierra Leone it will surely address those constraints pupils and them as authorities used to face in the school of which he assured all that as school authorities will make optimal use of the facility for the good of the school and the pupils.

The Head Teacher concluded by appealing to the Government of Sierra Leone and other humanitarian organizations to support the school as they lack so many basic necessities like furniture, additional buildings, textbooks etc.

On his part, the Headman of the Baw Baw Community, Alex Bangura on behalf of the community expressed appreciation to Angels to Angels Sierra Leone for considering their community.

He described the renovation of the school as a commendable undertaking towards supporting education in the country furthering that it is the very first time a non-governmental organization is taking the bold step to undertake such a renovation exercise in the school.

Alex Bangura called on other organizations to emulate the footprint of Angels to Angels Sierra Leone towards complementing Government’s Free Quality Education Initiative in the country.

Fatmata Sesay, a parent who also spoke to this medium showered praises on Angels to Angels Sierra Leone.

“On behalf of my follow parents, I want to appreciate you for giving a new face look to the building that is hosting our children. It was really a difficult moment for our children especially when it rains. When it rains we don’t allow our children to attend school because of the linkages in their classrooms as we are afraid for them not to contract cold but with this renovation even when it rains we can send our children to school without any fear of them contracting cold or any other form of illness,” she narrated.

Minister Manty Tarawalli Says Education & Economic Empowerment are Key

October 7, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During a side event of the 77^th UN General Assembly meeting in New York, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ms. Manty Tarawalli joined a high-profile session organised by UNFPA on ‘Claiming bodily autonomy to achieve sexual and reproductive health and rights’. Other speakers included Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, Anita Bhatia, Deputy Executive Director at UN Women, Vicky Ford, Minister of State for Development in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Government representatives and Parliamentarians from Finland, France, Mauritius and the US, and gender and youth activists.

Minister Tarawalli highlighted Sierra Leone’s political commitment to promoting the rights of women and girls in her remarks and said that the country fully supports the commitments made to achieve the programme of action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

In 2021, Sierra Leone’s cabinet adopted a Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Bill that seeks to advance key priorities including reserving 30% of elective and public office positions for women, strengthening gender mainstreaming and introducing gender responsive budgeting, and expanding access to finance. The country is also working towards advancing the Child Protection Act, a Safe Motherhood Bill and other legislation to promote bodily autonomy and protect the health and rights of women and girls.

Minister Manty emphasized that education and economic empowerment of women are essential to advancing bodily autonomy, and called on the UN, civil society organizations, women’s groups and other partners to help ensure that these progressive policies and legislation are effectively implemented to empower and benefit women.

Opening the session, UNFPA’s Executive Director, Natalia Kanem, emphasized that without the fundamental abilities of a person to make decisions about their bodies, sexuality and their reproduction, other rights fade away and gender equality becomes more out of touch. When UNFPA launched its 2021 State of the World Population report, ‘My Body My Right’, it was with a view to normalising conversations around body autonomy as the right for women and girls to make choices over their bodies as a factor of freedom from violence, coercion and fear, Ms. Kanem said.

In her remarks, Vicky Ford, the UK’s Minister of State for Development in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), called for a gender equal world, where women and girls have control over their bodies, make informed choices about having sex and having children, and are able to give birth safely, free of force and violence. The UK, she said, is proud to be the largest donor to UNFPA’s reproductive health supplies partnership in 2022, supporting 48 low and middle income countries to access modern contraceptive methods.

She highlighted the results of UNFPA’s partnership with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and FCDO in Sierra Leone, noting that “Sierra Leone is a great country doing great things. Our saving lives program has supported the training of 1,284 midwives. They are known to play an essential role in delivering kind and respectful care.”

EU Supports Agro-Business Development in Sierra Leone

October 7, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Under the European Union’s Jobs and Growth Programme, two private operators, Capitol Foods Ltd and Trading Sierra Leone Ltd as well as two Non-Government Organisations: Mankind’s Activities for Development Accreditation Movement and Solidaridad Network West Africa received grant funding to support agriculture, innovation and technology.

At the signing and grant award ceremony at the Delegation of the European Union yesterday, EU Ambassador Manuel Müller stated that “agriculture, technology and innovation are critical to develop an efficient manufacturing and processing industry, pulling productivity, ensuring value addition and access to market.”

Agriculture constitutes the backbone of Sierra Leone’s economy. It is also a key sector in the partnership between the EU and Sierra Leone to promote the sustainable socio-economic development of the country.

Investments for an amount of 90 million New Leones will support the development of four key organic value chains: cocoa, cashew, pineapple and sweet potato. It will bring value addition to the country contributing to jobs creation in rural areas, notably for youth and women.

