CEO of NPPA in High Gear to Lecture IPAM Students

February 14, 2020

National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) in the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Ibrahim Briama Swarray

By Amin Kef Sesay

This medium has been reliably informed that more than 1500 Procurement and Supply students of the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), the No1 tertiary institution in Sierra Leone, are all set to listen to the Chief Procurement Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) in the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Ibrahim Briama Swarray as he will be delivering a Lecture at the Miatta Conference Centre on the 20 February 2020.

The dynamic and result-oriented Chief Executive Officer of the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), who saved the current Government, under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, not less than seventy million dollars ( $70M) in just one year is expected to create an indelible impact as he has proven in the past to be very knowledgeable in procurement issues.

The NPPA, an institution which was regarded as dysfunctional and not an important institution for the past 14 years got a new lease of life in the last 18 months under the leadership of a home- grown Procurement Specialist from IPAM in the person of CEO, Ibrahim Brima Swarray who has been regarded as a gem worth listening to, to better inform the procurement mechanisms he spearheaded that facilitated this unprecedented accomplishment of saving this country huge sums of money that otherwise should have gone down the drain.

James Kollie Lecturer-in-Charge/National Coordinator (Extramural Dept) revealed that IPAM usually organizes seminars for the Business and Management School of the University of Sierra Leone, and as such he is always engaged in organizing short courses and seminars to practically impart knowledge to students.

He noted that the Institute, in collaboration with the National Public Procurement Authority and the Anti-Corruption Commission are organizing the first ever procurement seminar and various speakers have accepted to do presentations on topics related to the theme: “Implementing Electronic Procurement in Sierra Leone: Benefits to National Development”.

Mr. Kollie further disclosed that the said program is expected to bring together about one thousand five hundred (1500) students from the Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kono and Makeni IPAM campuses.

Many students have expressed their delight to witness the first ever Procurement Seminar for Procurement Students in Sierra Leone.

Hawa Moriba, a Diploma in Procurement Studies (DIPS) Year 2 student expressed the following view, “the whole package that will be unfolded during this seminar makes it worth attending and I can’t afford to miss it out. My anxiety to attend the first Procurement Seminar is beyond description because I know what it’s means to have got prudent intellectuals as speakers. We are patiently awaiting for that very day to come”.

“As a would-be procurement professional this is the biggest platform for me to see procurement specialist discussing issues that have to do with the profession am yearning for,” Mohamed T Jakoh another DIPS Year 2 student expressed optimism.

Janet Alpha, a DIPS Student in Makeni said she is happy to witness the first ever procurement seminar because it is going to create a great impact in the area of her study by gaining from the people who are role models in society and also hoping to get an approval from the University for them to start a degree program in the Procurement Department through this seminar.

New Direction… Cement Price and Need for Price Control

February 14, 2020

Dr Edward Hinga Sandy, Minister of Trade and Industry

By Amin Kef Sesay

Many angry Sierra Leoneans have maintained that Sierra Leone having a free trade regime does not give traders a carte blank to fix prices as they want.

Very recently, with very little or no reason, the price of cement that hovered around an acceptable Le65, 000 per bag suddenly jumped to Le Le80, 000 in the capital city and very much higher in the provincial towns.

In spite of the Minister of Trade and Industry having assured the nation that after negotiations with the country’s two biggest cement producers, LEOCEM and DANGOTE, there has been no return as at this week to the former price.

It is very important for the New Direction Government, whose avowed mission is to reduce the burden of high cost of living that caused the people in 2018 to vote it into power, to know that the cost of cement is directly related to rent.

The higher the price of cement goes, the higher house owners increase their rents’ to the detriment of the poor suffering masses whose budgets for basic essential goods and services are already stretched to breaking point.

Again, what we think the Government, in particular, the Ministry of Trade and Industry must know is that a free market economy which is supposed to promote the production and sale of goods and services, with little to no control or involvement from any central Government agency, is not a license for producers and business people to charge extortion prices for their goods and services at the expense of the poor suffering masses that the Government has an obligation to protect from exploitation.

Monopolies like LEOCEM and DANGOTE because they have no competitors, which are clearly anti-free market, should not take it upon them-selves to raise prices indiscriminately. That is why the people are calling on the Government to open up the trading space for more people to import our basic goods and services.

Fact of the matter is that, even in the West where the ideology of free market originated from, there are controls in the marketplace in the form of Government regulations.

In principle, in a free market, producers are incentivized to produce what consumers want at a reasonable and affordable price – with the emphasis on reasonable and affordable prices.

But since self-interest is the primary motivator for all economic decisions, the Government’s role primarily in the market should be to prevent monopolies, allow fair and equal access to markets for all, protecting the nation and its markets from price fixing by monopolies and oligopolies.

Whilst it has several advantages for consumers, free market economy has several disadvantages.

Poor quality – Since profit maximization is the biggest motivation for firms, they may try to reduce their costs unethically and increase prices irrationally. Examples of harmful effects of unethical cost reduction measures include polluting the environment or exploiting (overworking, under-paying, etc.) workers. Government’s intervention is necessary to limit these harms.
Goods and Services -that are not profitable will not be produced or run. In such cases, the government must provide these goods and services so that people do not go with their basic needs unmet.
Excessive power of firms – Large firms can still dominate certain markets, even where there is some competition. This allows them to maximize their profits by exploiting suppliers (by squeezing their prices down) and consumers (by charging higher selling prices). For example, Amazon is guilty of such practices in the book industry, where they have dictated unfair terms to publishers.

