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Bagging Another Meritorious Award… Kobi Walker Emerges as Best CEO of 2020

The Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency- Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Kabia, presenting the meritorious award to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd), Kobi Walker,

By Amin Kef Sesay

On the 6th January, 2021, the Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency- Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Kabia, presented a meritorious award, which is a Certificate of Appreciation, to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd), Kobi Walker, as Best CEO of 2020, during a short but auspicious ceremony which took place at the NP Head Office on Siaka Steven Street in Freetown. In attendance were some officials of the Consumer Protection Agency-SL and some members of staff of NP-SL Ltd.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency,  Ibrahim Kabia,  in his presentation speech highlighted that as the umbrella entity that is representing and championing the interests, concerns and views of consumers right around the country they have been taking into consideration the plethora of commendations that consumers of petroleum products have been heaping on the oil marketing company for effective service delivery in addition to the company’s vibrant stance in enhancing customer care which, he said, has earned the company the accolade of 1st for Customer Care.

He said they should have presented the Award since last year but such was not possible as there was a small hitch but said it is better late than never.

Mr. Kabia said the methodology they used was conducting a perception survey by asking consumers how they assess the company as well as clandestinely asking members of staff questions. He said they did so for other business entities but at the end of the day it was him who emerged as the award winner within the confines of the company’s achievements bordering on affordability, accessibility and availability of their products.

He said unlike other companies NP-SL is not under delivering but has well in place safety measures that it had been effectively implementing.

The Consumer Protection boss said they are impressed with his Open Door Policy evident in the fact that just with short notice there was less protocol in seeing him and he welcomed them warmly.

He furthered that they learnt that workers of the company are been treated fairly stating that such is indeed commendable adding that they are also pleased with the expansionist drive of the company as they have a presence in different parts of the country.

‘’Indeed, we are mindful of the positive comments that we have been receiving, especially from drivers and more especially the Motor Drivers Union , about the company’s pro-active stance in ensuring that fuel is always available and the prices are stable,” he disclosed adding that they are also aware that the petroleum products that the company markets are of high quality.

Ibrahim Kabia underscored that they are not awarding the Chief Executive Officer out of any form of sentiment or friendly ties but rather doing so genuinely because he really deserves it.

He pointed out that the CEO of NP-SL Ltd has, over the years, demonstrated astute leadership qualities that have helped in catapulting the company to higher heights underscoring that the hallmarks of effectively steering the company are visible for all to see.

The Consumer Protection Agency boss noted that one admirable managerial initiative which Kobi Walker has exemplarily demonstrated is nurturing and developing strong team work. He furthered that by succeeding to do so he has made his work easier as division of labour is effectively working for the company.

Ibrahim Kabia intimated that his Agency is out there to help consumers make the right choices of goods they consume as well as promote the safety of business people in the country.

He stated that they work in sync with consumers and business people in order to identify and get rid of expired goods and counterfeit products on the market as well as recommend good products that are fit for consumption.

He said the Consumer Protection Agency-SL is apolitical and has a long history having been in existence under different political dispensations. He commended the Bio led Government for the strides being made to transform the Agency into a Commission.

After receiving the award, the charismatic Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL, Kobi Walker, expressed profound thanks and appreciation to officials of the Consumer Protection Agency for taking their time off their busy schedules to bestow on him such a prestigious Award.

He assured them that he will not rest on his oars or bask in their successes but rather will continue to work assiduously in order to avail their cherished customers high grade petroleum products.

Kobi Walker dedicated the award to the founding fathers of the company, thirty-five (35) Sierra Leoneans, who sacrificed their end of service benefits just to establish the company. He also extended gratitude to the entire staff of NP-SL Ltd for working as a team which he said made it possible for him as CEO to be awarded.

It could be recalled that recently the National Petroleum-SL Ltd bagged six (6) prestigious awards in recognition of its outstanding dedication and passion for excellent service delivery in the country.

On the 18th December, 2020 the Chief Executive Officer of NP-SL Ltd, Kobi Walker, was awarded as the Best Chief Executive Officer of the Year during the Diaspora Focus National Achievements Award 2020.

He was awarded for demonstrating exemplary leadership and for taking the company to higher heights.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer was also recognized as one of 100 outstanding Sierra Leoneans at the Sierra Ovation Award team on the 10th December 2020.

