As it recently Imported & Offloaded 19,500 Metric Tons of fuel… NP-SL is not Politically Motivated but Business Focused

March 23, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

There is negative social media post making the round which purports that the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is politically remote controlled by the leadership of the opposition All People Congress (APC) Party, making particular reference to former President Ernest Bai Koroma, to intermittently create artificial scarcity of fuel in a bid to make the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) become very unpopular and lose political support. It further insinuated that the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Kobi Walker, whom the writer of the post erroneously referred to as the General Manager “is one of the operatives the opposition APC is hiding behind to undermine the efforts of H. E. President Julius Maada Bio and the New Direction Government”.

It must be made abundantly clear right at this point that this is the most weird, nonsensical, illogical and nauseating post which was concocted by a politically baptized SLPP faithful, with a motive to bring the hard earned and respectable name of a thriving business entity to disrepute and wickedly attempt to tarnish the good reputation of its indefatigable Chief Executive Officer, Kobi Walker, for which legal action could be instituted in order to seek redress.

The negative thoughts of the poster sharply brings to the fore the negative tendency of some short sighted Sierra Leoneans, especially those who regard themselves as educated elites, to politicizing everything in the country. In other words, to assess everything with a political lens. Failing to realize that fuel shortage has not only occurred when the present SLPP Government headed by President Julius Maada Bio took over the reins of State Governance, the ignorant writer of the misleading post wants to paint the picture that erstwhile President Ernest Bai Koroma is the chief architect of the plot or ploy of making the current Government unpopular.

This is totally baseless and 100% inaccurate as it had been proven beyond all reasonable doubts that NP-SL Ltd was formed by 35 former workers of the British Petroleum Company who decided to use their end of service benefits to buy shares which culminated in the establishment of the company. Former President Koroma does not, repeat does not, even has a single penny in that company and therefore has no power or bearing to dictate to it or influence managerial decisions. Let the fool clearly understands that.

It must be registered at this particular juncture that NP-SL Ltd is very apolitical only focusing on the business of importing and marketing petroleum products in the country. It is not the only oil marketing company operating in the country as we have Total SL Ltd, Leonco SL Ltd doing the same kind of business. The shareholders of the company are not politicians and even if some do support certain political parties which is their inalienable fundamental human rights but they are very mindful of not mixing business with politics. For them it is strictly business and business for real.

Many will agree with the confirmed notion that NP-SL Ltd has been exceptionally doing well with regards the timely importation and marketing of high grade petroleum products. The company has been doing so to the utmost satisfaction of its numerous esteemed and cherished customers. As for NP-SL, customer care is treated with maximum seriousness which is why the company has proudly bagged the enviable name: 1^st For Customer Care.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL Ltd, Kobi Walker, the company recently imported 19,500 metric ton of fuel which it offloaded in the evening hours of the 19^th March 2020 at their terminal. Immediately after offloading, the indigenously owned fuel company went into top gear supplying bowsers with fuel for onward transportation and supply to their various stations across the country. This move has further earned the company the respect of the nation.

Kobi Walker noted that in line with their aim and vision to ensure that the petroleum needs of individuals and institutions are timely met in a very transparent manner, the company wasted no time to see that petroleum supply is brought into the country to deal with the current situation. He said that whilst it is their duty to provide service to the nation, they see no sense in keeping their products when the people need fuel. He maintained that fuel shortage can only happen when the supply comes in late, as the company is always proactive and plans ahead for more supply, especially as they know that they are the most patronized in the country. He assured Sierra Leoneans that whilst the Republic of Liberia is suffering from fuel shortage, they will ensure that fuel is available for all in the country. It was intimated that another consignment is on the high-seas for Sierra Leone, courtesy of NP-SL.

Speaking further with vehicle owners at several Filling Stations, they disclosed that during the recent slight fuel shortage, NP-SL was the only fuel company that supplied or sold fuel as these vehicle owners were able to buy fuel from them. According to them, other fuel stations told them that they do not have fuel and often the pump attendants do not even spoke to them. Though NP-SL rationed their sale to customers, they made sure that almost everyone benefitted from the sale.

