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In Moyamba District…   SALWACO Signs Contracts & Launches the Six Towns Water Supply Project  

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By Amin Kef Sesay

The Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) has on the  2nd April 2022 signed contracts and launched the Six Towns Water Supply Project in Moyamba District worth five hundred and fifty eight billion Leones (Le558 billion).

The project is deemed as the biggest water project ever funded by the Government of Sierra Leone under President Julius Maada Bi and was launched at the Moyamba District Council hall during a colourful ceremony.

Welcoming participants at the launching, Paramount Chief, PC Momoh Gulama, expressed his profound gratitude and joy over the Project. He said since President Julius Maada Bio was elected the district continues to witness development.

“This District has been without pipe borne water for the last forty years, so this is a dream come true,” he said.

PC Momoh assured SALWACO and the Ministry that they will continue to monitor the project to its logical conclusion.

Giving the overview of the Project, the Managing Director of SALWACO dilated on the procurement process which started last year.

He said only Kabala, Kambia and Magburaka were successful and it is prudent that the project is launched after the completion of the Procurement process for all the other lots.

Ing. Vandi noted that the project will target 100% customers and before the completion, connection of pipe networks would have been done.

He said the Management and Staff spent sleepless nights to have the project to this point while thanking staff for the hard work.

He thanked the Government of Sierra Leone for providing the funds noting that the project is solely funded by the Government under the leadership of President Bio.

The Managing Director called on the council, local authorities including the people to protect the facility.

“There are lots of human activities happening from the in-take of the raw water, treatment plant and pipe network and this is not good for the project.

“Don’t buy cement from contractors or attempt to buy anything relating to the project. We have seen projects fail because of such attitudes. Let us protect what we have,” he said.

He called on the contractors to deliver on time while adding that reasonable charges will be put on the water because to get clean water to the door steps involves money.

In his statement, the Chairman Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Water, Hon. Lahai Marah said that one key responsibility of Parliament is oversight.

He said they as a Committee they will continue to hold Government accountable and that they will continue to provide oversight.

Hon. Marah said they are satisfied with the Six Towns Water Supply Project but opined that the disturbing thing about project implementation is the delays in releasing funding.

He called on the Ministry of Finance to fast track payment so as to complete the project on time.

Hon. Marah noted that very soon contractors will be called to explain about the progress because the project is at the heart of the people.

“Water is life and we need each and every person to support this project. Let us make sure this project succeeds,” he said.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, Ing. Alhaji Mohamed A. Jalloh was quick to point out the work of the Board taking into cognizance the oversight and supervisory role.

Chairman Jalloh noted that water is life and each and every beneficiary must be vigilant to monitor the implementation.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Local Government Melrose Kamity stressed on collaboration with all the sectors. She said from the Paramount Chief down to village headman they are under the Ministry and since they are with the people, they should jealously protect the project. “This is taxpayers’ money, your money and since Government has thought of these districts to provide water, you must handle it with care and protect it,” she advised beneficiaries.

Giving the Keynote address and launching the project, the Minister of Water Resources, Ing Philip Karimu Lansana said there have been several calls for Moyamba District to have safe, clean and affordable pipe borne water.

The Minister said an investigation was launched into water access in Moyamba and the five other Districts and developed a proposal that was presented to the Ministry of Finance.

He assured that the water sector has put in place structures that will see the implementation of projects.

“My Ministry has a team that periodically goes round and monitors happenings on the ground. We also have sectoral meetings where we discuss project activities and this is enough assurance that this project will succeed.

After the Completion of the project, all the houses in Moyamba Township will have access to clean and safe drinking water”, he assured the people of Moyamba.

Ing. Lansana noted that the water will not be free and that with this SALWACO will be able to strive and do maintenance without bordering Government.

He called on the people to protect the project by monitoring it and not to allow the sale of project materials.

“As a Government we are in a hurry to make progress, let us try and do the work on time. The people want to see result and Government also wants to see that result,” the Minister said

He called for collaboration and synergy among stakeholders.

Speaking during the handing over of the site, the Director of Project Management, who also doubles as the Project Manager for the Six Towns Water Supply Project, Ing. Yankuba Jusu Tarawally said the project will be completed in sixteen months and over four hundred thousand people will benefit from the entire project.