Prior to that, the Human Resources & Admin Manager of NP-SL, Mrs Georgiana Williams as well as Saidu Mansaray of the same company and who happens to be the Finance Manager were also honoured among Top 100 Rising Stars and Emerging Leaders of the year 2019/2020 by the Sierra Ovation Awards.

The other award that NP-SL received was a meritorious award from NASSIT for Compliance to the Social Scheme. The event took place on Friday 11th December 2020 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown during the annual NASSIT Employer Banquet and Award Ceremony.

Another award was dished out on the 12th December, 2020 and it was given by the Vimetco Holdings Bauxite Mining Company, Gundama, in Sierra Leone for the company’s outstanding performance as well as for rendering assistance to the mining company when they were facing financial constraints particularly in 2013.

Audit Service-SL Sheds Light on 2019 Audit Report

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Since the 2019 Audit Report was released, Sierra Leoneans have been expressing divergent views in relation to that report as it contains startling revelations of how State funds were utilized during the year under review.

In a bid to throw light on the methodology used in conducting the audit and on areas that have generated heated discussions in certain quarters, the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) on Thursday 7th January 2021 engaged members of the Press, as part of its public education and information drive , during which the institution made certain clarifications.

The engagement took place at the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Hall on Campbell Street and later at the Sierra Leone State Lottery Building on Tower Hill in Freetown respectively.

In her statement, the Auditor General, Madam Lara Taylor Pearce, disclosed that the Audit Service Sierra Leone draws its mandate from the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, the Audit Service Act of 2014 and the Public Financial Management Act of 2016 giving the Auditor-General the sole prerogative to audit all Government institutions.

She continued that they are carrying out their work guided by standards which are auditing standards used by public sector external audit institutions, adding that the Audit Service Sierra Leone, as many other supreme audit institutions around the world, carries out three types of Audits which are Financial Statement Audit, Compliance Audit and Performance Audit.

She noted that in 2019 they carried out a financial statement audit on the set of financial statements prepared by the Accountant General for all revenue and expenditure for the year ending 31st December, 2019 furthering that a set of financial statements and unqualified audit opinion were given, adding that in their professional opinion, based on the various audit tests they carried out there were no material statements on those set financial statements but said there were however emphasis on issues that were not material enough to affect the audit opinion needed to be considered by the barriers of the accounts going forward.

She revealed that Part One of the 2019 Auditor General’s Report revealed that financial statement audit was carried out within public enterprises, commissions, projects and local councils and that they also performed various compliance audits in Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Local Councils, Commissions and Public Enterprises of which she noted that those compliance audits found their way into the Auditor General’s Report bordering on matters to be brought to the attention of the public through Parliament for action.
For the purpose of clarity she explained what compliance audit entails pointing out that it is an independent assessment of whether a given subject matter is in compliance with applicable internal or external laws and policies furthering that it is also carried out by assessing whether activities, financial transactions and information comply with all material effects with the authorities governing the audited entity.

On his part, the Deputy Auditor General, Tamba Momoh, made certain clarifications on the 2019 Audit Report specially the issue of the controversial 47 laptops computers at NaCOVERC disclosing that according to a request letter sent by NaCOVERC the Ministry of Health requested for 47 laptops computers stating that the Ministry said 15 were meant for its Situation Room and 32 for its Command Centre.

He added that after the request the Ministry then engaged one of their existing suppliers to supply the said computers at Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand Leones.

According to him the snag was that some of the computers supplied was not according to the said specifications and the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) Price Norm was not adhered to.

The Deputy ASSL Boss furthered that NaCOVERC admitted receipt of the 47 Laptops computers of which 15 had touch screens but said that at the time of the audit when NaCOVERC was asked to produce the computers they were unable to do so.

Dilating on the issue of the 50kv Generator that was donated by the Chinese Government to the Government of Sierra Leone, he explained that as per record the Minister of Health acknowledged receipt of the said generator but said at the time of the audit the Ministry was unable to produce the generator with the Ministry explaining that it was taken to Zimmi. He underscored the point that it is not that the generator was not available but they considered it to be missing as it was not present at the point they were expected it to be.

The Auditor General stated that contrary to what some have been peddling that she admitted that there are errors in the Audit Report , there had been no point in time did she made such an admission.

Asked whether a letter was written to her by the Financial Secretary relating to billions of Leones that the institution should have retired into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Auditor General said she is not aware of that.

Chernoh Amadu Jalloh on the Run for Being Gay

Chernor Amadu Jalloh

By Foday Moriba Conteh

The increasing reports of isolated physical attacks on persons found to be gay seem to have no end in sight, as the recent case of Chernoh Amadu Jalloh indicates.