Being a very successful petroleum entity, NP had and still continues to contribute tremendously towards overall national development. The company has branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
This 100% indigenously-owned company has so far offered various jobs to residents in the afore-mentioned countries, thereby reducing poverty to a considerable level.

It is further recorded that it is one of the largest taxpayers to the National Revenue Authority (NRA), financially empowering the Government to roll out various development projects.
The regulatory institution of the different petroleum companies in the country, Petroleum Regulatory Agency, has lauded NP many times for its efficient service delivery wherever it is operating.

The company also offers for sale an efficient cooker which is known as NP Gas. It has been proven to be highly efficient and good in terms of performance. Manufactured in different cylinder sizes these gas cookers are sold at the company’s filling stations and its authorized dealers. They are said to be going like hot cakes.

With NP Smart Card customers are now able to purchase petroleum products and it has been assessed to be very advantageous as it avails the holders to easily procure petroleum products without moving with physical cash. It also enhances personal security and helps to promote transparency especially when sending another person to purchase these petroleum products.

This naïve and myopic way of politicizing everything under the sun must be shelved off and replaced with objectivity. It is shameful. Fuel shortage could be caused by various factors some far beyond the control of oil marketing companies. Availability and accessibility to foreign exchange, in this case the US dollar at appreciable rate, which is used to purchase petroleum products, are key. Is that the case in this country? Crisis in oil producing countries could affect supply of petroleum products. So also could shipment be affected by unforeseen circumstances.

Let the politically intoxicated poster of the infamous post tenaciously stick to his SLPP, and leave NP-SL Ltd alone to continue with its business as usual. Politics is not their portion. Undeniably, the company is growing by leaps and bounds. Shame to the hater(s) and up, up NP-SL. The cloud is your limit!

Orange-SL Provides Free Internet to Access Coronavirus Information Site

March 23, 2020

Handing over the Assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Hon. Member of Parliament of Constituency 112 in the Western Rural Area, Hon. Haja Miatta Amara

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In order to enable customers access tips and information regarding coronavirus in the country, Sierra Leone’s leading telecommunications company, Orange Sierra Leone, has on Friday 20^th March 2020 pledged its support to a zero rated url link which will allow Sierra Leoneans have free access to coronavirus messages from health practitioners. This disclosure was made during a handing over ceremony of Assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Hon. Member of Parliament of Constituency 112 in the Western Rural Area, Hon. Haja Miatta Amara at the company’s Headquarter on Hill Station in Freetown.

In his address, Orange SL Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR),Desmond Spaine disclosed that even though Sierra Leone has not recorded any case of coronavirus yet they have started their drive to educate the populace about the virus, adding that they are currently working with WHO in disseminating the right information about the pandemic.

He also said as a telecommunications company in the country that cares about its customers and take their Corporate Social Responsibility as a priority they are presently donating Assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to various communities.

He further disclosed that disseminating the right information on the coronavirus is very key and in that regard they are supporting the zero rated url link which will allow Sierra Leoneans have free access to coronavirus messages from health practitioners like WHO, MOHS and CDC, noting that before this time customers cannot access these links without data but said with their intervention customers can access them free of cost. He further disclosed that customers can access tips and information regarding coronavirus through the following website pages:

MOHS: https://health.gov.sl/,

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/ &

WHO: https://www.who.int/ with no charges. In other words, customers can access the website for free.

He urged Sierra Leoneans to observe all preventive measures issued out by the Government in order to prevent the coronavirus from coming into the country and also admonished them that if anyone suspects any person showing symptoms of coronavirus he or she should call the toll free line 117 for medical advice.

On her part, the Honorable Member of Parliament of Constituency 112 in the Western Rural Area, Hon. Haja Miata Amara expressed appreciation to Orange for the donation of the Assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which she described as a timely intervention.

She noted that as Members of Parliament they are very concern about the coronavirus and in that regard they summoned key stakeholders on their preparedness on the coronavirus of which they were able to inform them on their current intervention.

She also applauded Orange for the zero rated url links which will enable Sierra Leoneans access tips and information regarding coronavirus.

The Assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) items denoted

“No Panic or Lockdown for Now…” – President Bio Assures the Nation

March 20, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

On Thursday 19 March 2020 at State House, President Bio addressed the media and civil society groups on the enhanced coronavirus preparedness, emphasising that the Government sees no reason for panic or a lockdown at this time.

He, however, warned that things could change very fast and the Government would respond to those rapid changes robustly, including declaration of a State of Emergency to protect public health and safety under the law.

“We urge citizens to adopt a disciplined approach to our key prevention imperatives – hygiene, social distancing and cough etiquette.

“We believe as a Government that the best way to deal with a crisis is to prevent a crisis. The best time to deal with a crisis is to plan well-ahead of that crisis. And that is what we are doing,” he said.

While he agreed with what he described as the grim reminder that the novel corona was a highly infectious and deadly disease with a clear and present danger Sierra Leone could not afford, he also noted that the life of every citizen matters.

“I repeat, the life of every Sierra Leonean matters. As a Government, we are determined to protect, enhance, and enrich the lives of Sierra Leoneans. That is why my Government prepared three testing sites, an isolation unit, and working on equipping treatment centres. That is why my Government has activated the Emergency Operations Centre to Level 2 to coordinate initial preparedness and response and also a toll-free number 117 and a dedicated call centre,” he said.

President Bio further told the meeting that his Government had issued travel advisories, consistent with threat levels, adding that notwithstanding resource constraints he acknowledged that they could have handled some situations better around quarantine administration.

“But we are a fast-learning Government and we will continue to implement forward-looking improvements to our processes and our management of everything around Corona. I have taken leadership of the fight against Corona and I intend to lead a lean, well-structured, and fully committed team of Sierra Leoneans and partners,” he said.

Minister of Health and Sanitation, Professor Alpha Tejan Wurie, said Sierra Leone is one of two countries in the region with fully equipped capacity to test for the virus and some locals had been trained to efficiently operate it. He disclosed that 3 Sierra Leonean medical doctors would soon return from Congo, Brazzaville where they were undergoing training in dealing with the coronavirus.

“We have tested 13 people in the country with zero cases. Of that number, some were among the 11 people who dropped off here but came in the same flight with the first case in Liberia. We have traced all of them and are being monitored,” he stated, adding that that was just one of many efforts they had made without publicising anything.

He said schools would remain in progress until the end of March, adding that in the event of any one case they could close all such institutions of learning.

Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, informed journalists that the threat of coronavirus is already costing the country with growth projections and gains made in revenue mobilisation being revised and reversed.

“My Ministry, the National Revenue Authority and Central Bank are now looking at the numbers to be able to determine the exact nature of the effects on the economy. Growth projections have now been reversed from 5.8 to 3.5 per cent and projected loss at 293 billion and might reach 800 billion as the situation persists,” he said, adding that Government revenue had also dropped by 30 per cent between January and March.

Mr Saffa, therefore, announced that they had instituted some economic programmes to cushion the economy and maintain price stability, adding that tax breaks and deferment would be introduced to allow for more imports and lower interest rate for businesses to manage the potential massive job cuts. The country, he said, had a reserve to run for 100 days without any export earnings.

Chief Minister Professor David Francis, who is providing leadership for the ministerial and intragovernmental agency efforts at dealing with the coronavirus, gave the closing remarks by assuring civil society and the media of more engagements and more spot visits to get first-hand information. He also praised the leadership of the President.

3 Sentenced to Death by Hanging in Kabala

March 20, 2020

By Theresa Kef Sesay

At the Kabala Magistrate Court presided over by Justice Unisa Kamara, three accused persons were sentenced to death by hanging for committing murder and conspiracy to commit murder contrary to law. The judgement was passed on the 16 March 2020.

The three are Farah Kamara, Sorie Sankoh and Marlie Kamara.
The accused persons of the murder case were eight in number but the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th accused persons were sentenced to 10years each for conspiracy.

Justice Unisa Kamara also sentenced one Fanta Kamara to 15 years imprisonment for maliciously putting a chemical in the form of a soda in the eyes of her husband and she was found guilty of dislocating the original identity of her husband.

