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Chief Justice Dilates on New Arbitration Law in Nigeria

His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards

By Elisha Harding

The Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards has disclosed that Sierra Leone has a New Arbitration Bill, 2022 which before the end of June should become the New Arbitration Law for Sierra Leone.

The Chief Justice was speaking in Lagos, Nigeria, on the  4th June, 2022 as a Special Guest at the 6th International Chamber of Commerce Africa Conference on Arbitration on the theme, “African Arbitration: Consolidation and Transformation.”

According to him, the Law of Arbitration in Sierra Leone is the Arbitration Ordinance of 1927 enshrined in Cap 25 of the Laws of Sierra Leone 1960. It constitutes the first and only statutory enactment on Arbitration in Sierra Leone. It was enacted by the British Colonial Administration and came into force on the 16th of December 1927.

The English Law, he continued, had long departed from this Law with the promulgation of English Arbitration Act, 1996, but we in Sierra Leone continued with it.

He said, “they gave us a legacy we are unwilling to abandon. In its Long title it reads ‘this ordinance may be cited as the Arbitration Ordinance and shall apply to the colony and the protectorate.’ So, its application is only and solely in Sierra Leone, never mind what lawyers would wish.”

“This is in contrast with other Arbitration Laws Like the UNCITRAL MODEL LAW 1985 as amended in 2006; the English Arbitration Act 1996, the German ZPO, the SWISS Private International Law and many more statutes all of which has an international Application e.g. the UNCITRAL Model Law provides that this law applies to International Commercial Arbitration , subject to any agreement in force between this State and any other state or states and then goes on to define when an Arbitration is international,” the Chief Justice said.

Honourable Chief Justice Edwards went further to assert that disputes are an inevitable occurrence of life and international arbitration remains the most important and widely used dispute resolution mechanism of choice for cross border disputes.

“Guinea, Liberia, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone all do have Arbitration Laws,” he said while reiterating that, “in the case of Guinea, they have The Ohada Uniform Arbitration Act 1999 as amended; the Gambia – The Alternative Dispute Resolution Act Chapter 6 of 2005 as amended by Act No. 6 of 2006; Liberia, you have the Liberian Commercial Code of 2010 – Title 7 Chapter 7 of the Liberian Code of Laws Revised Commercial Code – Commercial Arbitration. These are relatively new and modern Arbitration Laws which may not represent the best as they may need improvements here and there but present good scenarios for making these Countries reasonably attractive for Arbitration.”

He reiterated that with Sierra Leone, Cap 25 of the Laws of Sierra Leone 1960 was the oldest in the sub-region, hence the need for reform into that Act.  The good news however is that the New Arbitration Bill was expected to be tabled in the House of Parliament as the New Arbitration Act of 2022.  This New Arbitration Bill, apart from the best practice provisions covering things like a stay of proceedings, limited court intervention, interim measures, separability/severability, powers in relation to the constitution of the tribunal, competence – competence; determination of questions of law by Experts appointed by the Tribunal, determination of recoverable costs, an extension of time, coercive powers re-witnesses etc. and most importantly recognition, challenge, setting aside and enforcement of Awards covering things like: Third Party funding with restrictions on champerty, Emergency Arbitrator proceedings, Expedited hearings, Establishes the Sierra Leone Arbitration Centre where the composition would include renowned Arbitrators around  the Continent, Court Intervention is limited, Incorporates the New York Convention to which Sierra Leone is a member incorporating its reservations, the New Concept of “Arbitration Proceedings Rules” dealing with when, how and time limit for applications, Enforcement of Peremptory Orders  and Investor-state Arbitration Enforcement.

All of which are bound to make Sierra Leone attractive as a place for Doing Business causing direct foreign investment.

He used the occasion to dilate on ways in which arbitral institutions can collaborate to build capacity within the continent as well as future opportunities and ways to enhance Africa’s economic development that will attract important foreign investments through the instrumentality of international arbitration.

On his part, Robert Volterra, Founding Partner of Volterra Fietta in Canada said there is a need to encourage local lawyers to develop their expertise in Arbitration, adding that Arbitration has now been viewed as a fundamental tool for enabling business and investment in the continent and measures are now being put in place to update their arbitration laws, especially in the enforcement of foreign awards.

