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Chinese Government Donates Farm Equipment To Ministry of Agriculture

By Mary Kabay

On December 17th, 2020 the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency HU Zangliang, donated some farming equipments to the government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security at the ministry’s warehouse at Shell, kissy. The event was graced by dignitaries including the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abubakarr Karim, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hidara Sheriff and many more.

Hidara Sheriff, in his welcome address, thanked the ambassador and the Chinese government for their relentless work towards the Agriculture Ministry and the country as a whole. He recalled the mid-70s, when China introduced mechanized farming in Sierra Leone.

Ambassador HU Zangliang said he is thrilled to see a lot of zeal being put into the Agricultural sector of the country, and expressed happiness in handing over the items to the government of Sierra Leone for the improvement of the agricultural sector. He furthered that China is a country with large population, but can still feed itself and also help others, due to the attention they have placed on the agricultural sector in their country. Hard work is one of their watch words that has helped them to produce food for themselves, and advised Sierra Leone to put more effort in Agriculture so as to be self-sufficient.

He maintained that as President Bio has made agriculture one of his priorities, China is ready to help in achieving that dream. Among the items handed over were: 1 semi-automatic Rice seeder,1 rice Transplanter, 1 rice harvester,17 sets of  15 HP power Tiller, 11sets of rice ploughers, 9 sets of Combined Rice Mills, 2 sets of rice Dis-stoner, 21 sets of rice threshers and 15 rice Manual Rice Winnower. The Ambassador hoped that with the assistance of the Chinese expert, these equipments will be put into the right use.

Dr. Abubakarr Karim, in his keynote address, explained the good relationship between Sierra Leone and China, stressing that this has been manifested through the aid china has been giving, not only to the agricultural factor, but to others also. He assured the ambassador that the equipments will be secured and they will be rationally distributed to the different districts through the private sector, which they want to take over the agricultural system in the country, under the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Agriculture.

After the signing of the donation document by the Minister and the Ambassador, Ing. Steven A. Fofanah, thanked everyone present and expressed hope for the full use of the equipments.

During conducted tour of the warehouse, ministry engineers explained that the machines have a year guarantee and that the workers have the knowledge to handle the machines, adding that some are very easy to operate. On the issue of spares for the machines, he furthered that they are available and in the event that repairs are needed, the Chinese technical team will be responsible to do the repairs.

In Fadugu, Father Found Dead As Son Got Missing…

The missing Alpha Jalloh

By Karifa Thoronka

Based on various reports of increased of forceful initiation into secret societies across the country, Fadugu in Koinadugu District, is on the spotlight as man found dead close to the Bush of the Bangbani Secret Society.

According to reports, a man was passing by and saw a body lying on the ground. To his curiosity, he found the man dead. He went to the chief to report the matter which subsequently led to the police coming to the scene. The body was later identified as Pa Wurie Jalloh, who is a farmer and a cattle rearer, who lived in Fadugu, who was missing over a year ago.

Consequently, this press embarked to ascertain the veracity of this claim. Speaking to the late man’s wife, Isatu Jalloh, she said “my husband and his elder son, Alpha Jalloh, went to kassasie in the middle of June 2019 to clear a plot of land which he has rented for two planting seasons to do harvesting. However, they could not return. My husband’s brothers and I made various reports to the chief and the police but our searched were fruitless and to no avail

“Investigations gather from community members pointing fingers at the Gbangbani Secret Society.

A farmer, whose name could not be mention, said he saw the incident from far when Pa Wurie and his son are trying to put off a fire when some men in half dresses and well arm with cutlasses came and kidnapped them. The farmer believed these men belong to the Gbangbani Secret Society.

Before going to the press, the police were asked about the incident. They said, the issue is under investigation. Therefore, they cannot give further details.

From further investigations, we found out that the son of the deceased, Alpha Jalloh escaped during the initiation ceremony, whiles Members of the secret society are on hunt for him as its their law for any person who trespassed into their bush knowingly or unknowingly should become a member as it is obligatory because the person must have possessed some of the powers of the secret society.

Secret societies have been the bedrock of development for some communities in Sierra Leone as they think. Initiation rites for boys involving ritual scarring during retreats in “sacred woods” that can last for several months. In such process, initiates drink blood and face lot of inhuman treatments.

Politicians and state actors have used these societies to their advantages to gain “steady vote”, they always turn blind eye, and their activities go unpunished. The community is worried if their cry will be heard as an innocent soul has been laid to rest.

