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As Stats SL Goes out to the Field… First Electronic Mapping of the Country Commences

By Amin Kef Sesay

After a meeting with two key Development Partners for census exercises in Africa — the World Bank and UNFPA, on 10th March 2021, in which Statistics Sierra Leone’s (Stats SL’s) technical readiness for the novel electronic cartographic exercise was confirmed, following a thorough review of a full pilot done in Kailahun, Freetown and Kambia, the institution has on Friday 12th March 2021 deployed a team of 1200 mapping officers and assistants across Sierra Leone.

This is the first time in Sierra Leone’s history that the mapping of the country’s localities or settlements into Enumeration Areas (EAs) is being done completely with the use of android tablets which are loaded with satellite imagery of the country which was successfully procured from the international Space Technology Company, Maxar, through Geo-Consult, and an EA PAD software to capture the coordinates and attributes of surface structures.

According to the Statistician General and CEO of Stats SL, Prof. Osman Sankoh (Mallam O.), Sierra Leone’s national statistics office will continue to work closely with all its partners throughout the mapping exercise and the subsequent enumeration.

The Deputy Statistician General, Andrew Bob Johnny in his contribution disclosed that complete funding for the 2021 Mid-Term Census has been provided by the following Development Partners: World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNECA, MRU, the Chinese Embassy. He further expressed gratitude to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics which is supporting Stats SL with 20,000 android tablets for the census taking.

Conclusively, he expressed appreciation to the Technical, Advisory and Publicity Committees set up for the 2021 Mid-Term Census and other stakeholders whose contributions he said have been very useful throughout the process.

Legal Link Takes On Anti-Corruption Commission

By Amin Kef Sesay

In a Position Statement dated the 17th March, 2021, issued by  the Legal Link organization relating to the findings of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on its investigation of Parliament over alleged corruption and misuse of Constituency Development Funds, it maintained that while it is true that the prosecution of  a huge number of Parliamentarians by the ACC might have produced hardship to the work of Parliament and further undermine State governance and legislative proceedings, it would have been  prudent, measured and reasonable however for the ACC to have required from Members of Parliament a full refund of the monies given to them that they were unable to account for  or expended in ways that were inimical to the object and purpose of the funds.

Legal Link continued that the ACC was unable to settle for the latter at the very least, even in the face of pregnant evidence of corruption as revealed in their investigative report and findings.

That, according to them, puts the ACC in a bad light and further reinforces the perception of selective justice in the institution’s fight against corruption in the country.

The organization furthered that while they take cognisance of the immense achievements of the ACC under Francis Ben Kaifala, it is also vital to pinpoint that on this exceptional situation, the ACC, in their quest towards giving a deadly blow to parliamentary corruption in the country threw away both the bathwater and the baby.

As Pressure Mounts to Deposit Generated Funds into the CRF… Independence of Audit Service-SL Hangs in the Balance

Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce

By Amin Kef Sesay

The most topical issue that has currently dominated public discourse relates to whether it is appropriate for the Office of the Auditor General or Audit Sierra Leone to deposit revenue or funds that it generates into the Consolidated Revenue Fund otherwise known as the Single Treasury Account.

It was learnt that a memorandum was supposedly written by the Solicitor-General, Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley, to the Financial Secretary, Sahr Jusu dated 22nd February 2021 on the topic “Legal Opinion on the Transfer of Audit Fees by Audit Service Sierra Leone.’

In his legal opinion, as stated in the memorandum, the Solicitor-General highlighted that it is his considered opinion that audit fees collected by Audit Service Sierra Leone for and on behalf of Government ought to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund basing his opinion on Section 3(1) of the Financial Management and Control Act 2017.

This medium is of the understanding that this latest move was triggered by the startling revelations of the Auditor General’s 2019 Report and the COVID-19 Special Audit.

Being as sensitive as it is, that is directing the Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce, to submit revenue or funds generated from the institution’s activities, the legality surrounding the whole issue has made it become highly complex.

However, the expressed and collective view of certain individuals that this medium talked points to the direction that the legal opinion of the Solicitor General is nothing else than a calculated ploy to exert pressure on the Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce, to such an extent that she will ultimately decide to resign and then the current SLPP led Government will appoint somebody else, who is very malleable into her position.