He said the project will be implemented in accordance with the Contract agreement and the beneficiary districts include, Moyamba, Kabala, Kailahun, Magburaka, Kambia and Pujehun.

The signing of a contract and launching of the project was climaxed with the handing over of the Moyamba project site to contractors. Handing over sites of Pujehun and Kailahun will be done soonest.

President Bio Promises Key Private Sector Players an Inclusive Business Policy that will foster Growth

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By Esther Wright

President Julius Maada Bio has on the 1st April, 2022 engaged key stakeholders in the business community and other private sector players and assured them of an inclusive business policy that will see growth in their different sectors.

The meeting brought together the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade, the Bank Governor, the Commissioner-General of the National Revenue Authority, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Information and Communications, players in the petroleum sector, representatives of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers’ Union, Manufacturers Association,  Exporters and Importers, Bike Riders Association, Drives Union, Tricycle Riders Association and Civil Society Organizations.

Minister of Trade, Dr Edward Hinga Sandy, welcomed participants and said they had conveyed a roundtable discussion between the President and all players in the country’s business community, who were contributing immensely to economic growth. He added that when the Coronavirus pandemic broke out, the Government initiated a lot of support systems to support the business community and augment their operations at a time when businesses the world over were almost collapsing.

The Minister further noted that President Julius Maada Bio’s initiative to create the Munafa Credit Facility, the Direct Cash Transfer to market women and support to the hospitality industry were timely interventions to manage the domestic effects of global shocks. He added that it was also a commitment by the Government to continue to support the business community during difficult times.

“This is a big opportunity for all of us to share ideas and challenges together and acknowledge the many supports that the Government has given to the business community. It is also for the Government to clearly understand your collective difficulties. I thank you for coming and I assure you all that this interaction will be productive,” Dr Sandy concluded.

Speaking on behalf of participants, Secretary-General of Sierra Leone Importers’ Association and CEO of Razpec Holdings & Procurement Centre (SL) Ltd, Rashid Conteh, said as a group they were the largest taxpayers in the country, contributing a significant proportion to Government revenue.

“Without a vibrant and functional private sector, economic development will be slow and the much-needed revenue required by Government to support flagship programmes will suffer and unemployment will remain stubbornly high,” he said.

He specifically thanked the President for his policy directions in such areas as the reduction of duty on essential commodities like rice, flour, cement and iron rods, lifting of the burden off importers and helping to cushion household disposable income.

“The disbursement of $50 million as a revolving fund by the Central Bank of Sierra Leone with single-digit interest rate for the importation of essential commodities at the peak of COVID- 19 was commendable and successful in sustaining food and commodity availability in Sierra Leone.

“The trade reforms, rolled out in the last 24 months in areas such as the ECOWAS Liberalization Schemes, Simplified Trade Policies and business-friendly industry policies have not only helped proactive local businesses position themselves to take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area of 1.2 billion people, but they will also enhance our competitiveness to trade effectively within the continent,” he said.

He, however, drew the attention of the President to the scarcity of foreign currency in the local banks and instability of the foreign exchange rate, high taxes on trade and pleaded for reduction charges in the GST threshold from $50,000 to $ 8,600, adding that charges by various clearing actors at the port were still many.

While addressing the high-level stakeholders meeting, the President thanked the business community for their support to the economy, saying that no country could develop without their citizens paying taxes. He, therefore, urged citizens to comply with the National Revenue Authority in tax mobilization for sustained economic growth. He noted that there had been some reduction in taxes on many essential commodities in the country; some were the lowest in the region.

President Bio further reminded the high-level stakeholders’ meeting that the world is going through difficulties ranging from the devastating effects of the Coronavirus pandemic that is largely affecting every sphere of life, to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“The Russian-Ukraine war is having untold consequences in every African country and in Europe. Prices of fuel, electricity, food, and essential commodities are up in every country. Sierra Leone and no Government have control over it,” he noted.

He added that his Government had given different supports to the business sector, which included but not limited to SMEs having access to finance through the MUNAFA Fund benefiting over five thousand businesses, the Quick Action Economic Recovery Programme of Le500 Billion to importers of food commodities to ensure stability in prices, cash support for vulnerable populations and persons in the hospitality and other industries that were hard hit by COVID-19.