The resident Judge further sentenced one Manty Mansaray to 10 years imprisonment after she was found guilty of manslaughter after she killed her husband two years ago at Ismaia village.

CHRDI Calls on Govt. to Apply Rights-Based Emergency Measures

March 20, 2020

Abdul M. Fatoma, Executive Director Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI)

By Fatmata Jengbe

The Campaign For Human Rights and Development International, (CHRDI) says it has been following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on citizen’s lives with keen interest. According to them, country to country, large public gatherings and major events have been cancelled. Employees have been told to work from home, universities have moved all classes online and elementary schools have closed for sanitizing. Declarations of emergency are also being proclaimed.

In order to effectively contain the spread of the virus; provide medical care for those who need it; and avoid harmful misdirection of resources; trust is essential, but for the public to have that trust, the use of emergency powers must be publicly declared and should be notified to the relevant treaty and statutory bodies when fundamental rights including movement, family life and assembly are being significantly limited.

CHRDI therefore is encouraging the Government to recognise the human rights of citizens in maintaining a human rights-based approach to regulating this pandemic, in order to facilitate the emergence of healthy societies with respect for the rule of law and human rights.

Furthermore, while the organization recognizes the severity of the current health crisis and acknowledges that the use of emergency powers is allowed by international law in response to significant threats, its officials are urgently reminding the Government of Sierra Leone that any emergency response to the corona virus must be proportionate, necessary or non-discriminatory. The organization is calling on authorities to put the human rights of the citizens and residents in the country at the centre of the COVID-19 outbreak response.

CHRDI is aware that the Government has already regulated free movement and assembly of people without any state of emergency law in force, but they want to bring to the attention of the Government the fact that declarations of state of emergency, whether for health or security reasons, have clear guidance in international law.

CHRDI believes that when addressing the human right concerns at stake, States impose preventive measures to protect public health, such as quarantines and travel bans, which are inextricably linked to the State’s obligations to ensure transparency, accessible and affordable preventive care, guarantee social security and workers’ rights, and also credible ad reliable public healthcare information to prevent stigma and discrimination; and also to protect health workers.

The organization is of the conviction that some law enforcement agencies may find the use of emergency powers attractive because it offers shortcuts to use such excessive powers that can be hardwired into legal and political systems. We therefore recommend that restrictions should be narrowly tailored and should be the least intrusive means to protect public health.

In conclusion, CHRDI states it wants to acknowledge that we are facing exceptional circumstances in terms of a public health emergency and the State might need to exercise its emergency powers. They also believe that if the situation places a threat to the life of the nation (for example if the disease is significantly communicable and of sufficient seriousness – especially high morbidity – or there is risk of further expansion), then the State might be empowered to declare a state of emergency in accordance with international law and standards.

US Embassy Reveals facts on Rape, Domestic Violence, FGM in Sierra Leone

March 20, 2020

US Ambassador to Sierra Leone: Maria E. Brewer

By Amin Kef Sesay

In continuation of our publications of excerpts from the 2019 Sierra Leone Human Rights Report by the United States Embassy, our focus in this edition is on: Discrimination, Societal Abuses & Trafficking in Persons.

Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape of both men and women. In February President Bio declared a State of Emergency against rape and sexual violence. In September Parliament passed new legislation that raised the penalty for those convicted of rape to a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment. Previously, a conviction was punishable by between five- and 15-years’ imprisonment, although many offenders were given lesser prison terms. Press reports noted that in 2018 a man convicted of raping a six-year-old girl was given a one-year prison sentence.

Rape was common and viewed more as a societal norm than a criminal problem. The law specifically prohibits spousal rape. Indictments were rare, especially in rural areas. A reluctance to use the judicial system by both victims and officials, combined with women’s lack of income and economic independence, helped perpetuate violence against women and impunity for offenders. During the year, despite the existence of the Family Support Unit (FSU) within the SLP and applicable legislation, reports of rapes, especially involving child victims, sharply increased.