He also highlighted the key current developments in the various regions of Africa- East, West, North, South and Central Africa and finally outlined the gains made thus far in the region.

Chikwendu Madumere, Managing Partner & Chartered Arbitrator spoke on Damages in International Arbitration: Valuation Approaches.

According to him, one issue that has drawn significant attention from the international community in recent years is the assessment of damages in the context of international disputes.

Prof. Mark Kantor – Arbitrator and Mediator; Georgetown University Law Center, United States of America like other speakers expatiated on how wide is the gap in assessing loss between claimants and respondents and what are the common methods adopted by tribunals in assessing damages.

 

To Abolish FGM… Equality Now & Partners Made Passionate Pleas to President Bio in Kenya

of President Julius Maada Bio

By Amin Kef-Ranger

In a correspondence put together by Equality Now and its partners in Kenya and Sierra Leone, for the attention of President Julius Maada Bio, while the President was on a visit to Kenya, he was first welcomed by women’s rights activists living and working in Kenya on that country’s Madaraka Day.

It was pointed out to the President that it is not only for the reason that in 2020, Sierra Leone lifted the education ban ensuring all students, regardless of their status, access school including pregnant girls but also for the fact that Sierra Leone signed and ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).

According to Equality Now and its partners, in that regard, Sierra Leone and Kenya share a kindred bond in committing to comprehensive legal frameworks that serve to both prevent the violation of women’s rights and also to respond, in the event, that violations occur.

They said they want to inform the  President that they wish to offer that there is yet one more step Sierra Leone could take to protect the rights of women and girls and be fully compliant with its Pan African, as well as global legal obligations. They stated that Sierra Leone needs a total ban of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The rights activists said both the World Health Organization and the Centre for Disease Control have found that the harmful practice has completely no health benefits but on the contrary, it is known to be detrimental to the wellbeing of girls and women in innumerable ways.

They pointed out that firstly, it is extremely painful and traumatic and secondly, the unnecessary removal of or damage to healthy, normal genital tissue interferes with the natural functioning of the body and causes several immediate and long-term health consequences, including fistula and even death.

“Thirdly babies born to women who have undergone FGM suffer a higher rate of neonatal death compared to babies born to women who have not undergone the procedure,” they also stated.

Equality Now and Partners expressed the view that in fact, the United Nations Committee against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in its General Comment number 2 of 2008, found that FGM amounts to torture.

They argued that torture- including FGM as agreed by all nations across the world, is a human rights violation and illegal pointing out that Sierra Leone’s most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) reports that nearly 90 percent of women and girls in the country have been subjected to FGM.

The rights activists pointed out that this year there have also been reports of deaths as a result of FGM-related complications.

Equality Now and Partners stated that whereas communities that practice FGM put up many reasons to justify its practice including religion and culture, a human rights perspective informs them that the practice has deep roots in inequality between the sexes; that it constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women, that it violates the rights to health, security and physical integrity of the person, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

According to them, it is only allowed to go on unfettered where communities fail to recognize women as human beings deserving of their rights including the right to life.

They reminded the President that Sierra Leone has already taken a first powerful step of ratifying the Maputo Protocol, whose Article 5 provides that FGM is illegal.

“We now implore you to take the second and most definitive step of legislating an anti-FGM law in Sierra Leone,” they made a passionate appeal.

They pointed out how Kenya has the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act and the President has committed that ending FGM will be his legacy this year.

The campaigners maintained that Kenya’s efforts have borne fruit with UNFPA recording prevalence rates at 21 percent down from 37.6 percent in the previous years.

Equality Now and partners stated that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995, identified ending FGM as essential to realizing girls’ rights including the right to education, which, according to them, they know to be dear to the Sierra Leonean Government and people.

“We hope that as you return back to Sierra Leone, you will take these successes for women and girls and make them a common point of action and commitment between these two great nations,” they further appealed and wished.

Equality Now

As World Bank Grants $41.1m… Better Land Use Holds Key to Rapid Economic Development

World Bank Grants.png

By Ranger

One of the objectives of the World Bank $41.1 million International Development Association (IDA) grant is to support the establishment of an efficient and accessible land administration system in Sierra Leone.

Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone said that the project which is to help strengthen the country’s legal and institutional framework in the sector by financing the implementation of the core aspects of the 2015 National Land Policy, including the registration of customary and freehold land tenure, “…will have a transformative impact on the economy and society as a whole as well as positive impacts on agriculture productivity, urban development, own source revenue generation, and gender equality”.

Indeed, new approaches are needed to establish property rights in ways that would encourage investment and rising productivity (especially in agriculture) and give landholders and local communities a stake in Sierra Leone’s economic future; and to provide transparent and accountable governance of the country’s considerable natural resources.

“Corruption and economic mismanagement, lack of opportunities for youth, and the underdevelopment of rural areas” were identified in the postwar truth Commission process as underlying causes of the conflicts that devastated Sierra Leone between 1991 and 2002.

Whilst donor support to Sierra Leone enabled combatants to be disarmed and reintegrated into society, economic performance remains inadequate to move Sierra Leone up from its place at or near the bottom rank of the Human Development Index.

Many young men have turned away from agriculture toward mining, where they appear to find higher incomes but exploitative working conditions. Millions more spend their time idly in big towns and cities looking for employment that is not there.

Further, national and local governance are still prone to the same kinds of corruption and mismanagement that characterized Sierra Leone before the conflict.

Close monitoring of Sierra Leone’s initial development efforts will be essential to identifying those factors that impede or accelerate achievement of higher productivity, incomes, and rural well-being in agriculture. Exactly what these new approaches might be, however, is still a matter for analysis and political debate.

Given the country’s increased reliance on imported rice for survival over the period of conflict, for example, many have recommended rapid revitalization of the agricultural sector through expansion of irrigation in the country’s inland valleys and wetlands, and greater investment in infrastructure to connect rural areas, where just over 60% of the country’s 5.5 million people live.

The Government’s 2009 National Rice Strategy proposed that efforts to achieve national self-sufficiency in rice production are “the only solution” to food security and economic growth.

Many however question the institutional capacity of the Government and local communities to support this agricultural strategy, including the ability to train farmers in the new methods of cultivation required for irrigated production, and the willingness of local paramount chiefs to appropriately handle the “micro-politics” that surround the allocation of land subject to customary tenure, especially when land was abandoned during the years of conflict.

Similar analyses and debates will underpin development strategies for the mineral and forestry sectors, sectors of the economy which provide Sierra Leone with considerable potential for wealth.

The 2009 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper underscored the importance of legal reforms of the mining and forestry sectors for jobs and revenues.

Some legal reforms have been achieved in the mining sector. Based on past experience, however, implementation of the new legal framework will require strong resource governance structures able to meet the challenge of assuring that the benefits from the legal exploitation of the country’s mineral and forest resources are widely distributed and/or invested for the good of all citizens. This is not an easy challenge.

Sierra Leone Loses a Great Lebanese Legend – Sullay Hijazi

Sullay Hijazi

By Amin Kef-Ranger

The late Sullay Hijazi, who was popularly known as Jahjah, was laid to rest on Friday 3rd June 2022 at the Kingtom Cemetery during a well-attended funeral and burial ceremony which was graced by prominent members of the Lebanese Community in Sierra Leone, influential Sierra Leonean public figures including business personalities, football stakeholders and football loving fans in the country who turned out in great numbers, to pay their last respect to one of the most outstanding Lebanese business magnates in the history of this country.

Sullay Hijazi is one of the most recognizable names in the history of Sierra Leone Football, especially during the 1980s and 90s. He served as Chairman of Diamond Stars, the Kono District Football Club, for over a decade, providing immense financial support to the team and developing it to become one of the best teams in the country.

Due to his many success stories with Diamond Stars and his unflinching passion for football he was later asked to serve as Vice President of the Sierra Leone Football Association in the 90s. He served diligently and provided incisive, sustainable support to the national team and the organization of national leagues across the country at a time when football served as a unifying force and was very competitive with huge support bases for the various club teams.

His immense contributions to Sierra Leone Football and particularly Kono cannot be easily compared with that of any other individual in the country’s football history.

