Orange Money ,which happens to be one of the appendages of Orange Money Sierra Leone, has drawn the curtain down on the Orange Money Shorki Love Promotion on the 16th January 2021 which to a certain extent greatly contributed to positively change the lives of some of its lucky subscribers all over the country through its weekly draws.
As of Saturday 16th, January 2021, Orange Money Sierra Leone dished out a total of 135million Leones to 14 lucky winners right across the country during its final edition draw which was aired live on SLBC TV in Freetown and was hosted by Martha of Orange SL and Saio, the Comedian.
The Orange Money Shorki Love promotion was part of the company’s end of year promotion that offered a total of 3 billion Leones and 5 brand new cars to lucky subscribers.
Those who emerged as lucky winners came from different parts of the country and were as follows; Marcel from Murray Town who won 6million Leones, Kamara from Kambia who won 1million Leones, James who won 1million Leones, Mohamed who won 4million Leones, Isatu from Kenema who won 5million Leones, Mariam from Wilkinson Road who won 9 million Leones, Fatmata from Cline Town who won 18million Leones, Sarian from Allen Town who won 12 million Leones, Alieu from Kenema who won 4 million Leones, Abubakarr from Bo who won 15 million Leones, Yakuba from Bo who won 20 million Leones, Frankly from Syke street who won 5 million Leones, Isatu from Serabu who won 18 million Leones, Mariama from Makeni who won 17 million Leones.
The ultimate winner who bagged the fifth and final brand new car was one Augustine, a Mortgage Company worker from Berwick Street.
Orange Money Chief Executive Officer, David Mansaray, in his brief statement said he is very much excited to put smile on the faces of their customers adding that as a reliable company they will continue to do so.
He told journalists that the essence of the SHORKI LOVE promotion was to create excitement among Orange Sierra Leone customers further expressing great excitement and called on customers to continue to use Orange Sierra Leone so that they could win prizes of various kinds.
Orange SL is one of the reliable telecommunication companies in the country that cares for its subscribers and is very determined to change the lives of its customers in order to avail them improved standards of living.
It is against such a backdrop that the company decided to launch the promotion with the conviction that it will be helpful during this difficult COVID-19 period in the country.
For subscribers to qualify for any future promotion they must be registered with Orange Money and also do transactions using Orange Money by sending Money, cashing in, paying for EDSA or DSTV, buy airtime or data bundles.
Isha Johansen, President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA)
By Foday Moriba Conteh
On the 15th January, 2021, Isha Johansen, President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) and Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee Member, who also chairs the CAF women’s Committee, joined FIFA President, Gianni Infantino and other African Member Football Association (FA) Presidents, and global entrepreneurs and dignitaries in Yaoundé, Cameroon to witness the opening of the 2020 African Nations Championships (CHAN TOTAL) in Cameroon.
Initially scheduled to have taken place in April 2020, the tournament was postponed to January 2021 due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. The Confederation of African Football gave the green light for the African Nations Football Championship in Cameroon to take place with spectators with COVID-19 measures implemented.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived in Yaoundé on Friday morning ahead of start of the Championship, Cameroon 2020. The SLFA President met Infantino at a meeting ahead of Saturday’s start of the tournament for home-based players in Africa and both are expected to discuss African football development and SLFA’s efforts to continue to implement its football development projects despite the COVID-19 challenges.
Johansen is also meeting with a number of global football stakeholders including the pride of the African Continent and global icon, Cameroonian, Samuel Eto, who is also a CAF Ambassador and from the host country.
Johansen attended Friday’s CAF Executive Committee meeting before witnessing the event to crown, Issa Hayatou, as the honorary President of CAF. The SLFA President alongside FIFA President and other football leaders were present at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé for the opening CHAN match between Cameroon and Zimbabwe.
Speaking from Cameroon, Isha Johansen shared her experience of rebuilding and rebranding football in Sierra Leone amid COVID 19 and how football is still both a challenge and opportunity. She praised the Government and people of Sierra Leone for the progress made, commending FIFA and CAF for the unflinching support to the development of football in Sierra Leone and Africa at large.
“It’s a new dawn. Africa deserves better, Sierra Leone deserves better, and I am committed and determined to change the game for the better and to being able to become football leaders of today and tomorrow. We are working with the real game changers, in promoting football for peace and maintaining integrity. We are changing the narratives for good,” said Johansen.
Johansen called on football stakeholders to raise the game and promote peace and integrity in football. She said football breaks the vicious cycle of poverty and promotes peace. It is the most powerful tool that communities and young people have to change their future.
In a remarkable story of resilience, hope and women leadership in football, Johansen who is also the owner of FC Johansen and CAF Executive Committee member is pursuing her vision of taking Sierra Leone football to the world.
Isha Johansen currently serves as President of the Sierra Leonean Football Association. She is the only female president of a football association in Africa, and one of only three female FA presidents in the world. She credits her father’s passion for the sport as her inspiration and the start of her lifelong involvement in football. In 2004 she founded the internationally successful youth team – FC Johansen, using football to provide structure, training, education and opportunities for children displaced by Sierra Leone’s civil war.