The NGO Rainbo Initiative reported that its five centers assisting victims of sexual and gender-based violence had encountered 1,051 rape cases in the first half of the year. Rainbo, other civil society organizations, and Government agencies assessed that thousands of rape cases go unreported. The perpetrators are often close family members or relatives who live alongside their victims. Of the 3,000 cases reported in 2018, 602 survivors became pregnant, seven contracted HIV/AIDS, and 2,404 developed sexually transmitted diseases. The Attorney General’s Office reported that only 39 of the 3,000 cases were prosecuted successfully. Many cases went unresolved due to lack of financial support, lack of forensic evidence, religious beliefs, inconsistency in the application of relevant law, and cultural beliefs.

Violent acts against women, especially wife beating and spousal rape, were common and often surrounded by a culture of silence. Conviction of domestic violence is punishable by a fine not exceeding five million Leones ($555) and two years’ imprisonment. Victims seldom reported domestic violence due to their fear of social stigma and retaliation. The HRCSL observed that the incidence of sexual and gender-based violence continued to rise while arrests and convictions of perpetrators were negligible. A psychosocial worker of the NGO Rainbo Center blamed the structure of the justice system and lengthy court processes for the delay in accessing justice. First Lady Fatima Bio and NGOs such as the Rainbo Center actively promoted public awareness, calling on men to refrain from violence against women.

According to the FSU, medical and psychological services for rape victims were limited. The FSU often required victims to obtain a medical report for the filing of charges. Although the law provides that the victim of a sexual offense shall be entitled to free medical treatment and medical reports, many victims had to pay for these medical services, and most Government doctors charged fees that were prohibitively expensive for the victims. Although the law provides that the victim of a sexual offense shall be entitled to free medical treatment and medical reports, many victims had to pay for these medical services.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): The law does not prohibit FGM/C for women or girls. According to a 2017 UNICEF report, 86.1 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone a form of genital mutilation/cutting. FGM/C is considered a traditional rite of passage into womanhood. UNICEF polling indicated that societal support for FGM/C remained strong in the country. During the year one young woman who underwent FGM/C died of blood loss.

Sexual Harassment: The law criminalizes sexual harassment, but authorities did not always effectively enforce it. It is unlawful to make unwanted sexual advances, repeatedly follow or pursue others against their will, initiate repeated and unwanted communications with others, or engage in any other “menacing” behaviour. Conviction of sexual harassment is punishable by a fine not exceeding 14.3 million Leones ($1,580) or imprisonment not exceeding three years. No reliable data was available on the prevalence of sexual harassment.

Coercion in Population Control: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization.

Discrimination: The law provides for the same legal status and rights for men and women under family, labor, property, and inheritance law. Women continued to experience discriminatory practices. Their rights and positions are largely contingent on customary law and the ethnic group to which they belong. The law provides for both Sierra Leonean fathers and mothers to confer nationality to children born abroad. The law provides for equal remuneration for equal work without discrimination based on gender. Either spouse may acquire property in their own right or women may obtain divorce without being forced to relinquish dowries.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children’s Affairs reported that women faced widespread societal discrimination, particularly in matters of marriage, divorce, property, and inheritance, which are guided by customary law in all areas except Freetown. Formal law applies in customary as well as formal courts, but customary judges had limited or no legal training and often were unaware of formal law or chose to ignore it. Women’s rights and status under customary law varied significantly depending upon the ethnic group to which they belonged, but such rights and status were routinely inferior to those of men. Under customary law, women’s status in society is equal to that of a minor. Women were frequently perceived to be the property of their husbands and to be inherited on his death with his other property.

Discrimination occurred in access to credit, equal pay for similar work, and the ownership and management of a business. Women did not have equal access to education, economic opportunities, health facilities, or social freedoms. In rural areas, women performed much of the subsistence farming and had little opportunity for formal education. Women also experienced discrimination in access to employment, and it was common for an employer to dismiss a woman if she became pregnant during her first year on the job. The law does not prohibit dismissal of pregnant workers based on pregnancy.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children’s Affairs has a mandate to protect the rights of women, but most international and domestic NGOs asserted the Ministry did not have the resources, infrastructure, and support of other Ministries to handle its assigned projects effectively. The Ministry routinely relied on the assistance of international organizations and NGOs to help combat women’s rights abuses.