As such, we the citizens firmly believe that our Minister of Trade and Industry should like, the no-nonsense Dr. Sandy at Lands, take a very robust attitude towards controlling the widespread corruption that exists in the market place with regards exploitative pricing by firms, companies, businesses and traders if the dream of reducing poverty is to be actualized.

Netpage, CIO & Internal Affairs Minister Did No Wrong

February 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

According to the Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jai Kai Kai the contract that was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and Netpage/Thomas De La Rue categorically pegged the price of an ePassport at $100 which at that material time was equivalent to Le750, 000. He noted that the price was stated in dollars and not Leones which invariably mean that whenever the rate of exchange fluctuates it affects the Leone price for a passport. This, he said, is responsible for the slight increase from Le750.000 to Le950.000 and in that respect averred that it is high time for Members of Parliament to revisit the contract and make amendments where it is necessary for such to be made.

Although there is a particular school of thought that is calling for the removal from office of the Chief Immigration Officer and the Minister of Internal Affairs in respect of the current increase in the price of the country’s ePassport and the termination of the Netpage contract simply because of the increase, it is however possible that they are not too knowledgeable about the contents of the contract.

What is really certain is that all the parties acted within the terms of the contract.

Many are aware that the cost of the country’s passport was pegged at US Dollar 100 ($100). Since the signing of the said agreement by the former APC Government that has been the condition. When President Bio took up office, the same procedure was followed. It should be noted that both Netpage and Thomas De la rue are reputable companies with international recognition. The latter has been printing the countrys legal tender for decades without any cause for complain.

The contract entered into by Netpage with the government is to pre-finance the printing of the ePassport which is done by Thomas De la rue and the price was pegged at US$100 per book. When the price of the dollar was stable the cost remained low and even when in 2018, the dollar began to rise, the passports were still sold at Le750, 000 each. However, now that the exchange rate of the dollar has risen and the company has to break-even and not to run at a loss.

It therefore kept to the terms of the contract, which is US$100 per book. Contextually, the Chief Immigration Officer and the Internal Affairs Minister have nothing to do but to conform to the dictates of the contract agreement signed between the company and the Government and ratified by the highest decision making body in the land, the House of Parliament.

The failure of those proponents of the sacking of the CIO and the Minister and termination of the contract agreement are jumbling the facts and misleading the public. Such a contract can only be reviewed and sent to Parliament. To do otherwise is to send the wrong message to investors that our leaders do not respect contracts signed and violate the very law they profess to maintain. This will eventually drive away any serious investor from the country.

The aforementioned Government officials did nothing wrong as they merely adhered to the dictates of the contract agreement signed by the Government. It is not in their power to terminate any contract. They can only act when the terms of the contract are not followed, but in this case, all parties followed the very terms of the contract agreement. How can you possibly sack an official for simply following the terms of a contract to the very letter?

It could be recalled that after President Bio assumed office, the issue about the passport surfaced. It was then that various Civil Society Organisations and the media were enlightened about the terms of the said contract; that the cost of the passport was pegged to the dollar (.i.e. US$100). So if the dollar rate has appreciated, it is only plausible that the cost of the passport should also go up, except Parliament reviews the agreement and a consensus reached between the Government and the suppliers. But as it stands, they have done no wrong and are well within the terms of the agreement.

NP-SL Receives Commendations for Fair Treatment of its Esteemed Customers

February 14, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum- Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is a very caring company that most depend on to secure high quality petroleum products. It is on record that its customers have not complained of any unfair treatment. It is an entity that has been making steady headway and progress within the business landscape of the country. Through sheer hard work, selflessness on the part of its shareholders and competent Managerial prowess, the company has etched a good name within the petroleum business landscape especially for its qualitative service delivery. The shareholders and Managers of the company, therefore, cannot just see things done haphazardly that have the propensity of staining its hard won reputation and sit idly back.

What has been discerned of late is that there are certain individuals who have taken upon themselves to disingenuously spewed baseless castigation against the company bordering on propagating the falsehood that its pump attendants are criminally defrauding its customers by pumping less of the quantity that unsuspecting customers purchase at different Filling Stations. Coming across such an allegation this medium, known for championing human interest issues, went into swift action and undertook a thorough undercover investigation to ascertain its veracity. Various Filling Stations in the country were targeted but at the end of the day what came out glaringly was that the allegation is totally untrue, baseless and unfounded as there is no semblance of truth in it.

Rather what is apparent is that the calibrated pumping machines that are used in most of the company’s Filling Stations are of high standard having the capability of showing exactly the right quantity of petrol or diesel that is discharged and the exact price a buyer should pay. It was a conscious move on the part of the shareholders to install those calibrated pumping machines within the context of giving optimal satisfaction to its numerous and esteemed customers as well as operate in a very transparent manner that continues to instil confidence that they are dealing with a trusted business partner.

As for NP-SL, complaints of pumping attendants cheating customers have not been heard for a long time although according to one of the company’s Managers one cannot rule out having bad eggs within its workforce. However, he assured that all their pump attendants are well trained in the aspect of effective service delivery and they are well informed not to get themselves involved in any untoward behaviour that will bring the name of the company into disrepute. Against such a backdrop, coupled with the fact that they are well motivated in terms of remuneration and other conditions of service such employees would not be so foolhardy to do anything messy.

