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President Bio Unveils Different Development Projects in Kailahun District

By Amin Kef Sesay

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has on the 23rd November, 2020 presented a cheque of over Le 9 billion to the Skills Development Fund to initially benefit over 1,660 citizens in the Kenema and Kailahun Districts, East of the country.

Paramount Chief of Njaluahun Chiefdom, James Sheriff Coker-Jajua, expressed joy for receiving the President but most importantly for the launch of the skills development fund in his chiefdom that would support middle-level manpower through technical education.

“I am humbled to welcome you all to Njaluahun Chiefdom and to tell you that the Free Quality Education has really helped the poor people of this country,” he stated.

Member of Parliament for Constituency 008, Honourable Wuyata Bernadette Songa, thanked the President for the opportunity given to her people to host the launch for the Skills Development Fund in Njaluahun Chiefdom. She noted that such an initiative would go a long way to strengthen and deepen the foundation of the Free Quality Education.

She, therefore, encouraged the people of the district, particularly the youth to take good care of such an opportunity, which she said would help the middleman power.

Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education, Professor Aiah Gbakima, said the project is in partnership with the World Bank and that it would cater for those students who couldn’t get requirements to enter universities and colleges. He said with those skills training centres like carpentry, tailoring, mechanics and others, the development fund would have targeted about 8,000 beneficiaries by 2023.

“This exercise went through extended inter-agency partnerships. I thank all partners, including the World Bank,” he concluded.

Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, told the gathering that it was a Government of Sierra Leone owned project, but partnered with the World Bank to implement the first phase in the East of the country.

“The World Bank has seen the political will of this administration to make education accessible to everyone in the country. And this skills development initiative is in line with the 2018 manifesto of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party Government,” he stated.

Minister Saffa also noted that the Skills Development Fund had over 120 billion that would span through 2024, adding that the more funding the programme got the more their Government would extend the implementation to other districts.

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio said that he is happy to be in Njaluahun, particularly in Segbewema, where the people were always very excited to welcome him as one of their own.

“My visit here today is to launch the Skills Development Fund and to show that my Government values education. Education should be treated seriously because it is the only means to lasting development,” he said.

He continued by saying that the Fund would incorporate those who could not make it to universities and colleges, thereby making them very useful for nation-building. He admonished the youth of the district to take their education seriously because he believes that education is a universal key that would unlock every door.

“Education is good for nation-building and for personal development. Therefore, I urge you all to make every effort to support this programme. The future ahead of us is very challenging and it is only education that will prepare us all for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I now have the honour to launch the Skills Development Fund, to help foster education,” he concluded.

In another development on Saturday 21 November 2020, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio commissioned the very first fire station in the township of Kailahun since the National Fire Service Act of 1980 that set forth provisions relating to the hiring and employment of firemen in Sierra Leone.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Sylvester Momoh Taluva, expressed gratitude to the President and his Government and disclosed that the office is the first fire station in the district. As of the 2015 census, the district had a population of 525,372.

On Sunday 21 November 2020 President Bio  turned the sod for the construction of an ultra-modern hospital in the Jojoima township, the chiefdom headquarter of Malema Chiefdom in the Kailahun District.

Welcoming the entourage, Paramount Chief Lamin Pamly Ngevao thanked President Bio for visiting, adding that that particular visit is so historic that his people in the chiefdom would live to appreciate and celebrate it in many years to come.

He also thanked Bintu Jibao, founder and coordinator of the Women In Agriculture project in the district, for helping his chiefdom by bringing in the initiative that is now providing job opportunities for many of the young women in that part of the country, thereby complementing Government’s efforts at prioritising agriculture.

Giving an overview of the hospital project, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr Thomas Samba, disclosed that the structure would be an ultra-modern 45-bed facility with a unit to cater for pregnant women and lactating mothers and their children and a laboratory unit for tests, a blood bank unit, a surgery and an isolation unit that would be used in an event of an emergency outbreak.

Before the turning of the sod, President Bio said that he was happy to be with the people of Jojoima, adding that he is particularly appreciative of their support for his Government and their belief in the New Direction agenda. He said he was excited to turn the sod for the construction of the hospital for people in that part of the creator.

