VP Reveals Government Intends Recruiting 1,000 Correctional Personnel

May 13, 2022

Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.jpg

By Millicent Senava Mannah

The Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Correctional Council, on 12^th May, 2022 paid an official visit to the Female Correctional Centre situated at the former Special Court at New England Ville in Freetown.

Welcoming the Vice President, the Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Joseph Lamboi, said they are honoured to receive in their midst such a high profiled personality adding that they are eager to know what advice he has to offer or assurances he will make to put them in a good stead for them to move forward.

Explaining the purpose of his visit, the Vice President stated that he deemed it fit to interact with them in order to discuss plans that are in the offing to be rolled out and other pertinent issues related to improve the Correctional sector.

He apologized for not paying them frequent visits but intimated that he has been closely following activities and developments that have been taking place recently within the Correctional Services.

Dr. Juldeh informed the Management and other ranks of the Correctional Services that the President is committed to improve the overall welfare of Security forces in the country in terms of improved salary conditions, providing more vehicles and enhancing infrastructure in various locations where there are Correctional Centres.

He recalled how few months ago Government provided vehicles for the senior staff as well as for the movement of prisoners to and fro attending court sittings and for other purposes.

The Vice President revealed that steps are being taken to relocate the Male and Female Correctional Centres to a more ideal and spacious location in order to reduce overcrowding but was quick to underscore that to achieve such is a huge investment which will require millions of dollars.

He also revealed that improvement to increase the human capacity of the Centre is far over due further disclosing how the Government is presently on the verge of recruiting one thousand additional prison personnel further disclosing that another set will be recruited not in the distant future.

The Vice President appealed to the current personnel of the Sierra Leone Correctional Services to continue to exercise patience for now saying all is not rosy but assured them that President Bio has a keen interest in improving conditions of service for all the security forces in the country highlighting that he is really taking that seriously.

“As Chairman of the Correctional Council I have witnessed series of untoward actions bordering on indiscipline and misconduct which are somehow undermining the reputation of the security sector in the country,” the Vice President lamented adding that security or prison officers are expected to look after criminals and not to become criminals.

He warned against the importation of contraband items like marijuana amongst others into prison facilities and gave a stern warning that any personnel who falls short, bordering on misconduct or indiscipline, will be seriously dealt with.

The Vice President said complaints of indiscipline that will reach the Council will be referred to a Sub-Committee that has been established to investigate such matters and if any officer is found guilty he or she will be dismissed immediately or prosecuted depending on the magnitude of the offence committed.

He also informed of having access to the files of all prison personnel saying a personnel’s conduct will determine whether he or she will be promoted or demoted maintaining that it is another strategy to weed out the bad eggs within the Correctional Services.

One of the Prison Officers, Kadie Sesay, expressed some of their constraints, on behalf of her colleagues, mentioning limited quarters for personnel saying most of them are paying rents out of the meagre salaries they receive which she emphasized cannot make ends meet.

David Dauda Kamara, another Prison Officer also pleaded for the harmonization of their salaries saying some are receiving salaries which are not reflective or commensurate to their positions.

In his response, the Vice President stated that he has heard their cries and assured them that they are working assiduously to ameliorate those constraints.

The climax of the Vice President’s visit was holding a private discussion with the Management of SLCS.

Leone Rock Company Gets Unanimous Support to Implement Tailings Beneficiation Plant

May 11, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During a public disclosure by the Leone Rock Mining Company Limited as an addendum to its current Environmental and Social, Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) for the construction of a Tailings Beneficiation Plant at the Tonkolili Iron Ore Mines the company got a unanimous approval from stakeholders of the mining concessions chiefdoms of Sambaia, Simiria and Dansogoia.

The meeting, which took place on Saturday 30th April 2022, at the court Barry in the Bumbuna Town, Chiefdom headquarter of Dansogoia saw representatives from the various mining communities together with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Leone Rock Mining Company and GeoMining Consultancy engaging in fruitful discussions related to the implementation of the Tailings Beneficiation Plant project.

