Relations between Europe and Africa to Heighten in 2020

March 4, 2020

By Theresa Kef Sesay

The European Union and Africa are longstanding strategic partners, whose prosperity and security are closely interlinked. The partnership between Africa and Europe is finally coming of age and it is time to take it to a new level. Africa wants to take its future into its own hands and Europe needs a strong Africa. Our aspirations coincide. Both want to promote women and create jobs for youth, drive the digital innovation, promote sustainable economic growth and opportunity, and silence the guns in Africa.

In the coming months, the two continents will discuss how to turn these aspirations into reality. Recently, the African Union Commission and the European Commission held the tenth college-to-college meeting. It was the first milestone in a year that can redefine cooperation between our continents through a series of high-level meetings culminating in the EU-AU Summit in Brussels in October.

Our two continents are changing fast and the world is much more complex, but with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and the AU’s Agenda 2063, we have shown that, if Europe and Africa join forces, they can help shape a new paradigm for multilateralism and a better future for the next generations.

The two need a stronger partnership to tackle the key challenges of today, be it the green transition or the digital transformation, and to attend to the aspirations of our youth, fight inequalities, and alleviate suffering of refugees, displaced persons and victims of violations of human rights.

Economic growth in Africa continues to outperform that of the other continents. Africa will be home to the majority of the world’s fastest growing economies in the coming years. Business environments are improving, and the digital revolution is spreading fast: three in four Africans have a mobile phone, and African start-ups attract investment from all over the world. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement adds a multiplying effect to these trends by creating a market of 1.2 billion people, but they need to overcome problems of connectivity and bridge the skills gap in the labour market through education and training. They can scale up the use of digital technologies to support development, economic transformation and business.

The cooperation builds on over two decades of partnership between the two organizations. The EU as a bloc is Africa’s first partner in trade, investment, development assistance and security, and Africa as a whole is the EU’s third largest trading partner.

Both are working closely together in the implementation of Africa’s initiative to silence the guns. Europe supports African solutions to African problems, and are committed to adapt support to African institutions in the face of changing security threats, such as terrorism, trafficking, and transnational crime.

Recognizing that Africa is among the most affected by climate change, the two continents have played a key role in the adoption of the Paris Agreement displaying ambitious targets for climate action. Europe aims at becoming climate neutral by 2050, while Africa wants to add to adaptation and mitigation its desire to promote cleaner industrialisation and urbanisation paths. Together they should promote sustainable technological solutions that preserve the planet

This year must bring about tangible change for Africans and Europeans. The 2020s can be the decade of a new and more mature friendship between the two continents. Together they can build solutions that work for Africa and for Europe alike.

Pres. Bio Embarks on Coronavirus Preparedness Assessment Tour

March 4, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

President Dr Julius Maada Bio on the 3 March 2020 visited the Infectious Disease Prevention Centre at 34 Military Hospital on Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown to assess the country’s level of preparedness to face any Coronavirus outbreak.

Commander, Medical Service at the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, Stephen Sevalie, said that they had increased their level of preparedness and were doing their best to tackle any possible outbreak further confirming that they had the capability to get timely mobile deployments.

Briefly, President Bio said: “I want to thank you very much for the good work you are doing here. I wanted to come here myself and assess our state of readiness”.

As part of his assessment tour, the President and key Government functionaries later departed to the Lungi Community in Port Loko on a similar conducted tour of the Lungi International Airport Infectious Disease Prevention points, the Airport Hotel and the Harmony Guest House.

He visited the Lungi International Airport, the Government Hospital in the area in the north-western district town and called on Sierra Leoneans to take precautionary measures in tackling any possible Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Addressing staff at the country’s only airport, President Bio said he was visiting to check on the country’s state of readiness for any Coronavirus outbreak, adding that the disease was already affecting other countries around the world. He said that Sierra Leone had gone through a similar outbreak before with the Ebola Virus Disease, noting that that should serve as an experience to prevent a similar disease from entering the country.

“Using our past experience from Ebola, we thought we should raise awareness about what is happening around the world and how we can secure our country against the Coronavirus. This airport is a major point of entry to the country, so you have to make sure the processes that have been established are adhered to. Those of you working here are at the frontline and you must put measures in place. I want us all to be more vigilant and work collectively to fight the virus,” he said.