In Kailahun District, Eastern Province  on Sunday 22 November 2020 -Her Excellency First Lady Fatima Maada Bio launched the Women in Agriculture Project in the township of Woroma.

According to the founder and coordinator of Women In Agriculture Project, Bintu Jibao, the initiative started in 2018 when she saw the need for women in the chiefdom to support President Bio’s effort at investing in the agriculture sector to deliver on a food sufficient nation.
She maintained that the project had already empowered women to farm, process, sell their produce and become self-reliant.

Acting Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Abubakarr Karim, said that he is happy for the display of the agricultural initiative by women of Malema Chiefdom, noting that his ministry would support women in the agriculture sector.

Delivering the keynote address, First Lady Fatima Maada Bio thanked the women and people of the chiefdom for what she called a development infrastructure in agriculture, stating that she was amazed at the initiative of empowering women.

She promised the Project Coordinator that she would lobby the central Government for endless support to complement the efforts of the women in that part of the country.

Pres. Bio Beefs Up the Marine Sector to Combat Illegal Fishing

By Theresa Kef Sesay

In Freetown on the 24 November 2020 His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio unveiled plans to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing while expanding on the sector that is currently contributing 10-12 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Before he launched a set of equipment for sustainable fisheries management at Murray Town, West of Freetown, the President disclosed that his Government inherited a fisheries and marine resources sector that was riddled with corruption and mismanagement.

“Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing was rife. Tax evasion, underreporting, overfishing, by mainly illegal vessels within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was destroying the country’s fish stock, destroying the marine ecosystem, and depriving artisanal fishers and the entire artisanal fishing community chain of their livelihoods.

“We should recognise that IUU thrives where there are corrupt national regimes, poor national and international legal frameworks, ineffective or non-existent enforcement mechanisms, and more. As with corruption, IUU thrives when risks are low for operatives and their cohorts. Like corruption, we must make illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing risky and more expensive,” he said.

President Bio further told the occasion, which attracted Government regulators and private sector investors in the sector, that IUU was a national security threat to lives and livelihoods because it had directly impacted the local fishing industry that is providing jobs for over 500,000 Sierra Leoneans.

He noted that the loss of livelihoods had exacerbated poverty in coastal communities, whose major source of income is fishing, adding that there were implications for the wider economy with a lower supply of fish in the local market and higher prices and also dietary implications with fish being a major source of protein.

He referred to the New Direction manifesto, which, among other things, proposed strategies to maintain sustainable and viable fisheries and marine resources ecosystem, good governance and a reduction in illegal fishing, adding that the focus, therefore, is to put in place a holistic, sustainable, and permanent fix.

“We argued in the New Direction manifesto that ‘stand-alone Government action has proven inadequate and ineffective to curb this menace’ of IUU. My Government believes that coordinated and timely action and enforcement mechanisms across the sub-region and within international organisations, in which Sierra Leone is a member, can help us wrest back full control of our fisheries and marine resources. I expect the Ministry to maintain an active presence in those international forums and to project our voices and concerns while actively seeking collaboration.

“My Government has also invested in hard assets to strengthen the monitoring, control, and surveillance of the fisheries sector. I am pleased to announce the following: Six Inshore Patrol boats for patrolling coastal inshore waters and for conducting community surveillance and extension services to coastal fishing communities; 23 VHF and UHF radio communication equipment for effective marine communication and daily update of field activities; 2,500 life jackets to be sold at a subsidised rate to fishing communities at various fisheries outstations to ensure safety of life at sea; Tablets and Android phones for data collection

“We have made a lot of progress within two short years. I am pleased to inform you that with sound policies and practices, my administration increased revenue generation in the fishing industry to over 100.5 Billion Leones ($10.5 million) in 2019. Even with Covid-19, the sector has been able to generate close to Le 78bn from January – to date, 2020. This is just from tightening regulations and clamping down on corrupt practices,” he concluded.

The Fight Against Corruption… What’s Done To APC Must Also Be Done To SLPP If They Steal

By Amin Kef Sesay

Truthfully, many Sierra Leoneans following President Bio and the Anti-Corruption Commission’s determined fight against corruption have said that they would not like to be in the President’s Government.

