Bolloré Boosts Moa Wharf with Water Purification and Filtration Machine

June 21, 2021

By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility within its surrounding operational areas, Bolloré Transport and Logistics has, on Friday 18^th June, 2021, donated a Water Purification and Filtration Machine with one Tricycle worth over Ninety Million Leones to the Moa Wharf community. The handing over ceremony took place at the company’s Queen Elizabeth II Quay office at Cline Town in Freetown.

Handing over the Water Purification and Filtration Machine with one Tricycle, Head of Communications/Public Relations of Bolloré Transport and Logistics, Gassimu S. Fofana, disclosed that the move by the company to make the donation formed part of the company’s efforts to implement its Corporate Social Responsibility.

He added that they are giving out the state of the art Water Purification and Filtration Machine, with all its accessories, to residents of the Moa Wharf community in order to create some form of employment and give them a reliable source of income.

He disclosed that prior to the donation they received a request in order to support the community with a Water Purification and Filtration Machine and one Tricycle in order to help give a new face lift to the community further stating that as a responsible company that strictly adheres to the implementation of its Corporate Social Responsibility decided to answer to their call within the shortest possible time.

Receiving the items, Chairman of Moa Wharf community, Abubakarr Barrie, expressed appreciation to Bolloré Transport and Logistics for responding to their request by supporting them with the Water Purification and Filtration Machine and the Tricycle which he described as not only important but a timely intervention.

He added that the Water Purification and Filtration Machine with the Tricycle will be used for its intended purpose, adding that the move by the company will contribute greatly towards the development and improvement of the community.

The Chairman revealed that over the years they have witnessed a lot of constraints in terms of securing pure drinking water in the community but said he is of the strong conviction that with the Water Purification and Filtration Machine that the company donated to them it will surely reduce those challenges within the community.

Headman of Moa Wharf Community, Manica Bangura, also applauded Bolloré Transport and Logistics for the kind gesture.

He disclosed that the Moa Wharf community has a population of about ten thousand residents of which he said once there is water crisis residents suffer the most especially children and that it in that regard they decided to make a humble appeal to the company in order to support them with the Water Purification and Filtration Machine stating how they are very overwhelmed that the company responded to their request.

He assured the company that the income that will be derived will be used to fund development activities within the community and also support school going pupils with scholarships and school materials.

The event was climaxed by the official handing over ceremony of the items by the Head of Communications/Public Relations, Bolloré Transport and Logistics, Gassimu S. Fofana, to the Chairman and Headman of the Moa Wharf community.

Over Allegation of Illegal Utilization of Public Funds … ACC Exonerates Fatima Bio

June 21, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

In a Media Release dated 18th June, 2021 the country’s anti-graft institution stated that the public may recall that on the 9th February, 2021, it confirmed commencement of an investigation into the Office of the First Lady, related to the payments to and expenditures of public funds by the said Office following allegations of illegal access to Public Funds by holders of the said Conventional Office in Sierra Leone in recent years, including the Current First Lady.

In that light the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) stated how it wishes to inform the general public that it has concluded the probe and hereby confirms the following:

The Commission stated that the conclusions of the investigation established that the Office of the First Lady is not established by any specific law, but has been recognized and accepted as a Conventional Office within the governance architecture of Sierra Leone and had accordingly been accorded avenues to access Public funds, including travel per diems, projects and official responsibilities like State Dinners and entertainment for over 20 years.

According to the ACC, such is established by the fact that the Accountant-General’s Department confirmed resource allocations to the said Office and its accounts and expenditure were duly audited in 2019 by the Audit Service Sierra Leone as part of the audit process for Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the State.

The ACC furthered that its records confirmed that Billions of Leones had been received by the said Office for travel, medical and other attendant costs in each of the past 14 years and that the travels were verified and confirmed to have been within the established Government policy of access to the said funds.

It continued by stating how the Office of the First Lady had been engaged in charity works and the provision of targeted supports to the various occupants of the Office of the President with regard identified and specific projects for the past 14 years adding that Public funds were used to effect those supports and projects, including the “Women’s Initiative for Safer Health” (WISH) bed nets projects by former First Lady, Sia Nyama Koroma, with support from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, and the “Hands Off Our Girls” Campaign by First Lady, Fatima Bio, with support from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs.

