Africell Impact Foundation’ Trains Customer Care Agents

October 3, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In a bid to equip customer care agents in the country with necessary skills to enhance customer service through building effective communication, self-confidence and professional image that differentiates them from competitors, Africell Impact Foundation has on Thursday 29^th September, 2022 concluded a three days E Learning training for customer care agents in the country. The training was held at the Africell Impact Foundation E Learning Center on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.

Speaking to journalists, the Customer Care Manager at Africell Sierra Leone, Manye Daramy, commended the move by the Foundation towards equipping customer care agents in the country with necessary skills to enhance customer service through building effective communication, self-confidence and professional image that differentiates them from competitors.

She said that Africell Impact Foundation, which is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Africell, is all about empowering people to contribute to their communities, stating that the Foundation helps to build strong and resilient communities by bringing people together, both digitally and physically, and connecting them to opportunities in education, the arts, healthcare and more.

The Customer Care Manager at Africell Sierra Leone highlighted that consumer experience is key to branding their products and leveraging loyalty to their organization in facing the extremely competitive market nowadays, furthering that understanding the building blocks of a memorable consumer experience is mandatory when everyone knows that success lies in details and small things have great impact when approaching consumers in the market and that service people are an essential factor of any brand and that their self-confidence, their appearance, what they say, how and when they say it affects the image of the company or organization they operate.

Manye Daramy revealed that during the three days training, service people (participants) have understood the major role they play in engaging customers and increasing their loyalty to the organization they operate.

She concluded by stating that the Africell Impact Foundation E-Learning Center situated on Wilkinson Road in Freetown is open to members of the public who intend to equipped in various areas, and that interested members of the public should visit Africell’s official website for more details.

One of the beneficiaries, Umu Kulumie Hassan-King, expressed appreciation to Africell Impact Foundation for the training which she described as not only important but very timely.

She revealed that the training has equipped her with necessary skills to in order to enhance her customer service skills through building effective communication, self-confidence.

Umu Kulumie Hassan-King stated that if participants use the tools and apply the methods they have learnt during the training they will be responsible for their self-motivation and positive attitude at work and acknowledge the importance of their role in promoting a great image of their institutions and creating an exceptional customer experience for customers.

She concluded by encouraging all to take grab the opportunity Africell Impact Foundation has offered through their E-Learning programs in the country.

Political Violence Escalates in Sierra Leone: Wanted Activist’s Family Residence Attacked, One Dead

September 30, 2022

By Francess Wright

As the June 24, 2023 General Elections approach in Sierra Leone, the country is witnessing a dangerous surge in political tension between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party. This escalating rivalry has resulted in bloody clashes with severe consequences.

Recently, the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) set the registration period for eligible voters, starting on September 3, 2022, and ending on October 3, 2022. However, as the registration deadline approaches, the atmosphere remains charged with fear and uncertainty.

Amidst these turbulent times, there have been repeated calls from Civil Society Organizations and religious groups for the public to reject all forms of political violence and ensure a peaceful outcome for the upcoming elections.

However, the situation took a tragic turn when the family residence of a prominent political activist, Braima Bangura, became the target of a wanton attack. Braima Bangura was known as both a wanted political activist and a Constituency Chairman for the incumbent APC Party in Makeni.

The attack occurred last night, leaving one family member dead and others fleeing for their lives. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the assailants, dressed in T-shirts associated with the ruling party, forcefully entered the residence.

According to witnesses, the assailants demanded to know the whereabouts of Braima Bangura, accusing him of attempting to register for the elections and manipulate the results in favor of the APC Party’s Presidential Candidate, Samura Kamara. When confronted by one family member denying Bangura’s presence, the attackers reacted violently, leading to the tragic loss of life.

Braima Bangura, who had been wanted since the 2018 Presidential runoff election period, was reportedly on a list of potential opposition troublemakers targeted by the ruling party. The political vendetta and clashes between SLPP and APC supporters before and after the March 7, 2018 Polls contributed to the ongoing animosity.