According to the EU Delegation’s Head of Cooperation, Gerald Hatler, “previous EU support has allowed Sierra Leone to tap into the growing demand for organic products in Europe.

Cocoa is a concrete case where Sierra Leone has recently proved to be competitive taking advantage of the organic premium for its smallholder farmers. The Agro-tech support will pursue these EU efforts, offering high value market opportunities for the country.”

The Agro-Tech support is part of the Jobs and Growth Programme which aims to implement a policy shift towards engaging more directly with the private sector. A kick-off meeting concluded the event, formally launching the new support and partnership between Sierra Leone and the European Union.

Esther Kay Foundation Donates School Materials to 150 Vulnerable Pupils

October 7, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

As part of their continuous support to the less privileged children with the objective of nurturing them to reach their full potentials the Esther Kay Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on improving access to basic services and the standards of living for less privileged children in the country has on Tuesday 4^Th October 2022 donated school learning materials worth millions of Leones to 150 pupils within the Bassah Town Community. The donation was held at City of Light Junction on New Site, Campbell Town, Bassah Town in Waterloo.

Speaking during the donation, the Programme Supervisor for Esther Kay Foundation, Aruna Mansaray, stated that the Foundation has been supportive to motherless and less privileged children but knowing that one of the basic rights which every child should enjoy is to go to school they thought it fit to donate school and learning materials to children that lack the opportunity of having them.

He informed that most of the beneficiaries have lost their parents and some are from broken homes whose parents are not gainfully employed adding that the aim of the Foundation is to ensure that these unfortunate children gain access to them.

The Programme Supervisor continued that they are doing so partly to complement the efforts of President Julius Maada Bio to ensure that Sierra Leonean children free quality education at the Basis and Senior Secondary School level.

Ibrahim Prosper Bangura, the Donation Coordinator for the Esther Kay Foundation, on his part, reiterated what the Programme Supervisor stated that the donation was propelled because most of the children residing within the community lack the requisite materials that will aid them acquire education.

He added that most of the parents do not have what it takes to support their children in school and therefore the Esther Kay Foundation saw it as necessity to help those children by donating learning materials.

One of community stakeholders, Marian Senesie, stated that one of her dreams was to find a remedy as to how she could provide school materials for her children when the donation materialized.

She informed that most of the children in that community have lost their parents and some are brought from the provinces to be looked after only to be left vulnerable to various vices.

One of the beneficiaries, Ramatu Kargbo, from the Peninsular Junior Secondary school expressed gratitude to the Foundation for coming to their aid through the provision of school and learning materials.

She revealed that they have been attending school without those materials and such had been preventing them from effectively studying, and failing to do their assignments.

Ramatu said what the Esther Kay Foundation has done for them has rekindled their dreams and aspirations to excel in their academic pursuits.

Esther Kay Foundation

Fatima Bio Shares vision & Programs for Liberation of Women & Girls

October 7, 2022

By Amin Kef-Ranger

Sierra Leone’s First Lady, Fatima Bio, effectively shared her vision and programs for the liberation of women and girls through her Hands Off Our Girls Initiative with a global audience in Doha, Qatar during the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2022.

The First Lady shared the Maternal and Child Health panel with the First Lady of Rwanda and former First Lady of Panama, during which she spoke about the successful implementation of the Hands Off Our Girls Initiative.

Under the distinguished patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser (The Queen of Qatar), whom she met with earlier on Tuesday, H.E Madam Fatima Maada Bio joined one of the leading global platforms where scientists, entrepreneurs and policymakers meet to develop solutions to significant health issues facing the world today and explore ways in which innovation could improve those issues for the future.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform assembled health experts and state actors to critically examine the successes and challenges of maternal and child health in various countries and design a roadmap for future healthcare delivery.

Given her astute role in tackling Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and child trafficking, raising awareness on early pregnancy as well as promoting the health of the girl child in Sierra Leone, Fatima Maada Bio explained the genesis and associated outcomes of the Hands Off Our Girls Campaign, stating that the campaign was engendered to ensure the girl child acquire education undisturbed, thereby complementing the Free Quality Education project launched by His Excellency Dr Julius Maada Bio.

“We launched the Hands Off Our Girls to break society’s stereotypical barriers, especially in introducing the girl child to early marriage and pregnancy as well as identifying them as objects of pleasure, raising awareness on the dangers of SGBV, developing policies to address the problems and give them a voice to speak about societal ills and empower them to contribute to nation building,” the First Lady noted.

Drawing inspiration from Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser on increasing access to education and maternal and child health, Her Excellency revealed that she was constructing a state-of-the-art medical city, which would accommodate 500 beds, a pediatric centre, nursing and midwifery school, administrative office with improved medical facilities at the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown, adding that the facility would tackle myriads of healthcare issues affecting Sierra Leoneans, particularly women and girls when completed.