The late man was also a philanthropist who supported various worthy causes in Kono District and nationwide with his financial and moral support positively impacting lives.

Through his business investments, he availed many job opportunities and inspired ambitious young personalities to invest meaningfully to end up becoming very successful in their ventures.

He spent the most time of his life in the country focusing on his business activities in different parts of the country.

Sullay is gone but will never be forgotten and memories of him will linger for a considerable period of time. He was a mentor and an inspiration to many.

$41.1M World Bank Grant for Effective & Accessible National Land Administration System

Sierra Leone Land Administration Project

By Amin Kef-Ranger

In a Press Release by the World Bank dated 2nd June, 2022 it was revealed that a $41.1 million International Development Association (IDA) grant has been approved to support the establishment of an efficient and accessible land administration system in Sierra Leone.

Further stated was that the project will help strengthen the country’s legal and institutional framework in the sector by financing the implementation of the core aspects of the 2015 National Land Policy, including the registration of customary and freehold land tenure.

It was underscored that the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project is aligned with the Government’s Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy (2020), which identifies lack of access and ownership of land for women as a key issue.

According to Abdu Muwonge, the World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone: “We believe that the project’s support for an efficient and accessible land administration system will have a transformative impact on the economy and society as a whole as well as positive impacts on agriculture productivity, urban development, own source revenue generation and gender equality.”

He continued by stating: “The World Bank is therefore pleased to support the Sierra Leone Land Administration Project because effective and efficient land management systems reduce the risk of conflicts and offer opportunities for investments, which is critical for Sierra Leone’s economic development and poverty reduction.”

Highlighted was that Sierra Leone operates a dual land tenure system where land in the Western Area is administered under freehold tenure while customary land in the provinces is covered by customary tenure systems.

The World Bank states that its assessments revealed that only a tiny percentage of land in the rural and urban areas are mapped and recorded while institutional arrangements are opaque.

It was further maintained that the country’s legal framework for the land sector is not aligned with new technologies or principles of modern land administration and does not address women’s land ownership or land use rights adequately.

According to the World Bank, the project seeks to ensure equal tenure rights and access to land for women and girls by addressing the outdated legal framework thereby closing identified legal gaps, updating and harmonizing the legal framework for the land administration sector.

On the part of Linus Pott, the Land Administration Specialist and Task Team Leader at the World Bank:

 “As the first major investment in Sierra Leone’s land administration system since independence, we are particularly excited that the project was prepared in close collaboration with the Government and civil society, based on the globally agreed upon principles of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT)”.

Based on specifications the project will support legal reforms, awareness raising on land sector reforms, and significant capacity building for land administration functions.

Also, it will support the establishment of appropriate ICT infrastructure, business processes re-engineering, development of a modern Land Information System (LIS) for automation of land administration processes, digitization of paper archives, containing deeds and cadastral maps, and providing base maps and a geodetic network.

The World Bank stated that the support to the land administration system will enable the registration of customary and freehold land to strengthen tenure security.

It was also mentioned that the project was prepared in close coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations who has supported the implementation of the VGGT in Sierra Leone.

On the use of Census Results & PR System… Opposition Leader Succinctly Warns Chief Electoral Commissioner

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Chernor R. M. Bah

By Amin Kef-Ranger

In a letter written by the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Chernor R. M. Bah, to the Chief Electoral Commissioner and

Chairman Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh, with the caption, “Use of 2021 Mid–Term Housing and Population Census Data and Introduction Of Proportional Representation System for The June 2023 Elections Will Not Be In The National Interest”, it was categorically stated that he is writing in his current capacity and on behalf of the membership and constituents of the main opposition All Peoples Congress.

The Opposition Leader continued that the rationale is to share with Chief Electoral Commissioner and the entire Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, their concerns relating to the use of data from the disputed 2021 Mid–Term Housing and Population Census and also the planned introduction of the Proportional Representation (PR) system during the June 2023 multi-tier elections.

Hon. Chernor R. M. Bah said since his appointment as Chief Electoral Commissioner he has conducted a good number of elections at chiefdom; ward and constituency levels and have seen firsthand the level of mistrust and anger that characterizes national politics and how all of that impact negatively on national peace, cohesion and security.