Speaking on the need for the addendum meeting, Sheku Kanneh, Director of EPA said already Leone Rock Mining Company has an existing ESHIA. He said, as part of their regulatory framework, they have made it clear that any mining company that wants to bring in new developments into its operational site must do an environmental impact assessment which they at EPA will look into and advise accordingly.

Consequently, he said they were gathered to witness Leone Rock Mining Company, through its Consultant which is the Geo-Mining Consultancy to publicly disclose the new development it wants to undertake in its operational site.

On his side, PC Alimamy Bockarie Yallan Koroma of Dansogoia Chiefdom said, on behalf of the mining communities, they are happy for the implementation of the Tailings Beneficiation Plant project. He expressed optimism that the plant project will create more job opportunities for people in the operational communities adding that the Project is a sign that Leone Rock Mining Company is indeed in their communities to stay, furthering that such a project will bolster their confidence in the company that in the short run a smelting plant will be installed at the Tonkolili Iron Ore mining site.

On behalf of Leone Rock Mining Company, Engineer Samuel Kamara, who is the Mines Compliance Manager of Leone Rock Metal Group, the parent company of Kingho Mining Company, said the company values its operational communities and the environmental impact of its activities on those chiefdoms. He spoke about the vision of the company in trying to optimize the iron ore grade currently mined at the Tonkolili Iron Ore site to a globally competitive grade.

He allayed the fears of the community that the Tailings Beneficiation Plant Project will not require the use of any chemical that may cause health hazards to the community and assured that the company is very compliant in terms of upholding the laws of Sierra Leone.

Fuad Yusif Bangura of Geo-Mining Consultancy did a PowerPoint presentation targeting the community residents explaining about the entire Tailings Beneficiation Plant Project. In his description, he said that the Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant in Tonkolili is expected to start operation immediately after the approval by EPA adding that the main objective of the process is to beneficiate Iron Ore grade to a commercial-grade through the elimination of certain minerals.

He continued that, “the present processing plant typically works with primitive technology of simple crushing and screening/sizing and has limitations in terms of beneficiation and efficiency.”

As a result, Fuad added, with the introduction of the new technological process the current tailings discharge can be used immediately to recover additional iron ore. “This means overall recovery of the company’s wash plant may improve up to 60% to 70% iron ore recovery. The tests results having been found to be encouraging and it was decided to invest and implement the project,” he stressed.

After the presentation, comments and questions were asked by community stakeholders which were responded to by officials from EPA, Geo-Mining Consultancy and Kingho Mining Company.

The programme ended with the communities overwhelmingly approving the installation of the Tailings Beneficiation Plant at the New Tonkolili Iron Ore Mines.

OP-Ed Reconcile the APC before Lower-level Elections

May 11, 2022

By Cornelius Oguntola Melvin Deveaux

The ruling of Justice Adrian Fisher in the matter between Alfred Peter Conteh versus Ernest Bai Koroma, Osman Foday Yansaneh, All Peoples Congress, and the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) is exciting, daunting and flummox.

It aroused overwhelming and intimidating but emotional responses from supporters of feuding factions within the party, the general membership of the party, and members of the public – since political parties are public institutions.

The ruling generates mixed feelings and leaves several right-thinking Sierra Leoneans in outbursts of gratification, despair, hate, doubt, and revenge.

Mine is not the relativity of the ruling to jurisprudence neither to cry over spilled milk; nor about pointing fingers, casting blames and a pat on the back.

It is not about the highs and lows of the judgement.

It is about the opportunities to bury the hatchet, shake off the dust and rubble and to rebuild the party and move forward.

Blaming the SLPP government or the Courts for our predicament is a deliberate attempt to continue to hide in the shadows of our iniquities.

It is not to say a desperate SLPP will not do any and everything possible to undo the formidability of the APC.

I am also not saying the judge may not have satisfied the bid of his master.

Both have been at their best, but we have ourselves to blame.

