In a Press Release from the United States Mission in Sierra Leone dated 30th March 2021 it was stated that the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has ordered the reduction of visa sanctions on Sierra Leone in recognition of the Government of Sierra Leone’s increased assistance in facilitating the timely return home of its nationals who are subject to final orders of removal from the United States.
It furthered that the newly arrived Ambassador, David Reimer, stated that: “I am pleased to announce this reduction in sanctions.”
“The abiding friendship between our nations is built on ties of family, culture and mutual respect, as well as political and economic exchange. We recognize and appreciate the Government of Sierra Leone’s improvements on removal issues and trust that the Government will continue to work with us in establishing a mutually-agreeable process for accepting Sierra Leonean nationals subject to final orders of removal from the United States.”
The Release furthered that effective March 31, the U.S. Embassy in Freetown will resume issuing all immigrant and most nonimmigrant visas to qualified Sierra Leoneans.
It continued that under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) visa restrictions will continue to apply to B1, B2, and B1/B2 nonimmigrant visas for Sierra Leonean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) officials and immigration officials until the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that 243(d) visa restrictions are no longer merited and so informs the Secretary of State.
In order to achieve its commitment to make their products and services accessible to all, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited has on Sunday 28th March 2021 commissioned an Ultra-Modern Filling Station at Kamem Village, within Port Loko District.
The aforementioned Filling Station was named after the owners, Mr. & Mrs. Koroma, whose names were given to the new Filling Station, (David & Adama Gas Station).
In his address, David Koroma expressed appreciation to the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL Ltd, Kobi Walker and the entire Management of the company as well as those of Sierra Fishing Company for their support in ensuring that the establishment of the Filling Station became success.
He also extended gratitude to the community stakeholders of Port Loko for their support since the start of the project on to its completion, stating that he is gratified that they stood by them.
David added that at present the Filling Station has created job opportunities for residents of Port Loko and beyond noting that it will also address the problem of easily accessing fuel in Port Loko underscoring how there had been constraints in securing fuel within the district especially in times of crisis stating that with the commissioning of the Filling Station those constraints will be reduced.
He called on residents to take ownership of the Filling Station maintaining that it will not only benefit his family members but also majority of the residents of Port Loko District and even beyond.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker, assured residents of Port Loko that with this new NP-SL Fuel Station the issue of timely accessing fuel will be a thing of the past.
He said the commissioning of the new filling station in Port Loko is a clear testimony that NP-SL is committed to empowering Sierra Leoneans in every part of the country.
On behalf of the Management and staff of NP-SL Ltd he congratulated David & Adama for believing in the mission and vision of NP-SL, adding that as a company they will ensure that they remain firm in optimizing customer care.
The CEO said with this new filling station in Port Loko such will not only make fuel available for residents at all times but will also provide job opportunities and called on residents of Port Loko District to take ownership of the filling station which, he said, will not only service residents of Kamem but the entire Port Loko District and its environs.
He extended appreciation to His Excellency, President Maada Bio, for making a great decision when he was Head of State in 1996, by not allowing various international companies that showed interest to take over NP-SL.
The CEO intimated that His Excellency, at that time, said the company should be left in the hands of Sierra Leoneans furthering that the President knew that if NP-SL is operated by Sierra Leoneans they will in turn empower other Sierra Leoneans which, he said, that is what they are doing currently as a company.
AIG North West Region, Port Loko, of the Sierra Leone Police, AIG Samadia expressed appreciation to the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP-SL Ltd) for the construction of the new Filling Station in Port Loko adding that it has changed the face of Port Loko District further noting that such an investment is not only important but timely for the residents of Port Loko.
He stated that since the commencement of the construction of the Filling Station they have been providing proper security in order to ensure that everything is intact and the work went according to procedures and processes.
The Police Officer also encouraged members of the public to take the investment as their own, further stating that in that regard they will serve as a watchdog for NP-SL.
