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With Few Months to Completion… First Lady & Kings Production Boost 34 Military Hospital with Ultra-Modern Paediatric Facility

By Amin Kef Sesay

It is barley nine (9) months now since the First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio, turned the sod for the construction of a 100-bed Paediatric hospital at the 34 Military Hospital, Wilberforce in Freetown of which the construction work is mainly funded by Kings Production- Sierra Leone Limited, a non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing company that has its headquarter at Kissy in the East End of Freetown.

This medium on Friday 20th August, 2021 caught up with the Head of Joint Medical Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Army Forces, Dr. Stephen Sevalie, during which he granted an exclusive interview at his office to throw light on the significance of the 100-bed Paediatric hospital at the 34 Military Hospital when it should have been commissioned.

Dr. Stephen Sevalie profoundly commended the First Lady and Kings Production Sierra Leone Limited for coming up with the initiative of beefing up the health sector in the country, adding that the construction of the 100-bed Paediatric facility at the 34 Military Hospital is not just meant to cater for military personnel but rather for all and sundry, citizens and non-citizens.

He intimated that 80 percent of their patients are civilians from different parts of the country maintaining that  the facility under construction will give a big boost to the 34 Military Hospital generally and the entire country in particular.

The Head of Joint Medical Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Army Forces underscored that one of the key indicators that they are using to assess the country’s health sector is taking into consideration the maternal and infant mortality rates furthering how they are grappling with a lot of challenges in their strides to offer qualitative medical services to those who are in dire need of such services.

Dr. Stephen Sevalie revealed how the Ola During Memorial Hospital, on Fourah Bay Road, East End of Freetown, is also challenged with beddings revealing that in most cases 3 children are admitted to a bed reiterating that the capacity of the hospital is limited  and the infrastructure inadequate expressing optimism that with the completion of the 100-bed Paediatric hospital at the 34 Hospital such will surely be a big boost towards child care maintaining that in the long term it will also enhance positive indicators on maternal, infant and child mortality in the country.

He disclosed that over the years the 34 Military Hospital only had a 20-30 bed pediatric facility and recounted the lot of challenges faced which inevitably made it possible for only a limited number of children to be admitted adding that the move by both the First Lady and Kings Production Limited is a laudable one geared towards addressing the issue of capacity and infrastructure at the hospital.

The Head of Joint Medical Unit also noted that the chain of command of the Republic of Sierra Leone Army Forces has been very proactive towards monitoring the construction work on the facility, adding that recently Senior Management, which include the Minister of Defense; CDS, the Commander of the Joint Medical Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces visited the facility stating how during their visit to the facility they used the opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to the Office of the Lady and the Kings Production for beefing up the 34 Military Hospital and for their commitment towards ensuring the development of the health sector in the country.

He revealed that hopefully the 100-bed Paediatric hospital at the 34 Military Hospital will be completed within few months from now.

Underscoring the impact that the new facility will create within the medical landscape of the country he said  the 34 Military Hospital will no longer refer children to the Ola During Children Hospital also stating how the facility will also have a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit that will cater for children in  critical conditions, will administer Paediatric Surgery, have a neonatal ICU, a laboratory for child care, a pharmacy dedicated to children, section for child nutrition, Dental Clinic, Physiotherapy etc.

Dr. Stephen Sevalie used the opportunity to encourage other private institutions to follow the footprint of Kings Production -Sierra Leone Limited by partnering with public institutions in order to facilitate national development.

He again applauded Kings Production for supporting the Office of the First Lady to ensure that the dream of having a 100-bed Paediatric facility at the 34 Military Hospital becomes a reality.

Dr. Stephen Sevalie concluded by extending his warmest gratitude and appreciation  to the Chief Executive Officer of Kings Production Sierra Leone Limited, Khalil Hijazi,  for his exceptional support to the Office of the First Lady in translating the project to become a tangible success from which many stand to benefit.

It could be recalled that on Friday 18th December, 2020 the First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio, turned the sod for the construction of a 100-bed Paediatric hospital at the 34 Military Hospital, Wilberforce in Freetown during which ceremony the Chief Executive Officer of Kings Production Sierra Leone Limited, Khalil Hijazi in his statement said he was humbled  to be present at such an epoch making event and more especially for coming onboard to complement the efforts of the Office of the First Lady to construct a 100-bed Paediatric hospital that will replace the 34 Military Hospital.

Khalil Hijazi maintained that many will stand to benefit from the medical services that will be provided at the new facility.