He noted that there were no taxes on the importation of rice in the country, and urged citizens to focus on agriculture, which would reduce the burden of relying on foreign rice. He assured that his Government had also deepened bilateral relations with Vietnam and some of their investors would soon arrive in the country to share their expertise in rice production with the Ministry of Agriculture.

“I have always been looking for this opportunity to engage you all on a regular basis. It is better late than never. We will continue this dialogue because it is good for the progress of the country. Thank you very much for coming,” he concluded.

Ministry of Fisheries Bans Fishing Activities from 1st -30th April

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By Amin Kef Sesay

According to a Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Public Notice dated 28th March 2022, in accordance with the objectives and purposes set out in Section 9 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018 for the management, development and conservation of the fisheries resources of Sierra Leone and by the powers vested upon the Minister as provided for in Section 10 of the same Act, it has pleased the Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources to declare the 1 – 30 April. 2022 a “Closed Season”.

The Ministry continues that this conservation and management measure, which primary objectives are to reduce fishing pressures, rebuild fish stocks and prevent over exploitation will be implemented in collaboration with other stakeholders in the fisheries sector including the Ministry of Trade, Navy, Marine Police, Customs, Sierra Leone Industrial Fishing Association and the Artisanal Fishermen Consortium with advice from the Director of Fisheries and the Scientific, Economic and Technical Committee of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.
It was stated that during this period, the following shall be adhered to:-

All fishing companies should stock their cold rooms with various types of fish species and quantity, proportionate to the number of fishing vessels which they operate before the start of the Closed Season.

That all industrial and decked semi-industrial fishing vessels should report to port on or before 23:59 hours on the 31st March 2022 and should have their VMS on at all times with exception to Tuna Fishing Vessels.

No export by land, sea and air of fish from all operators of fishing vessels, fish processing establishments, Artisanal fishermen and the general public during the closed season.
That the Artisanal Fishermen consortium will collaborate with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to ensure that all fish caught by artisanal fishermen are sold to the local market.
No fishing by artisanal boats in the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Fishing Companies must ensure that their Sales Agents distribute fish evenly and at affordable prices.
It was also underscored that the Ministry will work closely with its key stakeholders to intensify monitoring and surveillance of the country’s territorial waters.

Against the aforementioned, the Ministry is therefore calling on all and sundry to cooperate and ensure that the Management measure is successfully implemented.

Dominion University Chancellor Arrested for Awarding Bogus PhD Degrees

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By Amin Kef Sesay

In a very interesting emerging episode, some officials of the Tertiary Education Commission together with a team of OSD and CID personnel stormed the Kissy Town community in Waterloo where a certain fake University called Dominion Christian University was conferring fake Honorary Doctorate degrees to Sierra Leoneans.

According to sources within the Police, the CID personnel were intimated about the illegal activities of the said University and were promptly deployed.

The Police were able to arrest Prof. Ezekiel Bangura and several others who are currently helping the Police.
The Police have therefore issued a warning to Sierra Leoneans to be aware of the fake institutions and their fake PhDs.

A Press Release from the Tertiary Education Commission reads:

The Tertiary Education Commission is seized of the unveiling situation involving the illegal Dominion University.

The Commission, working in collaboration with the Police Force, is handling the matter. The Proprietor and other staff members are currently detained by the CID since 1st April 2022, helping with the investigations as to how a convocation ceremony was held on 26th March 2022 in spite of advice from both the Police and TEC not to go ahead with the ceremony as the Institution is not a legal entity. A Press Release by the TEC was issued on 19th March 2022, published in the Print, electronic and social media advising the Public to dissociate itself from any such degree awarding ceremony.

The Initial proposed venue which was under surveillance by the Police was abandoned and a secluded backyard of a dwelling house was used instead.

Please be assured that the Police and TEC are leaving no stone unturned until the perpetrators are brought to book.

The public is warned that the degrees awarded are of no effect and are not recognized in Sierra Leone.