However, though concern have been raised by civil society organizations over the rampart invasion of secret societies into towns and districts right across the country, the government is still unable to handle the situation as most of the government authorities are alleged to be members of the said secret societies who themselves have been used to protect and cover their evil deeds.

Some among the government authorities have also been accused of taking undue advantage of their secret society to commits acts of ritual murder and that many a time there have been reported cases of dead bodies discovered with missing parts. The ‘Gbangbani Secret Society’, it is believed has part of its traditions to tear and disfigure human flesh, which they usually used as part of their sacrifice.

Therefore, the 1945 Universal Declaration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights to life and Movement is not followed to the latter, as there are reported cases of such forceful initiation in the country.

The late Pa Wurie Jalloh

GIABA Celebrates 20 Years of Hard Work

By Abibatu Dora Kamara, GIABA Media Coordinator

One of ECOWAS’ most respected Units; GIABA is celebrating its 20years of existence with impactful results in the fight against Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing in the sub-region. Addressing a virtual press conference, GIABA Director General, Justice Kimelabalou Aba, said: “I stand on the threshold of history with pride and humility as I welcome you all to this historical moment, marking the celebration of GIABA’s 20th Anniversary”.

He added that It was a day to celebrate our political leaders who came together to chart the course for countering the problems of financial and organized crimes in order to safeguard, not only the integrity of the financial systems of the region, but also the future of our people.
Justice Kimelabalou Aba recalled that on December 10, 1999, in the city of Lome, Republic of Togo, a significant decision was taken by the Authority of Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS, which was to establish a specialized institution to counter money laundering and its associated ills in the region called Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), adding that a year later, specifically, December 10, 2000, the Authority of Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS formally adopted the Statutes of GIABA.

GIABA, the Director General said, was established as a specialized regional institution to strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS member states to fight Money Laundering and all other financial crimes in line with internationally acceptable standards.

He reiterated that money laundering and terrorism financing continue to threaten peace and security and to undermine sustainable development in the ECOWAS region. Countering these scourges require concerted efforts at all levels – involving national, regional, and international actors.

The Director General maintained that over the years, GIABA has demonstrated significant efforts and commitments, built great partnerships and formidable global networks that have made it possible to deliver very impactful results in line with its mandate.

Highlighting GIABA’s work, he said they have assisted member states to strengthen their legal frameworks consistent with the FATF recommendations; provided member states with technical assistance in order to strengthen their institutional and regulatory frameworks and build capacity to enhance compliance, thereby contributing to good governance; conducted researches and typologies to understand the risks, trends, methods and techniques used by criminals and their associates to launder money and finance terrorism and develop strategies to counter them; organize and conduct mutual evaluation exercises of member states, which is a peer review mechanism meant to assess the compliance and effectiveness of their AML/CFT regimes with regard to international standards; and promoted and enhanced national, regional, and international cooperation and collaboration in order to strengthen stakeholders’ intervention.

GIABA’s former Director General, Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, commended the current DG for his exemplary leadership and also the team for their show of commitment to achieve better results.

Also, the former Deputy Director General of GIABA, Dr. Elizabeth Diaw in her goodwill message saluted all Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) for carrying out their missions in the fight against Money Laundering.

The Deputy Director General of GIABA, in his remarks said there is a reason for all past and present workers to celebrate the success of the institutions.

DHL – Sierra Leone Plants 500 Trees

Cross-section of DHL Sierra Leone staff during the planting exercise

By Abibatu Dora Kamara

One of the most credible and trusted mail and logistics companies in the world, DHL, in trying to complement the efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone, has planted more than 500 trees in York Village to help protect the environment.

The planting exercise, which was done in collaboration with the Forestry Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, attracted the attendance of DHL Sierra Leone staff, Headman and villagers of York Village.

DHL – Sierra Leone, acting Country Manager, Alphonso Pratt, said “the world community has set a goal to limit global warming to less than two degrees Celsius. As DHL the leading Mail and Logistics Company, we intend to make our business sustainable. Our goal is to reach zero emissions by 2050”.

He said that:  “We are motivating our employees, customers and suppliers to get involved in climate protection initiatives and support a more sustainable economy and society”, further adding that the forest resources of Sierra Leone are being destroyed at an alarming rate to meet demand of the growing population for food production, mining and wood for cooking purposes.

Mr. Pratt reiterated that over population and clearing of land for agriculture, mining and constructions etc. has extreme effect on the climate and causes natural disasters.  These have serious consequences such as biodiversity loss, which increases greenhouse gas emissions and reduces water resources and increases soil erosion.