Speaking at the Government Hospital in Lungi, the President said that he wanted to verify what had been done in the event of any possible outbreak. He said that the nation was dependent on its medical practitioners in case of an outbreak, adding that that was why he was calling on them to be prepared. He also commended the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the medical personnel for already putting plans in place.

“I want us to go into the mood of washing hands as frequently as possible, reduce handshaking and using hand sanitizers to make sure that the Coronavirus does not enter Sierra Leone. I am raising awareness so that we all can become fighters against the virus. We are putting plans to ensure you are all well-protected when performing your duty,” he assured health workers.

Country Representative for the World Health Organization, WHO, Evans Liyosi, said that the action of the President to monitor and get first-hand information was a move in the right direction. He saidt the virus was already in other parts of Africa, adding that Sierra Leone must do everything to prepare itself for any possible outbreak.

Many people have died globally from COVID-19, as the illness is officially known, while more than 89,000 infections have been confirmed in dozens of countries, according to the World Health Organization.

SALCAB MD is in High Gear to Lecture IPAM Students

March 4, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

Ishmeal Mohamed Kebbay Jr. Managing Director of the Sierra Leone Cable Limited (SALCAB) has disclosed to media practitioners that he is very enthusiastic to hit the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), the entity that bagged the AWOL Best Tertiary Institution of the Year, where on the 5th March 2020 he will be delivering a powerful Public Lecture as a Guest Speaker. The epic event will take place at the Multi-Purpose Hall, Aberdeen Beach, Freetown.

Kebbey informed of how he will grace the Business Administration Management Seminar that is been organized by IPAM in order to interact with future Business Organizational Officers in Sierra Leone and to continue to enlighten them on the essence of Business Administration Management in Sierra Leone.

The astute SALCAB Managing Director, Ishmeal Mohamed Kebbay Jr., will deliver a public lecture on the topic: “Human Resource Management: Its Impact on Organization and National Development”; at The 1st Human Resource Management Seminar, organised by the Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship.

Conjoined Sierra Leonean Twins Surgically Separated in the USA

March 4, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

Recently, conjoined Sierra Leonean twins were separated successfully at the Columbia University Hospital in New York City. The twins were born in Sierra Leone in September 2019 and flown to the United States in December 2019 for surgical separation.

The separation was done by nurses and doctors at Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital. Columbia University Hospital did the surgery pro-bono (free of charge) after Ms. Zainab Bangurah of Maryland, an advocate for the twins reached out to several hospitals in the United States seeking help. The Columbia University Hospital help came through Ms. Kathleen Bateh Thomas, a Sierra Leonean nurse at the Columbia University hospital.

Ms. Thomas convinced her doctors at Columbia University Hospital to do the separation surgery for free after her friend Ms. Bangurah reached out to her for help. Through Ms. Zainab Bangurah outreach The Women’s of Substance, a non-profit organization based in the DMV area and FPU-NA through it New York Chapter FPU-NY got involved.

The Women’s of Substance who have been very active in amazing charitable causes in Sierra Leone played a vital role in the Conjoined Twins cause both financially and morally. The FPU-NY and it very hard-working President, Abdul Rahim Jalloh and his beautiful family have been very active in the lives of the twins and their parents.

Mr. Rahim and his family have been hosting the twins and their parents at their home in Brooklyn since the Conjoined Twins arrived in New York. While his wife and children help with caring for the twins at home, Mr. Rahim Jalloh has been very active in accompanying the twins and their parents to every appointment.

Ms. Mimi Betts and Nurse Laga accompanied the twins to New York and also provided help while they were in Sierra Leone. The nurses at the Cottage Hospital in Freetown also provided care for the twins in Sierra Leone before they were flown out to the United States as well as people of Sierra Leone for supporting the twins and their parents.

The Government of Sierra Leone also supported the twins both at home and abroad. It provided $12000 for the upkeep of the twins in New York City and $4000 to the two nurses who accompanied the twins to the United States (tickets/per diem) (&16000 total).

Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was also very instrumental in showing keen interest in the cause of the twins and their parents as well as Dr. Edwina Thomas who also played a major role. Friends, supporters and strangers donated money and offered prayers for the twins and their parents.

After Gruesome Killing of its member… Fullah Community Calls for Prevalence of Justice

March 4, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

During the burial ceremony of late Abdulai Jalloh, on Friday 28th 2020 at the Kissy Road Cemetery in Freetown, members of the Fullah Community in Sierra Leone has called on the Government of Sierra Leone to give them justice. This plea came in the wake of the death of Abdulai Jalloh, a young man who was allegedly murdered at the Guinean Embassy, along Jomo Kenyatta Road, Brookfields in Freetown.