Some have also vehemently argued that it is a clever way of eroding the independence of Audit Sierra Leone and make it a pawn in the hands of corrupt politicians and public officials.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), Basita Michael, since the Financial Management and Control Act was enacted in 2017, why is it only now that Audit Service Sierra Leone is being asked to pay monies collected into the Consolidated Revenue Fund?

She went further to ask that that does monies collected by the Audit Service Sierra Leone for the payment of external auditors that assist in the carrying out of audits fall within the purview of the Financial Management and Control Act 2017?

Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, the former Attorney General during the erstwhile Ernest Bai Koroma APC led Government, stated that in 2016 his office then issued a Legal Opinion on the subject matter: that the Auditor-General’s Office is a creature of the Constitution and any other law inconsistent with that mandate under the Constitution is ultra vires.

He added that the Financial Management Control Act    (FMCA) was drafted and prepared during his tenure and it did not amend nor intended to affect the provisions relative to the Audit Service.

Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara concluded that the Constitution remains the primary and supreme law, as compared to any subsidiary legislation including but not limited to the FMCA.

Hon. Kandeh Yumkella, in his position as leader of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) Party stated that the current Government used the audit service and forensic audits reports to substantiate its White Paper, but yet the same Government, six months later, turned around to wage war on the Audit Service for exposing their own malfeasance.

“It is hypocrisy, effrontery and total disregard for the Sierra Leonean people,” he affirmed adding that the fight against corruption, fiscal consolidation and discipline promised will be meaningless if Sierra Leoneans fail to call out party operatives who are bent on the systematic dismantling of the Audit Service – an institution that has shown exemplary service and resilience for 15 plus years.

“By compelling the Audit Service to surrender its funds to the Single Treasury Account means forcing them to receive instructions from (and be controlled by) the Government,” he asserted saying in other words, the tail will wag the dog; the auditee will tell the auditor when to audit, who to audit, what questions to ask, and what reports to prepare.

Nonetheless, there is another School of thought that holds the view that like any other Government agency that is mandated to deposit revenues that are generated into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, Audit Service Sierra Leone must follow suit and should not be an exception to the rule.

However, it is mooted in certain quarters that based on her pedigree if she is pressurized beyond a certain point the Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce, will ultimately resign from her position.

According to a seasoned Political Commentator if she is forced to resign it will not augur well for the image of this country.

The debate continues.

One Family People Disburses Over 1 Billion Leones to Partner Organizations

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In a bid to support children living with disabilities in the areas of health, education, livelihood and social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy in the country, the One Family People organization with support from Liliane Funds has on Thursday 18th March, 2021 allocated the sum of One Billion, Four hundred and Seventy-Five Million Leones (Le1, 475, 000,000) to its five (5) partner organizations.

The event took place at the Peace Museum Hall of the former Special Court for Sierra Leone in Freetown climaxing a three days inception workshop for the partner organizations.

The five partner organizations include: Dorothy Springer Trust, Kono Cheshire Services, Disability Awareness Action Group, Welfare Society for the Disabled and Polio Person’s Development Association.

Stating the nature of the partnership , the Programme Manager of One Family People, Samuel P.O.V Macaulay, said the organization has five strategic partner organizations across the country that implement their child empowerment program, adding that the aforementioned child empowerment program is an ongoing program that has been in operation for years of which he said at the start of every year they present and review annual plans and before implementation they convene such an event to improve on the areas of transparency and accountability.

The Programme Manager continued that they thought it fit to invite key stakeholders for them to see what they are doing and how they are doing it in order for the former to perform a monitoring role by looking into and assessing what they are doing as an organization.

He said they declared 2021 as a year of accelerated delivery.

In his address, the Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer at the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Josephus J. Brima expressed appreciation to the One Family People for the support they have been giving to people living with disability across the country.

He noted that breaking barriers for persons living with disability is very challenging adding how it portrays a universal narrative of the struggles persons with disability go through in order to be fairly treated in every sphere of human endeavor.

Dr. Josephus J. Brima maintained that persons with disability are not less human than any of us as one’s disability does not rob him/her of sterling abilities pointing out that there are successful persons with disability in every sphere of life.

Director of One Family People, Edward Emmanuel, said that theirs is a human rights organization working to build resilience and break barriers for persons with disability through capacity building, advocacy, partnership, development and leveraging resources, adding that the organization is also a strategic partner organization with the Dutch Liliane Foundation in Sierra Leone that is working with five partner organizations in Kono, Bombali, Western Area Urban, and Western Area Rural to implement the Child Empowerment Programme that complements the Government’s agenda on human capital development.