In her keynote address, the Resident Minister North, Haja Abdulai Kamara, expressed appreciation to NP-SL for bringing such a development to the district, adding that there had been undesirable issues relating to the accessibility of fuel in Port Loko especially in times of crisis but said she is with the strong conviction that with this new fuel station those will be things of the past.
She further thanked David Koroma, his wife and family members for rolling out such a brilliant initiative and for bringing development to the town.
Osman Conteh, a bike Rider of Port Loko expressed gratitude to David Koroma and his wife as well as NP-SL for the commissioning the Filling Station in Port Loko, noting that as bike riders they have been faced with a lot of constraints in securing fuel furthering that they had to go to nearby villages to secure fuel but said with this new NP-SL Filling Station it will surely address those fuel constraints.
The event was climaxed by the cutting of the tape by Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, (NP SL-Ltd), Kobi Walker and a representative from the community marking the formal opening of the Filling Station.
The Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG) in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and with funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, on the 29th March, 2021, convened a consultative meeting on the Cybercrime Act 2020 at the Harry Yansaneh Hall on Campbell Street in Freetown. In attendance were the Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, Executive members of both MRCG and SLAJ, media practitioners drawn from different parts of the country and other relevant stakeholders.
Declaring the meeting open and welcoming all those in attendance. the Chairman of the MRCG, Dr. Francis Sowa, stated that the main objective of convening the meeting is to deliberate on what exactly the Cybercrime Bill entails in order to understand the issues embedded in it, the concerns that have been raised relating to it and at the end of the day for all present to make meaningful inputs prior to the debate of the Bill in Parliament.
In his contribution, the Chairman of the Right to Access Information Commission, Dr. Seaga Shaw, maintained that it is important to convene such a meeting in order to get feedbacks as to how to regulate the cyberspace in order to ensure that sanity is obtained. He noted that indeed Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right but pointed out that it is very significant to regulate it.
“There is indeed a need for a Cybercrime Law to be enacted as currently there is a lot of cyber violations taking place,” he underscored furthering that he is proposing for a fact checking mechanism to be set up to assist the institution that will be charged with the responsibility of implementing the law.
Chairman of the Independent Media Commission, George Koryama, stated that he is very proud of the strides that the current Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swarray, is taking in opening the media landscape in this country making reference to the major role he played in the repeal of the 1965 Criminal Libel Law and for what he is now doing to ensure the enactment of the Cybercrime Act which he described as necessary and very timely.
In his brief statement, the President of SLAJ, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, said the meeting is not convened to deliberate on whether we should have a Cybercrime Act or not but rather to make meaningful inputs further disclosing that the Bill is now in Parliament. He intimated that it is important to have an Act that we should all own.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, in his address stated that as a Government they are aspiring to be like other progressive nations in terms of deepening and embracing digitalization. He said the President Maada Bio led political administration does not want to miss out in the 4th industrial revolution further informing that they took over at a time when the country had gone far in demonstrating commitment to enact a Cybercrime Act as is evident in being a signatory of the Malabo Accord but was quick to state that past political administrations failed to domesticate it into our statutes.
He said the Cybercrime Act is a specialized legislation revealing how various validation sessions have been held which made it possible for a broader understanding of what a cybercrime entails and its ramifications on targeted individuals and society as a whole.
The Minister said they have held consultations in different parts of the country in order to get the views of the wider citizenry on the need to have such a law. He congratulated the MRCG and SLAJ for convening the consultative meeting adding that at the end of the day the inputs and positions adopted will influence the parliamentary debate and the ultimate Act that will emerge.
He noted that the powers attributed to him as the Minister of Information and Communications to determine the various punishments to be meted out on offenders that commit cyber related crimes was never in the draft law sent to the Law Officers Department.
“I do not want such an overarching power,” he categorically stated.
The second session of the consultative meeting was permeated by presentations made by various personalities.
Mohamed Jalloh, an engineer who is also an official of the Ministry of Information and Communications, in his presentation, said the essence of having a Cybercrime Act is to ensure that the fundamental human rights of others are respected. He talked extensively on how it is common practice nowadays for people to use computers and mobile phones to infringe on the rights of other people maintaining that when such is done intentionally and willfully then it is tantamount to having committed an offence but said in the absence of a law which could be used to prosecute perpetrators people will continue to suffer in silence as legal action could not be taken against perpetrators.