In the Western Area, while felling primary forest for charcoal trade, stone mining and forest clearing to make way for housing construction are the significant causes of deforestation which remain the biggest threat to biodiversity conservation, he maintained.

The acting Country Manager stated that globally, “the transport sector is considered to be one of the most polluters of the environment and as an entity engaged in this sector; it deemed it fit to contribute to the reduction of Green House Gases (GHG) by engaging in tree planting”.

In his appreciation remarks, the Headman thanked DHL Sierra Leone for the strides they have made to choose their village for the tree planting exercise.

He assured the company that the community will do their best to monitor the growth of the trees.

President Bio Justifies Govt. Spending on Education

By Theresa Kef Sesay

President Julius Maada Bio at Bintumani Hotel, in Freetown, on Friday 11 December 2020 officially closed the week-long forum on the future of education in the country. He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Education and emphasized that investing in education is investing in the future of Sierra Leone.

“The future of education in Sierra Leone will define the future of this nation. So this dialogue is indeed a defining moment in our nation’s history. To define that future, we should define the roles of each actor in shaping the future of education in Sierra Leone.

“Also early this week, I was in the Gabonese Republic at the invitation of my brother, President Ali Bongo Ondimba. I came back with a wholesome view of what is possible with good natural resource governance, economic diversification, and what they call human investment strategy with a 96% primary school education rate,” he said.

The President added that there was a confluence of views on the notion that for a nation to achieve accelerated economic development, it must invest in its citizens and boost local productivity, adding that Sierra Leone had already articulated that in the government’s New Direction Manifesto and Medium-Term National Development Plan.

“To facilitate more access to education, my Government pays billions of Leones in fee subsidies for over two million children right across Sierra Leone, constructed new schools and refurbished and furnished existing schools, approved over 3,000 more schools, and is currently constructing early childhood development centres for the first time in all parts of Sierra Leone.

Chairman of the Oversight Committee on Education in Parliament, Honourable Dominic Lavalie Tshombe, commended the government for the huge task of implementing its flagship programme – Free Quality Education – across the country, noting that the government had also increased its financial support to the sector.

Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr. Moinina David Sengeh, said the two ministries in the education sector are closely working together in enhancing the Free Quality Education programme, adding that there has been a significant improvement in the realization of the government’s human capital development agenda.

“The state of education is better than it was some three years ago. This is because there has been an increase in the number in the school system,” he said, adding that the world is admiring Sierra Leone because of the radical inclusion of everyone into the system. He said all of that is the result of the introduction of technology and innovation into education administration.

“When we reopened schools during this difficult time of COVID 19, people bashed at us. Today the world is motivated by the measures we put in place. There has been no incident or transmission of COVID-19,” he disclosed, noting that he is proud that the future of education in the country is bright and prosperous.

 

Correctional Service DG’s Tenure Extended

Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Joseph Lamboi

By Esther Wright

The Government of Sierra Leone has extended Joseph Lamboi’s term in office as the Director General of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service by one year.

This decision was unanimously reached by members of the SLCS’ council which is chaired by the Vice President – Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.

The rationale for the decision, according to Mr. Lamboi, was that since his Deputy (Mr. Dennis Harman) retired in June 2020, the said office had remained vacant.

“Council prevailed on me to keep steering the affairs of the department while my successor apparent will be attached to my office to learn from me. I did not wish for things to pan out this way; as a matter of fact, I had even packed my belongings in readiness to exit. Council has afforded me the opportunity of working for another year, on contract basis,” the DG explained to a muster parade of Correctional Officers.

Commenting on the matter of security, Mr. Lamboi said since the April 29 incidence, government deemed it necessary to send some military and police personnel to the SLCS to help in not just security related matters but also administrative issues too.

He encouraged all to cooperate with them whenever they required answers to emerging or past issues related to the department, adding “they have not come here to take our jobs but to complement it”.

Stepping forward to address the parade, the Technical Support Team Lead seconded to the SLCS, Col. Ngaujah stressed the need for every officer to be vigilant.

“Our job depends on everyone’s cooperation. If we hear of any security lapse in any Correctional Centre, serious disciplinary measures will be taken against officers who are found wanting of any untoward behavior,” he warned.

3 Appeal’s Court & 7 High Court Justices Take Oath of Office

By Amin Kef Sesay

Three Appeal’s Court Justices and Seven High Court Justices on Friday, 11th December, 2020 subscribed to the oath of office before the Honourable Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards.