He said that every year One Family People disburses funds to its partner organizations to support children with disability.

Making his statement, President of the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI), Santigie Kargbo, applauded the One Family People and its partners for what he described as their instrumental roles in raising awareness on issues affecting people living with disability across the country.

He disclosed that the Sierra Leone Union on Disability Issues (SLUDI) is a membership-based organization whose members consist of national Civil Society Organizations working on disability issues, including DPOs, from all over the country.

Santigie Kargbo said that persons living with disability still face a lot of challenge ranging from discrimination, marginalization etc. further expressing the conviction that through the support of organizations like One Family People those issues will be addressed in the near future.

He revealed that he has so much trust in the partner organizations because the heads of those organizations have been championing issues of disability in the country, adding that he is very much sure that the funds handed over to them will be used judiciously in the interest of children with disability.

Santigie Kargbo pointed out that children with disability are the most vulnerable and that it was only because organizations like SLUDI knocked on the doors of schools most of those children would have been on the streets of which he said he is with the strong belief that children with disability must be capacitated and empowered.

He assured all of SLUDI’s support towards the development of children with disability across the country.

Giving her keynote statement, the Operations Director of One Family People, Hadiatou Diallo, noted that the disbursement is not going to be done equally to the various organizations but rather based on the number of children they are targeting in their programs.

She noted that the disbursement is going to be done on four (4) quarterly basis which is 25% for each quarter but said because they have already gone into the second quarter they will be giving 50 percent of the funds to these organizations and the remaining 50 percent will be disbursed to them after each quarter.

Hadiatou Diallo maintained that as an organization they will ensure that they monitor the entire implementation process to ensure that they funds are used for the intended purpose, adding that as an organization they also provide capacity building for their partners of which she said they have conducted capacity need assessment in order to provide trainings for these organizations.

She revealed these partners over the years are doing tremendous work towards the development of children with disability which she said they are very proud of them. She encourages them not to relent and that they should do more in addressing issues of children with disability in the country.

The Executive Director of one of the implementing entities, Welfare Society for the Disabled, that benefitted, Joseph Alieu Kamara, expressed appreciation to the One Family People and the Liliane Funds for the support they have been giving them over the years to implement programs geared towards the development of people living with disability across the country which he described as very pivotal in addressing issues of disability in the country.

He said that through the support of the organization they are currently supporting children with disability which has open doors for those children, furthering that they support the children to access health and education facilities, improve their livelihoods and enhance social inclusion using the inclusive development strategy formally known as community based rehabilitation in the country.

Joseph assured all that the funds will be used for the intended purposes and will benefit the lives of children living with disability across the country.

The event was climaxed with the official signing of the agreement between the One Family People and the five partner organizations.

MMCET Principal & Lecturers Chart the way Forward for Effective learning

By Theresa Kef Sesay

The Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCE&T) polytechnic on Tuesday 16th March 2021 organized a face to face discussion with lecturers at the Great Hall of the Goderich campus in Freetown at which ceremony the Principal of the college, Dr. Philip John Kanu underscored that he wants to ensure that lecturers are well-catered for to deliver quality service to students in addition to improving their status and prayed for all those who are yet to join his development train to come onboard to advance the college.

The Principal expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the Government in general and to President Bio in particular for providing funds to purchase three buses for lecturers, maintaining that the Government prioritizes quality education.

He enlightened that transformation of the institution from a polytechnic to Technical University is not an easy task, that advertisements for the rehabilitation and expansion of the college would soon be published as Government has secured the funds, that rehabilitation of the Congo Cross campus is ongoing from internally-generated funds and affirmed that the college was rescued by the SLPP Government which he described as the saving grace for which he again commended the President.

Dr. Philip John Kanu intimated that the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, the Tertiary Education Committee and other stakeholders are working on the transformation of the college to a Technical University for which the Bill has been tabled in Parliament to be soon enacted into law, that they are not in a haste to start operating as a Technical University as a lot of things has to be put in place and revealed that they are partnering with renowned institutions like the Blue Crest College to provide machines and other equipment and to support the college in areas they are lacking.

He highlighted some of the issues discussed at the meeting as the payment of fees, attendance of lecturers, publishing of results, handing over of examination papers to students, quality assurance, sexual harassment, code of conduct, class attendance and assessment but observed that payment of fees is a problem in all institutions of learning and not the college alone stressing that without fees they cannot effectively run the institution as fees are used to buy fuel to run the generators in the absence of electricity and to buy furniture among others.