The simple reason being that from the look of things, when the 2019 Audit Report comes out, which will solely be the responsibility of this Government, some people (human beings not being perfect), will certainly fall short and will have to face the ACC for corruption related offenses.

Let us give the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabba and his successor Dr Ernest Bai Koroma kudos for the former being bold and brave enough to set up the ACC and the latter for giving it claws and teeth to bite.

Certainly, it was under the leadership of Kaaba and Ernest that the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone gained momentum, in terms of policy direction, following the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act 2000 and the Amendment Act in 2008 which is considered to be one of the most robust anti-graft laws in the world.

Its promulgation is in recognition of the international and national resolve to fight the menace, owing to its devastating effects, especially in the Least Developed Countries (LCDs) of the world.

The Anti-Corruption Act of 2000, though viewed as a tremendous move towards curtailing corruption, was riddled with shortcomings. Practitioners viewed the Act as limited in the number of proscribed offences created, coupled with the lack of independence signified by the absence of prosecutorial powers. Enactment of the Amendment Act in 2008, gave widened opportunities to eradicate corruption.

No doubt, corruption has eaten deep into the administrative and managerial fabric of Sierra Leone and weakened the weak public service delivery, which has led to citizens having little motivation to pay their taxes.

For decades, Sierra Leone has languished at the bottom of international corruption rankings. Despite detailed anti-corruption legislation that has been on the books since 2000, millions of aid dollars in technical assistance and repeated promises by politicians, corruption has persisted, even flourished.

Even now, Sierra Leone has a long way to go in the fight against corruption. Petty corruption, particularly among traffic police, remains rampant. Officials continue to award lucrative contracts to friends and political allies.

However, reforms under the Bio administration that includes enacting of the revised ACC Act of 2019 have been positive. Yet there is still a wide range of issues to be tackled.

Parliament still is not strong enough to robustly perform its primary oversight duty of following up on how monies that it approves for expenditure by the MDAs are judiciously utilized for their intended purpose.

Data on service delivery is weak. Accountability systems in the MDAs are not operating effectively. Grand and petty corruption is widespread at all levels (from common reports of small-scale bribery in health centers and schools, to the perception that Traffic Police, Traffic Wardens and Government officials that handle money or dispense public goods and services are corrupt.

As such, more work remains to be done by President Bio , in line with the major priorities of the Government, to place strong emphasis on increased tax collection and improving on expenditure management to ensure proper delivering of education, healthcare, etc.

12 Millionaires Emerge from ‘Orange Money Shoki Love’

By Fatmata Jengbe

As the Orange Money Shoki Love weekly draw continues, Orange Money has on  the 21st  November 2020 dished  out 55 Fifty-Five Million Leones(Le55M) to twelve lucky winners right across the country.

It was the fifth edition of the Orange Money Shoki Love Promotion which was done live on SLBC TV in Freetown and was hosted by Martha of Orange SL and Saio the Comedian.

The twelve lucky winners were Fatmata from Freetown who won Le 2 million, Mira a student form Metchem won Le 5 million, Alusine from Rutile won Le 4 million, Alusine from Kenema won Le 4 million, Osman Kargbo from Kono won Le 1 million and Mustapha from Kailahun won Le10 million.

Lucy Conteh, a coal seller from Congo Town won Le 4 million, Martha a student from Bo won Le 9 million from the Orange Money Shoki Love Box Jonnah Kanu from Makeni won Le 5 million from Orange Money Shoki Love box, Abdul from Kabala won Le 3 million, Isatu from Madina Tonko Limba won Le3 million from the Orange Money Shoki Love box Momodu he is the last lucky winner from BO won Le 5 million from Orange Money Shoki Love box, Hydra Amina a student in Freetown who won Le 5 million,.

Orange Money Shoki Love Promotion is part of the company’s end of year promotion that is offering 3 Billion Leones in the form of prizes including 5 brand new cars to be won also by customers.

The retail Charcoal seller at Dove Cot, Lucy Conteh, never dreamt of becoming a millionaire. From counting plastic bags of Charcoal ready for retail, Lucy will now be counting millions of Leones.

Lucy was surprised when she received the call informing her of her recent fortune. However, 12 other millionaires were made that evening, including two students.