A complex and complicated combination of complacency, arrogance, intolerance, hypocrisy, in-fighting, negligence, and ignorance within and among the rank and file are the reason for our current predicament.

It should not be a moment of self-gratification for anybody; nor a moment for mudslinging and browbeating.

Posterity will blame this generation of members for bringing this calamity to the party; however, the disbanded executive carries more blame.

And all of us who served the party in various capacities based on the appointment or recommendation of the disbanded executive, knowing or unknowing of their illegitimacy, equally bear responsibility. Failing to do due diligence or complicity.

Those who claim not to be oblivious of the ills but only spoke out when they felt aggrieved or their interest threatened are as guilty as the disbanded executive.

In all of this, the party is the pawn in a game where individual interests trample the collective good.

It brings to mind two Krio parables. The first is WeOsNכSԐllyu, tritNכ go aksɔmɔsfɔyu (meaning if you are not offered for sale by your household, nobody on the streets will ask at what price), and the second: Nכlukwhosaiyu for dom, lukwhosaiyubokyufut (consider where you missed your step and not where you fall).

As the main opposition party, we have not been up to task holding the SLPP government accountable and have failed in our obligations to uphold democratic good governance.

The rank and file of the party and the general public are not oblivious that the party is laden with internal strife.

Some members kowtow flag-bearer aspirants; others divided between the old guards and the reformers. Very senior comrades, hitherto well-meaning and dedicated, are engaged in an intense horse-trading with the ruling SLPP to protect their personal interests and wealth and to disadvantage their rivals.

Their actions jeopardize the safety and security of comrades and sabotaged the unity and effective functioning of the party as the main opposition in a democracy.

The disbanded executive, of which I was a member, could not have done better than they did.

Many thought they were a compromised leadership lacking focus, as their legitimacy was legally questionable.

Views about their lack of focus and inability to take the bull by the horn came rife when they failed to act appropriately in many instances.

The internecine social media warfare only deepened acrimony and widened the divide.

What remains equally problematic and perhaps more repulsive than the court case is the high level of political ignorance, rivalry, and hypocrisy exhibited by comrades, particularly comrades from whom we expect much.

The ruling, therefore, provides an opportunity for a thorough introspection; to disentangle alliances and patronage and cement the bonds of comradeship.

Consequently, this ruling should let us cast our indifferences and confront the common enemy.

Who is the common enemy?

The common enemy is getting Bio out of State House in the 2023 elections.

It is, therefore, time to move forward; we need to move forward.

But moving forward with the same mindset will take us nowhere.

The same bickering continues as if we are locked up in our past.

It should not de-escalate to a cold war in the Court sanctioned interim arrangement.

The court ruling puts the future of sanity and unity in the APC in the hands of two people: Alfred Peter Conteh and Chernoh Ramadan Bah.

Both represent contending interests within the party; Alfred is a ‘reformer,’ and Chernoh belongs to the old guard.

But the two have the responsibility to put the party above parochial interests. Above camps and segregation.

They have the task of uniting the party at this crucial moment.

They can do this by making sure the 21-man committee does not become a cold war battlefield.

According to the court ruling, Alfred Peter Conteh will appoint nine members, including the chairman, while Chernoh Ramadan Bah is to provide twelve in consultation with other Members of Parliament.

Both Comrades should choose the 21 from amongst Comrades who have the leadership knack to unite the party. They should bring onboard well-meaning comrades from outside their immediate circles.

The neutrality of the 21 is the hope of the masses. They are the balancing act.

They should not promote rival interests and should not include people who seek self-gratification and revenge.

As a party, we should be responsive to the urgent need for a united and focused APC if we are to hold this government accountable and win the 2023 elections.

The 21-man committee should provide leadership in uniting the party.

Their task is more delicate than that of the 25-man committee that will conduct conventions and elections of party officers from Ward to national, including the presidential candidate for 2023.

A united APC is the craving desire of the members and a nation desperate to vote the SLPP out in 2023.