The Director General of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Joseph E. Kapuwa Esq in his presentation also supported the passage of the Bill saying it is not only in place but very appropriate.
Lawyer Sorie Sengeh Marrah Esq said he is not opposed to the passage of the Bill but cautioned that there is no need for some of the provisions. “Section 35 has no place in the bill and SLAJ must put its foot down to ensure it is not part of the final Act,” he suggested.
He continued that as a nation we can still keep the provisions of the Act but we must not make the offences criminal.
“Let’s stick with civil wrongs,” he reiterated.
According to Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai Esq there is a need to find a middle ground on the issue and not push things to the extreme. He said we already have a data protection law that have been worked on but there is a dilemma on which institution should house the Secretariat.
He maintained that punishment needs to be in the law from the onset which he said is predictably in law and people must know the punishment for offences.
The meeting ended with the adoption of position statements.
In a National Electoral Commission (NEC) Press Release dated 26th March, 2021 it was indicated that the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC) is an engagement forum created by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to bring together Political Parties, Democratic Institutions, Civil Society and the Security to discuss and address matters related to the conduct of all public elections in Sierra Leone.
It furthered that under the auspices of the Political Parties Liaison Committee (PPLC), seven (7) political parties have committed themselves to a more peaceful Sierra Leone that will not take recourse to war anymore in resolving its challenges and differences.
Also mentioned in the Release was that those commitments were succinctly expressed in the Conference Hall of NEC at Tower Hill in Freetown on the 24th March, 2021, during a PPLC meeting that brings together political parties and key governance institutions of State and non-state actors on a fortnightly basis.
It was additionally stated that the PPLC wants the public to know that such laudable commitments were made as part of the 30th Anniversary commemoration since the first gunshot starting the civil war was heard at Bomaru, Kailahun District, Eastern Sierra Leone.
Furthermore, PPLC wants it to be known that before such commitments of remarkable significance were made, a moment of silence was observed in honour of those who died during the eleven (11) years of civil war that engulfed the nation between 1991 and 2002.
Moreover, PPLC said it is pleased and enthused with the fact that it was the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) that took the lead in making its unflinching commitment to maintaining and sustaining the peace in the country whilst describing the party as being law-abiding, a situation that is considered as the sine qua non for inclusive and sustainable national development.
Also highlighted was that as far as the PPLC is concerned, the statements from the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party and the Sierra Peoples Party (SLPP) to foster political tolerance and peaceful co-existence in the country are considered as the way to go in ensuring a more united and cohesive Sierra Leone.
PPLC went further to state that it is pleased with the commitments of the Citizens Democratic Party (CDP), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Party, the National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP), and the Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) to the peace and stability of the nation.
Also, the PPLC maintained that it is desirous to see those commitments expressed by these political parties translated into objective reality in the overall governance of the State and cascaded to every community within the length and breadth of the land for maximum impact in all sectors.
According to NEC, in view of those strong commitments made so far by the political parties present at the Wednesday, March 24, 2021, meeting in the Conference Hall of NEC, the PPLC is calling on the other parties to make similar commitments in a public manner as the peace and development of the nation are treated as utmost priorities.
The Press Release was endorsed by the: Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP),All Peoples Congress (APC), Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Citizens Democratic Party (CDP),National Democratic Alliance (NDA), National Unity Reconciliation Party (NURP) and the Peace and Liberation Party(PLP).
It was witnessed by the :The National Electoral Commission (NEC), the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), the National Commission for Democracy (NCD), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the National Election Watch (NEW).
This is not the first time that a devastating inferno has gutted deprived communities. However, the veracity, scale and devastation that this one left in its wake at Susan’s Bay is particularly poignant! The scorching blaze can best be likened to a destruction caused by an unmanned laser-guided inter-continental ballistic missile.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but in an already overcrowded community with pieces of timber and metal sheets in which dozens of people domicile, coupled with poor electrical wiring system and illegal connection to the national grid, with most people using Kerosene lamp in their home when there is power outage, one can only guess!.
