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NP-SL Continues to Navigate through Uncharted Terrain

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) is an indigenous company that has impressively translated its Mission into realities on the ground. Commendably, though it is been challenged by various constraints, yet the company is weathering the storm along the way, navigating through uncharted terrain and is steadily sailing through.

NP-SL Ltd’s Mission borders on maintaining its dominant leadership position in the local market and strive to operate at sub-regional level by assuring the supply of petroleum products in an environmentally friendly manner while offering superior value for customers, employees and other stakeholders based on a proud corporate culture with emphasis on safety consciousness, profit optimization, corporate expansion thereby contributing to national development.

When this is juxtaposed with the company’s culture which is to develop a disciplined family with an institutional culture working towards building a great company and look at how the company stands tall within the petroleum marketing landscape in this country, then we will really appreciate the truism that to succeed in whatever we do in life there must be a strong willpower.

Indisputably, with a strong willpower to become a giant company not only in this country but also within the West Africa sub-region dating back over fifty years ago indeed requires ingenuity, selflessness and dedication.

Now let us dissect the Mission Statement of NP-SL Ltd and admire at how it has been effectively rolled out over the years. The first aspect, which has to do with: “maintaining their dominant leadership position in the local market and strive to operate at sub-regional level.” Save only for spinners, but for the vast majority they will attest with all amount of certainty that the petroleum marketing company, which is wholly owned by Sierra Leoneans, has indeed become the towering petroleum marketing company in this country.

It could be recalled that there had been different petroleum companies that have operated here in this country but they have either folded up or decided not to continue their operations in the country for different reasons. NP-SL is second to none in this country when it comes to the importation and marketing of different petroleum products in this country.

After establishing a strong foothold on the business landscape of this country, the Shareholders of the company then decided to extend by opening branches in neighbouring Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia. In all these countries, the company states of the art Filling Stations are located in different parts offering qualitative service delivery to their esteemed customers. This is a true manifestation of the dogged and selfless efforts on the part of the owners of the company to do what they have actually stated that they will do.

In terms of offering superior value for customers, employees and other stakeholders the company has been doing so with utmost efficiency. It is against such a backdrop that the company always outsources its fuels from the world’s leading oil refineries where the business entity’s fuels go through stringent tests and quality control in major internationally approved European laboratories.

The main products the company markets are: Petrol also known as Octane which has earned the reputation of extending the life of motor vehicles whilst at the same time protecting them from extensive damages. There is also Diesel of high quality which is recommended for all kinds of diesels engines.

For the Kerosene the company sells, owing to its purity it is recommended for domestic use as in petroleum lamps and for domestic cooking.

NP also markets Fuel Oil of various kinds and they are of the highest standard which is suitable for all engines needing fuel oil. Besides, the company sells a stock of a wide range of lubricants and greases of BP, Castrol and AGIP brands. Today, Castrol is the widely used lubricant in the country and many have attested that it is indeed very good for effective performance of vehicles, various industrial machines as well as generators. The company as well provides special products for vehicles such as coolants, dashboard cleaners etc.

In the area of putting emphasis on safety consciousness, the company does not take it light which is why at all their Filling Stations safety guidelines are placed where they could be easily seen by anyone accessing them. They include no smoking, switching off mobile phones, to switch off vehicle engines while fuel is been pumped into a tank among a host of others. As a matter of fact there are always fire extinguishers around to be used in any emergency fire incident.

From all that have been said, it could be apparently seen that NP-SL Ltd is a “talk and do” company. From a Mission Statement that dates back decades ago to this material period of time and seeing the preciseness of the rolling out of everything contained in it then it will be said, with every justification, that the company is a very progressive one.

 

Eight Housemates Shown the Exit Door

By Amin Kef Sesay 

As Housemates Salone continues to thrill viewers the latest development that has transpired is that Foday Fofanah has become the 8th Housemate to leave the House. He would be remembered for his ball and his craziness as well as amazing dance moves in the House.

Also, Bernadette Balu Banu became the 7th Housemate to be evicted from the House. Noticeably, her sense of courage and optimism was just amazing.

As far as it is known what is somehow propelling these Housemates to put up their best performances is to see their dream come true. That dream, in all of them, is to emerge as the ultimate winner to take away the covetous Two Hundred and Fifty Million Leones (Le250M) prize and undertake a round trip to Dubai.

For those who could not make it to that point, the organizers of the Reality TV Show has made a provision for everyday spent in to House, each Housemate becomes qualified to benefit from One Hundred Thousand Leones (Le100, 000) which is made available, cumulatively, whenever evicted from the House.

