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Police Arrest Huge Quantity of Cannabis Sativa at Mile 38

By Amin Kef Sesay

In Sierra Leone, the Mile 38 Checkpoint is strategically placed according to the State’s security architecture because moving in and out of the capital on road, one has to face stringent security scrutiny at that point. Over the years, this checkpoint has helped in preventing the occurrence of crime and the fear of crime.

Research has proved that one of the main causes of violence, especially among youth in Sierra Leone, is the use of hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, cannabis sativa etc. Based on this reality, the laws of Sierras Leone prohibit the possession and use of such narcotics. Just after the Regional Commander, North-West Region (AIG Aiah Edward Samadia) admonished personnel deployed at Mile 38 Checkpoint to intensify search and be more vigilant at all time, the team has arrested 38 parcels of Cannabis Sativa.

According to the Checkpoint Commander (ASP Foday) and the DTO Mile 38 (ASP Alfred Turay), the arrest was done on Wednesday 20th January, 2021 around 09:30hrs at Mile 38 Checkpoint.

ASP Turay noted that he intercepted one taxi driver who identified himself to be Nabieu Kamara of Makarbay Village, Koya Chiefdom on-board a vehicle with registration number ANB 550. After thorough search on his vehicle, the search team discovered 2 bags containing 38 parcels of dried leaves suspected to be Cannabis Sativa.

Interrogating the driver, he claimed that one of his passengers placed the bags in his vehicle without his knowledge but was unable to identify the alleged passenger as he claimed that the passenger had alighted his vehicle for fear of being arrested for facemask.

The matter has been referred to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department for further investigation.

The Omrie Golley Story

Omrie Golley and family

Episode 1

In this first episode, we begin our narrative – to tell the true story of a man whose role in Sierra Leone’s 11 year civil conflict is often misrepresented, misunderstood and twisted for inconceivable reasons.

From the intervention of foreign forces, to the various peace accords and the behind-the-scenes negotiations between the Ahmad Tejan Kabbah led government, ECOWAS, the United Nations, the Revolutionary United Front and Civil Society, we bring you an unadulterated account of how Ambassador Omrie Golley risked everything to ensure the return of multi-party democracy, peace and the rule of law to Sierra Leone. We reiterate that this exercise is by no means a precursor to any political ambition by Mr. Golley but rather, an opportunity to let Sierra Leoneans and the world know how he deployed a risky but effective strategy to help bring lasting peace to a country ravaged by a war judged as one of the most atrocious in modern times.

In the fullness of time, we shall be bringing you testimonies from credible local and international players in Sierra Leone’s peace process.

You cannot afford to miss this thrilling historical perspective about the journey of a man who ate and slept in the jungles of Sierra Leone with heavily armed and fierce looking rebels just to bring peace to his home land.
_________________________

January, 2001

The Call from UNAMSIL, and London Dinner With Adeniji

We fast-forward to January 2001. It was a cold and blustery afternoon in London. The Receptionist at the law chambers of Mr Omrie Golley at Kensington Church Street had just received a call from the Office the Special Representative of UN Secretary General to Sierra Leone Oluyemi Adeniji (now deceased). It was after the Christmas and New Year break in the UK. The UN office from Freetown had requested the mobile number of Omrie Golley because they wanted to connect him with the UN Representative who was on transit in London after an official assignment in New York. Ambassador Adeniji had been appointed just over a year earlier as the Head of the United Nations peace keeping operations in Sierra Leone UNAMSIL.

Mr. Golley wasted no time to call SRSG Adeniji. An appointment was fixed and according to Golley;

“We had spoken over the phone on a few occasions but this was the first time that I was to meet up with him in England. After exchanging the usual courtesies, he suggested that we met before he returned to Freetown, and went on to ask me whether I liked Moroccan food. I said that I did, and we agreed to meet a day later in a Moroccan restaurant in the west end of London”

During dinner, Adeniji gave a brief account of the peace efforts in Sierra Leone and described the peace process as very slow. He mentioned in particular that the RUF movement was rudderless, and did not have the requisite skills to progress with the peace process in the aftermath of the Lome Peace Accord, and the subsequent arrest and detention of the RUF leader, Corporal Foday Saybana Sankoh.

The priority for the peacekeepers, according to the SRSG was disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of all combatants and a political process to take the country to the next level.

Apparently, the late Ambassador Adeniji requested that Golley who was previously involved with the RUF before the signing of the Lome Peace Accord return home to help the RUF disarm as well as ensure that the group was developed into an organized entity that could sit and negotiate with the Government under the supervision of UN, ECOWAS and the wider international community. Golley’s response was brief;

“I said that I didn’t feel that I wanted to be involved in the process any longer, reminding him that I had not long before, announced my departure from the RUF after the signing of the Lome Peace Accord, and subsequent policy differences with the leadership of the Movement over the implementation of certain aspects of the Accord”

He recounted the encounters he had with the RUF rebel leader, Corporal Foday Sankoh from the time of his involvement around 1998 to the period leading to the crafting of the Lome Peace Accord. Adeniji was adamant that Golley, who was happy to have returned to his legal profession in London still had a role to play in restoring lasting peace to Sierra Leone. Ambassador Adeniji reiterated in a very persuasive manner, the difficulties that they were now facing with the RUF in bringing the conflict to an end. In several discussions between the government, the UN peacekeepers and the interim RUF leadership, about the need to have a body to negotiate a new and lasting peace process, Golley’s name came up as somebody that could lead such a body within the RUF. Concerns about his personal safety and the fact he could not trust the government of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah proved a stalemate in the informal meeting between Golley and the SRSG.

“I went on to inform Ambassador Adeniji that even if I wanted to return to Freetown, that I would have grave misgivings and worries about my security and wellbeing because I did not trust the Kabbah Government, and didn’t believe I would be safe in the country.”

In a dogged determination to ensure the return of a man believed to have carried the charisma and persuasive attributes for a rudderless and intransigent rebel group, Ambassador Adeniji quickly assured Golley of his personal safety in Sierra Leone but also told him;

“Omrie, as it happens I spoke to President Kabbah about you, and he does not trust you either!”