As always Authorities will visit the affected scene with their episodic reporters accompanying them and they will deliver hollow sympathetic messages and make some tokenistic donations that cannot even last a couple of days, and life goes on until another one strikes again. It is a vicious circle of tragedy! These already tragedy exhausted people are left to hold the slack as their life long savings disappear within a blink of an eye.
They will go through the excruciating prospect of re-building with strong possibility of it happening again. For me, the use of “let us stand with Susan’s Bay” on social media is half-baked and over glamourizing. As a country, we should be talking about the deep seated problems that have spanned decades and that go beyond a particular political term limit. It is laudable that we are now having a standalone National Disaster Management Agency, but for the NDMA to achieve effective disaster risk reduction, it needs to be armed with adequate resources.
The City Council should also strive to have robust building permit regime because as of now any one can build anywhere as long as you hitch your wagon with the correct authority. In fact, there are some high rise disaster susceptible buildings that are popping up all over the place without the authorities’ knowledge. The Ministry of Lands and Country Planning should lay much emphasis on country planning with low cost housing being at the heart of its operation. Private public partnership will help accelerate that program.
I like the move the current Minister, Dr. Turad Senesie, is making with regards having dialogue on land issue and premium on country planning, this is in stark contrast to his fire brand predecessor who almost stoked conflict with his special vendetta driven predilection for land recovery at all cost. Long term decentralization of development in other areas of the country will help to decongest the city. Freetown is currently having a great deal of surplus to requirement.
The process of re-location should be carefully calibrated as moving people from where they were born and irking their living is quite tough. The place of re-location should have all the basic amenities including economic activities. In some instances where re-location is impossible, adequate disaster resilient strategy needs to be in place with effective early warning signs activated.
The issue of slums is not just unique to us, it is a worldwide problem we however need to reduce the ubiquitous nature of it and manage them properly. I am also not oblivious of the fact that there are some people who despite all the signs of pending disaster they will still opt to co-habit with it. Some people are just too eccentric!
Cross Sections of Members of Sierra Leone Institute of Architects
By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their mandate to enhance proper housing planning in the country, the Sierra Leone Institute of Architects has on Saturday 27th March 2021, during a fact finding mission to the Susan’s Bay Community on the cause of a massive blaze of fire on Wednesday 24th March 2021 evening which destroyed properties and leaving thousands of people homeless, has recommended to the Government to enhance proper country planning.
Unveiling their findings, the President of the Sierra Leone Institute of Architects, Arc Manilius Gabber said that the cause of the fire is not unconnected to unplanned settlements and spontaneous development where people are together using whatever means necessary to house themselves, adding that in such places there is no proper building control, no proper planning of what they should build with or where they should build such places maintain that all are recipe for disaster and that is exactly what happened in the case of the Susan’s Bay disaster.
He said that from their finding some houses have power supply with no proper electrical cables and in some cases even the connections are questionable, adding that their findings also revealed that the fire was caused due to an electrical spark in one of the houses which extended to the entire community because of the unplanned situation as the houses were close together, built with bush sticks.
He said they are aware of the short term plan of giving the victims tents for temporary accommodation but said in the longtime the Government must use the opportunity to properly plan the Susan’s Bay Community by building standard houses for residents which he said will help to reduce poorly planned buildings.
He revealed that over the years the institute has played a significant role in maintaining the environment especially in the area of construction, furthering that as an institute with the requisite expertise they will be ready to work with Government for such a long lasting solution which will address issues of uncoordinated physical development and poor planning of buildings in the country.
Receiving the team on behalf of the community, the Councilor for Ward 427, Constituency 124, Madiatu Kamara expressed appreciation to the Sierra Leone Institute of Architects for their fact finding mission within the Susan’s Bay community which she said will contribute towards the proper planning of the community.