But we must come to terms with the fact that there can be no unity in the APC without a genuine reconciliation that seeks to put the party’s interest above all other considerations.

One of the other recommendations of the Nine-Man committee which recommended the new constitution is to reconcile the party.

The 21-man committee now has the arduous task of reconciling the party.

My view is that the 21-man committee reconciles the party before convening conventions to elect new officers and the presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

It should be reconciliation before the conventions and not the other way round.

The 21-man committee can pursue reconciliation alongside addressing unresolved membership issues.

It is that which the party needs to facilitate inclusiveness, a level playing field, and the acceptance of what both the 21-man and 25-man committees will be doing.

In conclusion, reconciling the APC is the most urgent task at hand.

It is a sure precursor to ending indifferences and repositioning the party ahead of 2023.

If we desire to reconcile the party after the conventions, it will be putting the cart before the horse.

While the party is in the process of reform, let me, however, urge our APC MPs to demand the resignation of the Clerk of Parliament and the Leader of Government Business for their complicity and lack of due diligence thereof in the scam involving the presentation of a fake academic degree to parliament by the Minister of Agriculture to gain an advantage during his approval process.

The Scuffle Film Project Unveiled

May 11, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During a well-attended programme held on 7th May 2022 at Africa Young Voices Media Empire Conference Hall in Freetown, Kid-Afan Films, in collaboration with the Media Evangelical Drama Ministry unveiled, “The Scuffle Film Project”, a movie project from a Sierra Leonean story hoping to be required by Netflix.

Giving a narrative of the movie, one of the Executive producers of the movie, John Afam, revealed how the movie has a political connotation featuring a vibrant, strong and principled lady, Dr. Keita, as an advocate for justice, determined to put an end to all forms of injustice against the weak and helpless especially women.

He added that Dr. Keita steps out into a front reserved for men and fought for change to become the first female President of the country of Sierra Leone, bringing forth several strong reasons why she thinks she is a better ruler than the 90 percent men ..

He called on all to watch out how the heat of the SCUFFLE unravels hate in love as Dr. Keita fights her husband, who also wants to become Head of State.

John Afam said the movie will be on Netflix and there are different personalities from Ghana, Nigeria who are ready to invest in the said movie also disclosing that it will open up a lot of opportunities for Sierra Leoneans.

He informed all that audition started on the 7^th May, 2022 and interested actors and actresses who want to be part of the project could send a one minute audition video to +232 902265, disclosing that the audition will end on the 13th May 2022.

Executive Director of Kid-Afan Dr.Isatu Kakay Diallo said when ever she looks at the Sierra Leone film industry she knows a lot of things need to be done and there is a lot of gender disparity but expressed the hope that the new movie will bring opportunities because many people will be empowered and the movie will also create job opportunities for Sierra Leoneans even though there are challenges. She said people should open their minds to the movie and look forward to greatness.

Daramy A Kabba said the movie is not only considered as a Sierra Leonean movie but an African one as well as they want to change the mentality of Sierra Leonean and project the image of a beautiful country.

He further that ninety nine percent of those featured in the said movie are Sierra Leoneans and only one percent are foreigners attributing such to things that are lacking in the nation’s film industry which he said they need to learn.

The Deputy Commissioner General of Dubai Expo 2020 Sierra Leonean team, Dr. Tony Morgan commended the team for its initiative maintaining that it is a laudable venture geared towards developing the country’s film industry.

He called on all to support the project which he maintains will definitely change the film industry in the country.

Closing the event was the officially unveiling of The Scuffle Film Project by the Executive Director of Kid-Afan, Dr. Isatu Kakay Diallo.

ISIO Honors Pastor & Rev. Mrs. Moses A. Serry with Prestigious Award

May 11, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In recognition of their unwavering passion for the Body of Christ, intense commitment towards national development in the Republic of Serra Leone and unreserved support for their Noble International Societal Impact Organization, the International Societal Impacts Organization (ISIO), a Subsidiary of JOGAMINT Foundation, Global Network has awarded Pastor & Rev. Mrs. Moses A. Serry with an Academic Excellence Performance 2022 Award and an Outstanding Performance Award respectively.