Golley thought that was the end of the conversation but Ambassador Adeniji went on;

“For me this is a good point of starting this journey! You don’t trust each other, and that’s a good starting point!”

After much persuasion from Ambassador Adeniji, Omrie Golley agreed to return to Sierra Leone on two conditions; first, a written assurance that he would be safe and secure. Second, a satellite phone for him to be able to contact his family in London at any time. The RSG immediately obliged to both requests. It was a successful meeting and Golley subsequently returned to Freetown in February 2001.

His arrival followed the signing of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement – the only agreement in the whole of the conflict that the parties to the Agreement, in this case the CDF and the RUF conscientiously adhered to. It is important to note that Omrie Golley was involved with the RUF in three stages of the conflict:

1) The period between November 1995, – April 1996 when he established physical contact with its leadership in Danane, Ivory Coast. This was under the auspices of the National Convention for Reconstruction and Development, a political think tank he formed to explore avenues to bring about lasting peace in Sierra Leone.

2) The period between 1998 – 1999 when he served as the RUF’s Spokesman and Legal Adviser.

3) When he rather reluctantly served as the Acting Chairman of the RUF’s Peace and Political Council – a body that ultimately embraced the idea of ushering lasting peace to Sierra Leone between February 2001 and July 2002.

It is also important to understand that Golleys’ decision to lead the RUF was after the movement had evolved into a political wing. He also announced his resignation from the movement after it became necessary for him to widen his engagement in the country’s peace and reconciliation efforts and according to Peter Anderson’s sierra-leone.org (19th November 2001), Golley said in press release he issued after returning to London;

“I feel that the time has now come for me to reassess and refocus my personal role and involvement in consolidating the peace process to which I remain completely committed…..In this regard, I am today announcing my resignation as chairman of the Political and Peace Council of the RUF, which will enable me to widen my involvement in the peace process by actively supporting policies of reconciliation and also assisting with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of our beloved country.”

His relationship with the RUF hierarchy was believed to have been turbulent but he has always insisted they separated on good terms.

Watch out for Episode 2!!

Interesting reading ahead!!

Former SLTU President Speaks on Sierra Leonean students’ poor performance in recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination

Mban Kabu

By Mban Kabu

Introduction

The abysmal performance of Sierra Leone students in recent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is deeply worrying and has preoccupied the attention of policy makers, school administrators, educators, Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU), parents/guardians, media practitioners and the general public as they attempt to analyze the probable reasons responsible for this sad and reprehensible situation. A country once called the Anthems of West Africa and the hub of higher education, especially for students from English-speaking African countries, has now been relegated to the dust bin insofar as academic excellence is concern.Two key questions that need to be answered are: (i) what has gone wrong with Sierra Leone’s education system and (ii) how can the country overcome these shortcomings, especially in the context of SLPP’s flagship “Free Quality Education” programme,which is now in its third year. I will try to discuss these two questions under the following sub-headings: educational infrastructure, facilities and materials; pre-service and in-service teachers’ training; class size and continuous assessment; conditions of service for teachers and motivation of teachers; ghost teachers and ghost educational institution; the syndrome of cheating in exams; supervision and inspection of schools; research; Covid-19 and digitization technology; and the role of parents/guardians in the education system.

Educational infrastructure, facilities and materials

After years of sheer neglect during the one-party era, Sierra Leone’s education system faced multiple challenges including gross inadequacies in the areas of infrastructure, equipment, basic facilities, and learning and teaching materials. Overcrowding of schools caused by large swarms of pupils / students compared to the limited capacity of school infrastructure and facilities to cope and support the provision of quality education became evident as a result of these unfortunate situations. These challenges were compounded by the eleven years of armed rebellion which resulted in the destruction of vital school buildings, furniture, equipment and materials, especially in provinces where the war was more pronounced and prolonged.

Rehabilitating damaged schools and expanding school infrastructure to cope with the growing number of children attending school had remained a priority and difficult task for successive post-war governments. As an emergency response to mitigate this crisis during the immediate post-war period, the Ministry of Education introduced a shift system in schools – a situation which no doubt overloaded many of the teachers as they were obliged to contend with the burden of teaching in both the morning and afternoon shifts. Schools’ science laboratories that were in the first place poorly equipped were destroyed and / or largely underfunded during the war. Likewise, the majority of schools were cut-off from supplies of essential learning and teaching materials and pupils / students were at times compelled to bring essential school supplies from home to support their education.

The shift system turned out to be a mere cosmetic measure as it failed to resolve the overcrowding problemas more and more children got enrolled in schools. Thus the teacher-pupil/student ratio grew exponentially and has since remained at an unprecedented level – fluctuating from 50 to 100 or more pupils / students per class per teacher at any given time.Doubtlessly, the workload on individual teachers has increased at an unbearable level with a concomitant effect of teachers’ inability to conduct regular assessment to ascertain the level and quality of learning attained by their pupils/students.

Suggested remedy

The government and its partners should prioritize and scale-up investments in infrastructure, facilities, equipment, science laboratories, pre-service teaching training and teaching and learning materials for schools. More school buildings with enough classrooms should be built to cope with the current problem of overcrowding. Schools located in given geographic areas should be grouped together to share equipped libraries and science laboratories as a strategy in acquiring and operating these essential educational facilities on a cost effective basis.

Pre-service and in-service teachers’ training

Teaching is a profession and those who should participate in it need adequate initial and continuing education to remain relevant in the dynamic process of educational change. Unfortunately, since time immemorial, over 60 per cent of Sierra Leone’s teaching force has been comprised of untrained and unqualified teachers (UUTs) and qualified but untrained teachers (QBUTs). Just a mere 30 per cent of teachers in Sierra Leone are trained professional teachers. In the quest for a better life, many professional teachers opt for the public service, mainly the police and the military where a worker is guaranteed to get a bag of rice every month, other fringed benefits and promotions.