The result-oriented and charismatic Chief Executive Officer intimated all present that when the project would have been completed and ready for use, members of the public should take ownership of it furthering that he will continue to give support to the First Lady to roll out more development projects.

He revealed that when the First Lady told him about her intention to transform 34 Military Hospital he immediately stepped in to be given the permission to sponsor the project.

The CEO of Kings Production told the audience that because of the numerous challenges in the healthcare sector, they thought it fit to give support to His Excellency the President and the First Lady to implement the project saying it is a laudable venture.

Khalil Hijazi ended up by extending thanks and appreciation to His Excellency the President and the First Lady for the tremendous strides they are taking to develop the country.

Setting the Records Straight… Consortium’s Claims Made Against NP-SL Are Bogus

By Amin Kef Sesay

In order to whip up public sympathy and patch up the blunder as well as the mess it has enmeshed itself in the so called new player in the petroleum landscape of this country, the All Petroleum Products (APP) Company, has now decided to use certain Civil Society Organizations to pull wool over the eyes of unsuspecting members of the public through the presentation of disjointed unrealities of how it came, what it intends doing and what is actually prevailing on the ground.

It was against such a backdrop that a consortium of handpicked Civil Society Organizations, known as Civil Society Consortium on Petroleum and Industrial Relations, headed by Moses Mambu, convened a Press Conference on the 20th August, 2021.

During the Press Conference, Head of allegedly one of the most notorious and politically infested Civil Society Organizations in the country, calling itself the Civil Rights Coalition, Alphonso Manley, probably out of sheer ignorance, made certain unfortunate insinuations against two of the most formidable petroleum importing and marketing companies operating in the country, namely the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) and Leonoil.

He made mention that NP-SL doesn’t have the facility to store petroleum products, specifically fuel, for a month. Even if that is the case any serious minded individual will tell you that if Sierra Leone, as a nation, consumes in excess of 1.1 million litres of petroleum products per day and there has been no instance of any major fuel scarcity, for quite a long time, capable of bringing the country to its knees then such a feat speaks volumes of how pro-active NP-SL Ltd is vis-à-vis the importation and marketing of petroleum products otherwise there would have been frequent dislocations or protests.

It must be highlighted at this juncture that fuel scarcities in the past were not caused because of lack of adequate storage facility but rather the vicissitudes of its availability on the world market.

If Alphonso Manley was wrongly schooled let him now learn that NP-SL Ltd do import petroleum products. He tried to create the impression that NP-SL secures fuel from Addax Company in Sierra Leone which is completely erroneous.

For argument sake, let us put it this way: how much fuel does he think Addax can produce from its sugar cane plantations at Magbass that will cater for consumption purpose in the country? How much ethanol does Addax produce to amount to metric tons that the country requires for its daily consumption of fuel? Let him provide answers to those questions.

The reality of the situation is that NP-SL conducts its oil business transactions with Addax in Geneva, Switzerland and not Addax in SL. The company imports petroleum products through Addax just like how Total imports products through its central buying office in France.

You can see how he wrongly misinformed those in attendance out of sheer lack of understanding. This medium does not know if he will resign from Civil Society as he promised to do if proven otherwise but he may want to say he got it right by naming Addax.

He went further to misinform attendees that NP-SL has prevented APP laying their pipe lines, that NP-SL discharged waste oil into the sea shore where APP workers had converged to work at the jetty causing APP to pay 63,000 dollars to clear up the waste oil. What he, however, failed to state is that originally APP approached NP-SL to allow them to pass its pipes within a certain radius which the latter graciously consented to but was later surprised to notice that the APP reneged on the agreement and overstepped the boundary offered them which amounts to blatant trespassing. This is where the bone of contention lies. But to take the argument to another level if NP-SL has no right over its area at the Kissy Terminal why in the first place did APP approach the company to allow them to pass their pipes?

On throwing waste oil by NP-SL that is just a mere fabrication to taint the good image of the company.

This brings to mind the other misinformation churned out by Alphonso Manley  that NP-SL don’t has a title bid to the land which can only be rebutted by stating that the company should have been in the net of the Anti- Corruption Commission a long time ago for illegal operation and acquisition of its area of operation.

Stating that the fuel that will be imported by APP will be of EU standard is just smooth talk as those who have been consuming fuel sold by NP-SL Ltd have not be complaining that it is giving their engines problems.