News intimated this medium revealed that in Kola Tree New Site at Calaba Town East End of Freetown, Chernoh Amadu Jalloh, has come under serious intimidation and harassment from members of his family and the community after being caught practicing homosexuality with his male partner in an unfinished building of which both stakeholders and the community youths have mounted a round the clock search for Chernoh Amadu Jalloh who is now declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.

Chernoh Amadu Jalloh who hails from an Islamic background and was raised by a Christian Family was not expected to practise this act especially when his family was well known by members of the community as religious people

Both national and religious laws in the country totally forbid individuals from practising such act. Community members were completely disappointed at Chernoh’s action, which they noted goes contrary to their customs and traditions.

According to a resident of Kola Tree New Site who identified himself as a resident of the Kola Tree New Site community and who had known Chernoh since childhood  said he had been very secretive about his sexual orientation since they were early teenagers until he (Chernoh Amadu Jalloh) was caught having sex with his male partner in an unfinished building.

According to an in-depth investigation mounted by this medium, Chernoh Amadu Jalloh was living at Kula Tree community in Freetown with his family.

On 31st December 2020 a government military officer caught Chernoh Amadu Jalloh having sexual intercourse with his male counterpart in an unfinished building of which the government military decided to take the law into his hands together to physically and violently attacking Chernoh Amadu Jalloh and his partner at the place of seeing during the process Chernoh Amadu Jalloh tried to escape unfortunately for him, he fell down which led to him having a big injury on one of his legs.

The military officer took him to the hospital for treatment on the grounds that once he recovered he will be arrested and sent to prison, while his partner was arrested immediately and was sent to prison Freetown for a period of 3 years imprisonment.

Chernoh Amadu Jalloh haven spent two days at the hospital, on the third day decided to take a risk by escaping from the hospital where he was hospitalized, fortunately for him was able to escape at the hospital through the window.

After his successful escape from the hospital he tried going home, and he was approach by his mother who informed him about the imprisonment of his partner and how members of the community including some of his family members are planning to eliminate him because he has not only embarrassed and disgraced them but has also flouted the customs and traditions of the land and going against what the family believes in and as such was described as the black sheep of the family.

This medium also learnt that members of the community were against his lifestyle of which they were pointing fingers at him which nearly led him to commit suicide. It against this backdrop that the brother of Chernoh’s mother (uncle) decided to help him in order to him to live the country immediately because he has already been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.

It was also understood that this irate community members stormed the residence of Chernoh Amadu Jalloh based on an intelligence they purportedly received that he has returned to his residence, which in actual fact turned out to be false.

 22 African Americans Granted Citizenship Status by Pres. Bio 

By Foday Moriba Conteh

On the 5 January 2021, His Excellency the President, Dr Julius Maada Bio, granted citizenship status to 22 African Americans who, through DNA results traced their roots to Sierra Leone, most of them with ancestral linkage to Bo and Tonkolili districts.

Handing over the passports to these new Sierra Leoneans the President welcomed them home underscoring that their coming was not just about sightseeing or just experiencing another culture for culture’s sake, but that they were also about to fulfil their curiosity and satisfy some long-held dream of making a spiritual pilgrimage to Sierra Leone.

”So, while others may invent history for the purpose of marketing tourism, you have lived your own history through over 400 years. This is the land of our mutual ancestors who were to later work rice fields and plantations that sustained the economies of the 13 British Colonies in the Americas.

“This is the land of Sengbeh Pieh of the Amistad revolt. This is the land of the rice coast, of the Gullahs, of folktales about the trickster, of handicraft, of foodways, of seeking rituals, and the call and response of African-American song and dance. This is Sierra Leone,” he noted.

He noted that Sierra Leone as a country had come a very long way from slavery and colonialism, through repressive dictatorships, bad governance, corruption, epidemics and natural disasters and civil wars, adding that his government had worked hard to restore the dignity of the country. He recalled that the 2020 Global Peace Index ranked the country as the 46th most peaceful country in the whole world and 5th most peaceful country in Africa.

“The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention rates us as Tier 1 low risk. We have under 3% case fatality ratio and only 76 recorded deaths. We are rated with a significantly lower violent crime rate. We have a free press, a free society, decongesting prisons, and working hard to build resilience in every facet of our nation,” he said.

President Bio further disclosed that government was creating an enabling environment for the private sector to flourish, protect investments and support the establishment of businesses and organisations that would touch lives either through direct employment or social capital impact.