Both trained professional teachers and untrained teachers over the years received little or no in-service training. As a matter of fact, there was no budget allocation for this vital component of education at the Ministry of Education during the decade of the one-party era. Rather, this responsibility was on a very limited scale, held jointly by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) and SLTU. These two teacher organizations on their own benevolence on an annual basis organized few in-service training programmes for a few primary school teachers that covered just a few subjects and teaching methods. Due to the limitation of this kind of intervention, we cannot expect the entire body of teachers to catch-up with trends in changes in the field education andby extension expect their pupils / students to excel as well.

In the 1970s to mid-1980s, teachers from the United States who came under the Peace Crop programme and other expatriate teachers from Canada and the United Kingdom reinforced the teaching force in Sierra Leone. This, to a considerable extent addressed the chronic shortage of trained and qualified teachers in schools that benefited from the services of these highly qualified and experienced foreign teachers. However, the outbreak of the Lasser fever scourge in the eastern region of Sierra Leone disrupted the Peace Corp program and raised fears among foreign teachers across the country, forcing them to flee the country in large numbers during the 1978/79 school year. Pupils / students in affected schools performed poorly in public exams that year.

Suggested remedy

UUTs and TBQTs should be encouraged to undergo pre-service teacher training. For example, they should be encouraged to enroll in the teacher training programmes or be given the opportunity to combine teaching and continuing their teacher training programmes.

In-service training is a very important component of education which should be revived, fully funded and operationalized. Every professionally trained teacher, UUTs and TBUTs should benefit from this programme and it delivery should be decentralized as a cost-effective strategy. Lecturers from teacher training colleges and university education faculties, school inspectors and other key professional officials from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, managers of schools and some senior teachers of both primary and secondary should constitute the staff for the implementation of the in-service training programme. It is hoped that the successful implementation of this programme on a periodic basis can contribute to the honing of teachers’ skills and bring them up-to-date with changes in the educational curricula and syllabi as well as relevant digital skills.

Class size and continuous assessment

The class size is about the pupil / student teacher ratio. Smaller classes are often perceived as allowing teachers to focus more on the needs of individual pupils/students and reducing the amount of the time needed to deal with disruptions. According to acceptable international best practice, the pupil / student teacher ratio is 35 pupils / students per teacher. This arrangement will allow the teacher to be more attentive and observe the activism of each pupil / student in the class. The teacher will be able to assess pupils’ / students’ learning ability by periodically administering tests to determine whether or not learning has taken place, identify learning gaps and provide appropriate support that would enable the slow learners to catch up. An ideal teacher-pupil/student ratio contribute to better learning environment for learners, and to improved working conditions for teachers and other staff.

In view of the chronic and unprecedented abysmal teacher-pupil / student ratio situation that has clothed the education system, continuous assessment as a vital component of Sierra Leone’s education system has been overlooked over the years and many teachers have resulted to assessing pupils/students only at the end of the school term and / or year. Thus, the standard and ideal practice of administering continuous assessment has been swept under the carpet.

Terms and conditions of teachers and the motivation of teachers

In the 1980s and early-1990s, working conditions for teachers in Sierra Leone fell to an all-time low. Teachers’ salaries were not only grossly insufficient vis-à-vis the high cost of living, but the meager salaries were also not paid on time. In 1990, the delay in paying teachers became a very serious problem. Backlog of salary arrears reached five months in all areas for all categories of teachers. This insufferable situation forced many teachers to engage in a sit-in strike or go-slowover a few months at the expense of innocent school children unofficially on be known to the authorities and the general public. A group of patriotic teachers at St. Helena Secondary School in East Freetown frowned at the sit-in strike or go-slow, describing it as a disservice to innocent school children in particular and to the nation as a whole. They reflected on the teachers’ plight and decided to convene a meeting of a representative group of five teachers per school in East Freetown to discuss further and come up with solutions to save the fate of teachers and the entire education system in the country. The meeting was held in the Assembly Hall of St. Helena Secondary School. The meeting seriously deliberated on the plight of teachers in particular and education in general and adopted the roadmap of 13-point resolutions, which called among other things for the immediate settlement of arrears of teachers’ salaries, the denunciation and dissolution of the SLTU leadership, recognition of the National Teachers’ Resolution Committee (NTRC) as the official mouthpiece for teachers with a mandate to lead a nationwide teachers’ strike until the impasse was amicably resolved, pressurize the government to provide a bag of rice at cost recovery price to each teacher on a monthly basis, supply relevant teaching and learning materials, award a salary increase commensurate to the prevailing cost of living to all teachers, etc.

Under the guidance of the NTRC, the entire body of teachers downed tools. The government, desperate to avoid a complete halt to public exams whose timing coincided with the teachers’ industrial action, called on the police to step in and invigilate the exams. This misguided move was counterproductive as the police clashed with striking teachers. The use of excessive force by the police to coil down the teachers’ strike resulted in the untimely deaths of four armless innocent civilians across the country – two in Freetown, one in Lunsar and one in Taiama. May their souls continue to rest in perfect peace and may God grant the bereaved families the courage to endure the loss of their loved ones.

At a well-attended meeting between the police and the NTRC to discuss the strike, it was revealed that the government allocated every month 20,000 bags of rice to the SLTU to be sold teachers at cost-recovery price. Unfortunately, this rice was never sold to the intended beneficiaries and is an issue that researchers should probe.The teachers’ compliant was described as a pure industrial relations matter that should be handled jointly by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour.

A joint meeting between officials of the Ministries of Education and Labour on the one hand and representatives of NTRC, the Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS) and the Head Teachers’ Council (HTC) concluded that the SLTU had lost the trust and confidence of teachers. At that meeting, the CPSS and HTC declared their unflinching support for the teachers’ struggle spearheaded by the NTRC and endorsed this outfit as their official mouthpiece. In the late afternoon on that fateful day, the Secretary General upon clearly seeing the writings on the wall had no cause but to resign his position as Secretary General of the SLTU in order not to continue to hold Sierra Leone’s education to ransom.