The ACC maintained that with respect to specific payments made to the First Lady, Fatima Bio, it confirmed that it was done in compliance with Section 39 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 that gives the State authority to expend State funds to unallocated Head of expenditure to a certain threshold, to “necessary” public cause(s) in the interest of the Public and that the said allocations were confirmed to be the exercise of the discretion provided by law to the Minister of Finance.

The Commission added that other issues of expenditure, including prudential financial management, procurement issues, the interface between charitable donations to the said Office with public funds, etc. will be dealt with within the framework of the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 saying they will be giving due deference to those recommendations and act on them accordingly.

The Anti-Corruption Commission stated that based on the above and upon analyzing the records of accounts, official approval documents and the legal and regulatory framework concerning payments made to the Office of the First Lady since 2007 to date, they therefore confirmed that there is not, at this stage, any criminal responsibility in the process of payments to and expenditures relating to, the Office of the First Lady further maintaining that the investigation has been accordingly closed by the ACC while the issues pertaining to the audit recommendation have been referred to the Prevention Department of the Commission for follow-up on the compliance by the Office of the First Lady with the Audit recommendations and other related prevention work in that regard.

It ended by extending thanks to the public for their interest and support and reassured the public of its commitment to protecting public funds as well as to address all levels of corruption throughout Sierra Leone.

It is Expected that Fuel Price May Go Up due to External Factors

June 21, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

Human existence would not have been imaginable in the absence of petroleum products. Our very lives hinges on the consumption of these products in one way or the other. Petrol and diesel are used on a daily basis to power vehicles that transport people and goods from one location to the other. Petroleum products are used, in some cases, to generate electricity for domestic and industrial uses respectively, for cooking purposes were as lubricants help in making engines work efficiently and smoothly. There are indeed various ways these petroleum products can add value to human survival which at this moment time and space could not allow to copiously enumerate here.

It has been established that Sierra Leone, as a nation, consumes in excess of 1.1 million litres of petroleum products per day but interestingly the country can only store 40% of what is used per day.

Since this country is a net importer of petroleum products, having an inadequate storage facility with only one jetty what this means is that there is frequent replenishment which is done every two weeks.

To compound this precarious situation vis-à-vis the importance of petroleum products to human existence the frequent replenishment has prompted certain unscrupulous individuals to seize that opportunity to hoard petroleum products or speculate against the availability of petroleum products most times leading to panic buying with black marketers having field days by inflating pump prices.

It must be underscored at this juncture that Sierra Leone does not determine its oil or pump prices. The prices of petroleum products are determined by a combination of the international Oil reference price (PLATTS) and the foreign exchange rate.

In other words, the pump price of petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, kerosene etc. in the country, is efficiently determined by a +/-5% trigger mechanism of the landed cost, that is the cost of landing the shipped petroleum products in the country and that is mostly driven by the combined effect of the International Oil Reference Price (Platts) and available as well as accessible Foreign Exchange.

However, the country’s pricing regime is well structured, transparent and reviewed monthly. From what this medium gathered, pump prices of petroleum products changed six (6) times since 2018 and out of those, it was reduced three (3) times during that period.

It is good to note that in spite of the hike in global prices, the Government of Sierra Leone has kept the pump price of petrol and diesel unchanged at Le8, 500 per litre which comparatively is far lower than per litre prices in the entire West African sub-region. In other words, the country’s fuel prices are the lowest in the sub-region. The matrix below clearly shows this on a comparative basis of sub-regional fuel prices converted in Le/Litre as at 31^st May, 2021 taking into consideration: Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana and The Gambia:

Petrol– Sierra Leone Le 8,500.00, Guinea: Le 9,450.00, Liberia: Le 7,879.33, Ivory Coast: Le 11,728.05, Ghana: Le 11,240.11, The Gambia Le 11,453.17.

For Diesel the comparison is as follows: Sierra Leone: Le 8,500.00, Guinea: Le 9,450.00, Liberia: Le 9, 192.49, Ivory Coast Le 11, 728.05, Ghana: Le 11, 172.45, The Gambia: Le10, 904.09.

In terms of Kerosene the comparison is as such: Sierra Leone: Le 8, 500.00, Guinea -, Liberia: Le13, 279.25, Ivory Coast Le10, 583.85, Ghana: Le9, 076.84, The Gambia: Le 8,573.04.