One of the beneficiaries of the citizenship, Dynast Abete Adewale Amir, expressed gratitude to President Bio for officially receiving them as citizens of Sierra Leone. He described the event as an emotional moment for them, adding that they were already pleased with the love they enjoyed from the President and citizens of the country.

Dynast Abete concluded by stating that they looked forward to making good use of their citizenship by adding meaningful contributions to the development and goodwill of Sierra Leone.

Failing to Follow Procurement Procedures…   ACC Retrieves Le 5.2M from Permanent Secretary

By Edward Vamboi

In a Press Release issued by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) dated the 4th January, 2021 the institution stated that it has recovered the sum of Five Million, Two Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Four Hundred Leones (Le 5,216,400), which, according to the COVID-19 Audit Report 2020, were funds allocated to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, but which some officials of the Ministry used to buy personal high-end gadgets without following proper processes and procedures as per the Public Finance Management Regulations.

The ACC said according to the COVID-19 Audit Report 2020 by the Audit Service Sierra Leone, the said personal high end gadgets were delivered to one Sahr Steve Yambasu of the Ministry. The said items were said to have been authorized and bought by the Permanent Secretary, Abdul Rahman Musa Fofanah, for the use of the Minister of Health, to facilitate Zoom and other online meetings.

It highlighted that the items were bought for the purpose of facilitating zoom meetings by the Minister following the need for more reliance on virtual meetings where such gadgets would be necessary.

However, the ACC noted that the officials did not follow proper procurement and documentary processes to ensure the purchase was according to public finance management directives of the State.

As a result, it continued, the said Permanent Secretary, Abdul Rahman Musa Fofanah, was given 24 hours to produce the full refund to the State or face the full force of the law; which he has done by making a full immediate payment to the ACC for onward payment into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

It furthered that the ACC will continue to examine both the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 and the COVID-19 Audit Report with a view to ascertaining violations of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as Amended in 2019, or needs for intervention by the ACC; and/or identify system weaknesses within the audited institutions for appropriate prevention efforts to address them.

China-Africa Cooperation Prospers against Covid-19

By Wang Zefei, Commentator on International Affairs

 The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 since the beginning of 2020 has severely affected economic and social development of countries around the world, and disrupted international cooperation as well. Looking at comments on China-Africa cooperation at the end of last year, we can find out that most were positive, but there were indeed negative tones about such cooperation.

These comments fall into five categories, including the argument that China-Africa trade has gone through a free fall, the prediction that China’s investment and financing to African countries will continue declining and never rebound, the pessimism about the future of China-Africa cooperation, the exaggeration of the return of Chinese people back home, and the accusation of environmental pollution by Chinese projects in Africa. These arguments and reports seem to be convincing, but in fact are alarmist and lacking in evidence. So what is the truth?

China and Africa have maintained dynamic economic and trade cooperation:

China has contributed to Africa’s economic growth by over 20% for consecutive years. Despite a gloomy picture of the global market, China-Africa trade was approaching US$180 billion in 2020. Although it is lower than US$208.7 billion of 2019, in comparison with other countries, China will remain the biggest trading partner of African countries for the 12th year in a row. China has opened its door wider to African products.

Over 400 African businesses from more than 40 African countries have attended the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the past three edition, where the Zambian blueberries and Tanzanian soybeans have been imported for the first time to China. The Ethiopian coffee, Zambian honey, and Beninese cashew nuts were very popular at the third CIIE. The 3000 packages of coffee from Rwanda that had been difficult to sell due to the pandemic were sold out in a short while on line by Chinese consumers. China has also decided to offer financial support to the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in order to promote a more balanced and diversified China-Africa cooperation.

China and Africa have continued investment and financing cooperation.

Investment and financing cooperation is part and parcel of China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. On the one hand, due to the pandemic, all countries face the downward pressure of their economy while China’s financing in Africa faces the same difficulty. However, such a decline will not be irreversible. With the easing of the pandemic in the world, China’s financing in Africa will rebound again. On the other hand, China’s investment in Africa was steady in 2020, with direct investment reaching US$3 billion, which was not easy at all.

In June 2020, the Lekki Deep Sea Port Project in Nigeria was launched, having received over US$1 billion investment from Chinese business through public-private partnership (PPP). The project will significantly boost the transportation capacity and competitiveness of West Africa, and create a large number of jobs for the local people. Chinese businesses have also invested US$680 million in the form of build-operate-transfer (BOT) in the JKIA-Westlands Expressway project in Kenya. Currently, the project is well under way in spite of the pandemic, and is expected to be completed beforehand in 2021.