The NTRC gladly received the news of the resignation of the Secretary General but further called on the entire SLTU executive board to resign and which call was spontaneously adhered to. The government settled the back pay for teachers and gave them a modest salary increase. The status of teachers was enhanced and some degree of sanity was restored in the education system. The then incoming leadership of the SLTU remained committed to the struggle for the continuous improvement of teachers’ conditions by ensuring the union’s adherence to the principles of internal democracy and the application of an organizational culture that ensured that the SLTU functioned as a collective sword of social justice for the advancement of the working conditions of teachers. Periodic mass zonal meetings enabled grassroots members of the SLTU to influence and shape union policies and those meetings were also forums where union officials not only accounted for their stewardship but afforded them to jointly plan with the membership, thereby clearly illustrating that union democracy is based on the principle of consent with consent and not consent without consent.

Suggested remedy

The working conditions of teachers must be decent, and their salaries and other benefits must be adequate to enable them and their families to lead a simple but decent life. Teachers’ salaries must meet their needs and the needs of their families in terms of food, housing, clothing, transport, health care, education, social security, etc. Their salaries must be paid regularly and on time. They should receive adequate teaching and learning materials as well as pre-service and in-service training. The terms and conditions of service of teachers in accordance with the collective agreement should be reviewed periodically by representatives of the Teaching Service Trade Group Negotiating Council (TSTGNC).

The problem of poaching of teachers by other lucrative sectors of the economy can be solved by adopting the “single spine” salary structure. Sierra Leone can borrow a leaf from Ghana who had experimented the “single spine” pay structure in the most recent past.

Ghost teachers and ghost educational institutional

The vice of ghost teachers and ghost schools, which successive governments in Sierra Leone have failed toeliminate, has over the years, kept the payroll and the overall cost of education high. This crime is not only peculiar to the teaching profession but it is also prevalent in all sectors of the public service. The pervasive and chronic nature of this payroll crime, dubbed as “voucher-gate” continues to punch Sierra Leone below its weight. This cancer has over the years dwarfed the government’s efforts to improve the conditions of service of teachers and scale-up spending to expand school infrastructure, upgrade schools’ libraries and science laboratories and recruit more teachers, thereby compromising delivery of quality education across the country.

Attempts by successive governments to curb this mess have been cosmetic and based on misguided and failed strategies. For example, officials from the Ministries of Education and Finance have sometimes been tasked with carrying out on the sport payment of teachers’ monthly salaries as solution to ridding the country of this cancer. In one instance, a former SLTU president questioned the credibility of this approach by pointing out that it was inconceivable and utterly ridiculous to deploy the very people who are suspected of involvement in this corrupt practice to rid the country of this obviously bad crime.

Suggested remedy

The government should instruct Statistics Sierra Leone (Starts-SL) to conduct a census of teachers and all educational institutions with a view to generating accurate disaggregated data. Prior to this census, all Heads of Schools and TVET institutions should be mandated to post the names and addresses and staff list of their respective schools on their school notice boards and to share this vital information with Starts-SL, Community Education Committees, SLTU, Teaching Services Commission (TSC), School Managers and Inspectors, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and Ministry of Finance.

The syndrome of cheating in exams

The phenomenon of cheating on internal and external examinations at primary, secondary and higher education levels is an age old problem in Sierra Leone. What is perhaps new is its widespread nature, particularly with regard to external examinations. The perpetrators of this vice have not only undermined Sierra Leone’s education system, but they have carried out a blatant attack on the very foundation of the country’s development. No country can prosper without a competent and quality education system, Sierra Leone is no exception. Much of our country’s current state of underdevelopment can be attributed to the scale of its appalling education system clad with thesyndrome of widespread cheating in external examinations. Countries that have maintained high-quality educational standards with little or cheating on exams are consistently on the development path while those with very low-quality education standards clad in cheating syndrome have stagnated in development.

Exam cheating can take many forms, including parents/guardians bribing teachers to assist their children/wards in exams, pupils / students giving bribes to their teachers in exchange for exam questions, teachers helping their pupils / students answer exam questions or allowing their students to take open book exams often outside of the designated exam environment, teachers allowing other pupils / students to take the exam on behalf of other pupils / students,etc. This cancer has weakened not only the foundation of Sierra Leone’s education systembut also undermined the country’s development against the backdrop that a significant segment of new entrants inthe country’s labour market some of whom are today in key positionsare ill-prepared and with limited capacity.Going forward, we must collectively roundly condemn and do everything within our means to completelyroot out this menace in our educational system.

Suggested remedy

The government should enact strong legislation and rules backed by punitive sanctions that can be imposed by impartial courts and / or tribunals to act as a deterrent in the fight against exam malpractices. The entire population must be made aware of the negative consequences of cheating on exams and of the penalties to be imposed on people found guilty of committing this crime. The SLTU and the authorities should engage communities in an open conversation around this vice in order to galvanize their support for collective action aimed at ridding Sierra Leone of this offensive crime.

Supervision of teachers and inspection of schools

It is standard best practice to supervise the work of teachers by their respective head teachers, principals, heads of departments and senior colleagues. Newly recruited teachers in particular need to be supervised. Their lesson plans and notes, as well as their marking schemes, should be reviewed to ensure that they meet the requirements of the approved syllabi, curricula and exam questions. This should be a weekly exercise and should aim to identify gaps in education and instituting appropriate corrective measures. These oversight efforts should be reinforced by periodic sports inspection by designated school inspectors, who should check school infrastructure, facilities, equipment, teachers and their work, evaluate the external views of the schools’ performanceand provide relevant advice aimed at ensuring that high standards are maintained and that there is continuing development of the educational system.

Research

Education is a dynamic process shaped by social change and is an ever-present phenomenon that changes the structure of society. Social changes are characteristics of human societies because customs and norms change, new techniques and technologies occur, environmental changes stimulate new adaptations, and conflicts result in a redistribution of power.

The main ideas about education and social change are that society is constantly changing and knowledge is not neutral. Education supports the status quo or sets a new course of action and direction. Education, especially lifelong learning, is successful when linked to research that helps tackle the problem, work through change, and make and sustain improvements; delivered in a favorable environment; is innovative and adaptable to change; reflect the content of the 21st century in terms of global awareness; financial, economic and commercial awareness; civic literacy; awareness of health and well-being and must function as a path to social change and sustainable development.