She is a vocal advocate for good governance in the sport and is the first woman to have served on FIFA’s Security and Integrity Committee and as well as FIFA’s Women’s committee.
Johansen is the first Sierra Leonean to Match Commission or officiate a Fifa World Cup tournament (Women’s World Cup 2015 -CANADA).
The 15th January 2021 was really a very unique and historical day in the life of Dr. Adonis Abboud after 45 years since he landed in blessed Sierra Leone and made it his home as on that day a planned coronation took place in Pendembu where he was honourably crowned as Hon. P.C. Adonis Bambamoi Abboud of Upper Bambara Chiefdom in the Kailahun District by Hon. P.C Cyril Foray Gondor II and the Council of Chiefs during a well-attended ceremony.
This new development came about after the Hon. Paramount Chief, Cyril Foray Gondor II consulted with the Council of Chiefs after which they decided to reward Adonis Abboud for his numerous historical contributions to development in Sierra Leone especially in the fields of education, health care and community development.
In his acceptance speech, the newly crowned Honorary Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara Chiefdom, Dr. Adonis Abboud, expressed profound appreciation to the amiable and revered Honourable PC Cyril Foray Gondor II, whose every action, according to Dr Abboud, defines what royalty should represent: Justice, Peace and Unity.
The newly crowned Honorary Paramount Chief added that his appointment is a challenge geared towards looking back at the richness of the Chiefdom’s heritage and bring about from it a process of regeneration of those values and ideals that can only trigger the birth of new, progressive, people-centered, excellence-driven communities and a new Sierra Leone.
He further expressed gratitude to every single one who came from far and near to felicitate with him during the unprecedented and epochal ceremony, noting that their presence gave him great joy and relief, not only because of the uniqueness and the exclusive significance of the occasion, but also because of what it demonstrates and its connotation for the future of Sierra Leone.
Dr. Abboud pointed out that one of the tragedies of the country and indeed Africa is that our stories have always been told by others from their perspectives and for their own purposes with the attendant result that much of the narratives about our culture, history and development have been but a distorted picture.
He maintained that the ceremony they are witnessing is an age-old tradition and some of the origins are veiled in the mists of the past also stating how the spirit and meaning shines through the ages, never perhaps more brightly than now, as they rebrand the nation and continue the upward trajectory from the global perception of a nation of blood diamonds.
The philanthropist revealed that his acceptance and subsequent emblematic coronation is an assurance that he has in sincerity pledged himself to the service of the community, the chiefdom, Kailahun District and Sierra Leone assuring that throughout all his life and with all his heart he shall strive to be worthy of their trust.
“Indeed on this memorable day, I have been uplifted and sustained by the love of the people of Upper Bambara chiefdom and their determination under the skilful direction of PC Gondor ll to continue to promote the ethos that reinforce our cherished cultural unity and harmony, as part of the core values that the country needs to surmount the mirage of challenges facing it,” he said also stating that it defines what the new time for Sierra Leone entails; a nation where through unity people can climb the highest of mountains, a new Sierra Leone devoid of ethnic colouration, where in togetherness, people can surmount the most tasking of hurdles, stand tall and be strong as a front.
He stated that they are not just there to celebrate but the honour bestowed on him is a reflection of the fact that the people of Sierra Leone still have in their hearts and minds, people like Honourable PC Gondor ll and the indigenes of Upper Bambara Chiefdom, who have bold ideas to build bridges of love and mutual respect while jealously guiding and protecting the core social values, customs, and traditions that distinguish people.
Dr. Abboud maintained that by this ceremony, their royal father is saying that he prays for peace, cooperation and understanding from within and without and he is using cultural diplomacy as a veritable tool for the promotion of harmonious relationships across the ethnic divide.
He disclosed that his symbolic coronation hinges on the fact that when the linkage of their great culture is allowed to induce the right kind of reflection and located at the very heart of our actions, a great future beckons and that it is his heartfelt desire that other traditional rulers across the length and breadth of Sierra Leone, will continue to promote inter-ethnic relationships, as is being exemplified.
“I want us to re-enact today onwards that spirit of unity, that spirit of togetherness, that spirit that we used to break the walls of our colonisation and other developmental issues that have dogged us, to discourage all those who are sowing the seed of mistrust and disunity among us, and make sure that that seed is not planted. That seed will never germinate; that seed will never bear fruit because we must remain together. Let us also today say here that all of us must pay respect to our traditional institutions and our traditional fathers,’’ he entreated which was greeted by a thunderous applause from the audience.
He recognised the official efforts to improve the status of Paramount Chiefs who are also custodians of the traditions.
“It is my prayer that more will be done to give them their due recognition in the societal scheme of things,” he expressed optimism adding how he will like to call on Sierra Leoneans at home and in the diaspora that our dreams of a glorious future also depend on what we do for our villages, towns and cities, outside what the Government is doing.
Dr Abboud advised that let each and every one begin to think of what he or she can do, no matter how small, to contribute to the rebuilding of our once glorious nation, by doing something from the very local level which is the pivot of our overall existence.