The Exchange Rate source is the Bank of Sierra Leone as at June, 3^rd 2021. What this tells us is that at the moment we have the cheapest fuel pump price within the West African sub-region.

This medium was further made to understand that between May and December 2020, although there were oil price increases all over the sub-region and in the world, the Government did not allow the high costs to be passed on to the poor consumers. At first Government suspended the automatic pricing adjustment mechanism since May 2020 to date.

The Government intervened by injecting about Le66bn during that period and Le17.43bn in January 2021 to support the pump price stabilization. Again, since May 2020 to June 2021 Government has subsidized about Le132.11bn.

In as much as there has been a rise in the price of crude oil on the world market as it is the case at this material time, the rate and manner in which the Government of Sierra Leone will continue to sustain leveraging subsidy on petroleum products could largely depend on how much Government will continue to mobilize additional revenue over a specific period of time.

As a matter of fact it is worthy of note that the intervention of the Government, as had been stated in terms of subsidies, was dictated by the wild prevalence of COVID-19 in order to lessen economic hardship brought about by the spread of the virus.

The apprehension now is whether the mentioned stance of Government will be maintained amidst competing funding for the implementation of various development programmes.

What for now is certain is the undiluted truism that conditions on the world market are not favorable in terms of seeing a downward trend in the prices of petroleum products and it is something that is bound to affect developing nations like Sierra Leone negatively leaving most people, who are oblivious of the market realities on the ground, blaming Government whenever there is an increase in pump price though the latter does not import and market petroleum products.

NP-SL Ltd Impressively & Ceaselessly Availing Qualitative Products & Services

June 21, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

The well-established oil marketing company that has been operating in the country for quite a long period of time now, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, NP (SL-Ltd) is relentless enhancing its strides to always ensure that its imported petroleum products are available on the market and easily accessible to its numerous and esteemed customers. Management of the company has made it a matter of must for these products to be present in all the nook and cranny of the country.

NP-SL Limited, as a private entity, is purely an indigenous company that has mastered the art of importing and marketing petroleum products which include petrol, diesel, gas as well as certified lubricants, one of which is the widely used Castrol oil.

Amidst various challenges that have been encountered since the company was established, it has, however, successfully weathered those storms that could have dwarfed it or exposed it to extinction, save therapeutic intermittent Managerial injections that keep it upright and on the right course.

Demonstrating its true Sierra Leonean identity the company has maintained a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.

As a matter of fact some members of staff continue to benefit from various trainings that have afforded them the conduit to imbibe useful skills to efficiently carry out certain assigned tasks. If we are counting the number of companies that have upheld the Local Content Policy, without any iota of doubt, NP-SL could be seen at the top.

This intrinsic nationalistic posture of the company runs through and it is a sine qua non to overall national development. If such a compliance rate should have been followed by other local companies, willingly, without any pressure from the relevant authorities then indisputably this country should have been miles away in its development trajectory.

Business Management experts have made it abundantly clear that the way and manner in which customers are cared for in terms of talking to them, making them feel at ease go a long way in attracting them. Such should be done sincerely in order to make them more important. NP-SL for a very long period now has executed it so well which definitely is paying dividends.

1st for Customer Care was earned by the company because it has been widely acclaimed by many for solidly executing such.

In its drive to optimize customer satisfaction the company went the extra mile to install calibrated pumping machines which are not only modern but trustworthy, as opposed to old pumping machines which certain unscrupulous individuals used to cheat unassuming customers.

This is helping to repose confidence in customers that they are dealing with a very transparent entity. The friendliness of their pump attendants is very impressive and they are always there to timely respond to various concerns.

Still within the purview of 1st for Customer Care, the company is always in a position to enter into payment plans with its reliable and dependable customers including Ministries, Departments and Agencies for supplied fuel and lubricants as long as all the necessary modalities have been put in place.

When cognizance is taken of the fact that some of these institutions receive intermittent budgetary allocations then such an arrangement is very significant. Its significance in real terms borders on functional continuity of those institutions as they will be assured of supplies of petroleum products in as much as they keep honouring their obligations.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the required financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA). NP is one big tax payer to Government and it has been doing so timely.