All these projects are undertaken through the new models of China-Africa investment and financing cooperation, striving for a new and high-quality China-Africa cooperation. China has also signed debt suspension agreements with 14 African countries within the framework of G20, and has decided to forgive interest-free government loans that are due to mature by the end of 2020 for 15 African countries, ranking the first among G20 members in terms of deferral amount.

China and Africa have kept the momentum of practical cooperation:

The Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19 was held in June 2020, making China the only major country that convened a summit with countries across Africa in 2020. China has provided rounds of high-demand supplies to all African countries and the African Union to help them combat COVID-19, and African countries have also been firm in their support to China’s efforts on fighting against the pandemic. We have demonstrated China-Africa solidarity in times of difficulty.

The “Belt and Road” initiative is very popular in Africa, with 44 African countries and the AU Commission having signed the Belt and Road cooperation documents with China, making up about a third of all countries and organizations that have entered into such agreements with China globally. The Chinese government and the AU Commission have recently signed the cooperation plan on jointly promoting the construction of the Belt and Road initiative. The 14th Senior Officials Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was successfully held recently. China and African countries have implemented over 70% of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, with priority shifted to the areas of public health, economic recovery and people’s livelihood.

China-Africa cooperation on digital economy has seen fast growth, with South Africa’s mobile operator and China’s Huawei jointly issuing the first 5G commercial network in Africa. TikTok has become the fastest growing social application in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In the first half of 2020, the newly contracted projects undertaken by the Chinese businesses in Africa totaled US$29.1 billion in value, a year-on-year increase of 33%.

The freight volume of Mombasa–Nairobi Railway and Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, which were constructed by Chinese businesses, was also on the rise despite the difficulties. China is the only major economy that achieved positive growth in 2020, and is accelerating the building of a new development paradigm with domestic and international economic circulations reinforcing each other. The pie of China-Africa practical cooperation will surely grow bigger.

China-Africa people-to-people exchanges have overcome hardships and remain steady:

Given the severity of the pandemic, countries around the world have tightened their border control, thus making people-to-people exchanges more difficult. Nonetheless, over 1100 Chinese cooperation projects have maintained operation in Africa, and a large number of Chinese technicians and workers held on to their positions in Africa. Bearing in mind Africa’s development and wellbeing of its people, China has sent thousands of employees of Chinese businesses back to Africa by commercial and temporary chartered flights.

They are the most beautiful bridge connecting the hearts of the Chinese and African people. China has also sent medical expert teams of 184 people to 15 African countries. Nearly 1000 medical staff from 40 plus resident Chinese medical teams have chosen to stay in Africa to help African people go through the difficult time. In the second half of 2020, events like China-Africa Youth Gathering, China-Africa Think tank Forum and China-Africa Private Sector Cooperation Forum have been successively held, strongly promoting China-Africa friendship.

Certain media and think tanks have spread the news that a large number of Chinese are leaving Africa, which is out of ulterior motives. With the Chinese Spring Festival arriving soon, it is common and understandable for the Chinese people to travel back home for reunion with their families, which is just like westerners going home for Christmas. More importantly, many of the Chinese returning to China still have their businesses in Africa. As Africa has become their second hometown, they will surely come back to Africa after the festival.

China and Africa have been committed to sustainable development:

China and African countries uphold the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in their cooperation, and advocate joint, collaborated, green, safe and open development. As President Xi Jinping has said, green is gold. China-Africa cooperation should not be achieved at the cost of Africa’s environment and long-term interests. High energy consumption and high-pollution industries as well as outdated production capacity will never be transferred to Africa.

Western media such as the CNN has solely focused on some individual coal power projects with Chinese participation, but deliberately ignored so many clean energy power stations built by China. What they are up to is self-evident. Over the past 20 years, China has helped to build more than 80 big power facilities for Africa, most of which are hydro, wind or solar power plants, greatly easing African countries’ power shortage.

It’s suggested for CNN to take a close look at the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex, the world’s biggest solar power station, and the Garissa solar power plant of Kenya, the largest photovoltaic power station in East Africa. Both are built by Chinese enterprises. Green development is also one of the eight major initiatives committed at the FOCAC Beijing Summit. Currently, 39 green projects are in the process of construction or implementation in Africa, and the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center has been launched in Beijing, demonstrating China’s sense of responsibility and sincerity to promote green development in Africa.