She maintained that this is not the first time such a fire disaster has taken place in the Susan’s Bay Community, adding that they have also discovered that the fire was caused due to electrical explosion in one of the houses which further extended to other houses.
She noted that the Office of National Security (ONS) and the Freetown City Council (FCC) have formed a team to look at the disaster the fire has caused and are planning the way forward.
She encouraged them to work with the Office of National Security (ONS) and the Freetown City Council (FCC) in order for them to put heads together towards supporting her community for a long lasting solution.
As part of giving support to the victims of Susan’s Bay Fire disaster, Nesto Global Ventures Ltd has on Saturday 27th March, 2021 donated food and non-food items worth millions of Leones to those affected. The donation took place at the Susan’s Bay community in Freetown.
Handing over the items, the Chief Executive Officer of Nesto Global Ventures Ltd, Ernest Bindi Jr Nesto, disclosed that theirs is a company that is into construction, transportation, clothing and general services.
He said Susan’s Bay is one of the poorest slum communities in the capital of Freetown and that it was overcome by a massive blaze of fire on Wednesday 24th March 2021 evening, destroying properties and leaving thousands of people deprived.
Ernest Bindi Jr maintained that as a responsible company they thought it fit to make the donation on behalf of the general membership and they are doing so with the strong belief that such could be helpful especially at this moment when the fire disaster has destroyed properties and left thousands of people destitute.
He disclosed that the donated items include bags of Rice, Sugar Onions, Soap, used clothing etc. furthering that as an organization they will continue to monitor the situation.
The CEO ended by calling on other organizations to follow their footprint as residents of Susan Bay are currently in dire need of food and non-food items considering the damages the fire disaster has caused to their lives.
Receiving the items on behalf of the community, Councilor for Ward 427, Constituency 124, Madiatu Kamara expressed gratitude to Nesto Global Ventures Ltd for the kind gesture which she described as not only important but very timely.
The Councilor said that at the moment that have recorded over 500 households with over 6,000 people.
She assured all that the donated items will be used for the intended purpose and called on the Government and other organizations to come to the aid of the victims as they are currently challenged.
General Secretary Orange Sierra Leone, Haffie Haffner
By Foday Moriba Conteh
On the 26th March 2021 the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) convened a Consumer Parliament, an event which brought together stakeholders in the Telecommunications Industry, Civil Society Organizations, the Media, Consumers and among others to deliberate on the theme, “Digital Penetration for Consumer Satisfaction in Telecommunications.” The programme was held at the Great Hall, Njala University, Bo Campus.
One of Sierra Leone’s leading telecommunications operators, Orange Sierra Leone, revealed that the company ,over the last 4 years, has played an integral role in the digital transformation of the country with an investment in excess of 1.4 trillion Leones .
That disclosure was made during a statement made by the General Secretary of the company, Haffie Haffner ,on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer.
Haffie Haffner congratulated NATCOM for the successful planning and execution of the Consumer Parliament saying it is long overdue.
“We welcome the process as same resonates with one of our most important values which is to listen & respond,” she stated.
She noted that they went with clean hands to all their esteemed customers for their assessment and evaluation of their service delivery to them, adding that they remain humble to acknowledge all their accolades as well as their criticisms in good faith and to respond to their needs for better customer experience.
Haffie Haffner revealed that Orange has been in Sierra Leone for almost 5 years as a reliable, capable and willing investor with a strong ambition to increase mobile penetration and the democratization of internet in the country and that this is because, Sierra Leone has one of the lowest mobile penetration (64%), internet penetration (18%) and smartphone penetration (30%) compared to other countries in the sub-region.
She pointed out that they strongly believe that digital inclusion is a major accelerator for inclusive growth, economic and societal development, as well as a success factor in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and that this is why digitalization has been a core pillar in Orange’s strategy and they have over the last 4 years played an integral role in the digital transformation of Sierra Leone with an Investment in excess of 1.4 trillion Leones, and they have been at the forefront of connecting the 7million plus people in Sierra Leone with 3G and 4G network services.