Chief Minister Pay Unannounced Visit to Lungi Quarantine Facilities

March 20, 2020

By Esther Wright

The Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, and Minister of Health, Professor Alpha Tejan Wurie, paid an unannounced visit to the three quarantine facilities designated for the coronavirus in Lungi, the northern town with the country’s only international airport on 17 March 2020.

The two senior government officials were asked by His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio to immediately travel across the sea to get first-hand information on the status of people being accommodated in places transformed into such confinement facilities and to further gauge the preparedness level of health workers at that entry point.

The Minister of Health encouraged people, who had arrived into the country by air from different parts of the world, to allow to be quarantined as part of the measures in place to manage any possible case of the coronavirus, adding that they might be aware of the strangeness of the infectious disease ravaging the world partly because of the difficulty in detecting it without having to quarantine them for 14 days, the incubation period for the coronavirus.

Professor Wurie stated that so far that was one of the most effective ways to make sure that people coming from different countries protect themselves and their families.

“We started quarantining passengers from 4 February 2020, but this is the first time we are having a larger number of passengers in quarantine. We have released 68 people and none of them showed any sign of the virus. We have not said you are infected with the virus, but also we have no reason to believe that you don’t have the virus. We want you to show this country that you are patriots by staying away from society for 14 days, after which everyone will be allowed to go about their normal business,” he explained.

The Chief Minister, Professor Francis told passengers that their instruction from the President was to visit the said places and see what obtained on the ground, adding that the coronavirus was a global problem challenging bigger economies with advanced and sophisticated healthcare systems.

“Sierra Leone is the only country within the Man River countries that has not recorded any case of this deadly virus. We are here to assure all of you that we are trying our best as a government to ensure that there is no case of coronavirus in Sierra Leone. But if accidentally we record any, we will be on better grounds to eradicate it immediately and entirely,’’ he said.

He assured of three meals per day in all quarantine facility, adding that all essential items that would keep them safe during the 14-day period would be provided by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation.

He further stated that it was difficult for people to be quarantined, especially when they would have travelled for long and wanted to see their family members. He, therefore, admonished them to show the highest level of compliance and ensure that the protocols and guidelines stated by the World Health Organization for people in quarantine were observed.

Hon. Chernor Bah Cautions Pres. Bio on Civil Registration

March 20, 2020

Hon. Chernor Maju Bah - Parliamentary Leader of the main opposition All People's Congress

By Amin Kef Sesay

In a letter written by the Leader of the Opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) Party in Parliament, Hon. Chernor Maju Bah and addressed to His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio, he drew the President’s attention to the timing and planning of the proposed national civil registration exercise saying he wants to reason with the 1^st Gentleman in the national interest, on why this all – important exercise should be better planned and carried out in a safe and nationally agreeable manner and environment.

He noted that President Bio is aware that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak of the COVID-19 as a ‘Global Pandemic’ in view of its scale and how fast it is spreading around the world. Hon Bah further pointed out that many countries around the world are shutting down schools, colleges and universities; suspending conferences, games and sports.

“It is also not uncommon now to hear Governments and organisations advising people to work from home. In some countries, gatherings of 100 and as low as 50 and even 10 people have been banned. All of these efforts are geared toward discouraging large crowds owing to the fact that the virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person especially between people who are in close contact with one another. Of particular significance is the spread from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects,” he made references.

He stated how he knows that our Ministry of Health and Sanitation has given public assurances about its preparedness in the event of a COVID -19 outbreak in Sierra Leone. The parliamentarian, however, lamented that the mode of the civil registration which would inevitably warrant large crowds in close contact (queuing), and which would be done either by a finger or thumb – print, invariably runs contrary to WHO’s preventive measures.

He said apart from the threat to public health, there are also serious underlying political and constitutional disagreements including but not limited to the legitimacy of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to carry out the planned exercise, the duration and the sequence they want to do same.

“We in the main opposition along with other parties in Parliament have strongly objected to NCRA’s attempt to either directly or indirectly usurp the mandate of the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and we herein avail ourselves this opportunity to reiterate our objection to NCRA’s conduct,” he intimated President Bio.