He furthered how it is undeniable that the undertone for the prevailing political tension in the country is as a result of the glaring mistrust the populace has over Government institutions.

The Parliamentarian maintained that the past four years has recorded many incidents that transformed the civic business of elections and governance into political ‘gaslighting’ thereby creating a fragile and vulnerable environment for the outbreak of violence as was witnessed in Constituency 110 in the Western Area, in Ward 155 Constituency 046 in Koinadugu district and recently in Constituency 056 in the Tonkolili district.

He underscored that from the removal of ten (10) duly elected Opposition Members of Parliament who were replaced with defeated ruling party candidates; to the selection of electoral commissioners without consulting with opposition parties as stipulated by law; to the unprecedented Mid-Term Housing and Population Census which was fraught with several problems, including the withdrawal of funding by major funders; strike actions by enumerators; breakdown of iPads used for capturing data and the widespread boycott of the census, the political environment has been subjected to so much fragility that its electoral and other governance structures are tottering.

The main Opposition Leader furthered how it is against that background that he is drawing the attention of the Chief Electoral Commissioner to the fact that his conduct is crucial to the success of the country’s democracy, stability and pulling the country away from the unfortunate situation it finds itself.

Hon. Chernor R. M. Bah registered the point that a huge responsibility is upon the shoulders of him as the Chief Electoral Commissioner and

Chairman Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone as the due processes and fair outcome of the June 2023 Presidential and General Elections depend on his neutrality relating to any decisions and actions he and the Electoral Commission take now and going forward.

The influential politician and Parliamentarian referenced Tuesday 31st May 2022, when the Government announced, what he termed as incredulous Census figures as the country’s total population and population distribution.

He highlighted that those very flawed figures, in his words,  and the haste with which they were put together and announced, in total disregard for national and international technically sound advice given as to timelines and other pertinent criteria, further validated concerns that the central objective of the census exercise is for political rather than national development imperatives.

In addition, he continued pointing out that they are also aware of the planned introduction of a proportional system that would very likely take the incredulous figures as the basis for allocation of electoral districts and other distributional processes.

In a tone of admonition he again drew the attention of the Chief Electoral Commissioner to the fact that those two activities are illegal and not in the national interest of the citizens of the country.

He argued that on the legality of the Census, firstly, the instrument was not properly laid in Parliament and even after opposition MPs objected to its impropriety, the Government merely reintroduced the instrument without following the established procedures for it to become legally binding, resulting in the World Bank’s withdrawal of technical and financial support to that process.

Hon Bah said secondly, owing to its overtly political objectives, the process was widely rejected by the main opposition APC, several other political parties and a substantial number of members of the public.

“As you can see from the strange figures announced on Tuesday, we have been told that our nation’s capital city and its environs are far less populated than the number of voters in this same capital in 2018; that it is smaller than its 2004 census conducted by the SLPP Government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and that it is smaller than it was in 2015,” he stated adding that such brazenness, arrogance and fakery fly in the face of other projections, surveys and visible evidence of the population of Freetown and its environs.

The Honourable Member of Parliament further argued that it is indeed a feat of magical proportion that the only regions that grew their population were the South and Eastern Provinces.

“You would agree with me, Mr. Chief Electoral Commissioner; that such brazen manipulation of critical statistics could constitute considerable risk to national development, peace and security,” he raised alarm.

He said with regards to the planned introduction of the PR system, as a lawyer of about two decades of practice and a lawmaker for fifteen years, he would explain why like the Mid–Term Census, that too is illegal.

According to him, changes to any part of the 1991 Constitution require no less than a 2/3 majority because the entire constitution is regarded as an entrenched document.

He said  Section 108 only highlights the sections which require a referendum or plebiscite before they could be amended adding that as a matter of precedent, the Constitution has only been amended twice and both amendments have always been done unanimously (all voting in favour), no dissenting voice.

Going forward, he revealed that the first time it was amended was in 2001 for the introduction of the PR system since some parts of the country were still inaccessible.

He said the most recent was in 2013, regarding the election of the Speaker of Parliament.