The role of parents/guardians in the education system

Parents/guardians are the first teachers of pupils/students and they have a key role in shaping up their character. A balance of education at home and school molds a pupil’s/student’s actual learning.

Parental/guardian encouragement plays a crucial role in successful pupils/students. Their role is not limited to home but involvement in school activities too. While pupils/students attend school about six hours a day, they only have a few minutes of teachers’ undivided attention in a class. Parents have the opportunity to sit side-by-side with them, working through homework and other learning activities for extended periods. Parents/guardians may be the only adults who closely observe pupils’/students’ work and get feedback from their children/wards. Consequently, no one else has the perspective of a parent in a meeting.

Parents/guardians are vital to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Individual Education Programme (IEP) team process. They provide information on the child’s strengths and weaknesses at home, background information on the child’s history and development, and information on any family factors that may affect the child’s learning. They know their children better than anyone else and have the most complete understanding of a child’s physical, social, developmental, and family history.

The most important thing parents / guardians can do is making sure they are involved and play an active role as a member of the Individual Education Program (IEP) team that sets the course for a pupil / student. They have a duty to the education of their children / wards at home and at school. At home, they should ensure a quiet environment and allow their children / pupils sufficient time to study. The IEP team is responsible for making educational decisions for students and deals with issues such as eligibility, assessment, curriculum development, and placement of a child in special or gifted education programmes. Parents/guardians pare the only adults in the educational process who have been and will continue to be deeply involved throughout the child’s school career; and although they are not educators themselves, they bring to the process their years of experience in other professions and aspects of life.

Covid-19 and digitalization technology

The pandemic of the coronavirus has exposed the technological weaknesses inherent in Sierra Leone’s education system as the use of digital technology has become the obvious new normal for connecting teachers and their pupils / students in a meaningful way. Digital literacy is a second language that individuals need to master from an early age to enable them to adapt to distance learning and stay safe amid the raging Covid-19 crisis. Thus, improving training in the digital skills front is essential to ensuring that the teachers and their pupils / students cope with the Covid-19 crisis.

Conclusion

Education as we all know is the engine of our national development. Therefore, we are all duty bound not to allow its quality to be destroyed by a few unpatriotic and desperate individuals who are hell bent on promoting the vice of exams cheating. We must fight this vice with might and main by calling on the government and ourselves to stand together to firmly resist this evil agenda and to maintain high standards aimed at restoring the past glory of our country of being the anthems of West Africa. As a nation, we must ensure that our teachers areentitled to decent working conditions to enable them to perform at their best by preparing their pupils / students not only for high performance in exams, but also for their effectiveness when entering the labour market.

About the author

Mban KABU, had served as President of the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU) in Sierra Leone but currently has an international assignment.

 

National Pentecostal Fellowship Holds Inauguration of New Executive Members

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The National Pentecostal Fellowship-Sierra Leone has on Sunday 17th January 2021 held its inauguration ceremony for newly elected Executive Members as well as a thanksgiving service, graced by His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio and other high profile personalities among the usual congregation during an auspicious ceremony which was held at the Intercontinental Cathedral on Circular Road in Freetown.

In his remarks, His Grace the Bishop, Mathew Edwards, introduced the new leadership and expressed gratitude to the outgone Executive, led by Bishop Archibald Cole, noting that they did an outstanding job and served the fellowship effectively.

He furthered that the outgone Executive also took  firm positions on certain emerging national issues bordering around the development of the country also disclosing  that the new Executive would serve a four year tenure in the best interest of the country and association.

In his brief address to the congregation, President Bio said he is heartened to witness the inauguration service of the new Executive, noting that he had been part of the process that led to the election of the Executive members.

He thanked the church for providing leadership while encouraging them to take the organization to another level for the betterment of the people of God.

President Bio thanked the men and women of God for their service towards God’s people and the nation. He also expressed gratitude for their support during the civil war, Ebola, COVID-19 and most recently, their support to his Government.

Bishop Akintayo Sam-Jolly, the new President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone said their aim is to ensure the wellbeing of the Christian community, adding that they would be working together to advance the kingdom of God and the welfare of the nation.

He thanked all those who supported the previous Executive saying that he was expecting the same during his tenure.

Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Mohamed Haji Kella expressed appreciation to the Pentecostal Fellowship, adding that as a Ministry they have enjoyed a very cordial working relationship.

He said Sierra Leone is one country that is proud of not having any form of religious division saying we should be proud as citizens and in that regard he applauded the religious leaders for the tremendous work they have been doing in maintaining peace and unity among all citizens across the country.

On his part, a representative of the Christian Association of Sierra Leone, Rev. H A. Samuels, who also doubles as the President of the Council of Churches-Sierra Leone congratulated the newly elected Executive of the Pentecostal Fellowship led by Bishop Akintayo Sam-Jolly, adding that they have been working for a very longtime in the Christian community.

He said that they recognize their God given Mission which God has called all Christians to be part of saying it is really colorful when they collaborate to be a Voice of the Voiceless.

Former IMC Commissioner Admonishes Young People

By Brima Sannoh

Alhaji Dauda Musa Bangura, a former Commissioner of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), has strongly admonished young people to completely reject any form of been misused by politicians or others for their own personal aggrandizements.

As one of the Guest Speakers, the erudite former IMC Commissioner gave that admonition during a two- day International Youth Empowerment Summit, which brought together other youths from all the Mano River Union countries, commencing on the 15th and ending on the 16th January 2021 at the University of Makeni Auditorium, Northern Sierra Leone, with the theme, “Global Commitment Towards the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Alhaji Dauda furthered that it is indeed refreshing to meet, talk and exchange ideas with brothers and sisters from all political spectrum, walks of life, regions all over the world on such an important topic with the main focus on Promoting Youth in Peace Building.

The prolific young IPAM lecturer highlighted that it is very clear that forty-six percent(46%) of the world’s population is under twenty-five years of age and the highest proportion of young people are in Africa and the Middle East.