NP-SL remains undaunted, unperturbed amidst all the challenges it is going through and conscientiously it is steadily contributing to the socio-economic development of the country as well as positively changing communities and lives.

Statements by the Spokesperson, Mr Zhang Yungui, of the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone on the Night Watch Newspaper’s baseless report about China

June 18, 2021

Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone H.E. Hu Zhangliang

Chinese Embassy Communications

Our attention has been drawn to an article published by the Night Watch Newspaper on June 15, 2021, titled China and its love for abusing Africans. The article made slanders at China by hyping up an isolated case sensationally and wantonly made accusations on other China-related issues. I would like to make the following statements.

First, the unfortunate physical conflict occurred on June 8, 2021 between a Chinese staff of China Railway Seventh Group and a Sierra Leonean staff of Kingho Mining Company was an individual and isolated case. Both sides reconciled and made peace on June 10, 2021.

This unexpected and unpleasant case happened mainly because of the inaptness of communication and misunderstanding of the Chinese staff and there was no such a thing of abuse as alleged by the above-mentioned report. The misrepresentation of the case by the author of the article would only serve to stir up trouble again, which should be opposed by all peace-loving and sober-minded people.

Meanwhile, the article claimed that Chinese enterprises have been mistreating local employees in many African countries, which is fictitious and exaggerating. China-Africa cooperation has been further deepened and expanded over the years. The overwhelming majority of the Chinese enterprises in Africa have been operating in full compliance with the local laws and regulations. While promoting local economic development and creating a large number of job opportunities, they have also been actively fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities and promoting common development. Some individual cases or incidences should not be used to label a country or a nation.

Second, what the article claimed that the Xinjiang Education and Training Centers in China are “concentration camps” and there exist “forced labor” and “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang is not only groundless but also of ill-intention. Xinjiang-related issues are in essence not about human rights, ethnicity or religion, but about fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, which has a bearing on China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

For a time, some western politicians, scholars and media have been playing the political trick of fabricating lies of “genocide,””forced labor,””forced birth control,””systematic sexual abuse and mistreatment” in Xinjiang and spreading these rumors vociferously with an attempt to disrupt and contain China. However, such accusations are apparently absurd. According to the results of the Seventh National Population Census in 2021, the Uygur population in Xinjiang increased by 1.623 million or 16.2 percent from 2010 to 2020.

During the same period, Xinjiang saw rapid economic and social development with people’s living standards continuously improved. The author of above-mentioned article, in total disregard of facts, chose to turn a blind eye to the tremendous development strides made in Xinjiang and repeated the fallacies gleaned from certain western media. This is totally in contravention of professional journalistic ethics.

Third, virus origin-tracing is a scientific issue as far as the Covid-19 pandemic is concerned and should not be politicized. China has always been open, transparent and cooperative and has invited WHO experts to China twice for origin-tracing cooperation. Certain anti-China forces have been sparing no efforts in using the pandemic to stigmatize China, which has severely disrupted and undermined international origin-tracing cooperation.

The place where the outbreak of a virus is first reported is not necessarily the place where the virus originated. More and more reports and researches indicate that COVID-19 pandemic could have occurred in some parts of Europe and America long before it was discovered in Wuhan, China.

China has made tremendous efforts, achieved strategic results and provided strong support to many other countries in fighting the pandemic and saving lives. Over a year, China has provided US$2 billion aid to developing countries in fighting the pandemic and restoring economic and social development including the anti-pandemic material assistance to more than 150 countries and 13 international organizations.

While vigorously promoting vaccination at home, China has donated vaccines to more than 80 countries, including Sierra Leone, and exported vaccines to 43 countries. Up to now, China has provided in different ways more than 300 million doses of vaccine to the world, more than any other country on the earth.

Going forward, China will continue to enhance solidarity and cooperation with the international community to jointly fight the virus, and contribute to stable global economic growth and the building of a community of health for all. Any attempt to defame China and sabotaging China-Africa cooperation is doomed to fail.

The Famous Cotton Tree

June 18, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

The oldest of its kind in Sierra Leone, at the site where formerly enslaved people are said to have founded the city of Freetown.

THE HISTORIC SYMBOL OF FREETOWN, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a large kapok tree known as the “Cotton Tree.” According to legend, the tree gained importance in 1792 when a group of formerly enslaved people settled the site of what is now Freetown.