He recalled that such meetings have been the trend since his appointment for lecturers to make inputs on how to produce quality graduates through concerted efforts reiterating the need to bring lecturers onboard to run the institution that is the responsibility of all by proffering solutions and supporting the process.

According to the Principal, he wants to ensure that children of lecturers are proud of them after retirement and appealed to lecturers to make salient suggestions on how students can promptly pay their fees as the administration continues to plead with them through their respective Faculties and Departments that would reinforce the information for them to pay their fees otherwise they would not be allowed to attend classes.

It was unanimously resolved that first year students must pay 100% of their fees, continuing students 80% and final year students 100% respectively and that lecturers and the administration must work as a team for students to pay their fees as the college is not receiving any subvention from Government underlining that in other institutions of higher learning students pay their fees upfront as it was revealed that some students receive their certificates, graduate and enroll in other institutions without paying their fees.

The Principal also encouraged lecturers to report people who vandalize and steal college property, pointed out that some students complain lecturers who are strict and disciplined and appealed to all to see themselves as one family.

The Vice Principal of the college, Dr. Mohamed Alie Jalloh, emphasized that the administration is taking the college to higher heights stressing the slogan, “everyone one in and no one out” and disclosed plans to put modalities in place for the three buses purchased by Government for the college to convey staff to their various campuses effective Monday 22nd March 2021 on a cost recovery basis for which a Committee was setup headed by himself recalling that staff buses ceased running over 11 years ago.

 

Opportunity Knocks (Part 1) Sierra Leone Grammar School’s Iron Mike Tyson – Godfrey Lloyd Randall

By Amin Kef Sesay

In the summer of 2015, my life seemed to be on an upward trajectory. I had just completed a TV series called ‘Song Yao Ru’ which was based on the real-life story of a Chinese revolutionary who had departed the US and embarked on a mission to effect cultural and social changes in China. I had also shot a few TV advertisements (including one for Lenovo), and for the first time in a long time, my dating life had a semblance of normalcy and stability. My previous relationship was topsy-turvy – although I took lessons from it like I do in all my relationships.

The ‘Song Yao Ru’ TV series was vital to that phase of my life because it was during shooting that I met a British actor, who I fondly dubbed ‘Big Kev’ aka ‘Da Unit’. He is a massive fellow. We struck up a rapport and became friends. One day I got a call from big Kev. He told me about a China Film production featuring some Hollywood big hitters and asked if I was interested. In my mind I was like “Are you kidding me? Hell Yeah”. But I played it cool on the phone.

CASTING

I was buzzing when I got off the phone and couldn’t contain my unbridled joy. A few days later, Big Kev sent me a message with directions to the casting call. I barely slept a wink the night before. I went through a gamut of thoughts and emotions. In my mind, I was thinking “This might be big, don’t screw up, be like Eminem when he said opportunity comes once in a lifetime.” I was stoked but also a nervous wreck.

To say I was punctual on casting day would be an understatement. I arrived early and met the casting director. We spoke briefly, and with a twinkle of excitement in his eyes, he laid out his vision for the movie and mentioned he had worked with Jackie Chan. He said Jackie’s stunt team would be in charge of fight scene choreography, I was like “Holy smokes, this is real”. Internally of course, I am usually as cool as a cucumber on the outside.

I was already sold on the idea when he mentioned Jackie Chan, but his next utterance drove my emotions off the cliff. Remember when I said I am usually ‘Mr Cool’? Well, scratch that. In a very casual but deliberate tone, he said, “We are going to have Mike Tyson and Steven Seagal as actors on this flick” then paused briefly to gauge my reaction. I had grown up watching Iron Mike destroy people in the ring and any action movie buff knows ‘Mr. Aikido, break your arms’ Seagal. It was surreal.

At that point, I wasn’t even listening to Mr. Director. I was already in a different stratosphere; I was revved up and ready to go. I was thinking, “When are we getting this show started?” Mind you, I hadn’t even been officially casted yet, no roles guaranteed.

I snapped out of my temporary hallucination when he asked if I was ready to audition. In China, auditions are pretty routine. You show up with your CV in a PowerPoint presentation, a showreel on a USB, you do an introductory video, list your name, age, height, weight, nationality, previous projects, etc., read a couple of lines, take some pictures and you are good to go.