In his opening address, the Hon. Chief Justice encouraged the newly appointed acting Justices to be forthright and become moral guarantors of the Law. He told the three acting Appeal’s Court Justices and seven High Court Justices that the Warrant was very clear, “that you are to act as Judges.”

Whilst congratulating them, the Chief Justice reminded them that their job is very difficult, stressing that they are mostly not being appreciated. Amidst those challenges, he however admonished them to be dedicated.

“This is a great achievement but please do not let us down,” he said, adding that the job is difficult but that he is very optimistic that they will sail through those challenges to make Sierra Leone proud. The Chief Justice thanked His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio for reposing confidence in his leadership and for making the appointments possible.

The three acting Appeal’s Court Justices are Hon. Justice Tonia Barnett JA; Hon. Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor JA and Hon. Justice Michael Mamie JA;

Justice Tonia Barnett JA, is a Harvard Law School graduate from the United States of America. Apart from studying Law at Fourah Bay College (FBC), she also holds a Master of Laws degree. In 2016, she started her internship at the Middlesex County Juvenile Court, Cambridge Massachusetts in USA. Before her appointment as High Court Judge, Justice Barnette had served as Magistrate for twelve (12) successful years.

Justice SO Taylor JA, attended the Prince of Wales Secondary School in Freetown before gaining admission to study Law at FBC, University of Sierra Leone. Justice Taylor first graduated with a Bachelor of Arts at FBC before pursuing his Bachelor of Laws and BL as an Utter Barrister. He was appointed High Court Judge in 2019.

Justice Mamie JA, started his early education at the St. Edwards Secondary School in Freetown where he sat to the General Certificate Entrance Examinations and emerged as the best pupil in 1994. In September 1999, he gained admission to study Law at FBC, University of Sierra Leone. In order to acquire quality education, he later enrolled for his Master’s in Business Administration, University of Sierra Leone. In 2008 to 2015, he was the head of Corporate Law at the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT). Justice Mamie became a High Court Judge in 2019.

The Seven (7) acting High Court Justices are Hon. Justice Aggrey Aruna; Hon. Justice Adrian Joscelyne Fisher; Hon. Justice Francis Banks-Kamara; Hon. Justice Mohamed Bawoh; Hon. Justice Hannah Bonnie; Hon. Justice Abdul Sheriff and Hon. Justice Abu Bakar Sannoh

Justice Francis Banks-Kamara J, was the acting Master and Registrar, Judiciary of Sierra Leone. He is a British trained Sierra Leonean Lawyer. He holds a Master of Laws in International and Comparative Business Law from the London Guildhall University. His thirst for quality education compelled him to gain admission into the Lumumba University, Moscow former USSR where he obtained his Diploma in International Law.

Justice Adrian Fisher J, graduated with LLB Honours Degree from the University of Hertfordshire, St. Albans. His insatiable desire to be multifaceted motivated him to pursue his Master of Laws in E-Commerce and Telecommunications Law. He was Immigration Law Practitioner in London before his appointment as Magistrate in 2002. He was also Legal Consultant for Sierra Leone’s National Public Procurement Authority in 2008 to 2011.

Justice Abdul Sheriff J, started his work experience as a field worker for Care International in 1995. He earned his BA degree in Linguistics in 2001 from Njala University. He is also a graduate from FBC, University of Sierra Leone with LLB Honours. He was appointed Magistrate in 2012.

Justice Hannah Bonnie J, was a dedicated teacher at the Government Model Secondary School. She was also an examiner from 2003 to 2008. Justice Bonnie is a Fourah Bay College graduate with Bachelor of Arts. She later got admitted to pursue her LLB Degree in 2003 at FBC, University of Sierra Leone. Before her appointment as a Magistrate, she was Legal Consultant for the UNDP.

Justice Abu Bakar Sannoh J, is also a graduate from FBC. In 2004 he graduated with a BA in English and Sociology. In pursuit of his dream to become a Lawyer, in 2009 he graduated again with LLB. He was called to the Bar in 2010 and later got employment as Resident Prosecutor for the Anti-Corruption Commission in South and Eastern Region of Sierra Leone. He was the Regional Defence Counsel for Legal Aid Board in Bombali, Tonkolili and Koinadugu. He was also the Legal Analyst for the National Commission for Privatization.