Hon Chernor Bah pointed out that the PR system itself has been tried twice in Sierra Leone in 1996 and in 2002 and on both occasions, it failed because it is incongruous with the Sierra Leone political exposure.

He argued that with the PR system, MPs are removed from the electorates because under the District Block System, they are chosen by the political parties saying apart from the fact that it takes away the relationship between the people and their representatives, and by extension political accountability of the representative to the constituents; it also further conflicts with the Public Elections Act 2012 in terms of how to deal with petitions relating to quasi criminal offences.

The Parliamentarian stated that of concern also, is their understanding that there is a plan to use the Public Elections Act to introduce a PR system maintaining that any attempt to do so is unconstitutional as there is no way legally to introduce an amendment to the Constitution without it going through the Constitutional Amendment procedure.

In that regard, he cautioned the Chief Electoral Commissioner to please be guided that Acts of Parliament may be used to give effect to the Constitution but not amend it.

He said essentially, the PR system will be a disaster for democracy in the nation saying it is therefore suspicious why the Government would insist on introducing a system that has failed twice especially when Section 38 of the Sierra Leone 1991 Constitution is very clear on the circumstances under which the PR system could be used.

Hon Chernor Bah stated that additionally such a dramatic change to the electoral system just as major elections are around the corner portends ineffective public participation in the election of especially their parliamentary representatives and undermines the efficacy of democracy in the country.

“I, therefore, beseech you to use your good offices and good conscience to refrain from being a part of any attempt to undermine democracy through the use of discredited data from a disputed census; as well as the imposition of an electoral system that has already been twice proven to be inappropriate for our country,” Leader of the Main Opposition admonished.

He maintained that at this very critical moment when political tensions are so high, political dialogue and consensus building have become non-existent; the onus is on him as Chief Electoral Commissioner to employ tact, caution, fairness and neutrality.

Hon. Chernor R. M. Bah concluded by the cautioning the Chief Electoral Commissioner to allow his decisions and actions in the discharge of this great responsibility  burnish his integrity, highlight his patriotism and position him prominently on the positive side of history.

Copies of his correspondence were sent to the Resident Coordinator- United Nations, the British High Commissioner, the United States Ambassador, the Head of Delegation – European Union, the Irish Ambassador, the German Ambassador, the Nigerian High Commissioner and the Chairman of the PPRC.

 

After Successful Surgery in India… Sick Pikin Project Discloses Return of Baby Hassanatu Hale & Hearty

Sick Pikin Project

By Amin Kef-Ranger

As the Sick Pikin Project continues to restore hopes and dreams, the organization facilitated the safe landing of Baby Hassanatu Bangura in Sierra Leone after a successful Truncus Arteriosus + Ventricular Septal Defect Repairs surgery in New Delhi, India.

Hassanatu Bangura was born with bluish discoloration of mucous membranes due to lack of oxygen in the blood caused by a blood clot in the arteries of the lungs, heart defects that are present at birth, and swelling around the vocal cords.

After the Sick Pikin Project raised and spent over Le 370 million Leones ($28,000USD) for her surgery in New Delhi, India, she successfully went through it.

It could be recalled that Hassanatu was taken to the Ola During Children Hospital in Freetown within the first week of her birth with bluish discoloration of mucous membranes, non-paroxysmal cough and low-grade intermittent fever, before leaving for New Delhi, India. She was admitted at the Ola During Children Hospital Intensive Care Unit for three months.

Hassanatu had a chest x-ray during that time and the results revealed that she had Truncus Arteriosus + Ventricular Septal Defect. The hospital report later recommended that she be sent out of Sierra Leone for surgery.

After spending days at the Ola During Children Hospital and her health condition was deteriorating day by day, The Sick Pikin Project International stepped in, as usual, to help raise funds for her as her case could not be treated here in Sierra Leone.

Having raised funds for Hassanatu, with the help of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation,  UK and USA teams, volunteers and the Charles family, she was taken out of the country through Turkey and then to India with oxygen throughout her journey to India where she underwent a very critical life-saving surgery successfully.

On June 1, 2022, in accordance with the doctors’ approval, Hassanatu Bangura was discharged from the hospital in India and has, in good health, arrived in Sierra Leone together with her mother who was beside her during the whole of the surgery process.