The director asked if I would be interested in playing a military commander, and I obliged. Frankly, I would have taken any role at that point. I was euphoric and on cloud nine when I left the audition. One step closer, I thought.

A TWIST OF FATE

I was working out, discuss the terms of contract with my agent and preparing for my role when the unthinkable happened. I got a message from the casting director asking me to head back to the casting studio. My first thought was, “Oh man! What now? Did they find a more suitable actor? Is my agent asking for too much? “. I didn’t know what to expect.

When I arrived, the first question he posed to me was “How is your boxing?” At that point I was definitely not a boxing savant, but I wasn’t gonna tell him my boxing was mediocre! I said “pretty good” with as much confidence as I could muster. Next he goes, “Lemme see what you can do, shadow box a bit”. I am thinking, “Does this guy know I am from Freetown, where people can do anything for survival?” I had seen enough boxing fights to have the basics, and I did the best I could. It appeared that was good enough because the next sentence got my adrenaline pumping profusely.

“Look, we were trying to get Mike Tyson’s stunt double from ‘IP MAN 3’ to join this project, but he can’t make it. We have gone through all the actors who have joined this audition and others based abroad, but we feel in terms of physique, you are the most suitable to take on this role”. It felt like I was in a trance, and he was speaking in slow motion.

In a funny twist of fate, I had received the Mike Tyson’s autobiography ‘Undisputed Truth’ as a birthday gift a few months before. Was that an omen or a sign that this was meant to happen? Was the individual who gave me that gift a clairvoyant or just simply deeply perspicacious?

As these thoughts reverberated in my mind, the Director went further, “If you don’t mind, I will like to shave your head, and draw the face tattoo to see how you look”, he said. For the record, I really hate being bald because I look awful. But I consented without hesitation. I was offered the role of Tyson’s stunt double and a special caveat, I got to keep my role as military commander. I will never forget that day; it has left me with an indelible memory.

TYSON’S REMARKABLE SHOE SIZE

A lot of people aren’t au fait with the crucial roles stunt doubles play in movies. The most breathtaking falls from a high-rise building, that riveting car chase, the impressive helicopter kick that got you bamboozled in the cinema are most likely done by stunt actors. Only a few actors like Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise do their own stunts.

This has sometimes left them with serious injuries, including broken bones. Actors like Brandon Lee, the son of movie and kung Fu legend, Bruce Lee, died on the set of an action movie. An entire movie production can be put on hold for years if there is a serious injury to the main character. Hence, stunt doubles are the unsung heroes of your favorite action movie.

As Tyson’s stunt double, we donned the same costumes and I needed his unique face tattoo. I was quite meticulous in my preparation. I studied the way he speaks, walks, fights, body language etc.

A few days before shooting, I went for a fitting. Looking at the boots and shoes that had been designed for Mike and myself, I was astonished by the size. “There is no way my feet are that big,” I thought. Trying them on brought me back to my childhood days when I would put my dad’s too-big shoes on my little feet. I could barely walk in them.

This was shocking to me because Mike is about 178 cm tall (5’10) and I am about 188cm (6’2). I had thought the taller you are, the bigger your shoe size. Tyson wears size 50 (EU) or 15.5 (US) or 15(UK). By contrast, I wear size 46 (EU) or US (12) or UK (11.5). The man has massive feet and hands. Production was delayed for a few days until the factory made my own foot wear. This was my first eye-opener on that project, and more was to follow.

ROLL CAMERA! ACTION !

On shoot day, l was still unsure whether it was all an elaborate prank or maybe I was just daydreaming. Reality sunk in when I was given my script for the first day of shooting and to my surprise, I had scenes with Steven Seagal that included a dialogue and a high-octane fight. What a way to start.

Mike’s travel plans had been delayed, so I was thrust into a more prominent role than I had initially anticipated. The project was time constrained, so they couldn’t wait for Mike’s arrival to commence shooting. As a result, all Steven Seagal’s lines and fight scenes in that movie were done with me, not Tyson. Mike and Steven were never on set at the same time for the entirety of that project. I will divulge more on this later. This is the beauty of film-making.

I was extremely nervous when I arrived on set. There he was, the enigmatic and legendary Steven Seagal. I had grown up as a kid in Sierra Leone watching him in films like ‘Above the law’, ‘Under Seige’, ‘Born to kill’ etc. Now he was right there, in the flesh with his gorgeous wife and young son. That’s when I knew this was no gimmick. It was show time, time to rock and roll.