Addressing Press men and members of the Fullah Community at the cemetery, Mohamed Sarjoh Jalloh (SAJ), Acting Western Area Fullah Community Tribal Head, said the death of late Abdulai is a big loss to the Fullah Communities in Guinea and Sierra Leone, adding that he was one of the youngest vibrant men who was always working in the interest of the Fullah Community in the country.

SAJ stated as the Acting Fullah Tribal Head, “it is our responsibility to embrace, protect and look after the welfare of every Fullah in the country, be it Fullah from Guinea or Sierra Leone and the Fullah Community is known to be made up of very peaceful individuals, so for our brother to be killed just like that we are very much concerned and are crying for justice to be done”.

Chairman Western Area Fullah Community Tribal Heads, Alhaji Sarjoh Portal Bah, disclosed that the death of Abdulai came as a shock and surprise to the Fullah Communities, because the Fullahs are known to be a peaceful and law abiding people. He stated that when they received the news of Abdulai’s death on Saturday 22^nd February 2020, on Monday they went to the Embassy and engaged them to know the cause of the death and going further to proffer solutions to end the violence, but there was no positive response given by the Ambassador and Embassy staff.

He continued that they were made to understand that these young guys went to the Embassy to collect their voters ID Cards for the Sunday 1^st March 2020 Guinean Parliamentary election and referendum which will see President Alpha Konde running for a third term, but they were denied the opportunity to have their IDs, adding that It was also allegedly learnt that the embassy was selectively distributing ID cards to some set of people which prompted an argument to ensue between the young men and Embassy staff, on allegation that they were being denied their ID cards and their right to vote, which was deemed as a form of human right violation by the Embassy authorities.

“We are very much concern that those who were thought to be the perpetrators are walking freely, while some of the victims are in police custody. So we are calling on the Sierra Leone authorities to speedily investigate the matter, as justice delayed is justice denied,’’ Portal further underscored.

Mohamed Silvin Bah, Chairman and Leader of the National Fullah Youth Liberation Movement, said their movement is totally against any form of violence and needs justice in this matter, so as to avoid future similar occurrences. He assured the Fullah Community that the Movement will work with the Sierra Leone Police and the relevant authorities to speedily investigate so that justice will prevail.

Audit Service SL Dilates on Procedures of Auditing Imprests

March 4, 2020

By Edward Vamboi

There has been divergent views in auditing imprests and in a bid to throw light on that, Audit Service Sierra Leone on the 2nd March, 2020 as part of its public education and information drive dilated on the procedures in the audit of imprests stressing that Part 10 of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2018, deals exclusively with the establishment, utilisation and retirement of imprests.

According to Section 117(1) of the Public Financial Management Regulations 2018 an imprest fund is established for making payments of petty expenditure that cannot be made through the ordinary payment process required under the Act and the Regulations without undue inconvenience.

In other words an imprest can be defined as a fund disbursed to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for small items of expenditure and restored to a fixed amount periodically. It can also be referred to as an amount disbursed to an MDA to undertake a specific activity. Imprests are paid into the accounts of the MDAs in advance, and the MDAs are required to retire imprest disbursed in full.

There is what is known as a Standing Imprest which is an amount allocated/disbursed to an MDA for the payment of small items of expenditure and utilised amount of which can be replenished upon retirement and request. Standing imprest is maintained throughout a financial year.

The other type of imprest is Special Imprest which is established for making specific payments in respect of specific activities or events. A special imprest is not replenished and must be fully retired 30 days after the completion of the activity.

Section 119(2) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone mandates the Auditor-General to audit the public accounts of Sierra Leone and all public offices. It further states that the Auditor-General shall have access to all books, records, returns and other documents relating or relevant to those accounts. The MDAs expenditure relating to imprests are part of the records, returns and documents submitted to auditors for audit purpose.

The main objective of auditing imprests is to verify whether a particular MDA complies with Sections 117 to 124 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2018.