He said our interest as a people must be bigger than individual interests adding that their forebears lived a life of peace, unity and togetherness and we cannot afford to do otherwise, especially when the world is entering a supersonic technological age.
Dr Abboud cautioned by stating that let all Paramount Chiefs across Kailahun District and the rest of Sierra Leone, help them through a collective action that will enhance their ranks, build greater understanding and promote development as one people under a common ancestry.
He said as the day draws to its close, he knows that his abiding memory of it will be, not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but also, the inspiration of the principled stand of a belief in one nation, one people bound in freedom, love and unity, demonstrated in the entirety of the event.
“I can perceive the shade and rostrum we need to thrive and to broker togetherness and brotherhood across ethnic borders,” he said maintaining that Upper Bambara Chiefdom has become a role model for other ethnic kingdoms and societies to follow, expressing hope that long may it continue to be a beacon.
He assured all that he has taken the honour and responsibility accorded him, faithfully; with a good conscience and with a disposition that shall be a canopy for the struggle to ensure unity, togetherness and progress, across that community and the nation as a whole.
Dr Abboud said at this time of our national life he will once again like to remind everyone that they can only develop on the basis of their collective aspiration, if they unite and see themselves as one.
He furthered that they must see unity as a commodity that must be bought at all cost advising that they cannot falter and allow their ranks to be polluted by invidious characters and merchants of disunity.
“My personal interactions and relationship with this Chiefdom and its monarchy has shown that they are not just unique from the perspective of ecstatic, but also as a driver of redefinition, regeneration and repositioning of the glory and essence of their kingdom,” he stated.
He said on that note he will once again round off with sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to all present and in particular to their esteemed father, Honourable P.C. Cyril Foray Gondor II.
He expressed gratitude for the honour stating that it is his prayer that God will continue to honour him and that the stool of his forefathers will not be soiled in the course of his reign.
Dr. Abboud also extended thanks to the Council of Paramount Chiefs of Kailahun District, the Chiefdom Speaker, Upper Bambara Chiefdom, Chiefdom Section Chiefs and the Town Chief of Pendembu.
He again expressed gratitude to the Chiefdom Mammy Queen, the Chairman and Members of Kailahun District Descendants Association (KAIDDA) as well as the Chiefdom IMAM, Pastors in the Chiefdom and the Chiefdom Youth Chairman.
It could be recalled that two months ago, Dr Adonis Abboud donated to two schools in Kailahun district two (2) full DStv systems with two (2) Flat screens. According to him those two schools will now get 2 solar units to allow them benefit on a 24/7 basis.
He also disclosed that the Pendembu Community centre will get its own DStv system with Flat Screen and 6 months subscriptions and a solar system.
Also the Pendembu secondary School will soon get a mini laboratory.
In an exclusive interview with the newly crowned Honorary Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara Chiefdom in the Kailahun District, Hon.P.C.Adonis Bambamoi Abboud, he intimated this medium that it took him 34 years since he founded his company which, according to him, were good 34 years devoted and dedicated to inform and entertain the citizens of this country.
“We started in 1986 when there was a total blackout on TV as SLBS had shut down completely and the people were starving for TV information and entertainment,” he further revealed adding that up to this date they remain faithful to the industry.
He maintained that communication is at the heart of any type of business in daily life as it is the booster of any enterprise.
PC Dr. Abboud disclosed that 55 schools in Sierra Leone and the Universities have and still enjoy direct learning via satellite saying it is thanks to his business that after the interregnum, which brought violence and devastation to this peaceful country in 2001, that they founded one of the best local NGOs and went into partnership with the French famous La Chaîne de L’Espoir which allowed them to save lives of dozens of condemned kids with congenital heart diseases who had only few months to live further stating that children suffering from different kinds of ailments also benefitted.
He highlighted that three years ago Chain of Hope UK and RCPCH Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health came on board and helped them save more kids.
“The last two (2) arrived right at the closure of airports worldwide after they had a successful surgery in Aswan in Egypt,” he stated maintaining that even during COVID-19 pandemic although their partners stopped operations they managed in December 2020 to deal with a critical case of 7-year old, Precious Konneh, who was having worrying heart attacks and they flew her over to France.
“Her Open-Heart surgery was a clear success and she is expected to be flown back from France to re-join with her family on January 23rd. 2021,” he further revealed stating how they will continue their mission to fill a serious vacuum in health care in the country saying they remain proud and committed.
He also intimated this medium that, through his facilitation, Mini Bridges were built linking communities which were separated making residents go through so much strain in their daily lives, struggling to move from one side to another.
“Water wells were dug in areas where clean water was a luxury and among them were at Calaba town Old Road and Collegiate School Wilkinson road,” he said with pride.
Dr. Adonis Abboud has served in different capacities in this country, including but not limited to being: the Director & Member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Africa Initiative, Chairman of the Equinox Group, Chairman DStv Sierra Leone, Chairman Capital Radio 104.9, Honorary Consul of Serbia to Sierra Leone and Dean of the Consular Corps, Chairman of Pikin Bizness, Chairman, Miss Sierra Leone Ltd.