In the aftermath of the 2018 elections, attacks against opposition activists allegedly increased, with reports of nocturnal assaults, extra-judicial killings, and threats perpetrated by members of the Presidential Guards. The situation in Makeni, considered an APC stronghold, was particularly tense, with Braima Bangura being linked to violent clashes between APC and SLPP supporters.

Despite repeated attempts to apprehend him, Bangura managed to evade capture, seeking refuge in neighboring Guinea. His family, however, continues to suffer the consequences of his political involvement.

In the wake of this recent attack, the nation stands united in calling for an end to clandestine political violence against perceived activists. The authorities must ensure the safety of citizens and uphold their fundamental rights, fostering an environment of peace and security in the lead-up to the crucial elections.

SLAJ Meets With ECSL Boss & Discussed Pertinent Electoral Issues

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The Executive of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) paid a courtesy call on the Electoral Commission-Sierra Leone on Tuesday 27th September at the Commission’s Tower Hill office, Freetown.

President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, thanked the EC-SL Chairman, Mohamed K. Konneh, for accepting his request for a courtesy call. He recalled that just after he was appointed Chairman of the EC-SL, Konneh and his team paid a courtesy call on SLAJ as one of its key partners to understand what has been their experience working with the Commission on previous elections and to seek further cooperation.

President Nasralla said the courtesy call by SLAJ is to continue the engagement and to strengthen the relationship between the two bodies going into the public elections in June 2023. He said part of the relationship has been such that the Chairperson of the SLAJ Electoral Commission (SLAJEC) has always been the emissary of the Association to the EC-SL (formerly NEC).

Highlighting the critical role of the media in the electioneering process, Nasralla said there is a need for the SLAJ and EC-SL to have a memorandum of understanding on matters of access to the activities of the Commission and information sharing so that the media plays its rightful role of bringing the correct information about the elections to the people.

For example, said Nasralla, during the process of nomination of political candidates there should be cooperation among EC-SL and its partners to ensure the process is orderly, transparent, and fair, and the media has unhindered access to cover everything.

“For the nomination of flagbearers of political parties, how do we ensure we work together to create adequate room for the media to cover the process without hindrance and disorder? The EC-SL can coordinate a meeting with the relevant partners, including the Sierra Leone Police and SLAJ, so we plan for this important activity as a team. We can allocate a specific space to the media to occupy, and a secluded area where the candidates will avail themselves after their nominations for interview by the collective media just as they do in football matches,” Nasralla suggested, adding that the same can be done for EC-SL press conferences with a much bigger space to accommodate more people.

The SLAJ President also mentioned the issue of accreditation to journalists and media houses, and the need for proper identification and for SLAJ to be involved in the planning and implementation.

Furthermore, Nasralla revealed that SLAJ with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), will operate a media center that will serve as a hub for various interventions during the elections, including countering disinformation and promoting information integrity through fact-checking and proactive disclosure of information relating to the elections.

“For the disinformation project to succeed we will need the cooperation of the EC-SL and its other partners,” said Nasralla.

Nasralla also informed the EC-SL Chairman about plans by the National Political Debates Committee (NPDC) to organize a presidential debate for the June 2023 public elections and for which the support of the Committee is hugely important.

“Building on the success and learning from the lessons of the 2018 presidential debate, the NPDC is working with partners to imbibe the culture of debate in our body politic as a means to encourage healthy dialogue among politicians and promote citizens’ participation in the democratic process,” said Nasralla.

He informed the EC-SL boss that this year’s presidential debate will be a three-tier debate with political parties grouped into three categories according to their strengths and weaknesses in meeting the requirements of a political party as prescribed by the regulations of the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC).

“In 2018 we had the challenge of assembling 17 political parties on one stage and so we devised a strategy of eliminating almost half of that number to the disappointment of those parties that were excluded. For the June 2023 elections, we want to give every registered political party the right to have a platform to talk to the people of Sierra Leone about their plans for the country,” explained Nasralla.

Nasralla reported that the June 2023 political debate will commence in October 2022 with NDI supporting three political debates featuring women, young people, and people living with disabilities (PWDS) in political parties.