As a caring parent who loves to see his or her children get the best in life so is NP-SL Ltd which besides limiting itself only to selling petroleum products is also availing its customers other services just to make life comfortable for them. It is along such a line that one could find minimarts, entertainment corners in some of its Filling Stations where customers could purchase basic items saving them from the hassle of leaving other engagements to procure those goods.

NP Gas is exclusively marketed by NP-SL and its authorized agents in different parts the country and they are manufactured in different cylinder sizes marketed at affordable prices. Because of it being environmentally friendly, less hazardous and very quick in terms of performance, NP Gas is going like hot cakes especially as they are going at affordable prices.

NP Smart Card is now gaining ascendancy and currency among its numerous customers across the country and has been rated as advantageous in terms of personal safety and transparency. It is good for big business entities, like construction companies, with fleet of vehicles as the Smart Cards that drivers use to access fuel supply can transparently prove what was expended and what is now left as balance in their stock.

The company’s Corporate Social Responsibility portfolio is indeed very rich and it has been meaningfully rolled out over the years and they are really complementing Government’s development interventions.

It is indeed understandable to note that within the business world competitors could be very aggressive trying to outdo each other. In trying to achieve that some might even go to the length of fabricating lies and false propaganda with the avowed objective of tarnishing the good image others have toiled so hard to build. Similarly, there are scammers who believe that they could successfully hoodwink others through blackmail in order to dupe them of cash.

Either way, such an attempt against NP-SL Ltd will obviously miss its target. It is not that the company is saintly but the fact of the matter is that it will not condone anything untoward that will ruin its reputation and it cannot sit complacently seeing its pump attendants cheating its customers without taking affirmative action. No way, No way. The company believes in maintaining its accolade of: 1^st For Customer Care.

CSOs Urge Pres. Bio to Combat Increased Spate of Violence

February 12, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Two leading civil society organizations working for the advancement of the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Sierra Leone LEGAL LINK and CITIZENS ADVOCACY NETWORK, say they are deeply concerned over the increased spate of violence and lawlessness in the country since the beginning of 2020.

According to them it is no gainsaying to opinionate that such state of affairs has gravely affected the public image of the country not only at the national and regional levels but also at the global level.

They underscored how such is a clear testament to validate our nation’s decline which could be seen in the 2019 World Peace Index Report where Sierra Leone dropped 18 places when compared to the 2018 Report.

Other reports on Human and Press freedoms have not been encouraging either.

According to them while they remain grateful to the Government of Sierra Leone over its robust fight against corruption and the sustained gains garnered as evident in international reports and rankings, they make bold to say that they are however disappointed with the response of the Government in tackling violence, lawlessness and indiscipline in the country.

“Majority of Sierra Leoneans interviewed by us are particularly worried over this ugly state of affairs which is seemingly becoming the new normal.

In his address to Parliament as well as his party manifesto, His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio made a clear commitment to curbing down corruption, indiscipline and lawlessness in the country during his tenure in office,” the statement continued.

They said no doubt while it may be true to say that a great deal of effort has been made to tackle corruption in the country under his Excellency’s watch, the same cannot be true for lawlessness and indiscipline furthering that as a matter of fact, the spate of violence and lawlessness seem to be increasing at a geometric progression.

They listed below few scenarios of violent happenings that have taken place in the country since the beginning of the 2020 :

1.Political Violence Clash between APC and SLPP supporters at Hannah Benka- Coker Street:

On the 16th of January 2020, during a funeral procession of a late SLPP supporter at Hannah Benka Coker Street, violent clashes occurred between supporters of SLPP and APC which resulted to unrest in that vicinity. Aside the collateral damage that ensued, several people were stabbed and seriously injured.

Ironically, a video footage of a car that allegedly belong to the Deputy Internal Affairs Minister was seen in the middle of the riot.

After school sports violence:

It has now become the new normal that violence will always erupt at the end of every after-school sport event in Freetown.

A case in point is the recent Government Model Secondary School sport meeting on 29th January, 2020 at the National Stadium.

After the sport meeting, there were violent clashes between pupils from the Government Model School and Collegiate school that resulted to damages of properties and well as serious injuries to students.

Claims and Counter claims of violence by SLPP and APC regarding saga at Wallace Johnson Street and Ecowas street:

On the 26th January 2020, unidentified youth from Falcom Bridge engaged in a violent clash, resulting to injuries, grievous bodily harm and damages to properties. There were accusations and counter-accusations from both SLPP and APC party executives to have been responsible for this violent onslaught in the capital.

Violent gang Rape Committed against Mamie Yatta at Mattru Jong:

on the 11th January 2020 in Motou Village Kpanda- Kemo Chiefdom, Bonthe district, a 55 years old woman and sister of paramount chief, Melrose Gberie was gang raped by 15 men, allegedly members of the poro society.

It is alleged that they went into her house and drag her outside where she was violently raped by these men. She is currently admitted at the Aberdeen Women Centre and in critical condition.