Indisputably, the National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) continues to stand tall within the petroleum marketing landscape of this country as it has demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubts its efficient and enhanced service delivery ability or prowess to its numerous and esteemed customers in different parts of the country.
As a result of always trying to give optimal satisfaction to its customers, over the years, the company has proudly bagged the recognition of being 1st for Customer Care, which is indeed no mean accolade for a 100% indigenous business entity.
The petroleum marketing company has state of the art Filling Stations in different parts of the country where petroleum products like diesel, petrol, gas and other lubricants one of which is the most sought out Castrol Oil are sold out.
Castrol motor oil for automobiles and bikes is particularly a well-known lubricant in Sierra Leone amongst motorists and commercial users. It is a well-recognized product amongst discernible consumers since the Castrol brand is about passion, excitement and performance.
In a new development, this February, NP SL Limited will activate a loyalty promotion as one of its yearly activities and to celebrate the holidays in offering customers the chance to win different prizes.
In that month, every time a customer buys a 5L Castrol GTX, he or she, will have a chance to dip and draw from a container filled with hidden prizes in the form of a folded slip.
As far as the Management of NP-SL Ltd is concerned, brand awareness and product visibility are key drivers in any marketing institution and therefore as part of its 2020 marketing activity plan, activation of these drivers in paramount.
It is in that regard that high street stores and NP forecourts will be sale materials to create brand awareness and visibility.
Indeed, it must be reiterated that each time customers buy 5L Castrol engine oil they will dip their hands in a container and then draw folded slips. The customers will open the slips and reveal prizes or a ‘sorry buy more GTX’ on the slip.
The categories of the draw are as follows: GTX 25W50 = 1 dip & draw, GTX 20W50 = 2 dips & draw, GTX DIESEL = 2 dips & draw.
After revealing the prizes the customers will leave their details and shall be contacted by the Lubricants Sales Supervisor of NP-SL Ltd.
The Lubricants Sales Supervisor will in turn notify the winners and they will pick up their prizes at the office.
Customers who do not win prizes will be compensated with Castrol GTX bumper stickers or keyrings. This is to keep the customers loyal and identify themselves with the premium brand.
The compensation is as follows: GTX 25W50 = 1 sticker, GTX 20W50 = 1 sticker & 1 keyring, GTX DIESEL = 2 stickers & 1 keyring.
It must be known that the promotion and offers will run for a three-week period in this year, 2021.
The promotional items are: Led Light, Normal cap, Funnels, Lip balm, Keyring, Sticker, Desk Clock, Flask, File and Mug.
Demonstrating its true Sierra Leonean identity the company has maintained a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.
In its drive to optimize customer satisfaction, the company went the extra mile to install calibrated pumping machines which are not only modern but trustworthy, as opposed to the old pumping machines which certain unscrupulous individuals used to cheat unsuspecting customers.This is helping to repose confidence in customers that they are dealing with a very transparent entity.
For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.
NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.
To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the required financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA). NP is one big tax payers to Government and it has been doing so timely.
NP-SL remains undaunted, unperturbed amidst all the challenges it is going through and conscientiously it is steadily contributing to the socio-economic development of the country as well as positively changing communities and lives.
– Acquires 45% of OML 17 from Shell, Total and ENI
– Existing Production Capacity of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day Estimated 2P Reserves of 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent
– Estimated Additional 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent of further exploration potential
Lagos, Nigeria, January 15, 2021– Heirs Holdings (“HH”), the leading African strategic investor, in partnership with affiliated company Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (“Transcorp”), Nigeria’s largest publicly listed conglomerate, announced today the unconditional acquisition of a 45% participating interest in Nigerian oil licence OML 17 and related assets, through TNOG Oil and Gas Limited (a related company of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp), from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and ENI. In addition, TNOG Oil and Gas Limited will have sole operatorship of the asset.
The transaction is one of the largest oil and gas financings in Africa in more than a decade, with a financing component of US$1.1 billion, provided by a consortium of global and regional banks and investors. OML 17 has a current production capacity of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and, according to our estimates, 2P reserves of 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with an additional 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources of further exploration potential.
The investment demonstrates a further important advance in the execution of Heirs Holdings’ integrated energy strategy and the Group’s commitment to Africa’s development, through long term investments that create economic prosperity and social wealth. Heirs Holdings’ heritage and approach to business fundamentally underscores its commitment to inclusive development and shared prosperity with its host communities. Heirs Holdings is fully invested in the development of the Niger Delta region.
Heirs Holdings’ strategy of creating the leading integrated energy business in Africa is executed through a series of strategic portfolio holdings. Transcorp is one of the largest power producers in Nigeria, with 2,000 MW of installed capacity, through ownership of Transcorp Power Plant and the recent acquisition of Afam Power Plc and Afam Three Fast Power Limited. Transcorp closed the US$300 million Afam acquisitions in November 2020. Transcorp supplies electricity to the Republic of Benin, as part of an emphasis on promoting regional integration and delivering robust power supply to catalyse development in Africa. Transcorp also operates OPL281, under a production sharing contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (“NNPC”). Similarly, Heirs Holdings’ subsidiary, Tenoil is the operator of OPL 2008, under a production sharing contract with NNPC. Tenoil also owns the Ata Marginal Field, which will commence production in Q2, 2021, with 3,500 barrels of oil per day.
Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu stated: “We have a very clear vision: creating Africa’s first integrated energy multinational, a global quality business, uniquely focused on Africa and Africa’s energy needs. The acquisition of such a high-quality asset, with significant potential for further growth, is a strong statement of our confidence in Nigeria, the Nigerian oil and gas sector and a tribute to the extremely high-quality management team that we have assembled. As a Nigerian, and more particularly an indigene of the Niger Delta region, I understand well our responsibilities that come with stewardship of the asset, our engagement with communities and the strategic importance of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. We see significant benefits from integrating our production, with our ability to power Nigeria, through Transcorp, and deliver value across the energy value chain.”
Speaking further, he said “I would like to thank Shell, Total and ENI, for the professionalism of the process, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the NNPC for the confidence they have placed in us.”
Speaking on the investment, the President/GCEO of Transcorp, Owen Omogiafo, said “This deal further demonstrates Transcorp’s integrated energy strategy and our determination to power Africa.”
Heirs Holdings was advised by Standard Chartered Plc, as Global Coordinator, and United Capital Plc, with a syndicate of lending institutions including Afreximbank, ABSA, Africa Finance Corporation, Union Bank of Nigeria, Hybrid Capital, and global asset management firm Amundi. The deal also involves Schlumberger as a technical partner, as well as the trading arm of Shell as an offtaker.
Heirs Holdings has created one of Africa’s largest, indigenous owned, oil and gas businesses, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria and led by a board and management team with significant regional and global experience in production, exploration, and value creation in the resources sector. The HH Group is committed to the highest standards of safety, health, and community relations, together with best practice in governance and accountability.
About Heirs Holdings
Heirs Holdings is a leading pan-African investment company. Its investment portfolio spans the power, oil and gas, financial services, hospitality, real estate, and healthcare sectors, operating in twenty-three countries worldwide.
Heirs Holdings is inspired by Africapitalism, the belief that the private sector is the key enabler of economic and social wealth creation in Africa. Driven by this philosophy, Heirs Holdings invests for the long-term, bringing strategic capital, sector expertise, a track record of business success and operational excellence to companies we invest in.
Heirs Holdings is committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through its investment in the private sector and its philanthropic arm, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, which catalyses entrepreneurship across Africa. Through the US$100m Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, funded by Heirs Holdings, and its advocacy and research initiatives, the Tony Elumelu Foundation empowers thousands of African entrepreneurs, across all 54 African countries, eradicates poverty and catalyses job creation on the continent.
The Assistant Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Sierra Leone in Charge of Programs, Harding Wuyango on Wednesday 13th January 2021 revealed at the Golden Tulip Kimbima Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown that FAO, in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), farmers and other stakeholders, is implementing an integrated food security program in Sierra Leone focusing on diversification of livelihood, managing natural resources and building resilience for women and youths.
The 35 participants were drawn from Civil Society Organizations, Government, INGOs, NGOs and other relevant key stakeholders.
He enlightened that FAO and the other stakeholders’ support plans, policies affecting the food and nutrition security in the country as part of its work and corporate commitment to support countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, especially SDG 2 on Zero Hunger and informed that FAO recruited a Consultant to undertake Socio-Economic Assessment of the Impacts of COVID-19 on Land Tenure, Agric-business Investment and Youths in Sierra Leone underscoring that the Assessment aims to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures of the following:
Land tenure rights especially for the vulnerable poor (women and youths), land based investments/private agribusiness investors, including those from young agri-entrepreneurs/youth cooperatives and youth Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), land/natural resource conflicts, Land Administration/Management Institutions e.g. MDAs, District and Local Governance, Government and finally housing, land and property rights.
According to Harding Wuyango, since 2014, FAO has been supporting the government of Sierra Leone in the formulation and implementation of its National Land Policy (NLP) which recognizes different forms of tenure rights and called for a new land law to implement the policy and ensure gender equality stressing that additionally, Sierra Leone is committed to the Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenure (VGGT) and international human rights laws adding that in this context, FAO is particularly concerned about the potential impact of COVID-19 on land tenure.
The Assistant FAO Country Representative continued that the COVID-19 pandemic and its response are an impediment to physical organizing and human rights defence around the world – including abuses of communities’ land rights, environmental degradation and corrupt practices that involve land-based investments pointing out that considering that the majority of rural populations live under insecure forms of tenure, whose land rights are already vulnerable to land grabs and other forms of dispossession, measures must be put in place so that no further displacements of rural dwellers take place that would affect their livelihoods in the pretext of COVID-19 lockdowns.
He went on to state that at the same time and in synergies with the VGGT implementation activities, FAO is supporting Sierra Leone in enhancing responsible investments in agriculture and food systems through a series of projects focusing on the enabling environment, inclusive business models and investments by and with young agri-entrepreneurs and that in this context, FAO is particularly concerned about the potential socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 containment measures on youths in rural and urban areas and particularly young agri-entrepreneurs.