It is very important to note that the determining factor that will ensure that your favourite Housemates continue to stay in the House vis-à-vis eviction is your votes. These votes are calculated into percentages and falling below the threshold within a specified period of time could lead to the eviction a Housemate.

All the Housemates have their unique numbers which members of the public should send via SMS message or used to vote for the Housemates to: 5500 or Dial *5500#. For International voting, call: +23299005500.

Although we do not want to go into the nitty-gritty of how the show should be directed especially against the backdrop of some crying down certain explicit scenes, however, it was categorically mentioned at the onset via a Parental Advisory stating that the show is meant for those who are 18years and above. Definitely, children are exempted from watching.

The main rationale behind putting together Housemates Salone Season 2 is to promote youth empowerment

The Housemates are assigned various tasks to perform that are shaping their characters, they are availed the opportunity to learn new skills, improve on existing ones. These young people are, from time to time, emotionally tested, afforded the space to find panacea to certain human problems and are doing a host of other things.

Furthermore, the Housemates are presently benefitting from widespread exposure as the Show will be watched near and far. Talents are spotted and vistas of opportunities opened as some of the Housemates would be earmarked to become Brand Ambassadors, movie artists, models etc.

The Housemates are also benefitting from motivational lectures and added to that they are afforded the opportunity to socialize, learn how to play different games, how to speak fluently etc. With all these it will definitely transform the Housemates from what their characters were before they entered the House.

Housemates Salone Season 2, from all indications, will continue to be a very interesting and tantalizing show as the episodes unfold until the event culminates into the Grand Finale. Don’t miss out. Make a date with Housemates Salone, the Quarantine Drama.

Wash Self-Supply Project celebrates Global Hand-washing Day

By Tamba Borbor

PRO, WHH SLE 1048/1085

The Wash Self-Supply project (SLE 1072), a hygiene and sanitation project being implemented by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in Kenema District with funds from the European Union (EU) has on Thursday 15th October 2020 observed World Handwashing Day.

According to the Head of Project, Frederick Fabba, one key component of the project is promotion of handwashing in communities as he highlights the various benefits for people to engage in regular washing of hands.

“Today we are targeting stakeholders to inspire the people in their communities, workplace and organization to frequently engage in handwashing which has immense health benefits,” Fabba stated.

Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap, and triggering lasting change from the policy-level to community-driven action.

The 2020 GHD theme is ‘Hand Hygiene for All’, a call to action to make hand hygiene a reality for all. This theme aligns with the new Hand Hygiene for All Initiative led by the WHO and UNICEF. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role hand hygiene plays in disease transmission.

The theme reminds us of the need to take immediate action on hand hygiene across all public and private settings to respond and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Hand hygiene must become everybody’s business. It also reminds us of the need to build on the current momentum to make hand hygiene a mainstay in public health interventions beyond the pandemic and create a culture of hand hygiene. This fact sheet provides an overview on what this year’s theme means for handwashing advocacy and programming.

As part of activities to observe the Day, the project produced a short high definition video in which the Regional Commander of the Sierra Leone Police in Kenema District, Thomas Mustapha Lahai, the Resident Minister East, Chairman Kenema District Council- Mohamed M. Sesay and Chief Frank Senesie Daniel Nyakeh of Nongowa Chiefdom, Kenema District- all emphasizing the need to practice handwashing in the daily routines of their respective subjects.

 

WHH celebrates World Food Day

Representatives of two cooking groups sharing the prizes at Joi Village, Koya Chiefdon in Kenema District.

By Tamba Borbor

PRO, WHH SLE 1048/1085

Welthungerhilfe through its Linking Agriculture, Natural Resources and Nutrition (LANN) Project (SLE 1084) funded by Irish Aid has celebrated World Food Day on Friday 16th October 2020 in Joi Village, Koya Chiefdom, Kenema District.

With this year’s theme: “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”, the Deputy Head of Project who also doubles as the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of LANN, Paul Bassie, highlighted the importance of the celebration and the choice of location to for same.

He noted that WHH attaches great importance to food security and sufficiency across the world hence its intervention in the agricultural sector in Sierra Leone.

The representative of the Paramount Chief of Koya Chiefdom, Mohamed G. Kanneh thanked WHH for the celebration and stressed the significance of ensuring food is available in all households in the world.

Bockarie Foday, the Section Chief of Joi Section, praised Welthungerhilfe for implementing the LANN Project in their chiefdom which he noted has made significant impact in the lives of the people.

The Gender Officer of the Scaling Up Nutrition Project at the Kenema District Council, Abibatu Amara thanked WHH for its intervention in the Kenema district.

“This day is important as it creates a platform to showcase the agricultural prowess of communities across the country,” Mrs. Kanneh stated; adding that communities should be aware of the prevalence of coronavirus in the country.