Alphonso Manley must be aware that he cannot succeed in intimidating anyone that stands together with NP-SL as he was talking so forcefully and commandingly during the Press Conference as if he was talking to his side kicks. This medium was not in the least impressed with his utterances as they were only full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

One thing that is quite certain is that since the appointment of Dr. Brima Baluwa Koroma by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio in 2018 as Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) the petroleum landscape has been characterised by chaos quite contrary to the expectations of many who inter alia thought he will initiate positive reforms from which the country will stand to benefit immensely. His leadership of the regulatory institution has been marked by setting up one petroleum importing and marketing company against another leading to mounting tensions that are inimical to overall socio-economic development quite contrary to what this New Direction Government intends for the country.

His gross incompetency in soberly dealing with sensitive and important issues relating to the petroleum industry in this country has left many wondering whether he actually deserves a Doctorate degree. Just quite recently, he again manifested his gross inadequacy in settling the impasse between the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) and the All Petroleum Products Company (APP) at the Kissy Terminal which emanated from the latter’s infringement or trespass on NP-SL’s leased area by illegally passing a pipe where they are not supposed to.

In a piece done in News 24 under the column “Echo of The Pen” and titled “Between APP & NP…. Who Is The Devil?” he made an erroneous assertion that, “From all indications, it is obvious that the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP), has declared an all-out war not only against a reputable oil company; All Petroleum Products, but the Government of His Excellency the President, Julius Maada Bio with the aim to discourage healthy competition in the industry”.

What the author failed to realize is that from the onset this medium has categorically stated that NP-SL Ltd is not in any way jittery over any form of competition whatsoever as long as it is healthy. It must be reiterated that NP-SL Ltd is not in any way trying to gain monopoly over the petroleum landscape in this country. With its forty years, not days, of unblemished qualitative service to individuals and institutions NP-SL Ltd has etched its name in the sand of times to such an extent that it is now a household name bagging the envious accolade of 1st for Customer Care. Why should it be jittery over an unknown company?

This medium may want to believe the view of one of the most outstanding Social Commentators in this country when he said that there is the likelihood that the said owners of the company may have bribed certain public officials huge sums of money which could the factor behind why they are heavily backing APP to gain a foothold here only for the latter to end up bleeding the country in an exploitative manner.

News 24 must realize that the rehabilitation or refurbishment of the Kissy Terminal, which was completely vandalized by rebels during the senseless war period, does not fall within the Mission of NP-SL Ltd which limits its operations only to the importation and marketing of petroleum products. It could have been better if the author would have proffered that it should have been the responsibility of Government to do so.

However, if this time round there has come forward a new player that has the intention of refurbishing the Kissy Terminal then it is good and fine as long as it will boost overall national development. Why would NP-SL be averse to such a positive development and decide to pick a battle with the so-called investor?

The author’s interpretation of the country’s Local Content Policy is completely out of context. In as much as competition is very much important it is but vital for our indigenous business entities to get some form of preferential treatment as opposed to foreign business entities which is by not any form of protectionism. This is best practice everywhere and not inimical to any form of direct foreign investment.

Individuals like the Executive Chairman of PRA are the very ones who are undermining the Bio led administration and as some are suggesting it is high time that he must be shown the exit door if sanity is to be restored within the petroleum landscape of this country.

Stakeholders in Administration of Local Courts Engaged by Judiciary & AG/MJ

Hon. Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu

By Elkass Sannoh

 The Judiciary of Sierra Leone and the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice on the 17th August 2021 commenced a one-week tour across the country to engage key stakeholders in the administration of Local Courts ahead of preparation to fully enforce the Local Courts Act No. 10 of 2011.

Representing the Hon. Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, one of the High Court Justices, Hon. Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu said the power in the administration of Local Courts was transferred to the Judiciary immediately the Act was legislated by the House of Parliament.

Referencing Section 5 of the Local Courts Act of 2011, Justice Allieu stated that it spelt out qualifications for appointment and appointment of officers.

According to him, the administration of Local Courts was purely the affairs of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, but because of the many challenges that confronted the Local Courts, there was urgent need to bring it under the supervision of the Hon. Chief Justice.

Among the reforms he highlighted were the establishment of Local Courts Committee; Qualification for the appointment of Local Courts Chairmen and the creation of new positions such as Vice Chairman, Account Clerk, Finance Clerk and Bailiff among others. He said when the new Act was legislated; they held trainings and public education to educate all stakeholders in the administration of justice at local level.