After the American Revolution, the British granted freedom to the enslaved people who had fought with the Crown during the war. Some so-called “Black Loyalists” were given land and supplies to resettle in British-controlled Nova Scotia, while others went to London and parts of the Caribbean. In 1787, some 4,000 formerly enslaved people were resettled in Sierra Leone—regardless of where they or their ancestors had originally come from. Five years later, another group emigrated from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone.

According to the story, when the first boat arrived, they walked up to a large tree just above the bay and held a Thanksgiving service there, praying and singing hymns. That tree still stands, now between the courthouse and the National Museum. Though its exact age is unknown, it is known to have existed in 1787 and believed to be the oldest cotton tree in the nation. The Cotton Tree is an iconic monument in the capital and appears on the 10,000 Leones banknotes.

Ambassador Petito Koroma Justifies his Stance for Praising President Bio

June 18, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

Former Head of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) and popular political heavy weight, Ambassador Alimamy Petito Koroma, is currently contending with insignificant dissenting voices within the All People’s Congress (APC) Party for simply being frank to express his view that President Julius Maada Bio was, in the recent past, indeed magnanimous in his actions towards him, a statement which he made during the occasion of the 229th Anniversary of the Baptist Church on Regent Road in the central part of Freetown on Sunday 13 June 2021.

When former President Ernest Koroma was Head of State it was rumoured and alleged that Petito, as he is commonly called, financially supported many SLPP senior members including the current President, Julius Maada Bio, John Benjamin, Dr. Abass Bundu, Musa Tarawalie, and many others. Lamentably, none of those who received his support publicly disclosed that but rather turned against him calling him all sorts of names.

While some are busy castigating him others have commended Petito for being honest enough to say what President Julius Maada Bio did for him. He said the President called him and sympathized with him when he lost in his bid to come forward to be a Presidential flagbearer.

Petito furthered how President Bio sent a high powered delegation to sympathize with him upon the death of his lovely wife, Mrs. Linda Koroma.

Also, Petito was merely expressing gratitude to the President for having consoled him when he lost the flag bearer race in Makeni and his wife respectively.
Petito was simply telling his hearers that the APC party then that denied him of the flagbearer position is no more.

This medium was also made to understand that powerful members of the APC including ,Alimamy Petito Koroma, have all been systematically targeted and destroyed by forces within the very party that they claimed to be the dinosaurs of.

There is a school of thought which goes with the belief that former President Koroma tried to destroy the political career of Ambassador Alimamy Koroma when he baselessly fired him in a press release stating that, he had relieved him from his duties as Works Minister simply because of incompetence.

The ex-President later reappointed him as Ambassador to The People’s Republic of China. To make matters more difficult for the fine gentleman, when he declared his intention to run for the APC flag bearer, he was forced to resign as both member of NAC and APC Chairman Kambia District, while another flag bearer aspirant Hon. Minkailu Mansaray wasn’t relieved from his positions as NAC member and also Western Region Chairman.

In a research conducted by this medium it was learnt that at the height of the senseless eleven years bloody rebel war in Sierra Leone, while people like Ambassador Alimamy Petito Koroma and members of the Inter-Religious Council were busy in Abidjan negotiating a peace deal with the rebels, some big men were seated in their cozy air conditioning offices drinking champagne only later to enjoy the fruit of Ambassador Petito’s labour.

According to a leaked information from Makeni because Ambassador Alimamy Petito Koroma did not face one of the Commissions of Inquiry and therefore is in a better stead to be democratically elected as the APC flag bearer for 2023, he should be targeted by some clandestine forces to prevent him by all means necessary.

One indisputable fact that has been established by this medium is that
the video making the rounds about Petito hailing President Bio is a calculated ploy to tarnish his hard won character.

It must be reiterated that the only crime certain persons within the APC Party are accusing Petito of is welcoming President Bio in the Baptist Church.

In an exclusive interview with this medium Petito says he takes full responsibility for the statement he made adding how he believes he didn’t do any wrong stating how an attitude of gratitude should be the mantra of every good and meaningful citizen.

He further intimated how he was right to express gratitude for times the President stood by him maintaining that those thinking they can score a political goal should have a rethink.

World Bank Boosts Education Sector with $6.85 Million

June 18, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

Funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) under the Free Education Project Sierra Leone will receive $6.85 million in additional financing to support the COVID-19 education response in the country.