He said what that portends is the incontrovertible fact that the energy required to take the world to the next level of development resides in Africa which therefore means that the world depends on Africa not only for its minerals, abundant water and fertile land but more importantly Africa’s burgeoning youth population represents a critical ingredient in the world’s socio – economic progress now and going forward.

Alhaji Dauda said that fact places a huge responsibility on young people meaning that the African youth need to step up the plate and rise to the challenge.

“It means we must endeavor to be productive, self- motivated, hardworking, innovative and responsible,” he underscored adding that the days of “Pa u Borbor Dae Oh” are now over.

Ex-Commissioner Dauda said the African Youth must demonstrate to the PAs that they the “Borbors” are ready, able and willing to lead whether as entrepreneurs, civil society activists, human rights defenders, journalists, innovators or political leaders.

“I believe if we put our hearts to doing well, nothing can stop us from achieving our aspirations,” he admonished and added that such means they have an aspiration in the first place.

He intimated that they should first agree that they as young people are assets and not tools to be used by anyone further advising that it means they must set very clear goals and objectives and set out to achieve those goals and objectives.

According to him, the youth of our time, are the youth who enjoy spending time in the library or lab, or workshop, learning something rather than wasting all their precious time in ghettoes drinking, drugging themselves and waiting to be picked up by a user who will then manipulate them for their own benefits.

He averred that by being productive and refusing to be used as political tools for instance is in itself a big contribution to peace.

“By organizing such events where we all meet and exchange ideas on how we should proceed irrespective of political affiliations, ethno- regional considerations, represents a big contribution to national cohesion,” he stated  which was followed by a deafening round of applause from the audience .

The charismatic former IMC Commissioner noted that this also means that the youth must come together as they did in attending the conference to demand from their Governments and international organizations to provide the enabling environment and the opportunities they need to pursue their dreams.

He said such is important from his personal experience. Alhaji Dauda explained that in 2014 the former President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, appointed him as a Commissioner of the Independent Media Commission, which placed him as youngest person to have been appointed to such a position by a democratically elected President of Sierra Leone.

He said such  did not happen by mistake, not because of any role played in perpetuating political violence, not because of a role played in disturbing the peace, but because the former President saw in him a panache and  the ability to help regulate the media landscape which is very crucial to the maintenance of peace in Sierra Leone.

Dilating on the well-known saying, “Youths are the  future leaders” he said he does not believe in that saying as it does not apply anymore saying it doesn’t apply to him, it doesn’t apply to the youth simply because they are  already “Leaders of Today”.

He said young people are a unique resource capable of developing innovative solutions for peace and development in their various countries also stating that as youth leaders they should not only talk the talk but work the talk.

“We will hear the best speeches today because all the guest speakers are wonderful and young people who have made tremendous achievements in Sierra Leone but away from here, we must endeavor to put into practice what we would articulate here and ensure that we constitute ourselves as stakeholders in the national pursuit of peace, reconciliation and cohesion,” he cautioned which was greeted by a thunderous round of applauses.

Alhaji Dauda Bangura stated that more than at any time in our history, Sierra Leone needs to united and peaceful maintaining that we need to rise above rancor and consolidate the peace this country enjoyed 13 years ago.

He said they all have roles to play in achieving that because they are champions of development and change in communities and societies and their roles as contributors to conflict prevention and peace building are very important.

“The UN Security Council Resolution 2250 has recognized youths’ positive contributions to peace, let us embrace that and ensure our countries continue to maintain peace and national cohesion,” he further admonished.

He called on all to embrace peace and national cohesion for the development of peace in the country asking the Almighty Allah to continue to guide and protect the youth of this country, Africa and the world at large.

The keynote address was delivered by the Inspector General of Police, Michael Sovula.

Statements were also delivered by the former Youth Minister, Bai Mamoud Bangura, SLPP Women’s Leader Fatmata Sawaneh, Marcella Samba of the National Election Watch, a representative from Liberia and others from various organizations.

First Health Awards to be Dished Out by Health Reporters Network & Speak Up Africa

By Mohamed Konneh

On the 22nd January 2021 the Health Reporters Network Sierra Leone in collaboration with Speak Up Africa will hold its first Malaria and Health awards at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown.

The award ceremony is geared towards recognizing journalists who have overtime sensitized community residents about malaria and to also distinguish people who have done so well within the health sector.

According to investigation, the award will also avail Speak Up Africa the opportunity to celebrate journalists who have demonstrated exemplary leadership that have brought about a positive impact through their work and initiatives.

President of Health Reporters Network, Swaliho Vandi, intimated that the award is to recognize media practitioners who continue to raise awareness and trigger action around important public health issues such as malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunization, sanitation, and COVID-19.

He explained that the award ceremony will be in two fold; first, Speak Up Africa will give awards to deserving media practitioners who did very good stories on Malaria in the year 2020, while Health Reporters Network will award health practitioners, Institutions, Civil Society Groups, Individuals and NGOs who continue to contribute to the country’s health sector.

He furthered that there are so many unnoticed things going on within the health sector but lamentably very little is known by members of the public underscoring that it is important to recognize such individuals and institutions that are endeavouring to make those things known.

“It is high time we recognize these people so that they will continue to do more. Also as journalists we will continue to write educative stories and bring out the odds in the sector for Government and key stakeholders to take action. This is the more reason for this award,” the President said.

The Health Reporters Network President highlighted some of the successes gained since the organization was formed noting that they have partnered with Speak Up Africa, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation on a number of health related activities.

“We have been also very active since the Corona virus outbreak with our members joining NaCOVERC to reach out to communities and putting out stories on regulations. Our stories on health issues especially malaria continue to educate the wider public on preventive methods and how we could all help to kick malaria out of Sierra Leone and Africa as a whole,” he maintained adding that the role of the Network is to rally young people, coordinate the media and reporters to increase awareness in the fight against malaria and other health related issues.