This medium was made to understand that it was not an easy journey but as Nelson Mandela would say, “Let us reach out to the children. Let us do whatever we can to support their fight to rise above their pain and suffering.”

The Sick Pikin Project International is extending thanks to  the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, their UK and USA team, amazing volunteers, and the Charles family for their enormous support in ensuring that baby Hassanatu underwent her surgery successfully.

According to the Sick Pikin Project International we are all heroes and heroines and will forever be further appealing for a continuation to make an impact on the lives of children maintaining that they will become what we do to them.

As Nelson Mandela once said,  “History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.”

 

Minister of Labour Takes Part in 110th ILO Conference in Geneva

International Labour Conference

By Elisha Harding

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Honourable Alpha Osman Timbo and the technical team of the Ministry are participating in the ongoing 110the Session of the International Labour Organization Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The International Labour Conference is the ILO’s highest decision-making body. It meets annually in June, bringing together the tripartite delegations from the Organization’s 187 member States. The Conference comprises a plenary and sessions of technical committees.

At the Conference, the Government Workers’ and Employers’ representatives from 187 ILO Member States will discuss the world of work issues at the International Labour Conference (ILC). This year, occupational safety and health, apprenticeships, as well as the social and solidarity economy are among the items on the agenda of the Conference.

Over the years, the ILO has found out that the many Member States have used apprenticeships to abuse the rights of workers – over time, and volunteerism among others.

It is against this background, that in 334th Session in October- November 2018, the Governing Body of the ILO office decided to place a standard – Setting item on apprenticeships on the agenda of the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference to address the numerous challenges.

Sierra Leone in this respect, is one of the progressive Member States of the ILO under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, ahead of the many countries to develop good Labour policies, laws and their implementation in protecting and promoting employees and the employers for a productive environment.

This year’s Labour Conference on the theme “Decent Work and the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)”, discuss global strategies on the Reports of the Chairperson of the Governing Body and the Director-General, report on the application of Conventions and recommendations, Standard -setting on apprenticeship, amendments to the code of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 including programme and budget among other things.

At the high-level segment of the opening of the Conference, statements were made by the Chairperson of the Governing Body, the Director-General and other key speakers.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Honourable Alpha Osman Timbo is expected to speak in the plenary dissuasion of the reports of the Director-General and the Chairperson of the Governing Body to make a case for the country at the 110th Session of the International Labour Organization on the progress made so far regarding productive policies and Laws.

The Conference is from Friday, May 27 to Saturday, June 11 2022.

International Labour Conference (ILC)

Why Salone Census Results Are Always Questioned…

census in Sierra Leone

By Ranger

The main objective of a National Population and Housing Census is to collect, process and disseminate detailed statistics on population, its composition, characteristics, spatial distribution and organization (families and households) in small areas and small population groups.

Importantly, the census ensures that each community gets the right number of representatives in Government. Because representation is based on population, an up-to-date tally is essential.

It also helps to determine the human capital available and the number of unemployed. This in turn helps in the formulation of policies to meet the country’s needs. This Commentary is on the problems and challenges facing the successful counting of the population in the country and solutions to these problems.

Mainly, political issues have hindered the successful conduction of census in Sierra Leone. Thus, the reliability of the information regarding the high population of certain parts of the country and lower in other parts marred the credibility of the 2015 and 2021 censuses. Many believe that the results for these two censuses are false.

Many believe that the demographic information of the country was falsified and the actual figures were overestimated in the published reports.

Many have also condemned Statistics Sierra Leone for dishonest work and fraudulent activities during the census.

It was said that there were communities, towns and villages that no officials visited and numbers were made up, recorded and published.

There are various reasons for the falsification of population census results in Sierra Leone. One is that population census is carried out to determine revenue allocation among districts and councils.

Regions that have a high population get more funds and allocations from the central Government.  This is one major reason why many believe population records are falsified.

Cost of the Census

Carrying out a population census is quite an expensive venture. Many developing countries like Sierra Leone cannot afford the equipment and procedures in order to conduct an efficient population census. Modern geographic information techniques such as remote sensing, aerial photographs, Geographical Positioning System GPS, digital cartography and computer based Geographic Information System (GIS) equipments are needed to facilitate rapid input, management and analysis of data for the successful conduct of population censuses.