The official presentation of the awards to Pastor & Rev. Mrs. Moses A. Serry was done on Sunday 8^th May, 2022 at the Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church (CEPC) on Tengbeh Town in Freetown by the country representative of International Societal Impacts Organization (ISIO) in Sierra Leone, Pastor James Shineon Sesay.

In his audio citation message, the International President of International Societal Impacts Organization (ISIO), who also doubles as the International Chairman for the Bishops Episcopal Assembly, King Bishop Dr. Joshua O.G Abiodun said that on behalf of the International Societal Impacts Organization (ISIO) he is proud to recognize the Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church especially Pastor & Rev. Mrs. Moses A. Serry for their tremendous efforts towards the expansion of the Kingdom of God in the Republic of Sierra Leone.

“As a very humble hardworking man, man of integrity, a loving Father, a general in the kingdom of God who God has used to raise several 1000s of leaders around the nation and beyond, who has made great impact in the body of Christ at large; a generous giver and a philanthropist based on all these and other contributions as well as qualities we were able to conclude as Board of Trustees of our organization to award you with our five star African Excellence Icon Award 2022,” the citation read.

Commenting on the award, Rev. Moses A. Serry profusely thanked the International Societal Impacts Organization (ISIO)for recognizing their extraordinary leadership and unfailing passion for the Body of Christ in the country of which he assured all that he will continue to work in that direction towards the development of country.

He described receiving the award as a historic owing to the fact that he has a lot of passion and vision in all what he has been doing, adding that the award will serve as a motivation for him to continue to do the things he has passion for.

He concluded by dedicating the award to the entire membership of the Christian Evangelistic Pentecostal Church (CEPC) for the support given to him over the years.

Young Stars Volleyball Club Emerges Winner of Xploza Western Area Championship 2022

May 11, 2022

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During a well-attended final encounter, held on Saturday 7th May, 2022 at the Sports Zone on Aberdeen beach in Freetown, the Young Stars Volleyball Club, both male and female categories, emerged as the winner of the Xploza Western Area Volleyball Competition in a 3.1 game.

The Xploza Western Area Volleyball Championship competition, which started on the 23rd April 2022 at Old Skool, in the West End of Freetown, was organized by the Western Area Volleyball Association and sponsored by Xploza Energy Drink, one of the products of Premium Divine Trading Limited during which various clubs participated.

It was all celebration for the players after winning the trophy which they have missed in the past championship competition to Super Six Volleyball Club as tears of joy were rolling down cheeks unlike player of the 12% Volleyball Team who were defeated.

Speaking on behalf of the Western Area Volleyball Association, the Secretary General of the Association Karifa Kello Thoronka expressed gratitude to Premium Divine Trading Limited, through its Xploza products, for their timely support towards staging or organizing the competition which he commended for successfully ending.

He further congratulated the Young Stars Volleyball Club, both male and female categories, for emerging Champions in this year’s Xploza Western Area Volleyball Competition 2022.

He also applauded all the teams that participated in the competition and wished them better luck next time.

The Secretary General informed the gathering that the undisclosed prices would be distributed to the teams during the sport night, which the association will organize as that has been the normal tradition.

The Marketing Manager of Premium Divine Trading, Madam Isha Bangura, revealed that they supported the volleyball competition out of the conviction that such will help promote a lesser known sporting discipline in the country.

She intimated that Premium Divine Trading, as a responsible company, thought it fit to support the Xploza Western Area Volley ball Competition 2022 as part of its marketing campaign platforms or strategies and to support the development of volleyball in the country.

Madam Isha Bangura concluded by appealing for all to always buy Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd qualitative food products especially the Xploza Energy drink because it is rich with all the necessary nutrients needed by the body.