Harding Wuyango further revealed that ILO estimates that young women and men would be mainly affected by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic because they are more vulnerable to economic shocks and work more often in the informal economy and went on to observe that young agric-entrepreneurs and youth cooperatives would also suffer from the associated economic recession which would further constrain their capacities to find resources and financing and access markets in particular because they lack the know-how to cope with difficult business conditions.
Jombo Samba, Head of the VGGT Secretariat in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning expressed immense thanks and appreciation to partners, especially FAO, for supporting the Ministry to undertake and implement land reforms and FAO for putting the study together.
He also encouraged participants to contribute to the findings from which they would also learn and put the land reform agenda forward reiterating that participants must learn and mainstream the findings in their various Ministries and other sectors.
Dr. Isata Mahoi of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) commended FAO for supporting the government of Sierra Leone to improve the land tenure system in the country disclosing that many communities now understand land issues, that government has made tremendous efforts to sanitize the land tenure system, that Sierra Leone has been identified globally for implementing the VGGT, that land issues are now topical in the country and that most of the conflicts in the country are related to land.
She also articulated that some communities have formulated byelaws on how to utilize land while Local Champions are on the ground sensitizing people how to properly use land but emphasized that they want to scale-up the process concluding that some families now know the size of their lands in addition to understanding how to mediate and advocate on land issues.
In his PowerPoint presentation, the consultant, Prince Kamara underscored that the findings would not be the end as the COVID-19 is still around, that the findings are not new, that he used a structured questionnaire, random selection of households, checklists to collect qualitative data and use of the Krio and the local languages of the various communities.
He continued that he interviewed the Ministries of Lands, Agriculture and companies that have acquired large acres of lands like Miro, NGOs in the land sector and the people, majority of whom responded that they are aware of COVID-19 and they believe the pandemic is real..
Kamara also revealed that 59% of the people responded that they heard about the pandemic in the local media while 29% said they heard about the pandemic from locals around them like chiefs and went on to state that all the respondents said that they panicked on hearing about the outbreak of the pandemic and are abiding by all the preventive measures.
The consultant went on to disclose that some of sources of income of those interviewed before COVID-19 replied that 93% were involved in agriculture, others petty trading, riding of commercial motorbikes and causal workers and that there is a decrease in their income after COVID-19 with 80% of the farmers stating that they could not produce like before COVID-19.
The consultant further disclosed, “some of the interviewees have cut down on expenses, sold property like land, sent some relatives back home, lost their jobs while 95% said they have not received any help from government or anybody/institution. In most pandemics around the world, women are the most affected-these include broken marriages, increase in single female parents, women deprived of land, increased teenage pregnancy, school dropout for girls, increased prostitution, increased food insecurity for households and migration to rural areas. 32% of women said they received some kind of benefits from government.”
On how people acquire land, the respondents said through inheritance, can be collectively owned, can be bought, mortgaged/leased affirming that land disputes in the country have decreased by 50%, that there is now regular payment of land lease fees, fair settlement of land disputes and that there is huge loss in revenue for agricultural companies, shortage of supplies and difficulty to export products.
Francesca Romano FAO Land Tenure Officer in Rome, also made salient contributions online and wished all a successful meeting.
Earlier, Ibrahim Bangura National Coordinator of VGGT at FAO highlighted the objectives of the validation workshop which he underscored is of high interest to FAO, and urged all to participate fully due to its importance informing that FAO has mapped huge acres of lands in Port Loko, Bombali, Bo and Kenema Districts all aimed at mitigating conflicts.
Gbassay Momoh of FAO moderated the discussion, questions and answers session while the vote of thanks was rendered by Joseph Rahall of Green Scenery.
With the primary objective of having first-hand information and knowledge of the WASH Project which is supported by Heineken Africa Foundation (HAF), the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited (SLBL), World Vision team, the Freetown City Council, and the Guma Valley Water Company have on Friday 15th January 2021 conducted a joint monitoring tour of various submersible water well construction sites situated in vulnerable communities in the East End of Freetown; Upper Allen Town/Mamboreh Community, Robis Community in Calaba Town, and Shell Old Road Community in Freetown.
The rationale for undertaking the visit was to get first-hand information or knowledge of the progress of the construction of some of these wells, inspect how completed solar panel boreholes in the different communities are functioning and to also engage community residents on the importance of the project more especially so as the construction of the boreholes is targeting over 6000 beneficiaries in schools, markets, hospitals and communities in each of the wards.
The said development is all focused on complementing Government’s efforts in combating the spread of COVID-19 through the provision of hygienic water facilities that can salvage water crisis in those vulnerable communities and promote hand washing practice.
All stakeholders shared impressive feedback sentiments as the work is in good progress and hopefully to be completed against the agreed timeline of which onward commissioning of the water facilities will be done in due course.
The project is a six-month WASH Response funded by the Heineken Africa Foundation of which they provided the sum of EUR 210,625 to the NGO (World Vision) to promote lifesaving hygiene education and hand washing facilities in the urgent fight against COVID-19 in the country.