High handedness of security personnel attached to Honorable Lahai Lawrence Leema, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs:

On Saturday 1st February 2020, police personnel attached to the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Lahai Lawrence Leema, shot a man by the name of Allie Foster in the foot, claiming self defence. Allie Foster is currently admitted at the emergency surgical hospital and he is in the intensive care unit, awaiting surgery.

A few arrests have been made by the police and the Independent police complaints Board have launched an investigation into this incident to determine the veracity of the divergence of accounts forwarded by all sides to the impasse.

Violent clashes during football matches:

It is also no gainsaying to assert that football matches played particularly in the North and South – Eastern provinces have always resulted in violent clashes.

In particular reference however is the match between Kamboi Eagles and Eastern Lions at the Kenema playing field which resulted into violent clashes that led to damage of lives and properties.

Unrest and violent demonstrations in universities and colleges:

For instance, request by students of Milton Margai for their college to be transformed into a University ended up in violent clashes;

Also, demonstration by students of Fourah Bay College regarding increment of fees and transportation was characterized with violence and utter disruption;

Students of Limkokwing University strike action regarding granting aid and other amenities was also characterized with violent outbursts;

Strike action by lecturers at the Njala University have also seen some violent outbursts.

They concluded that all of the above depicts an ugly state of affairs that have the proclivity of not only undermining the peace of the country but also foreign direct investment which the nation needs so badly at this time.

In their estimation, turning a blind eye to these increased spates of violence and lawlessness will defeat shared values and underlying economic goals as a nation.

It ended that in order to deal with this ugly state of affairs and to permanently give a deadly blow to the scourge of violence and lawlessness in the country, they strongly recommended the following:

That perpetrators of violence and lawlessness be dealt with according to the law and not as APC or SLPP members.
That political Parties (especially SLPP and APC) should take deliberate steps to do away with the different thug groups hosted at their offices.
That President Bio and his government should do more in a bid to ensure a cohesive and peaceful state.
That deliberate and conscientious efforts be made in holding cross-party engagements in minimizing tension and tackling the menace of violence in our society.
That exemplary gestures of civil interaction between and among the APC and SLPP leadership be seen in their public engagements. A typical example could be drawn from the National Prayer and Breakfast organized in Kenya by the incumbent President and the opposition leader. Such initiatives could go a long way to calm the political tension.
We call on President Bio to make a public statement decrying the spate of violence and lawlessness that has engulfed the nation. This will go a long way in restoring public confidence in his commitment to curb lawlessness as espoused in his manifesto.
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs should conduct himself in a manner befitting of his status and not to be enmeshed in episodes of controversy.
Clear and achievable programs should be crafted by government to constructively engage the minds of the youth in productive ventures.
The laws should be applied justly. No one should be above the law.
The leadership of the Sierra Leone Police should imbibe the culture of taking responsibility and reprimanding their personnel in cases of professional misconduct.
The Reports/findings/recommendations of the Independent Police Complaint Board (IPCB) should be followed through by the relevant structures (DPP, IGP etc).
We recommend that regular training programs be put in place by the security sector in order to expose our officers to more proactive, responsible and professional contemporary approaches to addressing security issues challenges.
Our Judiciary should scale up efforts to uphold and maintain the scale of justice, human rights and rule of law in a balanced fashion. A society that lacks trust and confidence in its judicial system stands the risk of degenerating into civil unrest.

Pres. Bio in Addis Ababa Dilates on Efforts at combating Inequality and Poverty

February 12, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

During a panel discussion held on the margins of the 33rd African Union Heads of State and Government Summit, that took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Julius Maada Bio dilated about his Government’s efforts at combatting poverty and inequality in Sierra Leone.
He first thanked OXFAM for their great work to reduce social and economic disparities and to enhance the quality of life among the world’s citizens.
“You have persistently challenged us, world leaders, to think through problems of development, set goals, outline and pursue commitments to attaining those goals, and to also measure outcomes,” he further extended his appreciation.

The President intimated how stable governance and development must be inclusive and sustainable. “These aspirations are central both to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063. But both are unattainable if we fail to address inequality and poverty,” he enjoined adding that with this year’s summit dedicated to “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development,” it is but fitting to have such a deeper conversation around the two most cited causes of bloody insurgencies on the African continent – inequality and poverty.

His Excellency said there are three key questions that are germane to the conversation which, he said, have guided his Government’s thinking about inclusive and sustainable development and informed their bold and intentional agenda as a Government:

“How do we break cycles of intergenerational poverty and persistent inequality in my country – where poor parents give birth to poor children who in turn go on to beget even poorer and unhealthier children? How do we generate sustainable development within a peaceful, stable, and resilient milieu? How do we take pole position as a nation, (to borrow a metaphor from motorsports), in this new global economy so that our children are competitively more educated, healthier, and better prepared?” he asked.
President Bio told the audience that Sierra Leone sees its 2018 ranking (153/157) in OXFAM’s Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) as an incentive to undertake further progressive action to address thorny development questions.

Explaining how they have mapped out their bold agenda to tackle the problems of poverty, inequality and national development the president mentioned what he referred to as Eco-system strengthening. “Ours is a stable and open democracy that we are strengthening even further with a permanent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion while opening up even more spaces for civic participation and dialogue,” he revealed noting that we are no longer the poster child of a failed State struggling to shake off multiple stigma of bloody civil conflict, disease pandemics, natural disasters, and corruption.
He said they have strengthened public financial account management and closed off loopholes for fraud, waste and abuse of public funds.