When we look at the procedures involved in auditing imprests it will be realized that first the auditors establish whether the auditee maintained standing imprest and/or requested and received special imprest during the period under audit by reviewing the budget and the bank account of the auditee,

reviewing the IFMIS expense analysis printout and interviewing key personnel of the entity. When once the existence of imprest is confirmed, the auditors will then request for all retirements relating to the imprest and review them to ensure that they are appropriate and complete,

It must be confirmed that special imprests are utilised only for the intended purposes and fully retired, There is also the need to confirm that the entity comply with the sections on imprests and issue query on any deviations or exceptions observed.

The unsatisfactory response and supporting evidence to query or observation on imprests form part of the audit issues that goes into the Auditor-General’s Annual Report that is sent to parliament in line with section 119(4) of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.

Imprest holders are therefore advised to fully comply with the provisions in Sections 117 to 124 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2018 in the management of imprest.

It has been established that Audit Service Sierra Leone will continue to carry out its mandate of being the guardian of Sierra Leone’s economic security.

Poor State Governance & Poor Service Delivery… A Weak Self-Serving Public Service Is The Cause

March 4, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Civil Service refers to the body of officials who carry out functions of Government under the direction and supervision of the head of Government. Employees of state-owned enterprises, the army, teachers, the judiciary and the police together with civil servants, collectively constitute the public sector.

As such, the effectiveness of the civil/public service is a function of good governance that is central to not only proper service delivery but the overall governance mandate of engendering national development. If that branch of the Government is weak and self-serving, it tells a lot on the quality of service delivery and national development.

Thus, any reform to promote proper service delivery through good governance should begin by addressing, first and foremost, the institutional roots of the problems faced by the public sector.

Civil Service arrangements are the most important mediating institutions which interface between the state and its citizens. Traditionally these were monolithic, centralized, powerful structures with immense power over the management of the affairs of a nation and often not very responsive to the changing needs of governance and public management.

However, in recent times many Governments have realized the importance of greater efficiency (both economic and functional) in the delivery of services to their citizens. Thus Governments in different parts of the world have initiated large-scale reform in their civil services to achieve greater efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness.

In practice good governance involves promoting the rule of law, tolerance of minority and opposition groups, transparent political processes, an independent judiciary, an impartial police force, a military that is strictly subject to civilian control, and a free press and vibrant civil society institutions, as well as meaningful elections. Above all, good governance means respect for human rights.

Good state governance is particularly relevant to our society, where the Government is the major constitutive element of the governance process. It underlines the important role of the State/Government in providing the regulatory environment and institutional underpinning to facilitate efficient market exchange.

State governance which cuts across all modes of governance and is central to the effectiveness of the entire system of governance as it is supposed to take place through the interplay of a host of institutional arrangements and policy strategies that the State puts in place.

For example, without courts to interpret and enforce agreements, commercial life would become chaotic; without laws to define, and police and courts to enforce them, property rights would be non-existent.

Lack of transparency in governance often leads to wrong political, social and economic decisions many of which affect Civil Service Reforms.

Having defined governance and the modes by which it may be executed, the next challenging task is to address the issue of what constitutes ‘good governance’.

In line with the definitions of governance above, ‘good governance’ materializes if the State is able, through the power and authority vested in it, to allocate the nation’s resources and coordinate economic activities in an optimal manner. The notion of optimality connotes efficiency and effectiveness.

It means that governance is conducted within the framework of effective rules and policies that underpin social harmony and sound development.

In the context of State governance, good governance implies the capacity to formulate and implement sound economic policies, to institute effective legal institutions, to ensure public oversight and participation of civil society, and to have in place a credible civil service that provides citizens with an acceptable level of public services in an effective and efficient manner. These constituents of good governance must, however, be gauged against certain predetermined criteria.

Good governance is widely identified with the following attributes: transparency, accountability, efficiency and fairness. These are the ground rules of governance, which must be used to assess governance outcomes.

Therefore, good governance does not only mean that the State operates effective policies and laws, but it also means, and more importantly, that it executes those policies and laws of the State in a transparent, accountable, predictable, efficient and fair manner.

NP-SL is a Strong Pillar to National Development

March 4, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum (NP) SL Limited continues to positively contribute to the socio-economic development of the country in diverse ways. With a capable Board of Directors and Management at the helm, the company has provided job opportunities and continues to do so for those who were hitherto unemployed thereby contributing greatly towards poverty alleviation.

Customer care is key to the National Petroleum Sierra Leone (NP-SL) Limited viability and sustainability in a highly competitive market. This is according to recent research done on the viability and sustainability of the operations of Sierra Leone’s most viable and sustainable international service deliverer – the National Petroleum Sierra Leone. The research included tests on the standard and quality of the National Petroleum products which customers say they have never had cause to grumble.