“We are here to also identify those challenges and how to address them,” Hon. Justice Allieu said, adding that, “the administration of justice cannot be complete if the Local Courts are not reconstituted.”

Shaid Korgie, the National Coordinator-Justice Sector Coordination Office explained that the purpose of the visit was to engage, assess and give clarity on the status of Local Courts administration.

He went on to state that the Sierra Leone 1991 Constitution made it clearly that the administration of Local Courts should be under the Judiciary and all functions performed thereto are Judicial functions. He said the Attorney General’s Office is providing the support to enhance justice delivery.

Outlining some of the key challenges, the Paramount Chief of GbaneKandor Chiefdom in Kono District, PC Edward Saa Mbawa III, said the Local Courts hasn’t got the much needed attention from the central Government, stressing that they have not received salaries for more than a year now. He stressed that nothing has been done to address those challenges.

PC Tamba E.T. Foyoh IV of Sao Chiefdom who doubles as Chairman Council of Paramount Chiefs in Kono District commended the move, noting that this confusion among stakeholders affected the smooth administration of Local Courts.

The team from the Judiciary comprised of the Court Operations Manager-Mrs Olayinka Laggah and the Head of Communications, Elkass Sannoh.

1st Passenger on AIR SENEGAL Shares His Experience

By Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura

Air Senegal which started operations on the 2nd August, 2021 in its bid to promote regional connectivity and to make air transport accessible to Sierra Leoneans has been commended for its intervention and the management of the flight praised. The airline now has a flight operating from Senegal to the Freetown International Airport (FNA), Lungi.

Before now, Sierra Leoneans wishing to travel to Senegal and Senegalese travelers to Sierra Leone were seriously constrained as there was no flight between the two countries.

Senegalese and Sierra Leoneans in Senegal wishing to travel to Freetown had to travel very early in the morning to The Gambia before they could catch a flight to Freetown.

Before the time when the flight was inaugurated the other people travelling from The Gambia to Sierra Leone have to leave their houses at 2am or 3 am to rush to the Banjul International airport in order to reach the Freetown Lungi Airport at 7:15am.

However, with this new flight someone from Senegal needs not to go to the Banjul airport at odd hours.

On the other hand, travelers in Sierra Leone wishing to travel to Senegal were faced with the constraint of traveling all the way to Conakry, Guinea where they were able to catch a flight to Senegal.

One of the first passengers, Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura (CEO and Managing Editor of The Owl Newspaper) who witnessed the inaugural programme stated that  there  was a conducted tour of the flight led by the Minister of Transport and Aviation, Kabineh Kallon, followed by the conduction of a Foreign Aircraft Safety Assessment Program (FASAP), which is the normal routine inspection conducted by the SLCAA’s flight operations team in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 6 of the Chicago Convention.

What moved the first passenger to fall in love with the airline was when the CEO of Air Senegal, Ibrahima Kane, stated while presenting the flight, Air Senegal, that the opening of the route hinges on the common will of the two States, which shared the need to connect the two countries during a State meeting.

The CEO of Air Senegal also stated that: “The introduction of Air Senegal into the Freetown International Airport (FNA) route will facilitate air travel and increase connectivity options to other parts of the world with affordable fares to stimulate growth in traffic and revenues to the potential benefits of the two countries.” He urged citizens of both countries to always access the flight as it has brought about great relief to both countries.

“The Dakar-Freetown service will offer connections via Dakar, to all the destinations already serviced by Air Senegal which are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Barcelona, Milan, Casablanca, Douala, Libreville, Cotonou, Abidjan, Nouakchott, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Praia and Bamako. The CEO added that New York and Washington will join Air Senegal’s destinations in September 2021.”

Indeed, Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Senegal, His Excellency Alhaji Braima Elvis Koroma, will always be remembered for his rolein supporting such a good initiative that will help boost  trade, investment and tourism prospects between Sierra Leone and Senegal.

According to one of the first passengers, Alhaji Bangura, he really enjoyed the friendly disposition of the air hostesses as they served delicious Africa-blend of dishes and drinks that can only be found on board Air Senegal. The flight itself, according to this passenger was smooth and without incidence while the crew along with the air hostesses can only be described as professional, caring, hospitable and dedicated to serving passengers to the best of their ability.

Inspector Generals of Police for Sierra Leone & Nigeria Sign Cooperation Agreement

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Inspector-General of the Nigeria Police, Usman Alkali Baba, signed a Cooperation Agreement with his Sierra Leonean counterpart, Dr. Ambrose Michael Sovula on the 17th August 2021 at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The Agreement is targeted at deepening and consolidating relationship between the NPF and the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) in core areas of policing such as manpower development, intelligence sharing, tackling regional and transnational threats and crimes, amongst others.