It started in 2020 and the implementation of the Project is ongoing with its footprints to be seen in more communities in coming months this year 2021.
The partnership has agreed on key performance indicators which are that 16,000 people will be reached to access clean water, 12 water system tap stands with 24 taps will be constructed, 6,000 people will be reached with preventative WASH kits, 300,000 people in informal settlements will directly benefit from educational materials and with 200,000 people who work in the market places as secondary beneficiaries.
Many have described the intervention as timely and supportive to the people of Sierra Leone particularly at this moment when the country is battling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In implementing the project, World Vision will focus on the provision of pure water supply to communities in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including mechanized solar-powered boreholes and water trucking services where needed.
Freestanding hand-washing stations will be fabricated or procured (such as Veronica buckets, with a tap) and placed at strategic public places and community health centres.
Soap and disinfectants will be provided at the hand- washing units in public places, informational and educational materials utilized in sensitizing people living in slums and their community health centers to outline the sanitation and hygiene practices to be carried out by both patients and healthcare workers will be disseminated.
For effective prevention and mitigation, World Vision is working with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation to develop, print, and distribute social behaviour-change communication materials on COVID-19 and strengthen WASH promotion through community health workers at the household level, also emphasizing key COVID-19 prevention messages with special focus on actions to improve hygiene practices.
Miss Europe 2020, Lara Jalloh, is currently on a visit to Sierra Leone where her father hailed from to connect with her people and meet with family members, in an effort to promote Sierra Leone’s tourism potentials globally. As part of her visit, she paid a courtesy call on the First Lady.
Chief of Staff at the office of the First Lady, Sheik Salim Feika welcomed the delegation on behalf of the Office of the First Lady. He said he was surprised to learn on social media that Miss Europe is a Sierra Leonean and that she is also in town.
Salim Feika urged her to fly the flag of Sierra Leone and to spread the name of the country with a very dynamic President that is open to investors from Europe. He called on Miss Europe to carry the message that Sierra Leone is a peaceful and loving country.
Memunatu Pratt, Minister of Tourism, said Lara is the first Sierra Leonean to win Miss Europe and it is a big opportunity to have a Sierra Leonean at that level.
She furthered that since 2018 the First Lady has shown great support in the tourism and entertainment industry and that has made her to be loved by many adding that Madam Fatima Bio is the most philanthropic and humanitarian First Lady the country has ever had and that is the reason they are now presenting Ms. Lara Jalloh a Sierra Leonean who is also a French citizen to her.
Madam Memunatu added that this is a big opportunity to showcase Sierra Leone on the international stage and that it also a turnaround time for Sierra Leone as what is happening now has never happened before, stating that is as a result of the support the President and First Lady are throwing for women and girls which is quite remarkable. She said winning the award has put Sierra Leone above many other African countries.
The First Lady, Madam Fatima Maada Bio, in her remarks said the Minister demanded her to meet with Miss Europe. She said she knows the feeling because many years ago she was in this same shoes with a crown on her head and many people wanted to know who she was.
She added that there is a whole lot of perception about beauty queens in people’s eyes but went on to state that most beauty queens have used that platform wisely to become very successful.
The First Lady admonished Ms. Jalloh that she can use the Miss Europe victory to transform herself and show people that good things come from Africa too, and can also be used to portray Africa as the best place in the world and more importantly showcase Sierra Leone as she is now an Ambassador of Sierra Leone.
Since the patriotic minded, morally upright Auditor General, Lara Taylor-Pearce, took over Audit Service Sierra Leone and started giving the nation a true picture of the abysmal level of financial corruption in the civil service, what year after year during the past decade of her investigations has revealed glaringly in her annual reports is that if anybody should be held accountable for aiding and abetting financial crimes including concealing of information, fraud, theft and misuse of public monies, it is a group of people that go by the nomenclature of Vote Controllers.
From the tough order that the Financial Secretary, Sahr Lahai Jusu gave past Thursday to Vote Controllers to submit their plans for the implementation of the 2019 Audit recommendations, it is clear that these criminals have been flouting the Auditor General’s recommendations with impunity and getting away with it because the Parliamentary Accounts Committee does not seem to have the balls to call them to order.
The Financial Secretary is unforgiving in his censure of Vote Controllers as he warns them that if they fail to, there will be a strong remedial measure which will lead to suspension. Suspension Sir, is not enough for people that knowingly criminally steal public funds for their personal aggrandizement.
Nobody should take offense for this publication calling our Vote Controllers criminals because Sahr Jusu openly declared that the main challenge they at Finance are faced with is that many Vote Controllers and their MDAs do not recognize the audit process and recommendations.
He further blamed Vote Controllers for not treating the Auditor General’s representative seriously as when she sends her audit staff the Vote Controllers send them to someone else.
Issues of compliance to laws, procurement and public financial management formed part of the Emphasis of Matter in the Auditor General’s “Unqualified Opinion” on the 2019 Report.
Cabinet Secretary Mr. John Sumaila, commenting on this very grave criminal matter, implored vote controllers and the leadership of MDAs to come together to consider how to minimize the adverse issues in the Audit Reports.