Stats SL also need to design and adopt new and modern techniques such as biometric in conducting censuses in the future. This will ensure that the data are accurate and can be verified by modern equipment and not based on word of mouth.

Inadequate preparation and planning

In Sierra Leone, plans are not properly made in preparation of the population census. There needs to be early and adequate training of staff of the institution on issues such as the collection of data and use of instruments.

High level of illiteracy

The high level of illiteracy and ignorance in Sierra Leone also pose challenges to the successful conduct of population censuses. People have different beliefs as regards population censuses. Some people avoid contact with officials while some act hostile to the officials because they believe getting counted is a taboo. Some believe that the Government conducts censuses in order to increase taxes.

Other misconceptions about census include that is a tool for ethnic dominance and to determine the economic status of people. This is the reason many give incorrect information which then leads to inaccurate data.

More than anything, it will be very difficult to conduct a successful census in Sierra Leone if the citizens are not cooperative.

In order to solve this problem, the Government needs to embark on re-orientation programs to help change the wrong perception and mindset of most Sierra Leoneans.

There is usually not enough sensitization and education of the masses. This is why the census is met with hostility and much ignorance.

Government should carefully organize campaigns to create awareness and educate people on census exercises.

Government should also adopt the effective use of media; both print and electronic media, social media and other means of communication to give adequate publicity and create awareness.

It is extremely important for the masses to have adequate information about the importance of the census exercise so they can be willing to participate.

Poor roads in many areas

Many areas of Sierra Leone have very poor infrastructural conditions such as bad state of roads and lack of good road network. This makes it difficult to conduct an effective population census.

Some areas are also very underdeveloped to the point that one cannot get there by means of a car. This discourages the population census officials from getting there. When all these faults persist, the records of such areas can hardly be reliable.

Insufficient qualification of census officials

Many officials conducting the population census lack the necessary level of qualification needed. Ideally, only experts who have been trained in dealing with data and other population issues are supposed to be entrusted with the task of conducting a population census.

Unreliable demographic maps

Sierra Leone still works with outdated and inaccurate demographic maps. This makes it difficult for Stats SL to take note of all the remote settlements in the country. Stats SL needs to invest time and money to ensure experts draw out accurate demographic maps.

 

 

Sierra Leone Loses a Great Lebanese Legend – Sullay Hijazi

Sullay Hijazi

By Amin Kef-Ranger

The late Sullay Hijazi, who was popularly known as Jahjah, was laid to rest on Friday 3rd June, 2022 at the Kingtom Cemetery during a well attended funeral and burial ceremony which was graced by prominent members of the Lebanese Community in Sierra Leone, influential Sierra Leonean public figures including  business personalities, football stakeholders and football loving fans in the country who, turned out in great numbers, to pay their last respect to one of the most outstanding Lebanese business magnates in the history of this country.

Sullay Hijazi is one of most recognizable names in the history of Sierra Leone Football, especially during the 1980s and 90s. He served as Chairman of Diamond Stars, the Kono District Football Club, for over a decade, providing immense financial support to the team and developing it to become of one of the best teams in the country.

Due to his many success stories with Diamond Stars and his unflinching passion for football he was later asked to serve as Vice President of the Sierra Leone Football Association in the 90s. He served diligently and provided incisive, sustainable supports to the national team and the organization of national leagues across the country at a time when football served as a unifying force and was very competitive with huge support bases for the various club teams.

His immense contributions to Sierra Leone Football and particularly Kono cannot be easily compared with that of any other individual in the country’s football history.

The late man was also a philanthropist who supported various worthy causes in Kono District and nationwide with his financial and moral supports positively impacting lives.

Through his business investments, he availed many job opportunities and inspired ambitious young personalities to invest meaningfully to end up becoming very successful in their ventures.

He spent the most time of his life in the country focusing on his business activities in different parts of the country.

Sullay is gone but will never be forgotten and memories of him will linger for a considerable period of time. He was a mentor and an inspiration to many.

Sullay Hijazi

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