According to Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police is on a five-day working visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Republic of Sierra Leone,  David Maurice Panda-Noah.

Alkali, during the meeting, noted that “crime is dynamic especially in planning, perfection and execution, and increasingly resonating beyond the borders where it is committed”.

As a panacea for the threats, Alkali advocated amongst other things, “the need for continuous bilateral police cooperation and network to successfully confront regional security threats”.

The IGP stated that the Nigeria Police Force has a historically unique relationship with the Sierra Leone Police especially in the area of capacity building. He noted for instance that in 1996, the NPF offered slots for the training of seven Sierra Leonean cadet officers at the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano.

He proudly observed that amongst the officers trained at the time, are Ahamdu Mannah, the current Director of Operations in the Sierra Leone Police and Austin Kaile, the current Police Commissioner for the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

In addition, the IGP mentioned that 10 Senior Sierra Leonean Police officers are part of the course participants currently attending the Strategic Leadership Command Course at the Nigeria Police National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja.

The Sierra Leone delegation with the IGP and his team Dr. Sovula thanked Alkali for approving the participation of 10 Senior Sierra Leonean Police officers in the ongoing Strategic Leadership and Command Course at the Nigeria Police National Institute of Police Studies, Abuja.

He commended the leadership of the NPF for the collaboration especially in the area of training and capacity building and expressed his belief that it will enhance the strategic management and operational visibility of the Sierra Leone Police.

The Minister of Internal Affairs and leader of the Sierra Leonean delegation,  David Maurice Panda-Noah, in his remarks, expressed the appreciation of the Government and People of Sierra Leone for the collaborative relationship between the two Police organizations. He affirmed that the synergy has indeed impacted positively on policing services in Sierra Leone.

He expressed hope that the signing of the Cooperation Agreement would enable both countries perfect a Memorandum of Understanding that would help evolve a formidable policing collaboration between the two West African countries.

Meanwhile, Alkali has reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force would sustain valuable relationship with other Law Enforcement partners within the West-African region and across the globe towards enhancing policing exchanges and staging common regional front in tackling crimes and criminality and improving public safety and security.

The bilateral policing engagement also had in attendance, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Sierra Leone to Nigeria, Dr. Solomon Momoh Christopher, members of the NPF Management Team, Senior Officers of the Nigeria Police Force and other Members of the Sierra Leone Police delegation.

Vice President Encourages Ministers to Deliver on President Bio’s Manifesto Promises

By Theresa Kef Sesay

During a Ministerial clinic on deliverables organized by the Chief Minister at State House on the 17th August, 2021 the Honourable Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, called on Ministers to implement key manifesto promises of President Julius Maada Bio.

Dr. Jalloh stated that the New Direction Government is in the process of stock taking of major manifesto commitments stating that what that means is evaluating the translation of the commitments into realities on the ground.

He encouraged the Ministers to embark on tangible programmes that can be seen on the ground by the public, adding  how  such concrete developments should centered on the manifesto promises of President Bio.

The Honourable Vice President categorized the methodological framework of delivery as soft and hard. Dr. Jalloh explained soft delivery as policy formulation, legislative reforms and meeting international benchmarks; citing the abolition of the death penalty as manifesto commitment of the present Government.

He stated that hard delivery is about tangible delivery that can be seen by the public. He cited increased health budget from 6% to 11% from 2018 to present that resulted to the recruitment of more nurses that are seen in hospitals across the country, and the employment of more teachers to boost the Government Free Quality Education Programme as some examples.

Vice President Jalloh described the four clinical deliverables on infrastructure, governance, economy and human capital development as critical areas for delivery by the New Direction Government.

“The clinic will help to identify deliverables within the clusters,” the Vice President emphasized and maintained that the manifesto commitment of President Bio is an elaboration of the Medium Term National Development Plan that puts the manifesto into a national document.

Dr. Jalloh referred to the delivery clinic as a method through which consistency of delivery of essential programmes in the Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) are ensured.

Vice President Jalloh pointed out that the objective of the clinic is to put Ministers and senior Government officials within Ministries in a delivery mindset. He elaborated that the clinic is meant to enable Ministers realized that there are tools used by the Government and President Bio to deliver on specific mandates of the Ministers.