 

Energy Ministry & ACE-TAF Wrap Up Policy Objective Workshop in the Energy Sector

By Edward Vamboi

Alhaji Kanja Sesay, Minister of Energy, has spoken on the New Direction administration’s overall policy objective in the energy sector during a workshop organized by the Ministry of Energy and the Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE-TAF) at the Atlantic Hotel, Beach Road, Freetown.

The Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility is a four-year program funded by the United Kingdom Government Department for International Development (DFID) with the primary aim of providing access to clean energy mainly through decentralized and standalone solar systems for the poor in rural or remote communities.

While officially opening the workshop, the Minister of Energy conveyed the greetings of President Julius Maada Bio, whom he described as an ardent supporter of the renewable energy space and program in the country. He said the President had always pointed out to him the need to expand or increase access to energy and to attract partnerships from private sector companies.

Alhaji Kanja Sesay said that it was with a view to complying with the directives of the President as enshrined in the New Direction Manifesto that his Ministry had partnered with the private sector to help create access to energy in particularly rural areas that do not benefit from the grid. He praised the many partners that were working with his Ministry in developing and improving the renewable energy space in the country.

The Minister of Energy maintained that the importance of solar systems cannot be overemphasized, adding that the desire by the Government to provide electricity to rural areas through mini grids had gathered momentum and attracted serious attention. He said there has been a remarkable comparative improvement in access to energy, stressing that by the time the electrification projects in district headquarter towns were completed, the access percentage would be more visible and impactful.

“Under the New Direction agenda, my Ministry has focused on four guideline pillars that will continue to be the basis of energy access :conducting technical audit of the energy sector; undertaking robust reforms in the sector; restoring electricity supply to all district headquarter towns; and investing in low-cost renewable energy potentials of the country in the areas of solar, hydro and wind,” the Minister averred, while assuring citizens of the continuation of the relentless efforts being made in the sector.

Director of Energy in the Ministry of Energy, Ing. Benjamin Kamara, said the Minister is committed to providing modern energy services to every segment of the population, adding that the installation of mini grids is a testimony to the strides taken in that direction. He spoke about the National Energy Policy and the synergy among the utilities-the Electricity Distribution Supply Authority, the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company.

Country Manager for Africa Clean Energy, Amie Dumbuya, noted that energy is a critical service and is highly interconnected with socio-economic development and human wellbeing.

She said there are over three billion people in the world that still do not have access to electricity, adding that they were faced with an uphill battle in Sierra Leone in trying to meet the Sustainable Development target of 80% access to energy by 2030. She spoke about the flexibility of standalone solar systems, adding that this system had connected about 152,000 households and had the potential to connect about 560,000 households by 2023.

The program was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr. Eldred Taylor, and in attendance were representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Without An Independent Auditor General… Public Accountability Will Be Very Weak

Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce

By Amin Kef Sesay

Sierra Leone’s Auditor General has lately been under the public spotlight over her office’s findings and recommendations for remedial actions made in the 2019 Audit Report.

For the majority that stand firmly with His Excellency President Bio’s affirmation to the nation when he came to power in April 2018 that his regime will go all out to fight against corruption, mismanagement, financial indiscipline and poverty, the Auditor General is warmly applauded as being a brave gallant frontline battle field commander unafraid to enter into any MDA and to fearlessly expose those governance failures the President promised to remedy.

However, most unfortunately, there are corrupt, unpatriotic self-seeking officials in the Government who believe that the Auditor General’s exposure of their financial misdeeds, which sum up to exacerbate poverty in the country, is excuse enough to cry from their rooftops for her resignation or sacking. It is left with the reasoning and conscience of the entire nation as judge and jury to determine whether the cries for the resignation or sacking of the Auditor General for doing her work disinterestedly, professionally and patriotically are justified.

Now doubt, without a fearless, independent Auditor General, with an impeccable integrity to keep an eagle’s eyes watch on how the trillions of Leones that are approved by Parliament for spending are utilized judiciously, no amount of change of Government will bring the people of this country the development, prosperity and welfare we dream of as a nation.

As the principal financial gatekeeper, the primary functions of the Auditor General are:-To inspect and audit, and to report at least once in every fiscal year (as provided by an Act of the Parliament) to the Parliament on the public accounts, the control of and on transactions with or concerning the public moneys and property of Sierra Leone as are prescribed by or under a Constitutional Law

THE MANDATE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL

The Auditor-General checks the spending of public funds and resources by looking at whether these were used for the intended purposes with regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

The Auditor-General checks all Government spending every year. This checking process is called audit.