Undeterred by the raging pandemic, China-Africa cooperation has made impressive achievements. State Councilor Wang Yi will visit Africa soon, continuing the consecutive tradition of Chinese foreign ministers for the 31st time to choose Africa as the destination of their first overseas visit each year. The new FOCAC conference will also be held in 2021, which will inject new dynamism to China-Africa cooperation. We are convinced that no matter how the international situation and the global climate of public opinion may evolve, China-Africa cooperation will continue to take the lead of international cooperation with Africa. Building on the past achievements, China-Africa cooperation will move ahead steadily towards a better future.

 

Anyone Who Fails to Report Rape Will Face the Full Force of the Law… Office of the First Lady Admonishes the Entertainment Industry  

First Lady, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio

By Amin Kef Sesay

It has now been two years since the Hands Off Our Girls was launched by President Julius Maada Bio in December 2018 and within this period much has gone under the bridge. When the initiative was launched, President Bio made it clear that as part of its human capital development agenda it is imperative to protect and educate young girls in order to achieve their full potentials.

The launch of the Hands Off Our Girls saw First Ladies from several African countries join in a peaceful protest march against rape in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The peaceful protest March was 100% spearheaded by our First Lady, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio working with the Ministry of Gender. This was the first time in the world, that there was a unified voice in the fight against rape. A position note was handed to the then Attorney General to make the Judiciary step up their fight against rape.

Since the launch much has happened including: For the first time in Africa, a national emergency on rape was declared by the President of the Republic in 2019, the Sexual Offences Act was amended in September 2019, a Presidential Task Force was set up to deal with SGBV in 2020 and the Sexual Offences Model Court was established in July 2020.

As a matter of fact, the collaboration that has so far taken place between Government and Non-Governmental Organizations in Sierra Leone has been unprecedented. There is now a unified strategy in the fight against SGBV with emphasis on rape which has led to an increase in the reporting of SGBV cases because women feel more confident.

According to the Office of the First Lady the entertainment industry has always had a lackluster attitude towards the fight against rape. It continued that fortunately, there are few artists that have produced songs and films as their contributions, but as a unified body, they are simply not interested unlike other organizations.

It furthered that the industry is becoming notorious for compromising serious rape allegations by going on social media to accuse the alleged perpetrators; taking the law into their own hands and bluntly refusing to report such serious allegations to the Police.

Many have commended the President for his extreme seriousness in dealing with SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence), and when there are alleged cases of rape, it will be fully investigated by the Family Support Unit of the Police Force.

The Inspector General himself joined the First Lady on a peaceful march against SGBV in December, and again the IG joined members of the Family Support Unit in a peaceful protest march against SGBV.

The Office of the First Lady continued that it is unfortunate that the entertainment industry takes the issue of rape as an issue they can use conveniently in their “beefing” or feud to promote themselves.

According to them it is a criminal offence to protect an individual by deliberately refusing to report details of a rape case to the Police. They said the compromise on the part of the entertainment industry, greatly undermines the great strides made in the fight against SGBV in Sierra Leone.

More importantly, it was underscored that it sends out the wrong message, that if you have a rape case it is better to resolve it on Facebook and not involve the Police.

The Office of the First Lady maintains that most entertainers are seen as role models and if their actions clearly go against reporting serious rape allegations to the Police, their fans will believe that is the right thing to do.

It said it is important to note that the Presidential Task Force on SGBV, coordinated by the Office of the First Lady, of which the Police is an integral part, will not tolerate anyone undermining the fight against rape.

The Office of the First Lady said that the Inspector General of Police was very clear in his meeting with the Heads of FSU a few months ago saying there will be absolutely no sacred cows.

It continued that the perpetrators and those trying to compromise or settle the case outside court will be severely dealt with adding that it is evident that there are members within the entertainment industry who are trying to come together to “discuss” the issue, and settle it amongst themselves adding that for their information that is a criminal offence.

It was highlighted that the First Lady will not tolerate rape in any shape or form, and the perpetrators or those trying to compromise the case will face the full weight of the law.

The Office of the First Lady underscored that the culture of rape needs to be dealt with by changing the mindsets of people. To that end, President Bio said the Task Force should develop a full-fledged preventive programme for SGBV, it was stated.

According to them the Entertainment industry should not be afraid to report cases of SGBV and should encourage others to do so.