Vice President Jalloh reechoed the relevance of the clinic for the understanding of delivery mechanism, particularly for Government to track deliverables derived from the mandate the people of Sierra Leone gave to President Bio.

He named ‘agency factor’ as a critical factor or challenge in the delivery process noting how agency factor will prevent tangible delivery if not properly managed, despite commitments, well progressive MTNDP, and money. He stated that the people responsible to ensure the policy chain function well should be supervised.

Paramount Chiefs Recommend to Chief Justice in order to Sanitize the Justice System

By Elkass Sannoh

Paramount Chiefs, Chiefdom authorities and other stakeholders in the administration of Local Courts on the 18thAugust 2021 made recommendations to the Hon. Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards in order to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of the 2011 Local Courts Act.

The Paramount Chief Member of Parliament of Magbema Chiefdom in Kambia District, Hon. PC Bai Farama Tass Bubu N’gbak IV in his recommendations said to enhance justice delivery at local level in accordance with the Local Courts Act, there is urgent need to pay all Chairmen and other officers of the Court. He went on to recommend that those currently occupying various positions should be maintained and any other vacancy already created in some Chiefdoms should be filled by the Hon. Chief Justice in consultation with the Paramount Chiefs in the various Chiefdoms.

He also recommended for a review of the Act to make certain provisions explicitly understandable.

Earlier in Bekeh Loko Chiefdom, Pork Loko District, Ibrahim Sheriff, a Local Court Clerk recommended that the Judiciary should provide professional training for all Local Courts officers including the Chiefdom Police.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution Officer from Legal Aid Board in Port Loko District, Mustapha Kallon, said excessive fines levied at the Local Courts had undermined the administration of justice, adding that, “they will even encourage both parties, that is, complainant and accused, to bet for a certain amount as to who will win. This betting system is exploitative.”

The ADR Officer therefore recommended that the team from the Judiciary and Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice should discard such system as it will always disadvantage the poor complainant or accused person.

In his presentation, the Team Leader Hon. Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu assured that all the recommendations will be submitted to the Honourable Chief Justice and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, stressing that their primary recommendation should be employment to legitimize the status of the current acting Local Courts officers.

“I can’t conclude without telling you the unprecedented reforms under the current leadership,” said Hon. Justice Allieu, noting that in just three years the Judiciary has deployed Magistrates across every District, deployed Resident High Court Judges in places where there were no sitting Judges, provided conducive working environment and the enhancement of expeditious trials at all levels.

He also assured that the Act will be fully implemented with the active involvement of the Paramount Chiefs.

The Principal Legal Assistant to the Sierra Leone Government in the Law Officer’s Department, Lahai Farma, called on the Paramount Chiefs to support the implementation of the Act by using their authority to mediate and arbitrate to ensure sustenance of peace and stability.

He cautioned them not to be exerting excessive power which will undermine the peace of the Chiefdom. He reiterated that the Act has not in any-way removed the respect and traditional authority from them.

The delegation also travelled to Bo and Kenema before travelling to Kailahun District.

In Port Loko… Amazonian Initiative Movement to Replace Two Bondo Bushes with Schools

By Mary Kabay

A two day consultative meeting was held with stakeholders of Rosengbeh Village, Koya Chiefdom in the Port Loko District and Matotoka Town in the Tonkolili District respectively by the Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM), which is a humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization based in Port Loko District with support from BMZ/PfefferminzGreen.

The two day consultative meeting was geared towards knowing the felt needs of the community stakeholders for the construction of Modern Primary and Secondary schools in replacement of two secret society (Bondo) bushes in the two districts.

The organisation is also geared towards rebranding the socio-cultural status quo in Sierra Leone with emphasis on Female Genital Mutilation abolishment.

During the consultative meeting there were sessions of cultural displays and traditional songs by the people of Rosengbeh and Matotoka communities.

Dilating on the importance of the consultative meeting, the Executive Director of AIM-SL, Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay Koroma, applauded stakeholders in the two communities for attending the meeting adding that her organisation decided to construct the two schools as a replacement of the Bondo society bushes.

She intimated that education has been proven to be a successful agent of change in terms of ending female genital mutilation (FGM), known as Bondo in Sierra Leone.

The Executive Director stated how her organisation is fighting tooth and nail to help women and girls who suffer depression as a result of certain traditions in the country.

She further informed the gathering that in the northern part, people have what they call ‘Yanka’ where girls are kept for three years leading to the tendency of destroying their future.