Being Sierra Leone’s leading and longest serving oil marketing company, the National Petroleum (NP) SL Limited continues to weather the storm gallantly as it endeavours to give optimum satisfaction to its esteemed customers across the country as well as in neighbouring Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast and The Gambia where it also operates as a truly multinational Sierra Leone company.

Since its establishment, NP has been meaningfully contributing to economic growth through payment of taxes and rolling out meaningful interventions in the discharge of Corporate Social Responsibility that are transforming lives and improving communities.

The company always ensures that petroleum products are available, thereby preventing shortages that could create shocks in many quarters. The level of confidence which overseas business partners have reposed in the company has made it possible for it to enter into payment agreements thereby keeping the demand and supply chain open and running.

The company has gained reputation for offering a variety of managerial and technical jobs to Sierra Leoneans and other individuals throughout the countries it operates; thereby helping in improving standards of living in the respective countries where it operates.

NP-SL by giving preference to employing Sierra Leoneans is a clear indication that it adheres to the country’s Local Content Policy. Utilizing local talents make it possible for indigenes to acquire useful knowledge and skills through training courses that could be applicable in other places.

In addition, the company sells the best cooking gas that is available in hundreds of outlets across the country, thereby contributing to creating cleaner environments, thus aiding the work of EPA.

In this digital age, moving away from the traditional way of transacting business has now become the norm. As such, NP introduced the use of smart cards with which customers can procure any quantity of petroleum products easily.

“Using NP smart card makes transactions very easy and convenient for me,” Musa Koroma, an engineer informed this press.

The public’s recognition of the invaluable contributions of NP both to its numerous esteemed customers across the country and to national development has seen it bag meritorious awards from different organisations.

Owned mainly by Sierra Leoneans who established it years back the company, through its corporate social responsibility has championed various development projects just as a way of giving back to society. One main thing that is very characteristic of this petroleum entity is its effective churning out of its corporate social responsibility. It has been very supportive to other institutions by way of capacitating them. For example, late last year the company provided a water facility for the National Fire Force, Kissy Branch which cost millions of Leone. The water facility, with a standby generator, serves as a backup from which water is sourced and utilized for extinguishing fire outbreaks within the Greater Freetown metropolis.

The pro-active and sterling initiatives of NP’s Board of Directors and Management in respect of timely procurement of petroleum products and ensuring its availability on the market for public consumption, has seen a marked deviation from the days of fuel shortage to that of abundance.

It is highly commendable for a well-established and result-oriented company like NP to have climbed to such an enviable position especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that it is exclusively owned by Sierra Leonean shareholders, a typical testimony of how local entrepreneurs could raise the bar high.

President Julius Maada Bio’s Agenda for New Direction and “Enemies of Progress”

March 3, 2020

Author: [Chief] Dr. Saio S. Marrah Former Director General – Central Intelligence and Security Unit Former Intelligence and Security Adviser to President Ernest Bai Koroma and President Julius Maada Bio

By (Chief) Dr. Saio S. Marrah

“Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something” (Plato).

In the dusk of the Agenda for Change, when preparations were underway to unveil the Agenda for Prosperity, I did an ex-post facto analysis of the former agenda which albeit depicted with the best of intentions by the former President (Ernest Bai Koroma); was however punctuated if not utterly perforated with challenges.

The aim of the analysis was to identify the challenges and problems of the Agenda for Change and effectively use them as warning signals for the soon to be hatched Agenda for Prosperity so that the latter will not suffer similar faith as it sister agenda – the Agenda for Change. After that retrospective analysis and in the dawn of the Agenda for Prosperity, I summarized my scientific findings of the research in a piece titled, “President Koroma’s Agenda for Prosperity and Enemies of Progress”. In that piece published in 2013, I argued if not advised amongst other issues the following fundamental points for the consideration of the then president and indeed the consumption of the general public.

I started by pointing out that, “Prosperity for the people of Sierra Leone is President Koroma’s ultimate aim……. but it’s an open secret that President Koroma’s Agenda for Prosperity is highly infested with grave problems emanating from some of his ministers and top civil servants. Whereas President Koroma is talking the talk and working the work of prosperity; very few if any of his Ministers, Directors, Managers and the like are in parallel pace with the President – hence most of the Ministers and key policy implementers are only talking the talk but not working the work of prosperity. Such behavioural pattern by highly placed individuals is not only hypocritical, duplicitous and treacherous to nation building but exceedingly perfidious to the confidence reposed on them by President Koroma”.