The General Secretary noted that at present Orange can boast of over 440 sites in the country and that 100% of their sites are at least 3G compatible meaning that they can access internet from every Orange site around the country furthering that they therefore have the widest network covering 74% of the population, meaning 4 out of every 5 Sierra Leonean is an Orange customer with access to voice and data services.
As a company, she said, they believe that if they are to increase access to data and usage, then the following must be considered:
On Infrastructure they recommended that mobile networks should continue the conversion of 2G Technology to 3G & 4G to further increase the coverage especially in rural communities and that the Government must ensure that there regulations to support the strategy in order to improve connectivity.
On Affordability it was recommended that there must be a Zoodlab to reduce cost for capacity and grant more access to fiber, and that Government should review the policy of taxes (Customs & GST) on devices.
Participants also recommended investments with development partners like the EU, the World Bank, IMF etc., in donating smartphones to rural communities and empowering women to be digitally inclusive.
“We remain committed to increased digital penetration in Sierra Leone and we will not relent until we attain an enviable data penetration rate like other countries in the sub region. We once again wish to acknowledge all our valued partners and stakeholders for your support.” Haffie Haffner concluded.
Giving an overview of event, the Chairman of NATCOM, Joe Blell underlined the significance of the Consumer Parliament stating how it guarantees the satisfaction of consumers in telecommunications industry and that consumers’ satisfaction and quality services will be the focus of the Consumer Parliament.
He disclosed that the Consumer Parliament is a platform that brings regulators, policymakers, service providers and consumers face to face for frank exchanges on critical issues in the sector furthering that being the regulator for consumer protection and consumer education, quality of service, cyber-crime and cyber security, consumer complaints redress challenges, etc are some of the issues they must focus on which will enhance the development of the sector.
The Director General of NATCOM, Daniel Kaitibi, extended appreciation to all for making the event as success, adding that the Consumer Parliament will address some of the challenges faced within the telecommunications industry.
He maintained that during the deliberations consumers will have the opportunity to outline their challenges to the mobile operators assuring that those issues will be addressed.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, applauded NATCOM for convening the Consumer Parliament, adding that such an engagement is very key because it gives the consumers the opportunity to outline their concerns to the service providers which will then give these service providers the chance to address those concerns going forward in order to enhance consumer satisfaction
He said NATCOM has enacted a regulation that has to do with Sim registration but unfortunately, many people still carry Sim Cards across the country that are not registered. In that regard, he instructed all mobile operators to consider registering all Sim Cards within the next 90 days.
The Minister also maintained that because the world is moving to a digital stage there is the need for a Cybercrime bill adding that when President Julius Maada Bio took over as President in 2018 the country had like 6% of its population on social media platforms but that in recent times this number has changed to around 9% and most that fall within that bracket are inherently youthful and so we must expect an exponential growth of digital participation in coming days and weeks, and so they have to prepare for the citizenry.
He assured that the Bill has safeguards to ensure the respect for the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and that the Cybercrime Bill 2021 has enormous respect for fundamental human rights and the rule of law.
On the 26 March 2021, President Julius Maada Bio installed four Paramount Chiefs in the Karene District and unveiled a brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser for the supervision of the Free Quality Education in the district.
The new chiefdom authorities were PC Kandeh Kargbo Kafoir III of Mafoda Makerembay Chiefdom in the Karene District, PC Kandeh Momoh Samba Sulaiman Dephoreh II of Bramaia Chiefdom of Kambia District and PC Sheku Sieh Mansaray II of Tamiso Chiefdom in the Koinadugu District.
Welcoming the Government delegation on behalf of the Paramount Chief of Sella Limba Chiefdom in the Karene District, Chiefdom Speaker, Alimamy Balaba Bangura, described the visit of President Bio as historic saying he is the only sitting President to have visited and slept in Kamakwie Town for the past 15 years.
“Your Excellency Sir, the people of Kamakwie and Karene District, in particular, appreciate your Government for the moves they continue to take to develop Sierra Leone. We thank you for the Free Quality Education and the healthcare service to women and girls in Karene and other parts of the country. The people of Sella Limba will like to see you here, regularly, and to see you bring more development projects for them,” he noted.