She also used the opportunity to inform all that Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd also distributes and markets, Onga, Cowbell, Kremela and Yumvita which is an infant cereal with milk also consisting of wheat, rice and maize and wheat variants.

The Marketing Manager concluded by calling on other business entities to render more support in order to ensure that volley ball is taken to a higher height within the sporting landscape of the country, adding how volleyball has had less attention from business houses and individuals, also registering their commitment to support volleyball at any time the need arises.

On his part, the Head Coach of Young Stars Volleyball Club, Ibrahim Totor Koroma, stated that he was confident of winning the Championship because the team has been training very hard for the competition bragging that the Young Star team is one of the outstanding teams in Western Area in terms of Volleyball.

John Kamara, the team captain of Young Stars revealed that both the Male and Female team has been doing extremely well in the previous years stating that it is not a surprise to the spectators for seeing an outstanding performance by the team.

The Coach of 12% Volleyball Club, Abdul Razack Kamara, mentioned that their aim was to win the Championship trophy, but it is because of technical error that affected the entire team during the competition they lost. “It’s a disappointing loss, it hurts but we will do better next time,” he said.

Climaxing the event was the distribution of the Xpolza Energy Drink as prizes to the 1st 2nd & 3rd winners by the Country Manager of Premium Divine Trading Ltd, Kenneth Konuah.

Reflection on the Limits of Free Speech in Social Media -Recent Examples from United States Courts

May 11, 2022

By Amin Kef Sesay

The public seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding about the true extent of “Freedom of Speech” under the country’s new cybercrime law.

Fundamentally, what type of speech can be restricted? And how does this apply to speech restrictions on social media platforms?

Lawsuits alleging free speech violations against social media companies are routinely dismissed. The primary grounds for these dismissals are that social media companies are not State actors and their platforms are not public forums, and therefore they are not subject to the free speech protections of the constitution.

Consequently, those who post on social media platforms do not have the right to free speech on these social media platforms.

The overarching principle of Free Speech is that its reach is limited to protections against restrictions on speech made by the Government. When speech takes place in a public forum, that speech can qualify for protection of speech.

However, social media platforms are often characterized as a digital public square. Yet, courts have repeatedly refused arguments that social media platforms are public forums.

This reasoning is justified because their networks are private, and merely hosting speech by others does not convert a private platform to a public forum. Only in limited cases have social media sites been found by courts to qualify as a public forum.

For example, in a case in the United States, an appellate court held that the official Twitter page operated by then President Donald Trump was a designated public forum. As a result, Government officials could not engage in viewpoint discrimination by blocking individuals from posting comments with critical views of the President and his policies.

Social media platforms may also be analogized to newspapers when they attempt to exercise editorial control and judgment over the publishing of users’ posts. In this scenario, the US Supreme Court has held that newspapers exercise the freedom of the press protected by the First Amendment and cannot be forced to print content they would not otherwise include.

This is due to a newspaper’s ability to exercise editorial control and judgment, including making decisions on the size and content of the paper, along with treatment of public issues and public officials (whether such treatment is fair or unfair).

This leads us to next examine what protections are afforded to social medial companies for content posted by their users on their platforms.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”), codified as 47 U.S.C. § 230, was enacted in response to a court decision ruling that an internet service provider, Prodigy, was considered a “publisher” of defamatory statements that a third party had posted on a bulletin board hosted and moderated by Prodigy, and Prodigy could therefore be subject to a civil lawsuit for libel.

19 Sec. 230(c)(1) remedies this by providing immunity to internet service providers from lawsuits that attempt to make them liable for the user content posted on their sites.20 Social media companies, which are currently considered to be service providers under Sec. 230(c)(1), are broadly protected from responsibility for what users say while using their social media platforms.

To preclude liability for decisions to remove or restrict access to content that the provider deem “obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, Social media platforms therefore set their policies and Terms and Conditions to state that they can remove violent, obscene, or offensive content and can ban users who post or promote such content.