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) was established by Qatar Foundation in 2013 as a catalyst for change. WISH unites the world’s most influential thinkers and brilliant minds to develop solutions that can improve health outcomes globally.

Earlier at the opening ceremony, the Sierra Leone First Lady shared the front row with distinguished global leaders including the Commonwealth Secretary General, President of Tanzania, First Lady of Rwanda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia and seated close to the Queen of Qatar.

Wednesday 5th October 2022 was a very busy day for the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, in the Arabian Peninsula city of Doha in Qatar as she continued her Working Visit on the Special Invitation of the Royal Family of Qatar which has primarily funded the trip of the Sierra Leone First Lady and her delegation to Qatar.

After briefings with her competent Team of support staff in the morning, she was to move over for a Lunch meeting with Qatar Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari at his family’s private residence.

After the Luncheon meeting, the Sierra Leone First Lady also held a very important, closed door meeting with H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Al-Thani, the Chairperson of Qatar Museum, who is one of the most influential women in the Middle East.

H.E. Dr. Fatima Maada Bio was afterwards taken on a conducted tour of the Islamic Art Museum and the Doha Flag Plaza alongside Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania who is currently also visiting Qatar as a special guest of the Royal Family of Qatar. The two distinguished African Muslim Women H.E. Fatima Maada Bio and H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan were joined on the tour by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, among other VIPs.

The hectic day ended with a Special Dinner organized by the Royal Family for their special guests.

Pres Bio Commences Nationwide Tour in Kailahun District

October 7, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

President Bio has engaged stakeholders in Kailahun District for their massive turnout on the last day of the second phase of the voter registration exercise, saying that he is happy to embark on a nationwide tour to register his appreciation of the process.

While addressing the district, President Bio thanked the registered voters for exercising their civic duties, propped stakeholders for their firm belief in democratic principles and appreciated their working together to ensure that citizens were responsible.

He said his Government’s spending on education had been tremendous because of his campaign commitment made while vying for the presidency before 2018, adding that the Free Quality Education commitment is not only increasing school enrollment but is also ensuring more access to quality education for girls and boost the rate of retention.

President Bio also stated that his Government would continue to empower more women and girls, a willingness demonstrated in the recent West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination results.

He told the people that because of his commitment to human capital development, he was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to co-chair the global education summit at the recent United Nations General Assembly.

He assured citizens in that part of the country of his Government’s commitment to ensuring that the Kailahun-Koindu road is tarred and revealed that commencing from Monday, 10 October 2022, residents of Kono District will start enjoying uninterrupted electricity as part of his Government’s nationwide commitment to electrify all district headquarter towns.

Paramount Chief of Luawa, PC Mohamed Kailondo Banya, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the President for his nationwide development efforts, especially his commitment to human capital development through the free quality education programme, which had attracted not only enrolment but also increased retention of more girls than ever before.

He called on the President to consider them in his quest to transform the country by empowering them with mobility, stating that most of them were not mobile as a result of the bad road network in the chiefdoms, adding that that was preventing them from actively participating in national issues.

He confirmed that, as traditional leaders, their key priority is to work and support all the development strides of the Government of the day.

China Is Not A Colonizer But An Enabler Of Africa’s Economic Development…

October 7, 2022

By Ranger

Some Western schools of thought would want us to believe that China is out to colonize and exploit our natural resources like Europe and USA did in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and still continue to do openly and remorselessly. Firstly, China in the colonial pattern, has never imposed any regime in Africa to promote its interest as the colonialists did and still do.

China maintains a cordial bilateral relationship with all countries on the continent. To understand why China is a true friend of Africa, we have to first understand that China fought for long against imperial domination. In the process, the Chinese Communist Party discovered that political liberation alone is not enough. It should be underpinned by sustained development.

Thus, since China started engaging with Africa, its policy has been one of empowerment in exchange for strong security, economic, trade and cultural ties on a win-win basis.

Today China is not only Africa’s largest trading partner but is also the largest foreign direct investor having poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the continent through its state owned banks for everything from infrastructure – roads, railways, ports, airports, telecommunications systems that enable economic development ,trade and commerce but also invested through its private companies in agriculture, mining, construction, oil and manufacturing industries that are contributing greatly to the continent’s economic diversification and drive towards prosperity.

Thus, it would be disingenuous for any commentator to suggest that China is out to colonize Africa. Rather based on shared common diplomatic, economic and cultural interests, China is helping Africa fill in the huge development deficits left by over 400 years of European and American colonialism, imperialism and post 20th century neo-imperialism.