The Office of the First Lady concluded that the “Hands Off Our Girls” initiative should be owned by all because a multi-sectoral approach makes the solution proffered more effective.

No Child Left Behind Initiative Feeds Over 500 Children in Tikonko

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In celebrating Christmas day and as part of their support to the less privileged children in the country, “No Child Left Behind Initiative” in collaboration with the Jennifer Thomason Foundation has on Friday 25th December, 2020 feed over 500 hundred children after which they embarked on a Coronavirus sensitization drive within the Tikonko township in Bo District, Southern Province. The event took place at the BDEC primary school in Tikonko, Bo District.

Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer of No Child Left Behind Initiative, Jennifer Adeshola Thomason, highlighted that over the past years children have been celebrating  Christmas day in  grand styles but lamented that due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country children are not opportune  to celebrate it this year, adding that since the No Child Left Behind Initiative is an organization that has been working for the development and welfare of children in the country its members thought it fit to undertake the aforementioned feeding program within the Tikonko Township in Bo District.

She stated that at a time like this when the coronavirus is ravaging the world, the welfare of children should be considered as very important, adding that handing washing, social distancing and the use of facial masks are very important towards curtailing the spread of the virus in the country. In that regard they also used the opportunity to educate the children on hand washing and the use of face masks.

Jennifer Adeshola Thomason disclosed that her organization, which is working for the development and welfare of children in the country, has been in existence for over 4 years now with branches in some districts in the country, adding that as an organization they have been complementing the efforts of Government towards curtailing the spread of COVID-19 in the country through the distribution of face masks and undertaking coronavirus sensitization, furthering that they are mainly doing feeding programs, back to school supplies etc. for kids.

A representative of the Town Chief of Tikonko showered praises on the CEO and other Executive members of No Child Left Behind Initiative for the kind gesture describing it as a move in the right direction towards the development of their children.

He maintained that as stakeholders in the country they are ready to give full support to the organization in order not to curtail the feeding program for their children but also consider them in future empowerment programs.

Secretary General of No Child Left Behind Initiative, Martha Mani disclosed that Christmas is an annual festival to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ which is observed on the 25th of December as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world and as an organization they decided to celebrate the day with children whom to them are their priority.

She disclosed that they decided to choose Tikonko for the aforementioned feeding program because they consider it to be one of the deprived communities in the country.

Aminata Vandy, Chairlady of Tikonko Township, expressed appreciation to No Child Left Behind Initiative for considering their township for the aforementioned feeding program, adding that the gesture was timely.

She added that as stakeholders of the community they warmly embraced the gesture as it has put smiles on the faces of the children and further pleaded to them that it should not be the end but to also consider them for future programs.

Karim Koroma, a Class 5 pupil of the BDEC Primary School in Tikonko, who happens to be one of the beneficiaries, extended gratitude to the No Child Left Behind Initiative for celebrating Christmas day with them as children, furthering that as children they felt very good for considering them as very important people in society.

He said that the celebration is a remarkable one in their lives as children, assuring them that all what they have learnt in the process of the celebration will be utilized which in turn will benefit them as children.

The event was climaxed with the distribution of Christmas gift to the children followed by a female football match.

A To-do-list for Sierra Leone in 2021

Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone

By Dr Babatunde Ahonsi

As we put a very challenging 2020 behind us, Sierra Leone like the rest of the world must seek to build forward better from the devastating socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and prevent a major resurgence in coronavirus transmission. Getting the country back on the track of accelerated pursuit of its national development priorities has to be the main preoccupation of the leaders, citizens and friends of Sierra Leone in 2021.

I will like to suggest five critical actions that should be on the 2021 to-do-list of key stakeholders in Sierra Leone’s development (especially the Government),if this main objective is to be achieved.

First on the priorities list for Sierra Leone in 2021 must be the containment of COVID-19 transmission and the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines for the vaccination of a critical mass of the population by the second half of the year. We know from the situation of countries like China and New Zealand that when a country is able to control Covid-19 transmission, it is much easier to reboot and revive the economy. In other words, Sierra Leone cannot build forward better without surmounting the public health threat presented by Covid-19. Ongoing Covid-19 prevention and control measures must therefore be intensified throughout 2021. It is also becoming clearer that getting as many people as possible to receive the Covid-19 vaccines will be indispensable to ending this pandemic and Sierra Leone must not be left behind.