It will be recalled that Sierra Leone announced the roll out of its “Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign” in April on World Malaria Day 2019. Led by the National Malaria Control Program and supported by Speak Up Africa, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the African Union, and with funding from Comic Relief & GSK, Sierra Leone is leveraging the movement to strengthen support from local and national political, religious and traditional leaders, as well as driving private sector support and community engagement across the country.

In Sierra Leone, the name of the campaign is translated into Krio as “Malaria E Don Wan Dae Na Mi Han”.

Chief Justice & Team Embark on Inspection Tours of Court Buildings

By Elkass Sannoh

The Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards, has embarked on an ‘inspection tour’ to assess the Courts in Kailahun, Bo, Kambia, Port Loko, Kabala, Masiaka and Waterloo as part of his desire to modernise the Court buildings to match up with other countries in the sub-region.

The team comprises the Court Operations Manager-Mrs. Olayinka Laggah; the Principal Accountant-Mr. Alpha Charles; Head of Communications-Mr. Elkass Sannoh; the Court Facilities and Assets Officer-Mr. James Sesay and the Engineers.

The tour, according to the Court Operations Manager-Mrs Laggah, is to inspect Judiciary facilities insofar as Court governance is concerned and to finally improve on the dilapidated buildings to properly host Resident Judges that have been posted in those places.

In his address, the Hon. Chief Justice said the dispensation of justice is not only restricted to expeditious trials. He said it also includes effective and efficient administration in a serene and decent environment for not only Magistrates, Judges, Clerks but even for lawyers and their clients.

He thanked His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio’s administration for making the funds available for the Judiciary to be able to carry out its day to day activities as provided for by Law.

“In as much as I have assigned Resident Judges in places where there were no sitting Judges, I also want to ensure the Courts are in good condition,” said the Hon. Chief Justice. He added that the Courts’ precinct should be fenced; Registry, Judges and Magistrates’ chambers well furnished.

The tour started in Kailahun town on Thursday, 14th January. On the same day, the team was received in Bo town by Justice Alfred Ganda after leaving Kailahun. In Port Loko town (Friday), the Chief Justice was received by Justice Abdul Sheriff and Magistrate Augustine Samura.

After a successful inspection, the Chief Justice proceeded to Kambia and Kabala towns. The tour ended in Koya Chiefdom where the Chief Justice and his team were received by the Regent Chief and other Chiefdom authorities. The proposed site for the construction of another Court at the Bo Highway was visited.

In Waterloo, Western Rural District where the Chief Justice received a standing ovation from the Sierra Leone Police, the team visited the Magistrate Court for a total refurbishment.

Dr. Sandy Is Gone… Does That Solve The Land Wahala?

Dr. Denis Sandy

By Amin Kef Sesay

Highly controversial, lately, hugely unpopular, to the point of notoriety Dr. Denis Sandy, who struggled valiantly against overwhelming corruptive forces to sanitize a  country bedeviled with problems of land administration, in particularly the Western Area, is gone.

The Calabash would like, for a start, to give the new substantive Lands Minister, Dr. Turad Senessie an insight gained from first hand observation, into why land administration and management in Sierra Leone and the Western Area, in particular, is problematic by recommending that he immediately put a moratorium on the sale of all unregistered lands in the country forthwith.

The Calabash will give the reason why this recommendation is made.

In Grafton, for example, there is one notorious land grabber who goes by the name of Chief…(name withheld for now). Interestingly, all the land grabbers in the Freetown suburbs tend to crown themselves as self-appointed chiefs to facilitate their nefarious activities.

Let The Calabash explain, Mr. Minister, how these rogue land grabbers operate.

In the case of this particular land grabber, he has sold land on which the IPPS School at the Grafton New Camp stands to a businessman who has succeeded to get the Grafton Police on his side that arrested and detained the IPPS School Proprietor for property inherited from his late Father that is supported by the Cotton Tree Foundation.

Let it also be reported, Mr. Minister ,that the previous Village Headman was actively involved in such unethical activities and even sold part of the land on which Culture Radio’s compound stands; as well as land belonging to the New Camp on which a big factory now stands.

The current headman and associates in the land grabbing and selling cabal are eyeing all the vast unoccupied land that belongs to New Camp facing Orugu that stretches to as far as the boundary with FAWE School.

What is very frustrating about the illicit activities of these land grabbers is that they have the active connivance of so-called village headmen, councilors, in some instances MPs and the Police in the areas that they operate, and of course, without saying so-called lands surveyors and Ministry of Lands officials.

For example, in a recent local news feed, amputees living in the Waterloo axis complained bitterly about been attacked and beaten up severely by thugs hired by a land grabber aided by the Police for land that had been granted them by the Government of Sierra Leone.

Meanwhile, The Calabash will, in the public interest, and for the enlightenment of the new Lands Minister, undertake an in-depth investigation into how these land grabbers bastardize land affairs in the country and report directly to him; in a bid to help him get round this vexatious issue that has resulted in several untimely deaths and loss of limbs and injury to many people caught up in the conflagration over ownership right that ensues which sadly the courts thrive on with endless adjournment of such matters when they succeed to reach the courts.

So as a first step toward real meaningful lasting reform of land administration and management in the country, what Dr. Turad Senessie is advised to place great premium on rearranging is the current process of registration in Freetown which is corrupt, ineffective and disorganized, leading to a wide gap in the credibility of the cadastre in the Western Area which is outdated, inaccurate as well as the registry.

Surveying  quality  is inadequate  due  to  lack of trained surveyors in modern electronic  surveying  and  mapping  techniques  and  a  shortage  of  equipment.

The  Registrar General, whose physical presence is limited primarily to urban areas, registers transactions in land with minimal due diligence, further undermining tenure and creating considerable space for land disputes.

This weakness and inefficiency of the country’s Land Administration system has contributed to an environment where collection of taxes remains difficult, land markings distorted, and urban planning and the associated disaster risk management undermined as evidenced by the destruction near Freetown caused by mudslides in September 2017.