For example, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have banned terrorist groups that post materials promoting violence or violent extremism, and have also banned ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Hezbollah solely because of their status as U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations.

As was recently seen following the 2020 Presidential election, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube (Google), Reddit, and Twitch (Amazon) also justified their suspension of the accounts of President Trump and some of his supporters under Sec. 230(c)(2) for continuing to post misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory content about the election.

Chinese Ambassador Obtains Two Meritorious Prestigious Recognitions for Climate Change

May 11, 2022

By Amin Kef Sesay

H.E. Hu Zhangliang, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, was the proud recipient of a “2022 National Climate Partnership Award” on behalf of the Chinese Embassy on the one hand during an auspicious ceremony where he was also honoured with a Special Recognition as the “National Climate Most Friendly Ambassador of the Year”. The award and recognition were bestowed by the Minister of Environment, Professor Jaward on behalf of Shout Climate Change Africa.

After receiving the award and recognition, Ambassador Hu extended his deepest appreciation to the Ministry of Environment and Shout Climate Change Africa for organizing such a meaningful event with a view to enhancing people’s awareness of climate change and exploring ways of action.

He congratulated H. E. President Julius Maada Bio and the Sierra Leonean Government and people on the hard efforts and the important achievements made so far in dealing with climate change

Ambassador Hu revealed how H.E. President Xi Jinping has developed an important thought on ecological civilization which emphasizes on green development, and has guided the Chinese Government and people in formulating ambitious polices and effective strategies for action. He pointed out that China played a crucial role in the reaching of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

He recalled how H.E. President Xi Jinping solemnly announced that China would strive to peak CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

According to him, setting such high targets for itself, China would have to complete the world’s highest carbon emission intensity reduction and achieve transition from carbon peak to carbon neutrality in the shortest time of 30 years in global history as it takes developed countries 50 to 60 years to achieve the transition, the ambassador said.

He briefed the audience on China’s achievements and cooperation with Africa in tackling climate change and disclosed how China had signed 15 cooperation agreements with 14 African countries to date and said within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC), China will help Africa build 10 projects for green development, environmental protection and climate action so as to support the building of a “Great Green Wall” in Africa.

The Ambassador introduced the outcomes of China-Sierra Leone cooperation on climate change, mentioning the building and repairing of several mini hydro-power stations, the donation of solar lights to local communities, the invitation of officials to attend relevant seminars in China and the encouragement for the Chinese companies in Sierra Leone to actively participate in tree planting and energy saving undertakings. He affirmed that China will continue to expand such cooperation with Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Hu concluded by saying with all the countries in the world making serious and combined efforts under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities for developed and developing countries” the world would be able to take the challenge and succeed in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Dr. Philip John Kanu Becomes New VC & Principal of Milton Margai Technical Universit

May 11, 2022

Dr. Philip John Kanu.jpg — The New VC&P Dr. Philip John Kanu (Associate Professor)

By Theresa Kef Sesay

Unanimous acceptance of the recommendations of the Search Committee and the Hon Minister of Technical and Higher Education by the Executive Committee of the University Court on the 5th May 2022, has confirmed Associate Professor, Dr. Philip John Kanu, as the new Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Milton Margai Technical University.

His name will go down the annals of history as the first “Miltonian” to be appointed as Principal of Milton Margai and also the first to occupy the position of Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr. Philip John Kanu, started from a humble background. He was employed as an Instructor and rose to the rank of a Senior Principal Lecturer at the institution, the highest status in the Polytechnic College.

Dr. Philip John Kanu holds a Diploma, HTC Secondary, BEd, M.Sc. with several postgraduate certificates and a Ph.D.

He was appointed in 2018 as Acting Principal of the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology and later confirmed in 2020.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal has given a facelift to the institution with a stellar transformation to place the University in line with modern standards, one that contributes to the human capital development of the country.

Through his remarkable leadership skills, the institution, in 2021 was transformed from a Polytechnic College to a Technical University by the Government of His Excellency President Brig. Rtd. Dr. Julius Maada Bio.