The financing will support activities to ensure school safety and strengthen education service delivery including continuous distance education and accelerated learning. It will also support sustaining effective Government operations, planning, and policies during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

“As an alternate board member of the GPE Board, Sierra Leone continues to play a leading role in the Partnership to implement programs that promote accessible quality education for all,” said Hon. David Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education for Sierra Leone. “In the COVID-19 era, we need to think outside the box to ensure that widening inequities do not further push our most vulnerable populations backward. That is the focus of this additional financing. Even as the Ebola Viral Disease has been recently recorded in the sub-region, we will be able to use the same interventions for continuous learning should the disease ever return to Sierra Leone.”

The financing, which was approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Director on February 5 and became effective on May 26, 2021, is aligned with the Government’s education priorities and strategies, including those outlined in the COVID-19 Education Emergency Response Plan and the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for Sierra Leone, specifically with its emphasis on the importance of investing in human development.

There is an implementation partnership arrangement with an NGO Consortium led by Save the Children, partnering with Handicap International (operating under the name Humanity and Inclusion), Plan International Sierra Leone, Concern Worldwide, Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation, Focus 1000, and Street Child of Sierra Leone. This partnership will help the Government deliver activities rapidly, focusing more on community engagement and reaching the most marginalized and deprived groups.

“This additional financing will help the Government to cover the costs associated with expanded activities relating to the COVID-19 response as well as enhancing the impact of the Free Education Project in responding to the challenges in the education sector,” said Gayle Martin, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone. “The funding will also help address commitment toward achieving a more inclusive approach to education, increasing the retention of girls and improving the learning environment for children with disabilities.”

The Free Education Project is financed by a $66 million grant, with $50 million from the World Bank and $16 million from development partners. It will help to address key challenges in the education sector. It will contribute to achieving the Government’s larger strategic objectives in the sector while supporting analytical and advisory services associated with monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance, and research and studies.

NRM Blasts APC Old Guards Over Dictatorship & Prolonged Stay

June 18, 2021

By Amin Kef Sesay

During a Press Conference held on the 16^th June, 2021 at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Hall on Campbell Street in Freetown, the National Reformation Movement (NRM) has heavily condemned the current leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party.

Leader of the NRM, Mohamed Sheridan Kamara Esq, said that it is important for them to bring to the public domain the democratic reforms they seek and the manipulation, deception and machination of the expired leadership of the All People’s Congress (APC).

He maintained that the NRM, obviously, is built on an unshakable belief in reforming the internal politics of the All People’s Congress along more equitable lines underscoring how they are deeply rooted in the struggle for a democracy that guarantees equal rights to every member of the party.

The NRM leader added that it is a weapon of resistance against the dictatorship imposed in the party’s internal politics by the current self-proclaimed body of national officers furthering that it is this desire to relax the enormous limitations which the party’s self-appointed leadership has imposed on internal democracy that gives oxygen to their struggle.

“We are particularly pleased to inform the public that the NRM, never to be demoralized, has once again mobilized all its splinter factions into a single movement. The need for collaboration until a democratic constitution is adopted has subsumed the reform factions under a single umbrella. This merger has effectively lay to rest the split within the movement and rendered useless the agents, quislings, turncoats and instruments of the establishment’s unending schemes,” he disclosed.

He stated that they find it beyond being deceptive that the party’s defunct leadership is delaying the adoption of a democratic constitution by filing unproductive and pointless appeals to the court saying it is their view that the only reason the defunct leadership sticks to their unreasonable position is to buy time, prolong its illegal stay in leadership positions and undermine the party’s chances of winning the next elections.

Mohamed Sheridan Kamara Esq maintained that they are also fully aware that the tenure of the National Advisory Council (NAC) has long come to an end and they are well in the know that the questionable extension of its mandate has also come to an end on the 15th June, 2021 pointing out that the Movement has also taken note of the vile plan of the National Executive to renew its already illegal mandate through an equally illegal body called NAC and that they are aware of a matter in court that hinges on the legitimacy of the very Executive that plans such an elaborate, illegal operation.

He stated that in order to avoid twisting its way out of the gains the negotiating team has made over the past years, they called on the party’s defunct leadership to stop wasting the party’s time and comply with the recent court orders. In that regard they urged the various stakeholders in the party to facilitate the setting up of an interim body that will conduct elections for the delegates who are to adopt the new constitution.