“We have clamped down hard on corruption because we see corruption as an existential threat. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has acknowledged our sustained progress in the control of corruption and our multilateral partners who had abandoned the previous administration have reengaged ,” the President outlined furthering that by cracking down on tax fraud and illegal duty waivers, and consolidating revenue collection, they have increased domestic revenue mobilisation.

“We have introduced progressive tax codes that minimise the tax burden on the lowest income earners while substantively increasing the minimum wage and pensions right across board,” he underscored.

President Bio underscored how they are improving the ease of doing business in Sierra Leone from registration, operations, to aftercare saying he co-chairs the National Investment Board because they believe greater levels of investment in the economy will open up more opportunity for citizens.

“We are diversifying our economy in order to make it more productive and more resilient. With a long compendium of business incentives, we are encouraging greater and new investments in tourism, fisheries, infrastructure, agriculture and agriculture value chains, renewable energy, and even in old sectors such as the extractives where datasets from an airborne geophysical survey show great prospect,” he went on giving assurance that they will continue to review laws and regulations that constrain business and national development.

“My argument, essentially, is that inclusive and sustainable development is possible only when we expand and grow the economy within a stable democratic space with the right laws and policies that facilitate and support that development,” he argued.
Dilating on Data, he said, they recognise the power of data and make it central to planning and policy making as a Government stressing that relevant and accurate data (disaggregated by gender, region, age, socio-economic class, disability etc as necessary), will help ask the right questions, identify the right problems, assess the full dimensions to those problems, and plan bespoke solutions that are both effective and sustainable.

He stated that education resources on providing safe spaces or WASH facilities for girls, for instance, can be better targeted and better spent in solving that problem. Micro-credit or social safety net interventions for the most vulnerable can be better targeted with data also revealing how they have increased and expanded cash transfers to the most vulnerable households.

With regards Planning , he said, they have developed a fully-costed Medium Term National Plan that lays out development priorities in neat clusters. Central to that national development plan is the flagship programme – Human Capital Development that proposes elevated investments in quality education, quality healthcare, and food security.

On the area of Specific Human Capital Development Interventions, the First Gentleman said a nation’s greatest resource is its human capital pointing out how a well-educated and healthy population is a future skilled and resourceful population that will propel our nation along the path of sustainable national development.
“As a consequence of my Government’s heavy investment (21% of Annual Budget) in free quality education policy, 2 million children (most of whom could not afford the $20 school fee) are now in school.
We have created safe spaces for girls in school and we have passed a new Sexual Offences Act to protect women and girls from rape and sexual and gender-based violence,” he intimated adding how he has also engaged women’s civil society groups to discuss how they can collaborate on bigger questions beyond education and SGBV to women’s constitutional and human rights, representation, and all historical and cultural forms of discrimination.

The President maintained that the First Lady’s vigorous campaign against early child marriage, sexual exploitation of girls, and other seemingly entrenched cultural attitudes (including taboos on menstruation) that lead to the exclusion of girls from school has resonated across the country.

“My Government (through the Minister of Basic and Secondary School Education) has set up a taskforce to guide policy on radical inclusion especially on teenage pregnancy. Students also receive free teaching and learning materials, bus transportation, and in some districts, receive free school feeding.
Children whose parents are teachers, police officers, soldiers receive free tertiary education and women who enrol to study STEM disciplines in college automatically get scholarships,” he furthered.
He informed that they have maintained the Government’s grants-in-aid programme but they are also looking at new financing models that will grant even more access to students from poorer homes who would otherwise not receive a University education.

According to him these interventions level out the perceived poverty and inequality disparities for acquiring an education. He said ultimately they believe that a skilled labour force is attractive for foreign direct investments and entrepreneurship, and it increases national productivity.

He said in their aspiration toward inclusive development, they have also deployed block-chain technology to develop a national digital identity platform that will support financial inclusion and access to credit.

“We are developing rural renewable energy mini-grids to expand access to energy and to improve on the quality of life in otherwise inaccessible off-grid areas. These rural mini-grids support additional development imperatives in healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and agro-value chain development.
We also continue investing in training, recruiting, and retaining more nurses. We have introduced a free national ambulance service and we are building more Peripheral Health Units and Community Health Centres to expand healthcare to hard-to-reach places,” the President stated.

He said they are thoughtfully planning to improve access (geographical and economic) to ante and postnatal care for women and to address nutrition and stunting among under-fives adding how the expansion of outpatient healthcare services is consistent with their vision of having a healthy population within the next five years.

“Inasmuch as our plans, policies, and interventions touch on the three clusters of social spending, tax reforms, and labour rights evaluated by OXFAM in their Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index, our effort is to develop a broader, more comprehensive, and more holistic ecosystem that is conducive for inclusive and sustainable national development,” President Bio pinpointed.

He said when the new data points reflect their investments and progress through 2019 and into 2020, they are confident of making progress on the index.

But more importantly, President Bio pointed out they would be much gratified that they would have taken one more little step in changing the lives of Sierra Leoneans and narrowing gaps on poverty and inequality.

Over Moving Karene HQ town to Batkanu… Local Govt. Minister & Top Govt Officials in the spotlight

February 12, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Tamba Lamina and some top government officials within the New Direction Government are allegedly accused of playing a double role in trying to move Karene District Headquarter town to Batkanu simply for political gains.