Anita Penyikie, the Clinical Nutritionist at the District Health Medical Team (DHMT) Kenema District lamented that in celebrating World Food Day, all should be reminded that there are children who cannot afford food.

She emphasized that farmers must plant what they eat and can derive benefits from.

Town Chief of Joi Village, Sheku Sannoh assured of his unwavering support to ensure WHH operations proceed without let or hindrance.

He noted that celebrating World Food Day in his town shows the level of importance WHH allots to farmers in his chiefdom. Chief Sannoh urged his subjects to support the project of Welthungerhilfe and acquire skills offered in the various trainings to secure their agricultural futures.

A cooking competition using local food items grown locally between Joi and Baoma sections climaxed the celebration with both sides sharing the prizes in a show of communal unity.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), over two billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and enough food while the global population is expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050.

It noted that nearly 690 million people are hungry, up 10 million since 2019; emphasizing that the COVID-19 pandemic could add between 83-132 million people to this number, depending on the economic growth scenario.

On the cost of malnutrition in all its forms – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, as well as overweight and obesity on the global economy is estimated at USD 3.5 trillion per year.

Welthungerhilfe celebrates Rural Women

LANN+ Manager- Hawa Bockarie explaining the importance of nutrition and resource management.

By Tamba Borbor

Public Relations Officer,

Welthungerhilfe SLE 1048/1085

German international Non-Governmental organization, Welthungerhilfe has on Thursday 15th October 2020 celebrated International Day of Rural Women.

The programme organized by the Linking Agriculture, Natural Resources and Nutrition Plus (LANN+), a programme under the Pro-Resilience Action (Pro-Act 2015) Project was held at Magbema village in the Njaluahun Chiefdom, Kailahun District had as its theme: “Building Rural Women’s Resilience in the wake of Covid-19.”

Speaking at the celebration, the LANN+ Manager, Hawa Bockarie stated that WHH celebrates rural women owing to their invaluable contribution to the local economy through agriculture.

She went on to explain about the various nutritious local foodstuffs that can be accessed freely in the bushes which proves very useful to their households. Hawa Bockarie further touched on issues of awareness creation, agriculture and natural resources including the role of women in resource management.

The Senior Field Officer of Pro-Resilience Action 2015 project implemented by Welthungerhilfe in Kenema, Kailahun and Kono Districts, Mr. Franklyn Berewa dwelled on the significance of sustainable harvest and the benefits of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). He reminded the women that there are so many natural wild-growing foods that they can incorporate into their daily food requirements to a healthy eating and nutritional value.

The Town Chief of Magbema village, Bockarie Sam II expressed appreciation to WHH for the celebration and stressed that the women must take advantage of the various training exercises undertaken by LANN+ project to build their capacity in ensuring self-reliance.

Councillor Koseph Kajue of Ward 22, Gbo Section, Njakuahun Chiefdom, Kailahun district appreciated the efforts of WHH intervention in various sectors in the country while acknowledging that women are very important in promoting agriculture, food security and nutrition in the country.

A roleplay formed highlight of the celebration which focused on gender equality as it relates the cordial relationship between the husband and wife in managing scare resources in the home.

The European Union is funding the Pro-Act 2015 Project implemented by WHH together with Coopi and InterAide.

According to the UN, Rural women and girls are leaders in agriculture, food security and nutrition, land, managing natural resource management and unpaid and domestic care work. They are at the frontline when natural resources and agriculture are threatened. In fact, globally, one in three employed women works in agriculture. Women also collect biomass fuels, manually process food materials, and pump water; eighty percent of households without piped water rely on women and girls for water collection.

WHH feeds vulnerable groups in Kono District

Mayor of Koidu City- Mathew Komba Sam handing over food items to Chairlady of Polio Association in Kono District

By Tamba Borbor

PRO, WHH SLE1048/1085

As its contribution to people with disability during this period of coronavirus, German International Non-Governmental Organisation- Welthungerhilfe (WHH) with funds from the Republic of Germany Foreign Office has on Thursday 29th October 2020 provided food items to 200 households of vulnerable groups.

Speaking at the distribution in Kamadu village outside Koidu City, the Mayor of the Municipality- Mathew Komba Sam expressed appreciation to Welthungerhilfe for the timely support to the physically-challenged during this pandemic. He mentioned that his institution collaborates with WHH in the implementation of the Improved Waste Management project which aims at building the capacity of the KNSCC in effectively managing waste in Koidu.

“WHH has done so much for the people of Koidu and Kono district including other parts of the country. This food supply would go a long way to ensuring there is food on the table our brothers and sisters at this challenging time in our country,” the Mayor stated.