According to Alhaji U Njai, maybe we should all just buy PhDs, legalize cheating in schools and academic fraud, fake our way to positions in society, and in that way, we save big time on educational investments, and bypass all the daunting requirements for hard work, integrity, ethics, and excellence. Maybe we should just accept it as who we are, what we have become in 60 years, and how we have perceived success. Maybe this is what we truly are, a society where mediocrity is rewarded and promoted, and excellence marginalized. So why do I have to do the right thing, when the basic tenets of integrity, hard work, honesty, and excellence does not matter anyway. Those who cheat still get ahead and are rewarded in the system.

Housemates Salone Public Voting Via Africell Gains Momentum

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By Amin Kef Sesay

The voting for aspirants by members of the public , whom they deem fit to enter the House for the Housemates Salone Season 3 continues unabated and is gaining momentum as the days go by. Some are doing so out of fun were as others are taking it highly serious because they are keen on seeing those they are supporting make it to the House and end up becoming the ultimate winners in a Reality TV Show which is slated in such a way that obviously at the end of the day only one winner emerges.

With their unique numbers assigned to them by the organizers of Housemates Salone Season 3, the aspirants who went through the audition and were shortlisted, amounting to Sixty (60) of them, who were put up for public voting to get the best twenty-two (22) that will enter the House,  are now using various platforms to try their level best to convince members of the public to vote for them.

As the Reality TV Show is slated to commence on the 8th May, 2022 the public voting will end on that same day at 7:00 pm.

For  those who want to vote in Sierra Leone they must Dial *161*10# plus the NUMBER of their favourite contestants from their Africell line.

For International Voting: Call +232 99 005500.

It must be noted that the names of the aspirants and their respective numbers could be seen on the footage of AYV Television broadcasts.

With the slogan “Di Game Get Yagba, If You Nor Able Na for Pull Hand”, the build-up to Housemates Salone Season 3 is one that is indeed tasking in every respect. Now it is the turn for members of the public to Yagba in choosing those whom they deem to be competent to compete in the Reality TV Show.

However, it must be pointed out that to have a truly entertaining show members of the public must  objectively, devoid of sentiments, vote for those who actually have the wherewithal to make the show funny, spicy, educative and inspiring.

Some may be wondering why all this hype bordering on a Reality TV Show; why should there be a battle for supremacy in a mere TV Show?  If you were not aware then it is now time for you to do so.

What in actual fact is up for grabs by the contestants is the winning prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250M) plus a full round trip to Dubai.

Twenty-Two Housemates will enter the House and be there for a considerable period of time, interacting and performing different chores as directed by an unseen personality. Besides socializing, the Housemates are provided the platform to learn useful skills like cooking, singing, how to eloquently express themselves, dress for different situations, learn how to cook, how to play different games, how to settle misunderstandings among a host of other things that they will be taken through.

It is obvious that whilst in the House, these Housemates will imbibe certain attributes that will forever position them in life to positively impact others in society.

As public voting continues to gain momentum it is important for members of the public to fully participate in the process.

NP-SL’s Exponential Growth Borders on Sound Managerial Initiatives

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By Amin Kef Sesay

One of the dominant companies that have been making steady progress, growing exponentially within the business landscape of this country is indisputably the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd). It is widely acknowledged that the company has dominated the petroleum trade in the country based on its proactive stance with regards the importation and marketing of high grade petroleum products including petrol, diesel, gas and lubricants of which one of the best is the widely used Castrol oil.

Being an indigenous company that cherish its numerous customers, NP-SL Ltd, over the years, has placed high premium on customer care, which it has effectively rolled out over the years to such an extent that it has earned the enviable reputation of 1st for Customer Care. It is within that realm that the initial shareholders of the company, thirty-five (35) of them, thought it entrepreneurially prudent to import and install modern calibrated machines at all its Filling Stations.

These are automated and high precision machines which have the capability of pumping the exact quantity of fuel that a particular buyer or customer requests for, displaying quantity (in litres) as well as the price(s). With these machines, contrary to what used to obtain in the past when less sophisticated pumping machines were used, customers have sincerely attested that they do derive utmost satisfaction whenever they do transactions expressing the belief that the process is really transparent.