“What the EC-SL can do now to support the process is to ensure that our choice of date/s for the presidential debates are free from any other political activity so that the candidates will all be available,” appealed Nasralla.

Finally, the SLAJ President urged the EC-SL to support initiatives for the safety and security of journalists during the elections period.

In response, the Chief Electoral Commissioner of EC-SL, Mohamed K. Konneh, assured SLAJ that the Commission is willing to work and cooperate with the Association to provide access to the media and journalists to the Commission and to work together to counter disinformation around the public elections 2023. He said that access to the Commission is the only way correct stories can be disseminated to the public and the world at large. The EC-SL, he said, has no limitation to granting access to the media and journalists for them to come and clarify issues.

“We will love to receive calls from journalists and the media houses on stories they might have read online or rumours for these stories to be clarified before going to press rather than just writing the story and sometimes we know media houses and journalists have this tactic of saying efforts to reach out for clarification proved futile,” said Mr. Konneh. “We understand some of these things but our responsibility is to bring out our own side of the story to clarify the issues.”

The Chief Electoral Commissioner said the only way to manage disinformation and fake news around the elections is for the EC-SL to be proactive in bringing out the correct information before it gets distorted. And where the Commission is not forthcoming with the information, he said it is the responsibility of partners to draw the EC-SL’s attention to some of the stories so that they will respond by putting out the correct story.

“We will be happy to be part of whatever committee that SLAJ will set up for disinformation management around the elections. I am happy about the setup of various committees because that’s one way we can address disinformation, if somebody is on the committee they will be able to clear any disinformation and it will come out whether it is factual or a false story,” Mr. Konneh said.

The EC-SL Chairman made reference to the recent elections in Kenya where one of the European partners gave support to the country’s Peacebuilding Commission. They set up a media web and recruited about 100 young people to monitor the national news on radios, newspapers, and social media and cross-check and fact-check with relevant authorities, and then simultaneously respond to disinformation and fake news.

“For example, in our own case, somebody during this voter registration took to social media claiming that they were registering underage children in Bonthe. These are some of the things we can easily react to if we have that Kenya type of system in place where the story is forwarded to us, we will cross-check with our team and then we come back and say this is a fake story or not. These are some of the simultaneous systems we have to put in place,” Konneh said, adding that the Commission is willing to work with SLAJ on developing the system and be part of it as well.

The Chief Electoral Commissioner further assured that the EC-SL will share with SLAJ their final calendar of electoral activities and they will also be pleased to have the Association onboard in the area relating to the media outreach or media information.

“We will even have a desk for SLAJ so that you too are part of the media outreach programme,” he suggested.

He recalled the elections of 2018, and what happened to journalists when security forces were arrested and beat some of them. He suggested that it is one of the reasons for the need for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions to have a system in place that will also protect the journalists as well as information sharing and management.

“In other words, if you are a journalist you will observe the elections and your role is limited to that; you do not become a political party agent by getting involved in the activities and challenging the authorities. So as we get this MoU, it will be good we know our various responsibilities. If you are committed to bringing out credible information you should have access but also that goes with some level of responsibility,” Mr. Konneh explained, adding that the MoU can be drafted, and both EC-SL and SLAJ agree on the content and date to sign the document.

On the issue of accreditation for journalists to cover the activities of the EC-SL, the Electoral Boss revealed that the Commission has developed an online accreditation portal which was tested during the recent by-elections. He said they want to adopt the online accreditation going forward.

“We are going to make it mandatory for institutions to use it. For example, if we agree that all media houses that want accreditation must go through SLAJ, then all applications will be going through SLAJ on their online platform, and when they are signed off by the SLAJ President they are sent to us for approval. When we approve we send them back to SLAJ and you will be responsible to send back to the various beneficiaries instead of this idea of preparing the card and somebody will come and write his/her name; we really want to avoid that, and that is one of the reasons we have established the accreditation portal,” Konneh explained.

He said once both parties agree, he would get his ICT team to train some SLAJ staff to make it easier for everybody. He further said the portal will create a database such that when someone commits an offence the person will be clearly identified along with his/her details and swiftly withdraw the accreditation as fast as possible.