Cowbell Promotes Young Talents

June 18, 2021

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Cowbell in commemoration of the Day of the African Child, collaborated with Kids Super Star Sierra Leone on Wednesday 16 June, 2021 to host Salone’s Best Kids entertainers in a Live Musical Concert at St. Michael Field Low-Cost Kissy in Freetown.

The Musical Concert, which was broadcasted live on Facebook, featured young Sierra Leonean musicians from the Kids Super Star Sierra Leone union, a group that creates platforms for kids with exceptional talents in any form of entertainment to be used as role models and Ambassadors within the society or communities where they live in.

The young musicians who contested in the live musical performances include KMC, Amish, God’s Child, Golden Treasure, Tima Baby, Master Sal, God’s Will, Pretty Mariama, Queen Johnita etc.

Cowbell’s partnership with kids Super Star Sierra Leone in this year’s commemoration of the Day of the African Child, was to enable the company continue on its massive milk education and sampling by availing to actual and potential consumers of milk, the Cowbell nutritious package to enable the children and their families enjoy good nutrition through the cowbell milk and strawberry that were sampled at the live musical event.

In addition, the company also donated cartons of assorted Cowbell products and souvenirs to all eighteen Kids Super Star Sierra Leone musicians who performed at the event.

Children present, who also had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session by the company representative also won 360g Sachets of cowbell milk for them to enjoy quality nutrition from cowbell.

Speaking on behalf of the company, Marketing Executive of Premium Divine Trading Ltd, Isha Bangura, disclosed that the Day of the African Child has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first initiated by the Organization of African Unity in honor of those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976 .

She intimated that Premium Divine Trading, as a responsible company, thought it fit to collaborate with Kids Super Star Sierra Leone during this year’s commemoration in order to promote young talents, emphasizing on the importance of good nutrition in regards to milk for growth and vitality. Cowbell milk , she said is a rich source of protein, calcium and vitamins A, B9, C, D E and K otherwise referred to as Vitarich.

She revealed that Cowbell products come in 14g sachet, 20g sachet, 360g sachet and 400g tins for the milks. Also, cowbell food drinks package sizes are 40gs for the Coffee, Strawberry, Coconut, Choco-Malt and Cowbell Mocha.

They are all produced in Ghana by Promasidor Ghana Limited for export sales to some West African countries including Sierra Leone.

Ms Isha Bangura, added that Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd also distributes and markets, Onga, Miksi Chocolate and coffee drinks, Xploza, Kremela and Yumvita , the latter being an infant cereal with milk also containing wheat, rice and maize.

She revealed that they are the sole distributor of all the aforementioned products in the country.

She concluded by appealing to parents to always buy the quality food products of Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd especially Cowbell milk because it is enriched with all the necessary nutrients needed for growth in the family.

Guest of Honor, Mayor of Freetown Municipality, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr congratulated Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd and the Kids Super Star Sierra Leone for the laudable venture in promoting young Sierra Leoneans musicians.

She said that each year, June 16 is celebrated as the Day of the African Child saying that since the first time it was observed in 1991, the day has offered not only an opportunity to focus on the challenges facing the continent’s children but also a chance to recognize how children and young people themselves are being assisted to address those challenges and how their efforts contribute to peace, growth and development of the continent.

She admitted that after listening to the songs from Kids Super Star Sierra Leonean young musicians, most of their songs convey vital information which are necessary to educate citizens on towards the development of the country.

She expressed satisfaction at the performances of the children especially the awareness creation song on keeping Freetown clean.

In that regard she encouraged them to be ambassadors of the Freetown City Council in their homes and to their parents and friends in raising awareness about keeping Freetown clean.

Chairman of Kids Super Star Sierra Leone, Juan Idriss Conteh, expressed appreciation to Premium Divine Trading Company Ltd for the collaboration which he said has contributed greatly towards the promotion of these young talented musicians.

Many who witnessed the event commended the partnership by the company saying it was a laudable move it undertook as it commits to support the future generation of musicians and entertainers in Sierra Leone. Thus activities that are geared towards the support and growth of children are always considered noble and in this case, this year’s commemoration of the Day of the African Child.