It was also alleged that the New Direction Government is using the move of the District Headquarter town to Batkanu in order to convince the people of Batkanu to vote for them in the upcoming Bye-Election which many consider to be cheap politics and doesn’t match with modern day democracy.

This allegation came prior to his interview on Radio Democracy 98.1 Gud Morning Salone Program on Wednesday 5^th February 2020 during which he disclosed that his Ministry will be coming out with a white paper that will be presented to Cabinet on their findings as to whether the District Headquarter Town of Karene District should remain in Kamakwie or moved to Batkanu, adding that stakeholders in Batkanu made a request that they should visit them in order to listen to their submission on the said issue.

He said Kamakwie is a little more built but Government doesn’t have structures to host offices like the District Council, Local Council etc. while Batkanu have structures but they should be rehabilitated.

According to an indigene, he disclosed that all over the world Government structures cannot move to places by magic but rather they are built by Governments and according to findings Kamakwie has a vast piece of land to host a lot of Government offices which the stakeholders are ready to donate to Government in order to build Government structures.

He said that the structures the Local Government Minister was talking about in Batkanu are dilapidated that can even cost Government a huge amount of money to rehabilitate compared to Kamakwie. In order to set the record straight, he said, Batkanu is never more accessible to other chiefdoms in Karene District and as indicated on the map the new Karene District is 9.070855- 12.847177 making it one of the longest districts in the country. Because of the difference in boundaries, Batkanu is no longer the central location of the new Karene District as the new district stretches onto the Guinean border in the north.

He said to say that the choice of Kamakwie by the past Government might have been politically motivated is a demonstration of narrow- mindedness and that if it was politically motivated Kamalo should have been the District Headquarter Town of Karene because Dr. Samura Kamara was the Presidential Candidate for the APC by then but that the decision was the right decision by the past Government which this current Government wants to reverse It is this kind of argument that Socrates, in his wisdom, had in contemplation when he said, “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.” Kamakwie is geopolitically, strategically placed and its central location in the new district gives it an edge over any other town. Its multi-ethnic character is an ace. The town is well positioned as it stands astride the trade routes between Kambia, Falaba, Koinadugu, Bombali and Port Loko Districts.

Many believe that Kamakwie offers better educational and healthcare facilities with five secondary schools (two senior and three junior) and a vocational institute. The town has one of the best hospitals in the country, the Kamakwie Wesleyan Hospital founded in 1959 by the Wesleyan missionaries and this hospital has not only supported the people of Karene District but the entire country compared to Batkanu that doesn’t have all these facilities to become the Headquarter town for Karene District and that Kamakwie has been completely transformed by rapidly changing economic and social developments as a result of its proximity to Guinea

He lamented that there cannot be a greater mischief to the country and its people than propagating wrong notions concerning the country’s colonial past. Many reject with all their might the bold attempt to mislead the country and take the greatest exception to any calculated attempt by a selected few who think they can overtly exploit political affiliations to rewrite the history of the country in order to give life to their unpatriotic whims and aspirations.

LAB Assures Widows of Protection against Wicked Relatives & Cautions Youths on Drug Abuse

February 12, 2020

By Esther Wright

Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, informed representatives of Widows Network-Sierra Leone from around the country who paid a courtesy call on her at the head office of the Legal Aid Board in Freetown that she is both sorry for and angry at what some of them have gone through in the hands of male relatives of their deceased husbands.

“These male relatives are selfishly dispossessing you of properties belonging to you and your late husbands in the name of customs and traditions,” she said, adding: “This is wrong and heartless because our customs and traditions are rooted in fairness, compassion and justice. The good news is, this will never happen to those coming after you.”

She called on the women to sensitize their members who find themselves in this situation to come forward and report such matters to the Board so that property grabbed from them could be recovered. She drew attention to a particular case in Bo in which the Board ensured that two widows were given back their late husband’s house after they were forced out by male family members following the death of their husband.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles assured widows that the Board will adopt a pro-active approach in dealing with this problem. This means the Board will no longer wait for widows to lodge a complaint at the Board instead Paralegals will visit wherever there is a funeral to find out whether widows have any problems relating to inheritance in the future. She added that they will meet with the widow(s) and sensitize them on issues of inheritance and will inform them that they are available in case they encounter problems particularly with male relatives regarding property left behind by their deceased husbands. “The reason for this is that, most times widows are not bold enough to come forward or seek redress when they are confronted with such problems,” she said.

She assured the widows that she will be sending the National Supervisor for the Board, Mr. Mohamed Korie round the country to meet with members of the Network, Local Court Administrators, Paramount Chiefs and other administrators of the Informal Courts in their respective districts to educate them on this issue.

She disclosed that the operations of the Board have been boosted by funding from the MOTT Foundation which focuses on improving access to justice in remote communities through the provision of primary justice services. “With support from the MOTT Foundation, we have been able to deploy Paralegals at chiefdom level and more importantly in the two newly created districts and this is happening for the first time,” she said.

The representatives of the network came from eight districts: Tonkolili, Koinadugu, Fadugu, Western Urban, Western Rural, Kambia, Kono and Bombali.