Second, the economy must be made to begin to thrive again. This will have to be enabled in spite of the more difficult state that Government finances will be thrown into in 2021 including notable contraction of liquidity, and balance of payments challenges. In addition, the devastating effects on livelihoods especially for poor women and youth of the widespread Covid-19-related disruptions and closure of businesses, factories and productive ventures have pushed more Sierra Leoneans into extreme poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.

All hands must therefore be on deck to build forward better by more intentionally capitalizing on the country’s areas of comparative advantage around the agriculture value chain (for cassava, rice and fruits, in particular), the extractive industries, and abundant labor supply. New employment generation, food production and renewable energy production opportunities would also need to be pro-actively harnessed in the blue economy and green economy given Sierra Leone’s bountiful water endowments, and rich forest and terrestrial ecosystems. Now is the time to turn the crisis unleashed by Covid-19 into an opportunity by faithfully pursuing an economic model based on job creation (for the teeming youth population), environmental sustainability, and social inclusion.

One precondition for progress on this front would be accelerated elimination of inefficiencies and leakages in the allocation and management of public finances across all levels of Government. Another is the creation of a more business-friendly operating environment for both foreign and local investors, including Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora. Relatedly, given the size of the Sierra Leonean market, a re-branding of Sierra Leone as an investment destination for accessing the larger MRU sub-regional and ECOWAS markets would be helpful. So would the promotion of a ‘can-do’, patriotic and positive ethos among Sierra Leoneans; for in the final analysis, the destiny of Sierra Leone is in the hands of Sierra Leoneans.

Third, to help leapfrog the hurdles and bottlenecks along the country’s journey to becoming a middle-income country by 2035, 2021 should be a year of boosted efforts at creating an enabling environment (including building the requisite ICT backbone and energy infrastructure) for leveraging the economic growth, job creation and social transformation opportunities provided by digital technology. Without advances in digital finance, Edtech, e-health, and e-commerce, it would be extremely difficult for the country to be competitive within the regional or global economy as well as to achieve the national targets in education, health, poverty reduction, and social inclusion. For a start, much more should be done in 2021 to see progress in the expansion of mobile money services, and to transition from 3G to 4G.

We know that no country can achieve rapid economic growth and social progress without fully empowering its women and girls as both active agents and full beneficiaries of the development process. So, a fourth priority for Sierra Leone in 2021 must be to build on the progress so far made to combat gender inequality and discrimination especially around exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, educational attainment, access to economic opportunities, and representation in decision-making positions. Particular attention should be paid within the Covid-19 recovery efforts to dealing with the crisis-propelled contraction of the informal economy (where women are over-represented), the heightened incidence of domestic violence, and the added care burden women are having to bear at home.

Last but not the least, 2021 has to be a year in which the sustenance of peace, social harmony and political stability is prioritized by all Sierra Leoneans. Without peace and national cohesion, it will be virtually impossible to stay on the track of inclusive economic growth and social transformation in the national journey towards becoming a middle-income country. Given the country’s recent history, 2021 should be the year in which all key players within the political space redouble efforts to help lay a solid foundation for peaceful, free, fair and credible general elections in early 2023.

The foregoing list is of course neither exhaustive nor exclusive and some other items may be justifiably suggested for the list. But it should be clear from my highlighted five priorities that a committed pursuit of sustainable development is ultimately the pathway for building forward better from Covid-19. Recovering better from Covid-19 and advancing Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development are two faces of the same coin. As I welcome other suggestions for the 2021 to-do-list, may I end by, on behalf of my UN colleagues in the country, wish all Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone a healthy, peaceful, prosperous and fulfilling new year.

 

 

 Note: Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone

Lands Minister Allocates Pieces of Land to FCC for Waste Management

By Amin Kef Sesay

The Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Dr. Denis Sandy on Monday 4th January 2021 presented state land documents to the Ministers of Planning and Local Government in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Planning at Tower Hill for onward submission to the Mayor of the Freetown City Council, Yvonne Aki Sawyer, for waste management in the city.

The documents include signed site plans by the Acting Director of Surveys and Lands, Tamba Dauda and signed letters of offer by the Minister for three state lands at Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lumley and Allen Town. This happened after an application was received by the Ministry from the Freetown City Council on 15th December 2020.

The processing of this application by the Ministry shows the commitment of the Bio led New Direction Government to efficiently contribute to waste management in the city. Witnessed by DFID and CRS the donors, praises were showered upon the Minister of Lands Dr. Sandy by the Ministers of Planning and Local Government and the Mayor herself.

The event was witnessed by the media and other major stakeholders.

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