I further dilated that, “President Koroma’s remaining years at the helm of power has questionably appeared to some voracious and rapacious government officials – if not all of them as if the world is coming to an end. There is blatant and naked self interest as opposed to national interest; underscoring the cynical but rational assessment of critics that such retrogressive and backward-looking state officials are real enemies of state. Such egoistic, penchant and avaricious attitude of these enemies of state has the proclivity and inclination of tarnishing the unblemished character of the new APC and essentially soiling the legacy of President Koroma. There isn’t any collegiality between and amongst ministers and other top civil servants. Ministers are fighting Deputy Ministers, Managers are against their Deputies, and Permanent Secretaries against God knows who. The only reason I can adduce for such anti-prosperous attitude is my coined phraseology “Corruption Race against time”. Why all this mess? Remember all is vanity, so work hard and leave a legacy”.

As if that was not enough, I further highlighted that, “as the general public (in Sierra Leone) and the International Community are positive and forward-looking towards achieving President Koroma’s prosperity package for the people of Sierra Leone, certain Ministers, Directors, Managers, Permanent Secretaries and others in very important positions are derailing or stalling projects on a daily basis. These groups of trusted individuals have outwitted their usefulness and have virtually become untrustworthy if not entirely futile to the state. President Koroma’s determination and the peoples’ expectations are insidiously sabotaged by these people I will encourage everyone to call “Enemies of Progress”.

In a rather startling and astounding mood, I posited thus; “I am marveled by the grave insatiability, self-indulgence, impiety and absolute lack of patriotism of these enemies of states who are always asking for reward or bribe before they can lift their pen and scribble their unreadable signatures on policies that will bring prosperity to the people of Sierra Leone. These enemies of states are so callous, inconsiderate and thoughtless such that, if their requests are not met, they can stall or rather freeze significant developmental project proposals and eventually discourage investors from doing any further business in the country”.

I concluded the piece by maintaining that “it’s morally and ethically flawed, politically incorrect, economically disastrous and socially untenable if not religiously transgressive and sinful to be a saboteur against prosperity. What an awful, appalling and horrendous way of thinking and doing politics; derailing development in a country that has ravaged and riddled itself in a ten year civil conflict”.

In a relapse of misfortune, it’s saddening and sickening to see the same heinous administrative inaptitude which greatly affected former President Ernest Bai Koroma persist to voraciously eat into the flesh of President Julius Maada Bio’s administration with irreverence and disdain. As the economic situation under President Julius Maada Bio is not only deplorable and terrible but totally despairing, it is but apt to bring to his notice such advice so that he can take prompt actions to ameliorate the situation in the country as the suffering on the people of Sierra Leone is agonisingly unbearable and intolerable.

Since 2018, whenever and wherever we see President Bio delivering a speech either to his people or the international community, he is always gyrating around his Agenda for New Direction. After almost two years of President Bio at the helm of affairs, it appears that his Agenda for New Direction is suffering from “enemies from within” [his SLPP]. The enemies of progress against the Agenda for New Direction are people whom the president have elevated to positions of trust (though myriad of them lack the alacrity and experience) – nevertheless, instead of helping the president to achieve his goals, they are busy pulling him down in the name of fighting against the APC – and the APC aren’t your enemies.

In demonstrating their hate and anger against the APC, top government officials of the Bio administration are adamantly refusing and or rather stampeding potential investments in Sierra Leone simply because such investments or investors are being brought in country by APC supporters or sympathisers. By this way such retrogressive and debased SLPP top government officials think they are fighting against the APC, failing to realise that they are derailing development and by extension frustrating President Bio’s effort in achieving his Agenda for New Direction. Ironically therefore, these back-peddling government officials who are impairing development do not have an iota of idea or credibility to bring any serious investor to Sierra Leone hence the prime factor why the retired Infantry General (President Bio) has been transformed into an Air Borne President.