According to the presenters to partake in the draw one has to do a transaction with Orange Money over a period of time using #144#.

First EU/PMU Technical Committee Meeting Held In Freetown

By Peter beckley Sr.

A high powered technical team form the European Union, including the EU First Counsellor and Head of Cooperation, Gerald Hetler, has held their first successful meeting with District Council authorities from 4 local councils, Bombali District Council in the North, Kambia District Council in the North-West, Kenema District Council in the East and Pujehun District Council in the South on the EU supported project, “Support to Civil Society and Local Authorities to promote local development in Sierra Leone”.

The meeting which was held at the Country Lodge Hotel in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Friday 20th November 2020,was facilitated by members of the Project Management Unit (PMU), which is tasked with the implementation of the project.

EU First Counsellor and Head of Cooperation, Gerald Hetler, said he was impressed by the seriousness that is being given to the utilisation of the funds provided by the EU to support and improve sustainable local economic development through decentralisation by strengthening the capacity of selected civil society and local councils to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobilise local revenue and deliver services that will contribute to the improved well-being of local citizens.

“From what I have seen today, I am of the strongest conviction that what is happening here is a clear manifestation of the synergy we want the PMU to build between the local councils and civil society organisations the EU is supporting with this grant. It is best to know what is known locally and to bring all the actions together to improve the situation. We expect to see great results that will make great impact and leave good legacies for the future,” he said.

Team leader for the PMU, Dr. Julius Muthali, said that the 23 Million Euro EU support to local authorities and CSOs project cannot be done without engagements such as the Technical Committee meeting where all the experts in the PMU and the beneficiaries from the Districts would share unique experiences and have open and frank discussions on what can and will be done to ensure results with maximum impact are achieved throughout the lifespan of the project and beyond it.

“We think we have the utmost responsibility to ensure that we all agree that we do what is best for the local councils and CSOs who are benefiting from this project. We believe that by working together, we will be able to provide them all the support and guidance they need to succeed in their aspirations for meaningful and sustainable development,” Dr.Munthali said.

The PMU Human Development and Capacity Building Experts, Mr. Sulley Felix Mintiegmah and Dr. Henry Mbawa, respectively, spoke about the proposed programme approaches from the PMU perspective in their presentations.

Several other speakers, including the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager from the Decentralisation Secretariat, Colina Macauley, and the Director of Fiscal Decentralisation Division, Ministry of Finance, Adams Bangura, also spoke about their own specific roles in the implementation of the project.

Colina Macualey emphasised her Secretariat’s firm commitment to the Project, while Adams Bangura outlined the framework of engagement they have designed for the implementation of the project and how they plan to commission a study on Chiefdom Finance to look at all the funding issues on a case by case basis.

Presentations on achievements against plans by different Chief Administrators of District Councils present showed that the problems they had with issues such as weak capacity, entrenched interests, political will, conflicting policy and legal environment, weak enforcement and lack of trust that used to be obstacles for development at the District Council level are now being addressed and the District Councils are now able to identify and articulate the impact of their projects at the community level.

Chief Administrator, Kambia District Council, Edward Alpha, said that the opportunity provided by the project for them to work with Civil Society Organisation in furtherance of their development aspirations has opened a new chapter in the development environment at the District level. The same sentiment was expressed by all his other counterparts in the meeting.

“We are of the conviction that such working relationships would not only minimise overlaps and white elephant projects, but would engender a meaningful relationship between all the development actors and ensure sustainable development at the local level,” Chief Administrator, Ahmed Koroma, from the Kenema District Council emphasised.

According to the EU representatives and members of the PMU, the next step will now be to organise a Project Steering Committee Meeting, which will bring together all the major players, including Government Ministers and Local Council Chairmen.

ACC & Former President Ernest Koroma’s Interview…   20% Completed and 80% Remaining

former President Ernest Bai Koroma & Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala

By Amin Kef Sesay

The much talked about and long awaited interview of former President Ernest Bai Koroma by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), headed by Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala finally took place on the 23rd November 2020.