“So the portal is one of the things we have developed and we want to make sure political parties are also part of the portal,” Mr. Konneh said.

On the planned presidential debate organized by the National Political Debates Committee (NPDC), he said the debate is of course part of EC-SL’s responsibility and always welcomes playing whatever role is required of the Commission to support the process.

A Silent Majority Think APC &SLPP Do Not Have the Answers

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

As the process of registering voters for the June 2023 general elections comes to a close, The Calabash has discerned that many are registering not for the expressed purpose of voting for any of the political parties or candidates but only to acquire the ID card.

Asked why many would not turn out to vote, the general reply was that since the return to democracy elections in 1996 to now, instead of the two parties that have held political power bettering their lot, it has got only worse. We thought that democracy will bring us socioeconomic benefits, one University lecturer told The Calabash.

Instead what we have seen since is a clan of politicians bamboozling the people with promises of bettering their lot. He lamented that after five or ten years in power, the only thing the people see is the clan in power having acquired massive unexplained wealth.

Articulating the disillusionment of the people with politics, the University lecturer further narrated that the Executive, Parliament and Local Governments have conspiratorially failed to deliver the fruits of democracy to the masses, pointing to lack of development, high unemployment, lack of social services, inflation, corruption and falling standards of living as key reasons why a silent majority believe that APC and SLPP do not have the answers to the perennial problems of underdevelopment, as Sierra Leone continues to be ranked among the least developed countries in the world with a long way to catch up with the likes of Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania and the Seychelles that have used democratic governance to improve on their People’s welfare and wellbeing.

EU & SLAJ Poise to Undertake Beach Clean-UP Event 2022 on Saturday

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

In a Press Release dated Wednesday 28th September 2022 issued by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) it was made known that the Association is again supporting the European Union Beach Clean-up event scheduled for Saturday 1st October 2022 at 9:00am –12:00noon at the Lumley – Aberdeen Beach in Freetown.

In light of the above, SLAJ is kindly requesting that members of SLAJ who wish to volunteer to participate in the event to submit their names (and media) to the Secretary at SLAJ Headquarters via Mobile No. 034 095 505 not later than the Close of Business on Thursday 29th September 2022.

It was further stated that it is part of SLAJ’s contribution toward collective efforts to protect the environment and raise awareness for the protection of the ocean from plastic litter as the main drivers of the depletion of marine biodiversity and climate change issues.

SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, says the media has a moral obligation to support worthy courses, and the environment is vital.

“The media plays a crucial role in raising awareness about climate change issues, mobilizing action, tracking policy implementation, and leading advocacy efforts towards the responsible treatment of the environment. So we need to Act Now!” says Nasralla.

Built is Proud Recipient of funding from Google Black Founders Fund

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

Built, a parent company of the Sierra Leonean technology company, Built Financial Technologies (SL) Limited, was selected as one of the beneficiaries of this year’s Google Black Funders Fund in Africa. It is worthy to note that the company was selected as one of the 60 innovative companies across Africa to share in the non-dilutive $4M fund.

The Google Black Funders Fund is aimed at supporting early-stage, Black-founded startups on the continent as part of efforts to bridge the existing fundraising gap for Black startup founders in Africa’s fast-growing technology landscape.

Founders will receive up to $100K in equity-free cash, up to an additional $200K in Google Cloud Credits, and access to the best of Google—people, products, and practices.

The co-founders of Built comprising Mary-Anne Aikins, Rosemary Kwofie, Yusif Katulie and Edward Neequaye are excited about the acknowledgment as the company continues to “build the digital infrastructure that SMEs need to launch, manage and grow their businesses.”

In an interview with The Calabash Newspaper, the Built team described the award as a “further validation” of the impact the company had made over the years, indicating that the honour would inspire them to greater heights as they continue to make valuable propositions and stand tall in the financial technology space.

“It is a win for us and for the SMEs we support, as this is going to provide more fuel to keep building relevant solutions for SMEs in the markets we operate in,” Mr. Neequaye, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company said.