Within that same domain of satisfying and providing care for its customers, the company made it a must that all its Filling Stations should have safety regulations. That is why it cautions its customers and others that they should not use naked flame, that mobile phones should be switched off, engines must also be switched off at Filling Stations when fuel is pumped among others.

In order to ensure that fuel is distributed timely to all its Filling Stations in the country, the company has maintained a fleet of tankers (vehicles that transport fuel) and they are regularly maintenance in order to ensure that they are roadworthy.

With the avowed objective of making fuel transactions easier and very convenient for its esteemed and numerous customers, the company again introduced the brilliant idea of introducing the use of NP Smart Card. This is a cashless way of transacting business or in other words purchasing fuel without using physical cash. The holder of an NP Smart Card could present the card at any Filling Station, as long as it contains money, and request for the quantity of fuel he or she requires.

The card is then slotted into the pumping machine with the subsequent discharge of the amount of fuel into a car or jerry can. This method of conducting cashless transaction is very advantageous in the sense that a customer is saved the hassle of intermittently rushing to the bank to withdraw cash for the sole purpose of purchasing fuel. This is so because already his or her NP Smart Card is loaded with money for that purpose. Indeed, it also provides security as the card is securitized only having the particulars of the holder which cannot be used by another person.

Human beings cannot exist in the absence of food as it is a basic necessity of life. Food is prepared in various ways but one popular way of doing so is by cooking. In this part of the world, most households are dependent on largely using wood and charcoal for cooking purposes. However, the cutting down of trees to be used as wood and charcoal have been frowned upon by environmentalists on the grounds that such is contributing negatively  to the depletion of the environment and pose other adverse consequences on the ecosystem.

Against this backdrop, the Shareholders and Management of the company thought it fit that to assuage that they must introduce a safer way of cooking. It was out of this idea that the initiative of introducing an environmentally cooking device arose and NP Gas was borne. Manufactured in different cylinder sizes, NP Gas has a high precision performance and to refill it is simple as the gas could be accessed at all the company’s Filling Stations in the country. Many whom have tried them intimated this medium that it is worth having at home and one could never regret having it but would rather recommend it to others.

A company that has vibrant branches in neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia speaks volumes of a serious company that is determined to grow. In all those countries, the company employs indigenes and is paying taxes to the Governments which in turn are used to fund various development programmes.

From what have been said so far, NP-SL Ltd is a company that is making Sierra Leoneans proud and is an epitome of selflessness with a strong passion to further climb higher heights. Indeed, the company is truly a success story!

Sentinel Telecommunications is Poised to Inject Life into Lifeless SIERRATEL

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By Amin Kef Sesay

It is now an open secret that there is a pending transition in which Sierratel is to be taken over by another telecommunications company, Sentinel Company, which is said to have a wealth of experience in the telecommunications industry, with modern facilities to compete with other telecoms companies in Sierra Leone and owned solely by Sierra Leoneans.

Many in this country are aware that Sierratel has been in the administrative doldrums for years and many staff, whom have lost hope in the current Management of the entity, are now hopeful that with the imminent arrival of the new entity their woes would be alleviated.

It is evident that since 2016 to date, Sierratel’s financial and technical performances exhibited a frightening picture: regularly applying to the Ministry of Finance for bail outs, massive reduction in revenue generated since 2016, increase in liability,non -payment of staff emolument(Salaries, leave allowances, NASSIT, PAYE, Medical, End of Service Benefits etc.) ,inefficient service delivery ,obsolete technological infrastructure to meet current demand in the telecommunications industry ,non-payment of audit fees ,no submission of Financial Statements, non-payment of dividend to Government, contraction in operations ,unaudited financial statement since 2017, poor liquidity and going concern risk, perennial strike and Management refusal to evolve.

The current liability of SIERRATEL is to the tune of Four Hundred and Eleven Billion Leones (Le 411 Billion).

In March 2020, the Commission commenced the privatization process in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including the Management of SIERRATEL as they were part of the evaluation of the Expression of Interest (EOI) and the development of the Request for Proposal (RFP) including others.

The process and content were vetted and approved by the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and the Ministry of Finance.

Upon completion of the process the SENTINEL Telecommunications Company Limited emerged as the most responsive company with the requisite financial and technical capacity.