According to the Director of Public Education and Outreach at the ACC, Patrick Sandy, the interview lasted for six hours, breaking off at 5:00pm adding how the former President was very cooperative and willing. He also highlighted that the interview bordered around a gamut of issues and they were able to deal with only 20% of the issues meaning that there is a remaining 80% of other issues which the interview will have to delve into.

Sandy categorically pointed out that it is not to the knowledge of the ACC that the interview was made possible by the intervention of the International Community as it is been alluded that it was the British High Commission that brought the two sides together.

It has been stated that the former President is been probed by the ACC for allegations of corruption whilst he governed this country from 2007 to 2018.

The meeting between the former President and the ACC is said to have taken place at one of the Commission’s secured “Safe Houses”.

According to what was understood Koroma denied the allegations stating how they are part of a smearing campaign.

One of the  lawyers of former President Ernest Bai Koroma, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara aka JFK, on his part, made mention  that from the onset their client has been willing to cooperate with the ACC but what they were preoccupied with was managing the taking place of the proposed interview and State security. He said the participation of their client in the said interview had nothing to do with any imminent issuance of a warrant of arrest.

“As far as I know allegations of money laundering, operating various foreign bank accounts, abuse of executive orders did not come up during the interview. Our client believes all what he did while in office were done within the confines of the law,” he stated adding that some of the questions that came up have been already posed by the Commission of Inquiry and already they have lodged an appeal in the courts saying they will see how they could manage that.

He expressed satisfaction with the process and stoutly refuted that their client was put on bail also pointing out that once their concerns bordering on State security and the personal safety of their client is assured and guaranteed, the former President is willing to do an interview wherever the ACC deems convenient.

It could be recalled that two previously scheduled interviews of former President Koroma by the ACC failed to take place, one in Makeni, his home town, simply because his supporters prevented the ACC from accessing his house where the interview was supposed to take place. On the second occasion, in Freetown, last Thursday, because his lawyers cited insufficient security further stating that they were wary of an eruption of unrest and do not want their client to be held responsible.

Meanwhile, the Leadership of the All Peoples Congress (APC), of which Ernest Bai Koroma is Chairman and Leader, has informed its members, supporters and the public that the interview was conducted in a respectful, dignified and amicable environment and despite all efforts to complete the interview it could not be completed due to time constraints.

It continued that the former President is cooperating fully and intends to continue in that vein furthering how the interview will continue on a date to be agreed upon by the parties.

In a tweet by former President Ernest Bai Koroma he wrote:

“I have just concluded the much anticipated interview with the ACC. The chat was conducted smoothly and amicably.

I honoured the ACC’s invitation, to demonstrate my unwavering commitment to peace & the rule of law.  It was my commitment to the fight against corruption that led me to strengthen the ACC, making it one of the strongest anti – corruption institutions in Africa, under my tenure.

Again, I remain unperturbed and ever determined to protect my good name.

Profound appreciations to supporters, well – wishers for you solidarity and thanks to the International Community for facilitating a smooth and peaceful process.

I will do everything to protect the peace I helped to build and consolidate.”

Hon. Robin Faley Promotes Political Tolerance

By Amin Kef Sesay

The contemporary selfless and vibrant young political personality that had and is still contributing meaningfully as well as positively to the deepening of democratic tenets within the political landscape of this country, Hon. Robin Faley, has once more clearly demonstrated that he has the visionary objective of promoting political tolerance and national cohesion.

Hon. Robin Faley, who is a key figure in the opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party and an indigene of Njaluahun Chiefdom in Kailahun District, on the 23rd November 2020 virtually joined many people in that part of the country to welcome His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio to his home town of Segbwema.

His participation in welcoming President Bio and his entourage in that Eastern Province historical town of Segbwema was made known to this medium by many residents who spoke glowingly about a personality whom they say is a down to earth, selfless and pragmatic political figure who is always there to ensure that their lives are transformed positively in terms of facilitating development programmes.

They intimated that though Hon. Robin Faley is currently in the UK, however, he ensured that he provided substantial financial support to chiefdom authorities, youths and women groups and school children to turn out in their numbers in order to give President Bio a rousing welcome.