So far he has been commended as an exemplary leader since he took over some pointing out his creation of a good relationship with the students, his establishment of a student’s forum where he gets one on one discussion with them which gives them the confidence to open up on issues affecting them.

Known as a listening leader, he created the Principal’s Breakfast – a platform that he uses to lecture staff on emerging issues and key topics that will enhance their performance.

He has also built a strong staff capacity that matches the status of a university. Lecturers are given scholarships to further their studies, and the institution has recently received a lecturer who had finished his PhD in Engineering and another one with a Master in the same field from Ghana. These are some of many ways he has created for staff improvement like a suitable staff common room, with space for the HoDs to be able to interact with the students outside the lecture room and bridging the gap between the University and the community.

Every year, since he took over, the community has been receiving scholarships for their children to further their education. This is to make them have a feeling of belonging, creating that sense of ownership of the University.

Sierra Leone Bids for Non-Permanent Category Seat in the United Nations Security Council

May 11, 2022

By Esther Wright

President Julius Maada Bio has again, on the 9^th May 2022, launched the country’s bid for a seat in the non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2024-2025 since the country’s first inning 51 years ago.

The Head of State recalled that in just eight years after the country became a member of the United Nations it had the singular honour for the first time to be elected to serve on the organization’s most powerful deliberative body the Security Council.

In his bidding, the President said the two unforgettable years of Sierra Leone’s tenure in the Council from 1970 to 1971, served as bold footprints that continue to define Sierra Leone’s commitment to its international obligations and its unflinching support for a multilateral rules-based world order to advance and sustain global peace and security.

He continued that fifty plus years after the country’s 1970-1971 tenure on the Security Council the nation is once again presenting its candidature for a seat in the non-permanent category of the United Nations Security Council for the period of 2024-2025.

President Julius Maada Bio also reiterated that as a nation, they had always continued to play their part as a responsible member of the international community, adding that at various times, Sierra Leone had proudly contributed troops and police to peace support operations so that others might enjoy the peace the country was now experiencing.

Sierra Leone can today proudly boast of its credentials as a successful model of peacebuilding and post-war state reconstruction. We owe it to the global family of nations to share our experience and lessons in peace-making, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

“Also, given the centrality of Sierra Leone’s role as Coordinator of the C-10 on Security Council reform, we will continue to canvass, mobilize and promote support for the Common African Position. We will unequivocally affirm the need for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations System, which will significantly contribute to upholding the principles, objectives and ideals of the UN Charter for a fairer world, based on universalism, equity and regional balance,” he said.

In a welcome statement, the Director General of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prince Cole, expressed delight over the history-making event, adding that the bid for Sierra Leone to seat in the non-permanent category of the UNSC for the period 2024-2025 would be held in the General Assembly of the United Nations in June 2023.

He further noted that Sierra Leone would once again be on the verge of ascending the global stage, especially as the sole African candidate for the position.

“I am pleased to inform all that Sierra Leone is running with a faith, blessing and support of not only our sub-regional organization, ECOWAS, but also with the support of the continent as an endorsed candidate of the African Union,” he concluded.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David John Francis underscored that the event was historic because Sierra Leone was returning to the UNSC, the world’s most important body for the maintenance of global peace after more than 50 years.

He maintained that the position in the UNSC would give Sierra Leone the perfect opportunity to tell the country’s success story as a country of resilience, hope, and a country that successfully transitioned from war to peace, a country no longer defined by its past, but a country of recent beacon of hope and for Human Capital Development.

“Sierra Leone has maintained an evidence record of support for multilateral rules-based world order, that is why Sierra Leone is increasingly elected or appointed to global leadership organizations such as President of the United Nations Women Executive Board; President of the Arms Trade Treaty, to name but a few.

“We are running under the theme: Partnership, Multilateralism and Representative Approach to Sustained Global Peace and Security. It is our firm desire that this endeavour will contribute significantly to re-brand Sierra Leone,” he concluded.