The type of privatization is a Concession Agreement, not a sale, wherein the Concessionaire Sentinel Telecommunications Company Limited will build, operate and transfer Sierratel assets to Government in a viable condition.

The mode of privatization chosen for SIERRATEL is within the realm of Public Private Partnership (PPP), not only with a human face but to ensure that Sierra Leoneans are given the opportunity to compete in the process.

Promoting local content policy has been the clarion call across the nation as citizens now believe they can make a meaningful investment in Sierra Leone.

It is well known that the business landscape in Sierra Leone is largely dominated by foreigners and they control the dynamics, but the news of a local company taking over a State asset brings joy as it depicts that locals are now ambitious to redeem the business environment that has been hijacked by foreigners.

Technology is moving at an electric pace, thus those in the industry should always position themselves to catch up with the modern trend, which the current SIERRATEL Management has failed to capitalize on.

Once the concession agreement receives parliamentary ratification SIERRATEL will now be a force to reckon with as SENTINEL is around to rescue the sinking ship

“Get a Career Game Changer and Get Ahead as…”    Top Indian University Online Degree Programmes Now Accessible in Sierra Leone

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By Amin Kef Sesay

Online education, which has been on backburner so long, has suddenly emerged at the forefront of all educational endeavors. We have realized that many things we thought of as impossible prior to the pandemic were actually prevented only by perceptual barriers. Thrust as we are into the mode of ’emergency remote teaching’, it is imperative that online education measures up to the expectations and needs of the learners. This can happen only if both the instructors and the students assiduously equip themselves such that the online learning experiences are worthwhile and memorable.

CODE is offering a unique amalgam of Academic + Skills qualification, first of its kind in the country. An Integrated qualification which comes with both ONLINE DEGREE + OFFLINE DIPLOMA program in an interactive hybrid pedagogy of training delivery, in collaboration with the prestigious University from India, the Manipal University Jaipur as associate partner and the world leader in IT, NIIT as technology delivery partner. Manipal University Jaipur, India offers purely academic courses ONLINE whereas CODE provides skills competence in IT technologies in collaboration with NIIT under offline training methodology.

The requirements are as follows: An applicant must have BECE and WASSCE results, an identity card and address proof.

Why ONLINE Degrees?

Flexible: Students can choose to learn at their convenience. They can rise early, go to bed late, study in long bursts or short ones, use their commute to revise – as per their schedule and lifestyle.

 Modern: Study material, discussions, assessments, and doubt clearance are all online, broken down into small, easily learnable sets.

High Quality: Get access to leading industry experts and faculty members, without having to leave your town. All delivered through a best-in-class learning platform.

Cost-effective: No need to leave jobs and forego earnings for higher education. Fees are considerably lower for online programmes than equivalent on-campus programmes and inclusive of all study material.

 Recognized: Online degrees are now recognized by the Government, higher education authorities and Corporates as certificates of quality learning.

For the admission forms and other details visit CODE – College of Digital Excellence at 36 Main Motor Road, Congo Cross Freetown or Email: info@codesl.org or Telephone: 073-500600, 073-500500, 030-500500 or WhatsApp: 073-506070

Admissions are now open for the Bachelor in Computer Applications (BCA) and Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) courses.

At CODE, it is not just learning but empowering aspiring and ambitious individuals not only in preparing them to become industry ready from day one but to be confident, to be the next generation and to be productive new individuals in the society.

After 7 Months without Pay… Aggrieved COVID-19 Workers Call for Immediate Payment

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By Amin Kef Sesay

Aggrieved COVID-19 response workers on Tuesday 5th April 2022 reminded Government about the delay in payment of risk allowances to core and support staff nationwide by NACOVERC.

The group made this call during a press briefing organized at 49 Pademba Road in Freetown.

Briefing journalists, lead speaker, Mambu Sheriff said the Coronavirus disease is a highly infectious disease that constitutes a public emergency and was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic.

He highlighted that since the last payment was made it is now seven months down the line without any payment while their contracts have been terminated.