He implored His Excellency that given that COVID -19 cases have been reported in several countries within our region including our two neighbours, and in particular reference to WHO’s warning that even advanced countries which we would eventually rely on for assistance, ‘the severity of the disease is putting a strain on health systems and has exhausted biomedical supplies and staff’, it might be ill- advised to proceed with the registration amidst such political disagreements, well – founded public health fears and dire warnings.

UK’s Global Finance Awards RCBank as Best Commercial Bank in Sierra Leone

March 20, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Rokel Commercial Bank has continued to gain international recognition with a plethora of awards in 2019. This week, the Bank officially received an award for best Commercial Bank from the UK based Global Banking and Finance Magazine.

Global Banking and Finance Awards was started in 2011 by the United Kingdom based Global Banking & Finance Review magazine to recognize notable changes happening in the global financing community. The awards are presented annually and they reflect the innovative, progressive, and inspirational changes taking place within the global financial sector, including banking, corporate finance, Islamic finance, inward investment, tax and accounting, asset management, mergers and acquisitions.

The Bank’s head of Corporate Affairs, Millicent Cole described the award as very credible from a reputable international institution which conducted a very rigorous selection exercise with other banks in Africa and the rest of the World.

“We are very much happy to receive an award from such an internationally recognized entity. Our bank has weathered the storm….we are here to serve our customers and we assure them that their finances are in good hands” she said.

Pres. Bio Talks Tough on Safety Measures to Prevent Covid-19

March 20, 2020

By Sam Pratt

At exactly 8:00 PM on the 18 March 2020 , His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone addressed the nation on the current steps that his Government has put in place to enhance preparedness vis a vis the current spread of the corona virus which is claiming the lives of infected persons in different continents.

President Bio told the nation that we are threatened by the global Corona virus pandemic which he described as a public health emergency of global concern.

“It is a deadly virus that has infected hundreds of thousands of people all over the world from China and the far East to Europe, America, and some African countries,” the President furthered adding that the Corona Virus has tested and overwhelmed the organisation, expertise, and vast resources of the healthcare systems of the richest and most advanced countries including China, America, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, to name a few.

He underscored that like the Ebola virus, it is easily transmitted from person to person emphasizing that like Ebola it is spread through social contact.

“It is spread through contact with respiratory droplets through the mouth, eyes, and ears. If you have flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, and difficult breathing that last three days, you must self-report by calling 117 or at the nearest healthcare facility,” the President admonished also stating that the Corona or COVID-19 is a virus for which there is currently no vaccine.

The 1^st Gentleman stated that it can even be transmitted by certain population groups that show no obvious symptoms of an infection also underscoring that like the Ebola virus, the Corona virus can be deadly.

The President stated that our immediate neighbours, Guinea and Liberia have both reported confirmed cases of Corona virus infections saying the deadly Corona virus is in our neighbourhood saying it is no longer a question of whether the Corona Virus will come to Sierra Leone, it is a question of WHEN.

“Over a month ago, my Government began implementing a raft of measures to prevent the incidence of the Corona virus. We have implemented stringent entry port surveillance measures at our international airport at Lungi and two major land border posts at Gbalamuya and Gendema. We have instituted robust entry port screening, monitoring, and quarantine arrangements,” the President informed.

He told the nation how he has personally assumed leadership of all preparations, that he has visited and overseen the diagnostic and isolation unit at 34 Military hospital; the Lungi International Airport Quarantine facility and airport; and, the Gbamulaya border post in Kambia.

The President said at all those locations and at every public speaking opportunity since he has publicly called for heightened vigilance pointing out that Corona, like Ebola, is a highly infectious and deadly virus.

“We have three testing laboratories, an equipped purposely built isolation unit, and we are fully equipping treatment centres. We have also approached a friendly Government to support our effort with equipment and medical supplies,” he went on.

The President said they have triggered public health emergency measures and have committed some financial resources to preparedness and public health education.

He said the Ministry of Health and Sanitation has activated the Emergency Operations Centre to Level 2 to coordinate initial preparedness and response and they have activated the Emergency contact number 117 revealing how an associated call centre will process all calls to that number and act on each call and every information received accordingly.