Country representative for Sierra Leone, Imran Kamara noted: “We are excited by this award which is going to help us ramp up investment in upgrading our product and carrying out new digital campaigns in Sierra Leone.”

Built Financial Technologies is a Pan-African financial technology company that is building the digital infrastructure that Africa’s small businesses need to launch, run and grow their businesses. The company provides business and financial tools including invoicing, accounting, POS, payments and payroll apps for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In Sierra Leone, Built has worked with over 300 SMEs and is an active partner within the SME ecosystem, supporting projects such as the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP)

The ‘Built’ platform, according to the co-founders, currently with over 6,000 businesses, among other things, enables businesses to accept faster payments from their customers, from mobile money to card payments.

With subsidiaries in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya, the company aims to “normalize growth and prosperity for Africa’s SMEs, most of which currently do not grow beyond the level at which they started.”

The company again has the ‘Built Accounting’ mobile application on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store which continues to attract positive reviews from owners of small businesses.

With the support from Google, the team at ‘Built’ says they are “drawing closer” to becoming the most preferred platform for SMEs across Africa.

LAB Legally Represents 91 Accused Persons in September Call Over

September 30, 2022

Seventy (70) accused persons arraigned before the Honorable Justice Nicolas Browne-Marke (JSC), at the just concluded September Criminal Sessions of the High Court from the 20 – 23 September 2022 at the High Court No. 1 on Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown were represented by the Legal Aid Board.

The accused persons were part of a total of 79 others whose matters were called by the court of which 3 were absent, 4 were represented by private counsels and two were reported to have died while on remand.

The beneficiaries were arraigned on multiple charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud to murder, wounding with intent, robbery, robbery with aggravation, assault with intent to rob, shop breaking and larceny, larceny from a person, larceny in a dwelling house, fraudulent conversion and sexual penetration amongst others.

Of the 70 accused persons represented by the Board, 16 were granted bail, 32 were remanded and 22 pleaded guilty to the offences and were sentenced to various prison terms including time spent. Among those granted bail were two females who were released to the Board. The two, Tenneh Bangura and Doris Tucker were arraigned on two separate files on charges of store breaking, larceny and receiving stolen items and robbery with aggravation.

Following plea in mitigation by Legal Aid Counsels, the presiding judge, Justice Brown-Marke, while pronouncing sentences, told the convicts who were mostly first time offenders that he has decided to impose short sentences to teach them a lesson so they will think twice before taking the laws into their hands in future.

Addressing clients at the Legal Aid Board head office, the Executive Director of the Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles warned them against “involving in anything that will be of police interest”, noting that the “Board is challenged with limited number of staff especially lawyers and therefore will be constrained to provide representation to repeated offenders.” She advised them to focus on rebuilding their lives through hard work, adding that they must be peaceful and law abiding especially now that elections are approaching.

The accused persons were represented by Legal Aid Counsels: Cecilia Tucker; Ibrahim Samba; Randy .S Bangura; Morrison Karimu; Harold Momoh; Ibrahim Bangura; Komba Kanu and Fatmata June Mackery.

In another related development, the Legal Aid Board resident counsel in the South, Jack John Harris represented 21 accused persons arraigned before Honourable Justice A.T Ganda at the September Criminal Session on September 20 in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone.

Hon. Chernor Maju Bah Calls On ECSL Boss to Breakdown Registration Figures by Centres

September 30, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Chernor Maju Bah, in a letter written to the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed K Konneh and captioned, “Persistence of Registration Challenges, Extension of the Registration Period and Publication of Disaggregated Figures” stated that on Saturday 10 September 2022, he released a public statement in which he acknowledged the efforts of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) in the ongoing Voters Registration Process (VRP) and highlighted his engagements with the leadership of the Commission.

He continued that while he drew attention, particularly to the difficulties First Time Voters were confronted with in their attempt to exercise a very critical civic responsibility he also pointed out several logistical, human resource, and technical challenges derailing the process.