In another development, on 6 February 2020, the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board and the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MOYA) in collaboration with the Henriatta Mbawah Foundation and Diamond Line Multimedia Entertainment Company concluded a one-day awareness-raising meeting with 432 clique leaders (commonly called Five O’s), youth leaders, village heads and Tribal Heads in the Western Area under the theme: ‘Misuse of Drugs; Alcohol and other Prohibited Drugs Must Stop Now’.

The Executive Director of the Legal Aid Board, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles who spearheaded the meeting delved into the relationship between drug abuse and crime and how this has ruined the lives of particularly young people and moreover landed some in jail.

She noted that the Board has been working with National HIV/AIDS Secretariat, Women in Crisis Movement – Sierra Leone, Society for Women and Aids in Africa (SWAASL), Dignity Association and Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (SLYDCL) to protect the rights of the key population which comprise Men Having Sex with Men, Female Sex Workers and People Injecting Drugs.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles drew attention to the misuse of youths by politicians in particular. She expressed concern at the fact that youths who were hanging around the APC head office when the party was in power have moved to the SLPP headquarters now that the SLPP party is in power. She warned against youths who prefer being idle to finding something to do. She also warned the youths spending all their time in ghettos and Ataya Bases. “Those of you who use larceny for a living are not a priority to the Legal Aid Board in terms of legal assistance,” she warned.

She expressed concern at the fact that drug abuse in Freetown and Waterloo is far bigger than anywhere else in the country. She called on the cliques groups ‘Friends of The Dead’, ‘Black Street’, ‘Red and Blue Flags’, ‘Soja Team’ to do something about it.

She said that the Board is over-stretch and therefore cannot provide legal assistance to youths who engage in drug fuelled violence. “We have 10 inmates at the Pademba Road Correctional Center who killed their relatives under the influence of drugs,” she said.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles encouraged the youths to take advantage of programmes which are being implemented by the Ministry of Youths and other agencies which are geared towards empowering them to acquire skills and knowledge that will give them a sustainable livelihood. She warned those perpetuating violence against Female Sex Workers that they will face the consequences of their actions. She called on the Female Sex Workers to report all such violence against them to the Police.

On his part, the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr. Luseni Kallon called on youths to consider themselves as leaders of today and not tomorrow and therefore take their responsibilities to nation building seriously. “If you continue to misuse drugs, you will be a bad example,” he said.

He urged the youths not to allow themselves to be haunted by their ugly past. He added that as a youth he was influenced by friends to do bad things but was able to turn his life around and contribute to society.

He warned the youths that drugs will not provide any solution to their problems; instead it will only worsen their situation and lead them to do bad things and commit crime which will land them in jail. He assured all that the Government is committed to fighting poverty, lawlessness and corruption. He appealed to the media to focus on development oriented news.

The Deputy Commissioner of the National Youth Commission, Mr. Emerson Kamara said the Commission will continue to provide opportunities for youths which will change their lives for the better. “The opportunities are available now, you have to decide the future you want for yourselves and the choice is yours,” he said.

He said that bad and unproductive youths are far less than the productive ones in terms of numbers. “We will provide the opportunity to those who want to make it in life.”

He added that the Commission distributed 100 bushels of rice each to youths in Makeni, Kambia and other parts of the country which he maintained has changed their lives.

He reminded the youths that they have a responsibility to change the country noting this is something they have to treat with all seriousness. He added that some cliques have left their home communities to cause problems in other communities where they are not known.

He promised that the Commission will work with the Police to stop arresting people for loitering, frequenting, traffic and other minor offences because it does not make any positive difference in the lives of young people.

He disclosed that the Commission will help 1000 young people get jobs in road works with the company that will be constructing the Bandajuma highway. “If you do not want to take advantage of these opportunities and change your live, what do you expect us to do?” he asked.

Executive Director of Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (SLYDCL), Mr. Habib Kamara said his organization approaches the issue of drug abuse from a health and human rights approach.

He revealed that apart from using ‘pampas’, the youths have again discovered a new drug which is grey hair of humans. Mr. Kamara recalled that the use of ‘pampas’ as a drug in Sierra Leone started in Kabala where some Chinese working in the timber industry gave it to laborers to mitigate the cold weather in that part of the country. He said those taking pampas stand the risk of dying in six month.

He called for a shift in strategy in the campaign against drug abuse by adopting a harm reduction approach. This should involve giving condoms to Female Sex Workers and syringes to those injecting drugs.

He argued that there should be change in the law so that money spent on drug abusers could be better spent on harm reduction strategy. He called on the authorities for a new law on alcohol, stating that the current law can no longer stand the test of time.

The representative of the National HIV/.AIDS Secretariat, Mr. Kemoh Sesay said People Injecting Drugs, Men Having Sex With Men and Female Sex Workers are at most risk of contracting the HIV virus.

He said there are 79,000 Female Sex Workers, 20,000 Men having Sex with Men and 16,000 people injecting drugs in the country. He added that the Secretariat has added disabled persons to the groups it will be supporting in 2020. He disclosed that the Secretariat will undertake a study on the number of disabled persons injecting drugs in 2020.

Henrietta Mbawah of the Henrietta Mbawah Foundation drew attention to the struggles ‘legal hustlers’ go through in the country and called for their protection as well noting they too struggle a lot. “There is no struggle without a story,” she said.