In her congratulatory remarks, Justice Bintu Alhadi welcomed them all to the Bench and assured that, “I have no doubt in their capacities.” She commended the Chief Justice for appointing highly qualified Sierra Leoneans to the Bench.

Over Continuous Delay to Restart Tuition: Limkokwing University Students Make Passionate Appeal

By Amin Kef Sesay

In a position paper presented by concerned students on Government grant-in-aid at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology they made a passionate plea for Government’s intervention in the payment of their tuition fees in order for them  to complete their courses of study.

They recalled that in 2016, they gladly received news of the commencement of operations of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Freetown; for which they were deservingly awarded Government scholarship to pursue higher studies in various relevant courses under the globally acclaimed disciplines of Science, Technology and Innovation.

They added that “our statutory document clearly underscores the importance of Science and Technology in the education system of the country and the mandatory national service beneficiaries of Government grant-in-aid shall undergo upon graduation as outlined in Section 54 and 55 of the 2004 Education Act respectively. Most remarkably, a two-year national service for us the beneficiaries of Government grant-in-aid at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology is boldly anticipated as inscribed in our acceptance letters. This reinforces the huge investment returns Government stands to gain in hiring the services of professionals who would’ve graduated from the University.”

They lamented however that “We the 1,000 and more beneficiaries of the Government scholarship are very much inspired and determined to successfully complete our various courses. The 2018/19 academic year records the population of Government sponsored students as represented figures.”

They added that they frustrated because “As we acknowledge the renewed vigour of the Government in its strides to bolster accessibility and assure quality in the educational outcome across the country, we equally want to draw the attention of the Government to the rare taste of quality or value the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology comes with to the process.”

They however added that “Sadly, the indefinite suspension of classes and the protracted review of the contract have left all student beneficiaries and well-meaning education stakeholders completely disillusioned. Even though our dreams have been deferred, we are not giving up on our aspirations to contribute meaningfully to national development. Therefore, we are making a passionate last gasp plea for government to hearken to our cries and restore our hopes.”

The students made the following demands: “That Government in its good efforts to make education a priority and accessible for all speedily ensures the resumption of classes for students on government grant-in-aid at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology between now and any appropriate date in February 2021.”

Mambo & Hamilton Communities to Benefit from Le14.6B Guma Water Project

By Amin Kef Sesay

On Tuesday 8th December, 2020, Ing Francis Moijueh, representing the Minister of Water Resources, launched the Mambo Community Water Supply Project valued to the tune of Le 14.6 billion at the Hill Valley Academy Hall.

The Mambo Community Water Supply Project, which is supported by the Government of Sierra Leone, comprises the construction of a weir, treatment and storage facilities, pipe distribution network and installation of 20 water kiosks; of which 15 and 5 will be located in Mambo and Hamilton communities respectively.

Speaking at the launch, Ing. Moijueh admonished the contractor, Brunnenbau Conrad (BBC) to be very transparent in its dealings with the community and ensure that grievance redress and stakeholder engagement mechanisms are put in place for the smooth execution of the project.

The Minister’s representative added that they will be strictly monitoring the work of the contractor and advised that Guma consider connections to households as one of the project deliverables.

Making a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Ing. Francis Lahai said the Medium-term National Development Plan 2019 – 2023 is founded on Government’s strong political commitment to deliver results that would improve the welfare of Sierra Leone’s citizens. “That is why in 2020, Government invested Le 23 billion and Le 150 billion in Guma and SALWACO respectively to improve on water supply across the country”.

The Headmen of the Mambo and Hamilton Communities, Mohamed Samai and Morlai Conteh respectively praised the Government for such a laudable development and pledged the full support of their community members for the project as they have been yearning for pipe borne water supply for a very long time.

In his statement, the Managing Director of Guma, Maada Kpenge apologized to the people of Mambo community on behalf of the company for lack of pipe borne water supply for nearly 60 years; “the main transmission pipes pass right through the Mambo community, but it is only now we are about to provide safe and clean pipe borne for its residents”.

Mr. Kpenge said: “His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio is very passionate about improving the lives of every Sierra Leonean; and so when we proposed this project, the Government was happy to support us fully”.

Director Peter Amara, a member of the Board of Guma said they are always ready to give strategic direction and support to the Management of Guma to carry out the water sector policy of the New Direction Government; which targets 80% access to water supply for all Sierra Leoneans by 2023.

The construction phase of Mambo Community Water Supply Project is expected to last for six months and will provide access to safe and clean water supply for over 5000 residents in Mambo and Hamilton when completed.