By carrying out annual audits, the Auditor-General assists Parliament to hold to account and call to account all persons entrusted with management of public funds and resources.

Auditor-General’s audits ensure Parliament’s ultimate authority, supervision and control over all aspects of public finance.

The Auditor-General has reporting functions to Parliament.

The Office’s annual audit reports highlight key financial control issues of importance to Parliament and the Government.

It includes recommendations to improve the management of organisations and increase their operational effectiveness.

Critically, implementation of recommendations is the role of the Government.

The recommendations of the Auditor-General are supposed to: Lead to substantial savings in public funds and efficiencies and improvements within the public sector, ensure that significant and relevant financial management issues are addressed, lead to improved management of public sector resources

WHAT DOES THE AUDITOR-GENERAL DO?

Through Financial Statement Audits, Performance Audits and Special Audits the Auditor General helps to ensure compliance with all laws and regulations governing financial administration and management.

AUDITOR GENERAL’S OPINION

  1. Clean opinion – That everything was done the way it should be. No reservations concerning financial statements. There is no noteworthy violations or misstatements in the financial information. Generally accepted accounting principles were followed.
  2. QUALIFIED OPINION
  • Did not manage an account or finances to achieve best results
  • There were issues in the financial information, auditor took exceptions to
  • Because of these issues the auditor is unable to express a clean opinion.
  1. ADVERSE OPINION
  • Problematic. Auditor found significant material misstatements associated with financial information. Financial statement do not fairly present financial position, results of operations, changes in financial positions. Radically negative audit report.
  1. DISCLAIMER OPINION
  • Most awful. No reliable evidence to support financial statements.
  • Unable to form an opinion on the financial statements.

WHERE THERE IS IRREGULAR EXPENDITURE

The Auditor General recommends to -Keep proper financial records daily, hire the right people for the job with the right skills, fill key positions with competent people, remove people who do not perform, enforce accounting rules, ensure a robust and functioning Committee of Public Accounts, restore public trust and confidence, control daily performance, ensure that internal controls are in place and minimize the risk of systems circumvention.

NP-SL Continues to Take the Lead in Marketing of Petroleum Products

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum –Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) continues to make meaningful inroads within the petroleum landscape of this country. Based on effective and efficient service delivery, the result oriented company has drawn wide-spread commendations from near and far for holding the fort for too long, weathering various storms.

The company, formed years back by certain selfless Sierra Leoneans (thirty-five of them), has grown by infusing business oriented  initiatives that have helped in transforming it into a towering company within the business landscape of this country and even in the West African sub-region where it has vibrant operational branches.

One major thing which these local investors considered very paramount that has catapulted the company is the premium placed on optimizing customer care, which, they believe, will put the company in a very good stead to widen its customers’ base. It was against such a backdrop that they decided to import and install calibrated pumping machines at the company’s various Filling Stations, which are very capable of churning out the right quantity of fuel and at the same time display the corresponding price.

The introduction of these machines was a big welcome to many, as it is constantly instilling the feeling that they are getting the right quantity of petroleum products, petrol or diesel as well as lubricants, against what is being paid for. Hitherto, the old pumping machines were not so sophisticated and created leeway through which certain unscrupulous pump attendants clandestinely cheated customers by not pumping the requisite quantity of fuel requested for. However, with the latest calibrated machines, such became a thing of the past, making petroleum transactions at the company’s Filling Stations very transparent.

NP-SL made it a laid down policy to have a whole Customer Care Department that is charged with the responsibility to address the concerns of its customers and by extension members of the public. The inputs from members of the public are, most times, taken into consideration whenever meetings are convened, out of which resolutions are adopted that are tailored to give satisfaction in terms of responding to concerns and embracing certain recommendations.

The buoyant oil marketing company is the premier and sustainable indigenous business entity in this country, as it is hundred percent owned by Sierra Leoneans. One thing that they laid emphasis on is to give preference, in terms of employment, to exclusively Sierra Leoneans instead of considering bringing foreigners on board, except in instances where local expertise could not be sourced.

This stance on the part of the company is in sync with the country’s Local Content Policy, which underpins making use of local human and material resources in the production and service delivery chain. By giving employment preference to Sierra Leoneans, the company has been positively contributing towards poverty alleviation and availing individuals the opportunities to live improved standards of living. The policy is truly in tune with fulfilling one of the pillars of the national economic agenda.