When this medium caught up with Hon. Faley via a telephone conversation, with a view to corroborate what his people stated, he expressed gracious gratitude for contacting him. He categorically maintained that his move in supporting his people, whom he said are dear to his heart, was not for anything else but to respect the leadership of Sierra Leone, adding that His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio is the current President of the country and so he indisputably deserves to promote him through political tolerance in the country.

He disclosed how he provided food and water to school pupils who matched in the sun to receive the President and also made available to Bio the town field which he (Faley) has personally spent substantial funds on to transform into a Mini Stadium for the youth.

The once Best Debater in Parliament, at the time when he was representing his constituents ,noted that it does not matter what political party an individual belongs to but what matters most is to embrace positive change when one sees it even if it is coming from the other side of the divide.

Hon. Faley furthered that as far as he knows each Government that comes to power may end up having its weaknesses and strengths but averred that politics must be sacrificed on the altar of concerted efforts to ensure that in the final analysis meaningful development transpires that will positively impact standards of living of the vast majority of the citizenry.

“This is all what politics and democracy demand,” he underscored adding that constructive criticism is one of the conduits through which the ruling Government could be kept on its toes.

He stated that the people of Segbwema are very accommodating, peace loving and progressive considering the massive support they have given to President Bio in terms of votes as against their own sons like John Benjamin and himself.

Robin continued that he strongly believes that President Bio owes the people of Segbwema an obligation in terms of giving them tangible development programmes that would transform their lives.

“They are ready to embrace any Government that takes development to them and from what I have so far heard and saw President Bio is really poised to take development to every nook and cranny in the country, Segbwema not being an exception,” he stated.

It could be recalled that the former National Publicity Secretary 2 of the All Peoples Congress party, Hon. Robin Faley, was recently at the forefront, calling on the leadership and National Executive of the APC to see critical voices within the party calling for reforms as genuine and true stalwarts of the party.

He was very vociferous in expressing the view that the current APC Executive should give way for new faces to take over the leadership of the party if they want the party to take power come 2023.

“We need radical reforms within the party, and this calls for the respect and tolerance of genuine criticisms from members,’’ Hon. Faley stated.

From what certain APC stalwarts stated the radical stance of Hon. Faley has seen the beginning of reforms taking place within the APC which many deem are good for cohesiveness.

The latest move by Hon. Robin Faley in joining and empowering residents of Segbwema to give President Bio and his entourage a befitting welcome has been commended by many political commentators as well in place and worthy of emulation by other politicians vis-à-vis political tolerance and national cohesion.

NP-SL: A Result-Oriented Entity, Priding On Efficiency & Effectiveness

By Amin Kef Sesay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With regards rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility, NP-SL has been doing so steadily and progressively. The company has been giving institutional support to certain institutions, as it did in the recent past when it capacitated the National Fire Force, Kissy Branch, with a state of the art water facility that is designed to provide water throughout the year.

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

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

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

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

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

Housemate Bonanza!!! Predict the Weekly Evictees & Win Attractive Prizes

By Amin Kef Sesay 

Housemates Salone Season 2 is on course with exciting and tantalizing episodes that exude entertainment at its best as the participants continue to display their innate talents with each and every one trying to outwit and be outstanding in the ongoing competition.

For now there is a new promotion that the organizers have put in place for viewers to win different prizes by predicting the evictees on a weekly basis. The promotion goes like this: Dial*5500# and choose Option 3 to enter the draw and win Le5,000,000 by predicting two right names and Le1,000,000 by predicting one right name.

From what ,so far , have been gathered  from the different fan zones, there are ongoing behind the scenes campaigns geared towards convincing the wider citizenry to cast their valued votes for Housemates considered to be their favourites . Theirs is not only limited to mounting campaigns but also raising funds in order to credit their mobile phones so that they can vote as many times as it is within their ambit.

It is the number of votes that the Housemates bag from members of the public which the judges will partly consider in arriving at any decision that will define or determine their fates, that is continued stay in the House or face eviction.

All the Housemates have their unique numbers which members of the public should use to vote by sending them via SMS to: 5500 or Dial *5500#.

For International voting an individual can call: +23299005500.

Members of the public should know that their votes do matter and as a result they must step up the pace at which they are voting for their favourite Housemates, The responsibility of popularizing the unique numbers of the Housemates with the objective of obtaining public votes squarely lie on the shoulders of the various Fan Clubs of the Housemates better known as “Teams”.