District Council Chairman, John Dito Kamara, thanked the President for accepting Karene as a stand-alone district, which he said had 13 chiefdoms. He added that with support from the central Government all sectors are in full gear in the new district.
“Your Excellency, it was only during your presidency that Mayors and Chairpersons of the various Councils started receiving monthly salaries. For your move towards education and other development in the country, the various Councils will forever be grateful,” he assured.
In his statement in Krio, President Bio said that he was happy to be with the people of Karene District and congratulated the new chiefs on their election by the people to lead them at local levels, saying that his Government would work towards dignifying and protecting traditional leaders. He noted that was why he said plans to provide new vehicles for all Paramount Chiefs across the country are near completion.
He told residents of Kamakwie that his visit to the district was primarily to congratulate them for being part of the governance system and to see things first hand. He thanked Karene District, particularly Kamakwie for being the most progressive in the north in terms of education, saying that education is the tool that could break barriers and foster development.
“Government grants full tuition waivers for all 70,964 pupils at the Basic and Senior Secondary education level for all approved schools in Karene that benefit from GOSL financial support. Tuition fees for First and Second terms are fully paid. Since I came to power, my Government has approved 364 schools in Karene with financial assistance. School feeding is ongoing in all 8 Chiefdoms.
“I made a campaign promise that I will establish and fully equip at least 1 library in every District. I am pleased to announce that we are not only establishing one, but we will ensure that it is fully equipped with ICT facilities, computers and books,” he said.
He emphasised that the construction of a District Library in Kamakwie is a testament to his continued support to the education sector and pleaded with parents to monitor school-going pupils so that they could get education, grow up and look after their parents at old age.
“The Deputy Director of Education had indicated that he was struggling to travel in the district to supervise education. I am pleased to announce that I am providing him with a brand new vehicle to ensure that Karene continues to perform excellently.
“Class 6 pupils preparing to take the NPSE struggle to study at night especially those from poor homes. I am going to provide every Class 6 pupil with a durable solar light they can use for studying. 6,000 will be distributed just in Karene alone,” he said.
Rokel Commercial Bank has become the first corporate institution to give succour to the victims of the Susan’s Bay fire disaster with a hefty donation of assorted food items and clothing worth millions of Leones.
The raging inferno, which broke out on Wednesday 24th March, consumed more than half of the slum (about the size of 10 football fields) that holds an estimated 1,000 inhabitants on the coastline of the Central Business District of Freetown.
RC Bank’s Public Relations Officer, Rev Spilsbury Williams, in a sombre tone, said the bank, as an indigenous entity, felt compelled to stand by the people in time of distress and emphasized the bank’s commitment towards its corporate social responsibility at all times. “Charity begins at home and Rokel Commercial Bank is your own bank…the bank of the people. We will always stand by you through thick and thin,” he said.
Section Chief for Susan’s Bay, Pa Alimamy Kamara who received the donated items on behalf of the fire victims recounted the suffering his people have gone through since the disaster and commended Rokel Commercial Bank for being the first institution to respond to their plight. The Chief however appealed for temporal shelter to house the victims – most of whom have been sleeping rough in public spaces around the slum area.
Councilor for the area, Madinatu Kamara also appealed for more assistance by calling on other institutions to emulate the Rokel Commercial Bank.
“This bank has really demonstrated that it cares for the people and we shall ever remain grateful for this timely and wonderful gesture. Some of our people have gone for three days without eating a decent meal but these food items will be distributed in a judicious manner so that the real victims benefit,” she said.
In a conversation with this medium, the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, Dr. Walton Ekundayo Gilpin said the bank remains committed to one of its core principles of being the people’s bank and that adherence to its corporate social responsibility is non-negotiable.
“At times like these, we need to give back to the people and this is also about complementing the efforts of Government which from every indication is working tirelessly round the clock on disaster mitigation,” he said.
The sense of desperation and anguish was palpable as poor inhabitants managed to scoop out whatever little that was left of their gutted homes.