Madam Turay said during their stay in the bush, the initiates are denied educational opportunities and that is why her organization has its focus on the rural communities and replacing the bushes with modern schools.

“I want people to know that I am part of the Bondo society and I am proud of it but hate the FGM aspect. We still have the highest infant mortality rate in the world, yet we are scared to talk about FGM which is a contributing factor,” Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay strongly pointed out.

She underscored how rural women and girls are the victims of the practice adding that educated people hardly involve their children but they are the ones sponsoring the construction of Bondo bushes in communities.

Madam Turay informed stakeholders that it is difficult to find a politician who sponsors the initiation of his/her daughter but said they are the ones bankrolling the initiation of young girls in rural communities.

“We want politicians to stop the act of constructing Bondo bushes because they are not doing same for the Poro society. They are taking advantage of the high illiteracy rates amongst rural women to promote what will always put them at the back. We must put a stop to this,” Rugiatu determinedly stated.

She cited that the Bondo society is for women and not children, emphasizing the implementation of the two projects that would be commencing in earnest in some communities which are expected to provide the land.

“If we do not start to protect our children at this age for them to know that they are being trained into womanhood through our culture, they will think everything about a woman is pain. The Bondo society is an institution where we meet and interact irrespective of our political alliances, educational background and status. When we are in the society we are all the same and so we want to ensure we bring back the good things that have been eroded,” Rugiatu stated.

She maintained that, AIM-SL will continue implementing the project “Replacing the Bondo Bush with Schools” as well as working with children and communities that have agreed to replace their Bondo bushes with schools.

Rugiatu added that the focus as an organisation for now is to stop the cutting and make sure they bring good things back in communities to save women and girls.

She called on everyone to see the need to join the campaign to maintain Bondo without FGM.

The Program Manager of AIM SL, Alpha Kamara also buttressed the importance of replacing the Bondo bushes at Rosengbeh and Matotoka communities with modern schools.

He said the replacement of these schools is part of AIM-SL strides to eliminate the practice of FGM in the country.

One of the women at Rosengbeh Village, Fatmata Kargbo, expressed thanks and appreciation to Madam Rugiatu Neneh Turay for the thought she has for them adding that their support for politicians has not benefited them and they still remain vulnerable.

She said the project will be wholeheartedly embraced to serve as a conduit to abandon their Bondo bushes for schools because education is the only key for the success of women and girls.

The Chief of Rosengbeh Village, Pa Abu Kanu, joyfully mood thanked Madam Rugiatu Turay for the gesture adding that their is a village of over two thousand inhabitants without a school.

The Chief said they have been soliciting support from politicians for so many years but to no avail. He thanked AIM-SL for considering them adding that they will swiftly provide the land to the organisation for the immediate commencement of the project.

“This is our felt need, we have long since beyearning for and we are going to identify the Bondo bush to replace it with the modern school,” the Chief said.

The Paramount Chief of Teneh Chiefdom, in the Tonkolili District, PC Bai Kafare II, said he has no doubt in Madam Rugiatu Turay and AIM-SL for such a breaking news.

Renowned Businessman Lectures Njala University Students

By Ralph Sesay (PRO Njala University)

The Chief Executive and Founder of Sam King-Services, Sam King, was on the 18th August 2021 hosted by Njala University to deliver a lectureon the topic ‘’Entrepreneurial Perspective to Modern Education Featuring Njala University” at the University Auditorium.

The guest lecture is the third series organized courtesy of the Strategic Partnership for Higher Education, Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) under the Assuring Quality in Higher Education Project, Sierra Leone (AQHED-SL) in collaboration with the Agri-Business Management Department in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Andrew Baimba intimated the students that he was at the session to add value to what the SPHEIR/AQHED and the Department of Agri-Business at the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences were doing to empower students.

He disclosed that University education is not only about the conventional form of teaching and learning but  also about listening to the experiences of experts and professionals in various fields and encouraged them to pay attention to the Entrepreneurial journeying of the Guest Speaker,  Sam-King, and learn from his experiences.

Sam-King started his lecture by likening his entrepreneurial journey to Njala University an institution which according to him had contributed immensely over the decades in the areas of research in rice farming, agronomy, animal husbandry, poultry farming, agricultural economics management, and engineering attracting the best of brains in the sub-region.

The CEO and founder of Sam-King Services continued that Njala University was a hub for agricultural research and science and noted that the West African Institute for Oil Palm (WAIFOR) was hosted at Njala University and the knowledge gained from the research was exported overseas to Malaysia and other Indo-Pacific regions.