NP-SL Management, Delivering Value & Satisfaction

By Amin Kef Sesay

During a random countrywide survey recently conducted over a period of time targeting a large percentage of customers of the National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd), with the objective of sounding their views on the operations of the company in the country, the methodology utilized bordered on asking random questions in order to get their candid views.

When quizzed on how they view the way the company treats its numerous customers across the country, most of the respondents warmly reacted by stating that the Shareholders and Management of  the company are doing extremely well in the direction of effective service delivery and giving utmost satisfaction to customers.

The National Petroleum –Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is also regarded as a well-positioned institution within the realm of being a very pro-active institution that is always poised to pragmatically put concrete arrangements in place to ensure that the populace in this country gain access to qualitative petroleum products ranging from petrol, diesel, gas to lubricants, including the ever highly demanded Castrol lubricant oil that has been rated to be very good for the efficient lubrication of various engines.

NP-SL is indeed poised to continue to avail its numerous customers with qualitative products that the company markets.

The company has in its employ, a workforce as well as distributors that market its various petroleum products. As far as it has been established, this laid down policy which the company is implementing to the letter, is complementing the efforts of the Government to deepen development.

Today, it is non-existent for individuals to complain that when they are in the process of procuring petroleum products, pump attendants cheat them in terms of not getting their money’s worth. The simple reason is because the Shareholders and Management of the company were business savvy to procure modern calibrated pumping machines which are installed at their various selling points and are very capable of churning out the exact quantity of what is demanded and the price to be paid. In this regard the company has bagged the covetous commendation of, “1st For Customer Care”.

As all of this is going on, a customer who has been with NP-SL for several years, Abdul Aziz Koroma, who is also a renowned Social Commentator, maintained that when it comes to customer care, NP-SL Ltd is second to none within the business landscape of this country.

“From what I so far learnt in order to conduct sales in a very transparent manner and to give customers their money’s worth, the Shareholders of the company decided to procure and install modern calibrated pumping machines at their various Filling Stations that are capable to pump the exact quantity of fuel, at the same time display the price and quantity,” he pointed out, adding that to even think that the pump attendants are cheating customers could only be a mere figment of one’s imagination, as anything like that is farfetched.

A Development Specialist of long standing intimated that for the country’s economy to grow sustainably it is but important to deepen local content further arguing that it is only when we make meaningful use of both our human and natural resources that development could transpire.

“Instead of depending on the importation of certain consumable items and foreign expatriates, it is but very significant and cost effective to make use of what we have at hand to produce goods and services,” Andrew Soluku, an Economist averred, also stating that for NP-SL Ltd to make it a laid down policy and put into practice to offer employment exclusively to Sierra Leoneans is indeed laudable and no mean feat.

He further underscored that by offering jobs to Sierra Leoneans is a way of empowering the citizenry to take care of daily responsibilities and live improved standards of living.

“I really doff my hat to the Shareholders of the company for actualizing such a high sense of patriotism,” he expressed admiration.

A vast majority of those interviewed revealed that they are using NP Gas for cooking purpose, maintaining that it is very efficient and environmentally friendly. The NP Gas that they referred to is a cooking device which is manufactured in different cylinder sizes and sold at affordable prices at the company’s Filling Stations. “I discovered that this device is very fast in terms of performance and is now going like hot cakes, as many are now going for it, especially when the gas that is used to refill it could be easily secured at various Filling Stations ,” Memunatu Forna, a business woman selling cooking utensils on Sani Abacha Street informed.

With regards the use of NP Smart Card, it is one that is now in vogue. Some personalities who are using it said they find it very useful and a convenient way of purchasing petroleum products. They added that they always ensure their NP Smart Cards are credited to be used to purchase fuel, be it petrol or diesel. “Sometimes I don’t have to go through the hassle of going to the Bank on a busy Friday afternoon to withdraw cash just for the purpose of purchasing fuel that will last throughout the weekend. I do procure petrol by using my Smart Card and it is working perfectly well,” Musa Kalokoh, an Engineer told one of our reporters.

Momodu Fofana stated that the company is really growing by leaps and bounds. “For NP-SL Ltd to successfully establish branches in neighboring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia is indeed no mean feat, especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that these branches are operating vibrantly,” he pointed out.

From what was so far gathered throughout the conducted random survey, it can be safely concluded that NP-SL Ltd is indeed a living testimony of a successful and thriving business entity that is contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the nation and worthy of emulation.

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