The President told Sierra Leoneans that they have streamlined standard operating procedures to cover screening, quarantine, laboratory, and data management for persons from identified epicentres and sites of incidence of the Corona Virus stating how they have positioned expert contact tracers and disease surveillance units in all district levels.

“We have implemented handwashing procedures at most medical institutions and urged citizens to observe limited social contact, have alerted our healthcare personnel and strengthened our healthcare systems across the country,” the President added.

He said they are determined to prevent the incidence and spread of the virus stating how they are also extremely cautious that like Ebola, by the time we identify one positive case, we would have had several dozen disease contacts maintaining that we cannot afford to wait for a positive case.

The President informed that we are not going into imminent lockdown but said the actions and the preventive measures we take now as individuals and as communities are critical to ensuring we don’t have to.

He said this is not a time to panic.

“I have held consultative meetings with fellow Sierra Leoneans right across the board including those persons who managed the Ebola crisis. To my mind, this is a time for close attention to detail, focus, and intensify discipline,” he cautioned.

The President announced the additional guidance to citizens in order to further enhance our national preparedness: Directed the military to immediately deploy to our international airport and land crossing points in order to enhance security and support compliance with all public health directives and advisories.

That Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are urged to collaborate very closely to support and ensure compliance with all preventive measures we have put in place. That all Government officials are directed to suspend all foreign travel until further notice, that citizens are strongly encouraged to postpone all overseas travel especially to locations with reported cases of the Corona virus. He stated that the country’s biggest source of threat is persons who have travelled from Corona infected countries.

President Bio said the Ministry of Health has issued a comprehensive advisory for the administration of quarantine for citizens, legal residents, and visitors who arrive in Sierra Leone saying we urge strict compliance adding that these measures will be monitored and continually reviewed.

He mentioned that citizens are strongly encouraged to tell their family members, their neighbours, and other persons in their communities that the Corona virus is already in Liberia and Guinea. It is highly infectious; it is a virus for which there is currently no vaccine; and it can kill.

The President cautioned citizens to avoid physical contact and practice social distancing at all social and public gatherings stating how such applies to public events including but not limited to football matches, public concerts, social events, religious congregations, weddings, funerals, and other such large gatherings.

He furthered that citizens with flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough, and difficult breathing are encouraged to seek immediate medical attention and call 117. He advised, “Nor peppeh doctor Yousef”.

The President said as at the time of Ebola, good personal hygiene and behaviour are critical to preventing the spread of the Corona Virus. He said citizens must:

Avoid handshakes and hugs when greeting people, avoid direct contact with persons with cold or flu-symptoms, cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing; wash their hands often with soap, clean water, and use a hand sanitiser.

He appealed to private businesses, public institutions, event organisers, stores, supermarkets, and market women to provide enhanced hygiene facilities including handwashing stations with clean water, liquid soap, hand sanitisers at all entrances. They should also ensure that all toilets and common areas are regularly cleaned and disinfected.

The 1^st gentleman urged operators of minibuses, taxis, and kekehs to minimise congestion and to provide hand sanitisers to passengers encouraging them to call 117 and report persons who are visibly sick with a fever, cough, and difficult breathing.

“ I urge all public and private radio stations; religious leaders; chiefs, tribal authorities and headmen and women; community leaders; local council administrators and leaders; political party leaders and representatives at the ward, constituency and national levels; and, administrators and staff of educational institutions at the basic, secondary, vocational, and tertiary levels; to continually broadcast and reinforce public health education information on Corona virus prevention including hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and social distancing,” he admonished.

He said although there are no confirmed cases in Sierra Leone at this time, we must adopt the foregoing immediately in order to forestall the deadly risk of the Corona Virus.

He said they will continue to actively monitor developments around the Corona Virus and will announce further enhanced measures including a declaration of a State of Emergency to protect public health and safety.

The President ended by stating that as a nation, we have triumphed together over war, Ebola, and natural disasters inspiring all that together again, by the grace of God, Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, and through our collective resolve, vigilance, and determination to strive and thrive as a nation, we will overcome the menace, yet again.

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