The meeting was intersperse with performances with key messages on drug abuse and HIV/AIDS by WANPOT, Snoop Tee, Pampas Wata, Fantasy, Wahid, King Doe Amani, Camouflag and Treasure.

The meeting was climaxed with the launch of the movie “Crips Town” by the Executive Director of the Board and Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs. This was followed by showing of the film which depicts the struggles and abuses female sex worker and drug addicts go through on a daily basis as they try to make ends meet.

Earlier, the chairman of the meeting, Lawyer Francis Gabiddon who also doubles as Consultant to the Board spoke on the need for law enforcement agencies especially the Police to discuss with legal experts issues relating to the prosecution of people who misuse and abuse diapers locally known as ‘pampas’. Lawyer Gabiddon opined that since there is no law against the abuse of pampas, the Police could be acting outside the law by arresting those using them as drug.

Freetown, Port Loko, Bo, Makeni… Water Everywhere But Hardly A Drop To Drink

February 12, 2020

By Amin Kef Sesay

There was a time in this country when the capital city Freetown was soaking with clean drinking pipe-borne water in all the communities that existed then. Pumps opened and ran ‘fiti-fata’ with water 24-7. This basic human right was not only enjoyed by Freetown dwellers but also all the main provincial district towns and even places like Segbwema.

Alas, this reality is no more seen across the country; even in the capital city where our children, women and youths are busy 24-7 searching for clean water to drink from very obscure, dubious sources that medical experts told this commentator contributes greatly to “run belleh” and other related water borne disease; some of which are life threatening to our children under five.

Access to running water is a big problem for a huge number of people across this country as deforestation takes its effect on existing water sources.

With regards growing urbanization, there has to be heightened political determination to ensure sustainable water resources based on social need rather than commercial concerns, are robustly addressed. Right now the water bottling companies are busy milking out pockets dry with a sachet sold in the provinces for Le500.

Poor supply management of watering places and the high costs of water network connections make the problem very acute in both urban and rural areas.

Because water is scarce, flush toilets that need water to remain clean are clogged with feces. People get rid of their excrement by putting them in plastic bags and throwing them anywhere. Ironically, the problem does not stem from the scarcity of water as such, but to the fact that 50 per cent of water is wasted or diverted.

To solve the problem durably requires greater access to water supply and other infrastructures and services.

Water management is complex. It is a cross-cutting resource because it affects altogether health, urban development, agriculture, industry and leisure. It also has multiple stakeholders.

As such, management of water services is complex. It requires high technical ability, permanent adaptation to changing conditions and important funds, because of the high cost of infrastructure and equipment, together with permanent maintenance needs.

Guma and SALWACO accordingly must make a realistic assessment of our water management capabilities in specific circumstances.

Importantly, we need national and international collaboration and understanding because sustainable water management represents long term security for all of us.

For a good water management policy in African cities, several challenges have to be met, such as:

– Implementation of laws and regulations giving water management to local communities

– Knowledge of water sources

– Development of a framework for the management of surface water resources

– Necessity of financial means and human resources to monitor and operate the equipments

– Informing and educating people on rational use of watering places

Proposals and recommendations for improving people’s access to drinking water include:

– Control, the development and the water supply based on the principle of demand

– Management and the rational exploitation of water resources

– Training and re-training of communities as well as the establishment of a process concerning equipments renewal

– Strengthening of the drinking water supply systems

– Establishment of a high council for water

– Setting-up of a water fund for a real management of the resource

– Establishment of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

Samuel Foryoh Needs Urgent Medical Treatment

February 12, 2020

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Samuel Foryoh, a 15 year old boy who is a resident of Loko Town, Gloucester Village in the Western Rural District and a pupil of the Sierra Leone Grammar School has on Tuesday 11^th February, 2020 called on the Government of Sierra Leone and other humanitarian organizations to come to his aid as he is presently in a very critical health situation being afflicted by an unknown disease.

Speaking to this medium in an interview at Life Care Hospital at Lumley, where he is currently admitted, Samuel Foryoh disclosed that he has been suffering from an unknown disease for the past one year, adding that sometime in March last year he started experiencing a swelling on his face and legs and since then such has continued.

He said they have sought medical treatment in so many hospitals across the country in search of a cure but said lamentably there is no hospital in Sierra Leone that has been able to diagnose the sickness he is suffering from for the past one year.

It is against such a grim backdrop that he decided to call on the Government of Sierra Leone and other humanitarian organizations to support him in order to be flown out of the country, where he believes he could be cured.

The mother of the sick child, Kadiatu Foryoh, disclosed that her son Samuel Foryoh has been experiencing swelling on his face and legs which he has been suffering from all this while.

She noted that as a family they have exhausted all they have to ensure that their son is cured but all their effort have proved futile as there are no positive signs of making any headway.

She said they have gone to so many hospitals in the country but up till now the right type of illness of Samuel is suffering from has not been diagnosed. The mother added that all the hospitals they have visited confirmed that he is suffering from a disease but cannot tell which type of disease he is suffering from.

She ended by calling on the Government of Sierra Leone and other humanitarian organizations to come to their aid as their son is presently in a very critical situation and needs urgent treatment which they believe cannot be done here in Sierra Leone but out of the country.

Members of the public who wish to support Samuel Foryoh should contact The Calabash Newspaper on 102 Soldier Street, email:calabashnewspaper@gmail.com or contact +23276482358.

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