He further told the staff and students that Njala University was the global leader in conducting research into how palm oil can be grown on an industrial scale but that it took the entrepreneurship minds of the Malaysian Government to operationalize the production of palm oil on an industrial scale. That, according to him is now raising an average net of US$ 16 billion per annum for the Malaysian economy.

The Guest Speaker cited Dr. Amadu Maturi, Professor Aiah Gbakima, Dr. Monty Jones, Joseph LoiusBoboh, Professor Nathaniel Kuyembah, Dr. Rashid Noah for immensely contributing to the development of sectors such as animal husbandry, onchocerciasis, New rice for Africa (NERICA) rice, botany, and engineering putting Njala University at the center of research, science, and engineering

The entrepreneur noted that amidst that enviable history and academic prowess in the last four decades, Njala University is currently challenged in terms of sustaining those gains and this is as a result of a combination of factors ranging from bad political governance, economic, technological, institutional degradation, the civil war, brain drain, corruption, and other complex variables.

He recommended a curriculum review to integrate creative problem-solving effective communication skills, project management, people management skills, leadership skills amongst several others.

Mr. Sam King concluded by emphasizing that rejuvenating Njala University would require the preparation of a compelling Business Plan, strengthening a strong sense of integrity to regain public trust, engaging in transformational research and partnerships, and establishing a Strategic Planning and Development Steering Committee.

Sam–King was accompanied by Amara Sowa, Coordinator for President Bio’s Education Flagship Project, and Morlai Buya Kamara a Project Management Expert.

The Free Quality Education Coordinator lauded him and Njala University for integrating Entrepreneurship into the curriculum of Higher Education and reported that Free Quality Education has increased access to Basic Education since 2018.

That, according to him, would correspondingly increase access to higher education numbers and graduates in the next coming years who will be challenged with securing jobs and hence the trajectory to move towards entrepreneurship is the way to go.

The session ended with a question and answer session in which students asked for clarifications and also made meaningful contributions.

Statistics-SL Unveils July 2021 Consumer Price Index

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats-SL), the institution that is charged with the responsibility of compiling statistical data in the country has on Wednesday 18th August, 2021 during a well-attended press held at its headquarters on Tower Hill in Freetown released the Consumer Price Index for July 2021.

It must be noted that in Sierra Leone, prices are collected for 437 items at prevailing retail market prices from six (6) markets in Freetown and three (3) markets each in Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Kono for weekly prices and prices are also collected from other outlets on a monthly basis as their prices are less likely to fluctuate weekly.

The Modified Laspeyres formula is used to compute indices and is classified according to the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose with 12 functions.

Giving highlights on the CPI for July, the Deputy Statistician General, Statistics Sierra Leone, Andrew Bob Johnny, said that the National Inflation Rate for July 2021 CPI show that annual national inflation (year-on-year) stood at 10.50 percent, up by 0.30 percentage point from 10.20 percent in June 2021; and the monthly inflation is 1.53 percent; up by 0.88 percentage points from 0.65 percent in June, 2021.

He pointed out that the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the measure of the average price level of selected goods and services in the country and that the inflation rate is the percentage change between the CPIs of any two periods; which could be monthly, 3-monthly or 12-monthly also known as year on-year.

Andrew Bob Johnny added that the year on year rate is the mostly considered for economic decision making and macroeconomic analyses because it compares current situation with one year back, furthering that inflation rate is important to gauge because it affects the consumption pattern of consumers, production, cost of producers and policies of government and development partners.

The Deputy Statistician General revealed that alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics increased from 12.18 percent in June 2021 to 19.52 percent in July 2021 and the inflation rate increased by 7.34 percentage point’s year-on-year. He added that transport increased from 3.67 percent in June 2021 to 10.85 percent in July 2021 and the inflation rate increased by 7.18 percentage points year-on-year.

In summary, he said that July year-on-year national inflation rate continued in double digit and is above the estimates of the Western region but below Eastern, Northern and Southern regional estimates; only Western region (8.73 percent) registered a single digit. Food inflation rate moderated in July and was surpassed by inflation rates of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics and furniture, household equipment and household maintenance, adding that non-food inflation increased by 1.85 percentage points and was propelled by alcoholic beverages, tobacco ,narcotics and transport.

Andrew Bob Johnny concluded by stating that July year-on-year national inflation rate indicates an increase u by 0.30 percentage point from 10.20 percent in June 2021.

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