(Continued in several follow up editions)

Diana Konomanyi & Sogefel-Sarl Appeal Cases Land in Court

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Finda Diana Konomanyi and Sogefel-Sarl, considered to be Two Persons of Interest, who earlier filed in appeals against the findings of the Commissions of Inquiry, appeared on the 18th January 2021 at the Court of Appeal presided over by Hon. Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi.

Since the conclusion of the Commissions of Inquiry by Justice Biobele Georgewill from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Justice William Anna Atuguba from the Republic of Ghana and Justice Bankole Thompson, a Sierra Leonean judge, this is the first appearance made by Persons of Interests who were standing trials before the Honourable Justices.

During their maiden appearance before the Appeal Court Justices; Hon. Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi, Hon. Justice Komba Kamanda and Hon. Justice Tonia Barnet, the Justices unanimously gave the following directions to both the appellant/applicants’ Lawyers and the Attorney General and Minster of Justice representing the State.

They called for a synopsis of the appellant/applicants to be filed and served on the respondent by the 1st February, 2021.

That a synopsis of the respondent to be filed and served on the appellant/applicants by the 15th February 2021 and all synopsis should have their authorities attached thereto.

The hearing date is fixed for the 22nd February 2021 and matter was adjourned for the same date.

The Commissions of Inquiry were set up to impartially look into erstwhile President Ernest Bai Koroma led Government, especially the financial activities of former Ministers and their Deputies, Heads of Departments and Parastatals.

Endorsing Dr. Samura Kamara…   Hon. Chericoco Politically Paves His Way

By Edward Vamboi

Currently, there are some influential members of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party who are calling for Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah alias Chericoco to be stripped of his Executive position within the party simply because they are arguing that it is unconstitutional and unethical for him to throw support behind Dr. Samura Kamara, the 2018 defeated flag bearer of the party.

However, there is a school of thought which holds the strong conviction that Hon. Chericoco must have calculated the personal benefits in endorsing Dr. Samura Kamara.

They further argued that Hon. Chericoco did not throw his weight behind Samura because of mere love for him, but the shared interests they both have in common and the opportunities he presents for him.

According to them, Hon. Chericoco stands to benefit again if Dr. Samura emerges as the winner of the APC’s presidential candidacy because it is an open secret that Chericoco is undoubtedly going to be the running-mate candidate for Dr. Samurai for a second and perhaps the final time come the 2023 general elections.

In some quarters of the APC party it is said that it is the ‘Same Team,’ which means a ‘Samura Chernor’ candidature which has been stoutly opposed to by some former presidential aspirants and other opponents who say it is synonymous with the Selection Clause which led the NRM to take the party to Court although the matter is now on the verge of reaching an out of court settlement after a serious disruption of the party’s activities.

It has been argued further that Hon. Chericoco, also being a lawyer, understands fully well the uncertainty looming over the qualification of Samura’s candidature, if Section No.149 (Publication of report of Commission of Inquiry (CoI) and right of appeal), sub section No.4 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act No. 6 of 1991 is to lead to Samura’s demise should his appeal on the CoI adverse findings against him are upheld. Indeed, Samura Kamara is not a clean man as things stands at the moment. He is a convict based on the current CoI indictments against him.

Sections No. 41 (Qualifications for Office of President), paragraph letter (d) that  sets the qualification to be elected as Member of Parliament is almost the  same benchmark set for eligibility for  the President. This provision of the law hangs as an albatross on the necks of the APC and Dr. Samura Kamara for the simple fact that if it is read in tandem with, Section No.75 (Qualification for Members of Parliament) Dr. Samura may have been qualified despite his CoI predicament but however, contingent on the provisions of Section No.76 (Disqualification of Members of Parliament), Subsection No.1, paragraph (d) (No person shall be qualified for election as a Member of Parliament – ‘if he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence which involves fraud or dishonesty: or.’ It is against this background; Dr. Samura Kamara’s eligibility is arguably questionable if the spirit of the letter of Section 149.4 is to subsist.

This serves as the biggest risk about Samura Kamara’s candidature, he is a convict by the CoI until otherwise overturned by the Appeals court, thus, he is legally unqualified for the presidency.

According to the school of thought, this will undoubtedly be a wildcard for a soft landing of a SLPP party that is notorious for its use of court petitions.

They furthered that in fact, the worse will dawn should Samura had been awarded the party’s symbol and ended up victorious at the polls. The SLPP is of course not oblivious about the legal impediments looming over Dr. Samura Kamara, as things stands presently.

The school of thought continues that Chericoco knowing fully well that this might be in his interest as running-mate to automatically fit in as second choice for the flag bearer if Samura is unfortunately disqualified.

Hon. Bah knows that at best, he will be considered as the last minute flag bearer choice, and or at worst, he would retain his running-mate position even if the person of Sam Sumana is to come into play.

They say the Red party is carefully playing the card of blemished and unblemished personalities and no wonder why Sam Sumana was tactfully brought back into the fold after he was expelled by the party and sacked as Vice President for purported anti-party activity, a matter that he later won at the ECOWAS Court.

According to them, Sam is no dwarfed political figure, his beating of both the APC and SLPP in his native Kono District, echoes the message and places him at pole position or at least, as the most formidable force in the arsenals of the APC. No matter what says about Sam, he has got a political base, but what about the other APC presidential aspirants?

It is noted that Hon. Chericoco is cleverly and riskily gambling his political fate being fully confident that the APC status quo is already showing the ‘Same Team’, the green light by not heeding to calls of a barrage of APC flag bearers aspirants who detests the endorsement of Dr. Samura Kamara.

They say it is to this end, that it is hypothetically safe to believe that a successful Samura Kamara candidacy is a sustained Chericoco for running-mate and a reverse will unleash an opportunity for the course of Chericoco as second best choice for the presidency or better still remain as the running-mate if another candidate is to be considered for the presidency.

The school of thought concludes that pundits must deeply think what could have given Hon. Chericoco the gumption to throw his heart in the ring for Samura Kamara if he knows that he has something to lose at the end of the day, but, however, the awarding of the APC flag bearer and running-mate is not going to be a smooth ride and needs deep political, legal, social and other thinking if the APC is to oust the SLPP in the polls come 2023.

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