Hon. Chernor Maju Bah stated that he further noted the Chief Electoral Commissioner’s Press Statement of Wednesday 7 September 2022, in which he acknowledged the challenges and assured the public and political stakeholders that the said challenges would be immediately addressed.

The Parliamentary Leader said that as the Chief Electoral Commissioner may well aware, the VRP is in its third week, yet some of the challenges still persist, particularly those relating to First Time Voters, who are currently not yet of the voting age but will turn 18 by June 2023.

“As I have previously indicated, it is highly imperative for ECSL to lay a solid basis for the June 2023 elections to be credible, inclusive and representative of the people’s will,” the APC strongman maintained adding that such should be done by ensuring that the VRP leaves no eligible citizen out in the process.

He said unfortunately while some of the initial challenges still persist, new ones are also emerging emphasizing that they include the Commission’s failure to publish by centers, the figures from the ongoing exercise; political interference with the process at various centers; and the intimidation of opposition representatives, community leaders and First Time Voters.

The Parliamentarian claimed that the latter is being done by declaring the identification documents of some of the First Time Voters as fake, seizure of such documents, and threatening the owners with police arrest.

He said while all of those initial and recent challenges have eaten up a considerable amount of the time stipulated for the process; ECSL’s insistence on publishing the registration figures by region rather than by centers, makes the data unverifiable, undermines the integrity of the register and creates unnecessary suspicion of some wrongdoing.

According to Hon. Chernor Maju Bah that situation casts a dark cloud over the credibility of the critical electoral process and if not addressed decisively and comprehensively, the Voters Register, which would emerge from, what he termed as , this problematic VRP, would have far-reaching ramifications on the credibility, peacefulness and acceptability of the June 2023 elections.

He said, therefore, in the interest of the credibility of the Chief Electoral Commissioner and that of the Commission’s, he is kindly request him to do the following: Break down the registration figures by center and make them available to political parties and the public; to ensure that ALL eligible, including First Time Voters, are accorded their constitutional right to participate in the process as provided for by the Public Election Act; to decisively and satisfactorily address any political interference with the process and extend the registration process, to adequately compensate for the time lost.

Hon. Chernor Maju Bah concluded that while he looks forward to his prompt and satisfactory response let the Chief Electoral Commissioner please accept the assurances of his support to the successful completion of this and all electoral processes.

Copies of the letter were sent to: The Speaker of Parliament, the Chairperson – Political Parties Registration Commission, H.E. Ambassador Musa Ruhle, the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Head – European Union Delegation, the British High Commissioner and the Ambassador – United States of America.

Judiciary Rolls Out Professional Training for Magistrates Nationwide

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The Judiciary of Sierra Leone through the Judicial and Legal Training Institute (JLTI), with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), on the 27^th September, 2022 organized nationwide professional training for all Magistrates on Management and Administration of Court Cases; Managing Ethics and Integrity Issues at Magistrates’ Courts; Jurisdiction of Magistrates’ Courts; Management and Administration on the Adjudication of Local Court Appeal Cases; Adjudication of Small Claims Commercial Court and the Feedback on the Justice Case Management Application.

In his presentation on the adjudication of Small Claims Commercial Court, the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards said the progress made after the setting up of the Fast Track Commercial Court necessitated the setting up of the Small Claims Commercial Court at the Magistrates’ Courts to handle claims below Fifty Thousand Leones (new currency) expeditiously without sacrificing justice.

“The objective of this Court is to speedily conclude those matters brought before the Court and adjournments should not be more than 72 hours,” stated the Chief Justice adding that, “it should be expeditious, effective and fair, without fear or favour.”

He called on them to ensure that those matters are completed within a month. The Chief Justice further explained the pre-trial conference and case management conference. He said the Small Claims Commercial Court is among the Specialized Courts established under his watch.

In his power point presentation on the issues on Bail, convictions and sentencing at the Magistrates’ Courts, Supreme Court Judge, Honourable Justice Nicholas Browne-Marke spoke about the methods in bringing criminal cases to Court. He went on to elucidate on Summary Trials and Preliminary Investigations.

Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Monfred Sesay said the structure of the Court is like a pyramid which is broad at the base and tapers in a hierarchical order to the top. He was lecturing on adjudication of Local Court Appeal Cases.

According to Justice Monfred Sesay, the District Appeal Court is superior to the Local Courts but inferior to the High Court.

“It is of the same status or in the same rank in the hierarchy as Magistrates’ Courts,” he said, noting “it consists of a Magistrate of the Judicial District sitting with two Assessors selected by the Magistrate from a list of experts in Customary Law drawn up by the District Officer.”

He said between the Local Courts and the Supreme Court are the Magistrates’ Courts or District Appeal Court, High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Presentations were also done by Supreme Court Judge, Honourable Justice Alusine Sesay and Court of Appeal Judges, Honourable Justices Reginald Fynn and Komba Kamanda.

Tourism Minister Highlights Significant Gains Made & for them to be Sustained

September 30, 2022

By Abubakarr Harding

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Day with the global theme: “Rethinking Tourism” and the domesticated theme of: “The Impact of Violence and Conflict on Tourism, Tourism for Peace” was celebrated by the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and its agencies at the Family Kingdom Resort at Aberdeen in Freetown on the 27^th September 2022.

Chairman of the occasion, who also doubles as the Minister of Political and Public Affairs, Amb Foday Yumkella in his opening statements said it significant to converge with the objective of observing World Tourism Day with an important slogan “Tourism for Peace”.

The Political and Public Affairs Minister underscored that without peace there can be no tourism and tourism can promote peace. He pointed out that the complementary nexus between tourism and peace cannot be overemphasized adding that such has heightened the interest in tourism as a means of promoting peace.

On his part, the Director of Tourism, Mohamed Jalloh intimated the audience that the celebration of World Tourism Day creates the platform to have a sincere dialogue to address challenges and take advantage of the opportunities available.

The Director dilated on the gains made by the sector, the impact of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine emphasizing how they have affected world tourism.

He said the incident of August 10 captured the attention of renowned international TV channels which has negatively impacted the brand, Sierra Leone, adding that what is significant for tourism is for such ugly and horrible images not to cloud the good pictures of Sierra Leone, hence the local theme “The Impact of Violence and Conflict on Tourism” which he said will be discussed at the regional headquarter towns.

The Project Coordinator of Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP), Mary Jalloh expressed excitement for gracing the occasion especially as a Sierra Leonean and also to share her branding experience about Sierra Leone. She said SLEDP is a World Bank funded project that focuses on transforming the perception of Sierra Leone through the tourism sector. She mentioned that they supported the Ministry to develop the first ever national tourism and rebranding strategy for Sierra Leone further maintaining that the brand of Sierra Leone is the people of Sierra Leone.

In her keynote address, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt said the theme for this year’s celebration was a deliberate attempt by the Ministry to set up their awareness raising campaign and change the mind-sets of young folks about the dangers of conflicts and its attendant consequences.

“The 27th September every year is regarded by UNWTO as a special day for the celebration of the World Tourism Day since 1980 and the day was chosen to promote public awareness on the immense contributions of tourism and the socio-economic growth of nations and to promote peace and socio-cultural cohesion globally as well as to reflect on the challenges faced by the industry,” the Minister informed.

She stated that tourism and peace are complementary with the two impacting each other adding that a positive development in one leads to the same in the other while negative development also drives in negative impact.

The Minister argued that tourism activities have the potential to bridge settlements within areas of conflict stating that there is the need to enhance the awareness raising campaign on tourism activities and its inter-relationship impact on peace to maximize society’s benefit from a feature she said this year’s commemoration intends to achieve.

She highlighted the significant gains made by the sector and called for concerted efforts across the board to ensure that those gains are sustained.

Representatives from the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, Office of National Security, Africa Peer Review Mechanism, Council of Paramount Chiefs and the Hotel Association all made relevant contributions during the occasion.

High leveled panel discussions on : “Tourism for Peace (Youth Violence, Conflict and Tourism) and “Tourism and Business” climaxed the celebration of World Tourism Day.