What is up for grabs, as put forward by the organizers of this Reality TV Show, is the mouth-watering sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250M) plus undertaking  a round trip to Dubai.

The Reality TV Show is designed in such a way that for every day any of the Housemates stays in the House, he or she becomes automatically eligible to earn One Hundred Thousand Leones (Le100, 000).

By all estimation and regardless of any contrary view that has been expressed, which is naturally inevitable, the crystal fact remains that the ongoing Housemates Salone 2020 TV Reality Competition will go down the annals of this country’s entertainment industry as one of the biggest events that have been successfully staged in this country.
The competition is indeed truly thrilling and somehow funny, generating discussions in different quarters not particularly about how it is organised or is being rolled out but rather bordering on the performances and characters of the various Housemates presently in the House.

If some of the Housemates appear sexy by the kind of dresses they wear then that must not come as any big surprise simply because they are expected to display nudity. Again, if sometimes they talk harshly then it is because they are to intermittently use strong language and acting funnily is as a result of the expectation of being humorous. In a bid to manifest these elements that is what is really making the Reality TV Show that is shown on AYV Television Channel 34, very interesting to watch providing some form of relief for viewers and serving as a therapy to reduce stresses.

The remaining Housemates, save those who have been evicted,  are  currently interacting, learning new skills, taken through certain tutorials, learning how to solve conflicts, courting relationships, playing games and doing a host of other things.

Housemates Salone Season 2 is huge, historic which is why you should not miss the interesting episodes as they are truly entertaining, informative and educative.

DOFA & Heritage Group Feed the Aged at Thunder Hill Community

By Fatmata Jengbe 

Dorwontony Organization for the Aged (DOFA) with support from the Heritage Group of Company on Saturday 22th November 2020, at the Thunder Hill Community, Eastern Freetown, fed over 500 old people and engaged stakeholders on the campaign against Gender Based Violence, Sexual offences and the corona virus.

Addressing her audience, Dorren Barrie, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Dorwontony Organization for the Aged (DOFA), said the engagement is part of DOFA’s continued support and advocacy for the Aged in Sierra Leone, adding that old people should not be considered as liability in society, but rather that they should be given the care they deserve, because they are the backbone of any peaceful society.

Dorren stated that there is only one Home for the Aged in the country at the moment, and DOFA is looking out for possible sponsors for another home for the Aged, where they can host those on the streets and change their living standards.

CEO Barie furthered that the Organisation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board and Purposeful Organisation, where the Legal Aid Board will provide free legal support for the Aged, whilst Purposeful Organisation will provide sensitization and awareness raising in the area of Education and Gender Based Violence.

She also disclosed that DOFA decided to sign the MOUs with those organisations because they discovered that a lot of men above the age of 50 are under dentition across the country for committing sexual offences, thus their intervention will raise awareness to deal with such challenges in communities.

In his contribution, Commissioner Robert K Kargbo, Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Group of Company, said the CEO of DOFA is very much passionate about the welfare of old people and it is this passion that drove him to support the initiative. CEO Kargbo said DOFA has a very good package for old people and since he hails from the eastern part of the city, he has been advocating for them. He noted that for far too long old people have been suffering from discrimination in their respective communities.

‘Most of the time, people call them witches for no good reason, without any evidence. These people go through a lot of trauma. Please young people, see these old folks as your parents,” he maintained.

He disclosed that the Government of President Bio through the Ministry of Social Affairs has brought out policies to protect old people and support them. He furthered that the heritage group will continue to give its support to DOFA in this important venture.

Moriba, Representing Legal Aid Board, assured of LAB’s support and that the Executive Director, Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles, is someone that has the Aged at heart.

He stated that the Legal Aid Board of Sierra Leone was established with the responsibility to provide free legal aid services for the poor, including legal representation, advise, assistance, legal and community based outreach, alternative dispute resolution etc. He said they are currently in the 14 Districts across the country.

Sheik Alhaji Sesay, a beneficiary, expressed gratitude to Dorwontony Organization for the Aged for the gesture, which he described as not only important to them but very timely

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