Having said that, the profound question is, is it really necessary to drop names of enemies of the Agenda for New Direction for the attention of President Bio and the general public? I don’t think so. Why do I negate? I say so because, by now President Bio should have known his “enemies from within” his SLPP who are by extension “enemies of progress” against his Agenda for New Direction. I hold that, those educated fools that are preaching tribalism and sectionalism with the aim of ostracizing other Sierra Leoneans who are not SLPP supporters are merely being hedonistic, epicurean, self-indulgent and disingenuous. The current economic adversity in Sierra Leone is been exacerbated by such cronies of President Bio who are actually “enemies from within” and essentially “enemies of progress”.

Mr. President, the APC is a matured political party enthralled and engrossed with patriotism and nationalism. The APC is a socialist nurtured and driven political party whose main objective is the development of the people and the country as a whole. Had you embraced and worked with the APC, the country’s economy wouldn’t have been in such a cluttered and messy situation. It is not the wish of the APC to see President Bio fail. Why do I say this? It is logically clear that if the president fails it’s the people of Sierra Leone that will suffer and perish and not the president. In light of this therefore, as development is an ongoing process, it was and persists to be our wish for President Bio to succeed in achieving all his goals hence taking Sierra Leone a step further in our developmental gait. But this will never be possible without bringing the APC onboard in Parliament, local government, the private sector and the like. Mr. President, beware of blind and parochially minded cronies because as Les Brown cautions, “people who can’t see for themselves can’t see for you”. Let me conclude with Machiavelli’s insightful but brute reality that, “when you betray the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence and both of these opinions generate hatred”. Mr. President, if you do not change the direction of your new direction, you may end up where you are heading.

Climate Change Is On The Agenda… Not Much Being Done To Mitigate Its Causes & Effects

March 2, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

In October 2019, over 90 Mayors of the world’s biggest cities signed a Global Green New Deal in Copenhagen, among who was Freetown’s Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer.

The deal was to recognize a climate emergency and commitment to inclusive climate action and staying below the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement.

Africa is more vulnerable than any other region to the world’s changing weather patterns. Generally, given what we have seen in recent times in South Africa with a mix of extreme drought and extreme rainfalls leading to flooding, Africa will be hardest hit by climate change, even though it has contributed the least to its causes.

The African continent will be hardest hit by climate change for two main reasons. Even a little less rainfall in the future could endanger the forest and its massive carbon store:

African society is very closely coupled with the climate system; hundreds of millions of people depend on rainfall to grow their food.
The capacity for adaptation to climate change is low; poverty equates to reduced choice at the individual level while governance generally fails to prioritize and act on climate change.

We know remarkably little about that climate system – it is scarcely even monitored. For example, there are more reporting rain gauges in the UK county of Oxfordshire than the entire Congo Basin. The impacts of climate change are very real and present, with very little that is systematic and consistently being done by government and communities to adopt and implement on a sustainable basis, durable policies and strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change in the country.

The former Executive Chairperson of EPA SL, Haddijatou Jallow, warned that Sierra Leone is already suffering from the impacts of climate change and that it might adversely affect the country’s drive towards prosperity.

“Mudslides, flash floods, changing rainfall patterns with terrible impact on farmers, resulting in poor food production, is already here.” She said, adding that “Coastal communities around the country are feeling the strain too, with increased coastal erosion that is seriously affecting these communities.”

UN Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director, Sudipto Mukerjee said: “Climate change is a reality that we all have to face and we have little time left. There is alarming evidence that tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major ecosystems and our global climate system, may already have been reached or passed.”

Mr. Mukerjee called for “Hydrocarbon-based energy systems and economies to be transformed and appropriate adaptation measures put in place.”

According to analysis done in 2012 for the development of Sierra Leone’s Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, climate change will lead to severe consequences in Sierra Leone including:

Decreased agricultural productivity,
Degradation of the coastline and damage to coastal structures,
A shift from tropical rain forest to dry forest, food and nutrition insecurity,
Water stress and severe economic impacts that will undermine decades of development gains

To ensure we play our part in not going beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius, we are going to create carbon sinks: we are committed to planting 1 million trees in 2020 and increasing our vegetation cover by 50% by 2022.

Urgently needed concerted mitigation interventions against climate change by the newly created Ministry of Environment working in strong partnership with EPA-SL, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Lands, Local Government, all the Local Councils and all the country’s paramount chiefs and traditional leaders, before it is too late, must include massive nationwide economic tree planting to replace lost forests and bushes to reduce deforestation by the logging and charcoal industries, strengthening the resilience of the water sector, protecting the coastal lines from excessive economic exploitation and increase capacity for climate information and early warning.

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