He encouraged them to improve on the findings and retrieval of documents by cooperating with auditors through the release of records and documentation. “Uphold internal controls established in MDAs to ensure that the business of Government is carried out in an orderly and efficient manner, respond to audit queries and that should be done in addressing issues raised in the audit report, support internal auditors…,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
This Commentary emphasizes on the point that the issue of tightening access and control is especially pertinent in relation to persons who have principal access and control over public funds as they occupy positions in which a high level of public trust is invested and deal with massive sums of money.
Unquestionably, checks/restrictions and control over Vote Controllers access to and expending of public funds are found in the GBAA 2005 and FMR 2007.
These two prudent public financial management documents set out the legal requirements/controls applicable to every phase of the treatment/handling of public funds.
They include their safeguarding, their circulation, their conversion into employable forms and their being fed into the governance process.
The control and management of public funds is determined by and dependent upon the extent to which such controls are expressed, set out, encompassed and instituted by regulatory instruments.
Realistically, control and management is determined by and dependent upon those offices/bodies which the regulatory instruments assign the responsibility of effecting observance of the provisions which bear upon efficient financial management.
Thus, control and management of public funds can be seen as the operation of certain mechanisms/devices, created by such regulatory instruments and at different phases/episodes.
As such, in ensuring effective financial control, what the Auditor General’s annual reports point to is that the existing legal restrictions on accessing and handling public funds were simply not observed.
Why did the designated enforcement body not fulfilling its enforcement role, or, why did the designated device not function?
The answer to this question will lead to the uncovering of other causative factors and the most pertinent circumstances surrounding the commission of the offence of stealing of public monies by Vote Controllers that has gone unchecked all these years leading to its occurrence year after year.
A consortium of Civil Society Organizations comprising Budget Advocacy Network (BAN), Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL), 50/50 Group-Sierra Leone and the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has urged Parliament of Sierra Leone to act decisively on the 2019 Audit Report. They made this position known in a Press Release dated 15th January 2021.
The CSOs maintained that they have been carefully monitoring events following the release in December last year of the Auditor-General’s Reports on the annual financial statement of 2019 and the COVID-19 Response Funds. They added that like successive audit reports, the financial scandals revealed in the 2019 Audit across Government agencies has once again exposed the underlying weaknesses in GoSL’s regulatory systems which continue to pose challenges to effective delivery of public services.
They said they have noted the expressed concerns from sections of the public about the Office of the Auditor General, hoping that the Parliamentary scrutiny of the 2019 reports would help resolve those concerns in ways that do not undermine or compromise the coveted independence of Audit Service-Sierra Leone.
The consortium said it is pleased to note that Sierra Leone’s Audit Service has been lauded by both local and international Public Financial Management (PFM) evaluations as one of the most impressive contributors to strengthening financial management in the country. It said for example in the 2020 Open Budget Survey, Audit Service Sierra Leone recorded a 72% score, which ranked as one of the most effective audit institutions in Africa of which they called on Government to sustain that achievement.
Members pointed out that they also observe that while the 2019 Audit did not reveal new forms or patterns of financial mismanagement or fraud, public interest in the findings has been overwhelming and the growing interest among the public is in line with the recent 2020 Afro barometer findings, which states that 70.9% of the public believe that it is more important for citizens to hold Government accountable, even if it means taking decisions more slowly.
The consortium said it is pleased that there have been positive steps by Government in accordance with those expressed wishes of the public. For instance, in a directive from the Ministry of Finance (MOF), published on 15th January, 2020, of which the Financial Secretary has given a three-week ultimatum to all Vote Controllers to respond to the audit report or risk suspension.
Members furthered that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has also taken prompt action in recovering some of the lost monies and assets mentioned in the audit.
“While we closely monitor adherence to the directives of MOF to Vote Controllers we urge the ACC to sustain its engagement with both Audit reports with the objective of not only recovering unaccounted public funds or assets, but also of bringing perpetrators to justice,” the Release stated adding that as organizations they are worried that successive Parliaments have rarely given audit reports the attention they deserve because they failed to demand improved standards from MDAs or bring defaulters to book.
“We are, however, encouraged by the recent announcement by the leadership of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that it is shortly commencing enquiries into both reports. Accordingly, we strongly encourage the PAC to use the regulatory weaknesses identified in the audit to effectively scrutinise all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government,” they highlighted.
The consortium maintains that the history of institutional reforms is replete of examples of how effective Parliamentary Oversight of Government MDAs can help countries recover lost public confidence and trust in public financial management institutions and that corruption has persisted in Sierra Leone not because of poor quality audits, but rather the historic unwillingness to implement or address audit recommendations.
In light of that experience, they said they are encouraged by the recent efforts by the ACC to investigate findings and take action on the audit reports but they believe that there is a lot more that Parliament can do.
“Failure to take drastic action on the 2019 findings may send the wrong signals about our country’s commitment to effective PFM especially in the light of our impressive record in controlling corruption over the last four years,” they stated concluding by saying that they stand ready to support Parliament and indeed the country in their collective endeavour to address continued PFM weaknesses.