With regards rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility, NP-SL has been doing so steadily and progressively. The company has been giving institutional support to certain institutions.

Besides, the company sometime in the recent past joined the fray in trying to combat the spread of the coronavirus in the country when it donated the sum of one Billion Leones to the Emergency Operation Centre, as its own support in the fight against the spread of the virus. This gesture was highly appreciated and the company was commended for its timely response.

The company’s introduction of a Smart Card to purchase fuel has been widely applauded as a very good initiative. A particular customer, with money in his or her NP Smart Card, could easily put in for the quantity of petrol or diesel that he or she wants and the supply is facilitated, after which the amount of money expended is deducted from the card. It is a very convenient way of doing such transactions in a cashless manner. Its biggest advantage is that it creates room for a customer to budget for fuel purchase over time. NP Smart Card is now trending and many are presently using it, saying they prefer it than using physical cash.

Some users of NP Gas that this medium spoke with, intimated how it is a very good device which has a high speed performance and very environmentally useful and friendly. Manufactured in different cylinder shapes, it is portable and affordable. NP Gas could be secured at all the company’s major Filling Stations, where the gas to refill it could be accessed.

The company has really exhibited that it is poised to expand its operations, a determination that has been manifested in opening branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia. In all those countries, those NP branches are doing extremely well in terms of service delivery and payment of taxes to the home Governments.

Indisputably, there is no way that we can talk of a very successful company, amidst challenges encumbered along the way, without mentioning NP-SL because the company is greatly contributing to the socio-economic development of nations.

Orange Money Doles Out Four Cars to Lucky Winners of ‘Shorki Love’ Promotion

By Foday Moriba Conteh

As part of its commitment to change the lives of its valid customers, Orange Money has on Tuesday 16th March, 2021 presented four brand new Toyota Saloon cars to four lucky winners of the concluded “Shorki Love promotion” which was launched in October 2020 and ended in January 2021. The event took place at the Company’s Headquarters at Regent in Freetown.

There was to be a total of five vehicles to be doled out to the lucky winners, as the Promotion entailed, but one had already been earlier presented to a winner from Kenema district.

Handing over the vehicles, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange Money, David Mansaray, said they are very pleased that as a company they have delivered what they promised to their lucky winners, which he said will prove to the public that they at Orange Money will continue to stand by their words.

The CEO expressed the hope that the vehicles that have been presented to the winners would make a big difference in their lives, adding that he believes they have make them proud by ‘shocking’ them with such beautiful cars.

He called on the winners to be Ambassadors for Orange Money in order for people to know that Orange Money is the best company in the country as they care for their valid customers.

David intimated how the promotion catered for all classes of people including businessmen and traders saying it had gone a long way in improving the lives of Orange Money customers.

He added that the various segments of  draw were broadcast live on the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and Star TV maintaining that the essence was to ensure that they were conducted on a free and fair basis devoid of any form of manipulation.

Magdalene Shyllon of Wilkinson Road who happens to be one of the lucky winners expressed gratitude to Orange Money for making her a car owner as she said she has never owned a vehicle, adding that Orange Money has made her proud and has raised my standard in life.

Right now I can’t say what I will do with the car but for now I want to thank them and will be one of their best ambassadors in Sierra Leone.”

Another winner, Ishmael Conteh of Njala Campus, said a big thank you to Orange, that what they have done for him cannot be measured anywhere in the world.

He said Orange Money has given him a car and this car he will never sell it but will use it so that he will continue to thank Orange and be an ambassador for them, noting that they have made him proud and a car owner.

Augustine Tucker of Berwick Street said there are no words to explain what Orange has done for him. He said at first he thought it was a scam, but the persistence of Orange calling him made him believe that it was true that he was going to own a car for himself.

He thanked Orange and said he will be their best ambassador and will make sure that all those around him secure an Orange SIM because they are the best for quality service, for social interaction, and they are very reliable.

“This is my first car and I don’t think I will sell it but will use it as I was not thinking in the near future to buy a car. Orange has given me one and I will make good use of it.”

Mr. Murrie Kandeh of Kabala, the final winner, said nobody will make him sell the car as he will use it and will drive and use it in Kabala, where he will be the Orange ambassador.

He thanked Orange and said he never thought he will have such a beautiful car, but Orange has made him a proud owner of a brand new car.

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