“We are calling for the attention of the public to see the inhumane and bad  way we are being treated  by the leadership of NACOVERC especially with regards the constant delay in the payment of our risk allowances for 7 months now. As a team, we have tried all redress mechanisms rather than staging a public demonstration or protest, which in our view may undermine the good reputation of the new dispensation but to no avail,” he said.

Sheriff noted that all Districts Coordinators and Presidential Taskforce Officers have been getting their risk allowances to date without delay, whilst theirs have been withheld for an inexplicable reason which is not only discriminatory but a violation of their rights.

That, he said, has brought a feeling of marginalization, especially when those who should be prioritizing their welfare, have now become advocates for their benefits thereby trivializing and jeopardizing the welfare of the response staff.

He noted that they are very much aware of a massive and pending rightsizing of the workforce within the response as part of the Government’s commitment to justify value for money.

“But it remains obvious that every contract should have a termination notice in writing and that has not been done by the leadership of either NaCOVERC or the DiCOVERCs across the country. Yet we are doing the needful day in and day  in our respective assigned locations nationwide. We call on the Press and Civil Society to note that, since July 2021, when a one-month risk allowance was paid in December 2021 and another one-month paid in February 2022 nothing has been paid to us since then,” he said.

In addition, Mr. Sheriff noted that they are aware that terminating someone’s contract upon expiration, means you MUST be in preparedness to pay all his or her backlogs and as it is, this is not forthcoming saying therefore they are honestly concerned as a group. He said it is on that basis, that they deem it prudent to draw the attention of the media and civil society to such worrisome concern.

“We would also like to inform you the media and civil society that these are legitimate concerns, as every aggrieved response worker, from core to support staff has contractual documents to justify the payment claims and these documents would be made available should the need arise by the media and civil society,” he said.

Mr. Augustine is also among the aggrieved workers who noted that reverting to channeling their legitimate concerns through the media/civil society which will be considered as the last resort at this stage, and therefore they are kindly appealing to authorities concerns to urgently help in triggering the full payment of their allowances as their survival and family responsibilities are at stake.

NACOVERC is yet to respond to this latest allegation, as they have refused to talk to the media in that direction.

Orange SL Shares Iftar with Muslims at Dwarzark

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By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of their unwavering extension of love to the people of Sierra Leone especially Muslims during this month of Ramadan and to be closer to their muslin customers and stakeholders, Orange Sierra Leone has on Tuesday 5th April, 2022 embarked on their usual Iftar sharing exercise tagged “Jammah Sunakati” at the Dwazark Community field.

The Mobile Telecommunication Company of Orange Sierra Leone offered food to Muslims residing within the community as support in their observation of this year’s Holy Month of Ramadan.

The company mobilized and funded its staff together with some women residing within the community to prepare a delicious meal for Muslim worshippers.

The gesture is part of Orange’s Jammah Sunakati initiative which is targeting communities across the country during this Month of Ramadan and providing food for the residents particularly for those who are fasting. The occasion saw hundreds of people gathered at the Dwarzark playing field to participate in the Jammah Sunakati.

The Marketing and Communication Manager of Orange-Sierra Leone, Martha Sumaila, revealed how the company is doing such out of love and respect for subscribers, and also as a way of giving back to communities across Sierra Leone.

“We are doing this out of love and respect for the community residents,” she said.

The Jamah Sunakati saw community people, young and old bond together while ending their fast after the evening prayers. Residents in the community said this is the first time that a corporate institution has done such for their community.

Martha Sumaila added that this will not be the end, “Dwarzark is just the first community,” she said, adding that Orange has plans to replicate the donation to more communities across the country.

“We are a company that prides itself in giving back and we will continue to do such in other communities in the coming weeks,” she disclosed.

The Jammah Sunakati is not the only initiative that is being rolled out by Orange during this Ramadan. Orange has set aside prizes of food items to be given away to customers throughout this Ramadan month.

As part of the promotion, customers will win supply of food items on a daily and weekly basis with a grand prize of 1 year supply of food items. According to the company to qualify for the promotion customers should top up, buy data or do Orange money transactions.

“We want to offer prayers for Orange. This is what Islam teaches – to share. We are happy for this and it is the second time a mobile company like Orange has thought about doing this for us,” a community expressed gratitude.

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