He urged the beneficiaries not to sell the items but ensure their households enjoy the package.

The Chairlady of the Polio Victims Association of Kono, Hawa Marah who was visibly ecstatic during the distribution, praised WHH for “rescuing our homes from disgrace during this pandemic period.”

He lamented that they normally go out on the streets to beg for their livelihood but with this food supply, “we would stay home with our families and eat good food for a long time.”

She thanked Welthungerhilfe for looking out for them even before the pandemic while assuring of their full support to the work of the German international non-governmental organisation.

Alpha Umarr Bayoh, the District Chairman of the Sierra Leone Association for the Blind Kono Branch says he is very happy to be receiving the food items at a time when most of his members beg on the streets.

He recalled that this is not the first time WHH is aiding people with disability while appealing to WHH always think of their plight.

“WHH is one of the organisations that have a made an impact in our lives as blind people and we truly appreciate their support at this time of the Coronavirus,” Bayoh noted.

Juliana Kpewa, Project Administrator of WHH Improved Waste Management and AA Covid-19 projects in her statement during the food distribution, gave a brief background about the food support which she stated was funded by the Foreign office of the Republic of Germany under the AA Covid-19 project implemented WHH.

She noted that Welthungerhilfe is an organization that always positively impacts the lives of people in communities it operates.

“We thought that at this time of the coronavirus, you would need such assistance to take care of your homes which forms an integral part of our humanity,” Juliana stated.

A total of two hundred households shared among the Polio Association, Deaf and Dumb and the Blind benefited from the food distribution which would be done for three months ending in December 2020.

The AA Covid-19 Project is implemented in three eastern districts of Kono, Kenema and Kailahun with funds from the Republic of Germany Foreign Office.

 

Chinese Government Dishes Out 39 Scholarships to Deserving Students

By Mary Kabay

On November 12, 2020, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held a gathering event for the newly enrolled Sierra Leonean Students under the Chinese Government Scholarships Program 2020.

H.E. Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang, Hon. Minister of Technical and Higher Education Prof. Aiah Gbakima, 39 scholarship recipients as well as members of the Fourth Estate graced the occasion

Ambassador Hu congratulated the students for gaining admission into various prominent Chinese universities under the Chinese Government Scholarships Program and continued by intimating that China will continue to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in education, which, he said, is one of the top priorities of  President  Bio’s New Direction Administration.

Ambassador Hu said that since 1976 when three Sierra Leonean students were awarded Chinese Government scholarships , over 1,000 Sierra Leonean students had been offered the opportunity to study in China under the program.

Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Professor Gbakima expressed gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leonean to the Chinese Government for what he called the valuable support.

It was underscored that due to COVID-19 pandemic, all the newly enrolled students have to stay in Sierra Leone and take online courses provided by the Universities at the current stage.

In order to help the students overcome the difficulties, the Chinese Embassy provided each student an allowance and introduced them to the Confucius Institute of the University of Sierra Leone for face-to-face Chinese language remedial classes.

The Ministry of Technical and Higher Education offered important help in recommending and selecting the candidates.

All scholarship recipients expressed gratitude for benefitting from the scholarship program.

SLPP, APC Political Tensions Continue To Undermine Peace and Cohesion

By Amin Kef Sesay

According to Teddy Foday-Musa, a Rotary Peace Fellow and a lecturer at the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, despite Sierra Leone’s transition from civil war to peace, political parties continue to stoke tensions along ethnic and regional lines to gain voter support.

The Calabash took to the streets to interview some citizens about what they think are the causes of continued tensions between whatever political party is in power and the opposition.

Significantly they named three institutions as being the main cause of political tensions in the country.

One, they said NEC not conducting free, fair, transparent elections whose results are accepted by all parties.

Secondly, they stated that in the post-election atmosphere, the Police being used to brutalize and suppress the rights, liberties and freedoms of the opposition.

Thirdly, they stated that the Judiciary too plays a very big part in fueling political tension in the country by not ruling quickly, fairly and justly in highly controversial election petition matters.

Thus, with the Government having taken to Parliament a Peace Commission Bill, many Sierra Leoneans maintain that for it to fulfill its intended purpose of establishing peace and cohesion among the people of Sierra Leone, the Government must ensure it remains politically independent.

Teddy Foday-Musa observed that almost twenty years after the country’s politically induced war ended, the country is yet to achieve genuine political peace.

According to the learned scholar, while there has certainly been some superficial political commitment to peace and democracy, as demonstrated by four consecutive peaceful elections – respectively in 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2018 – the country continues to resurface political divisions and other issues that threaten national unity and social cohesion.

He fears that the country risks relapsing into violence should such divisions and political tensions not be addressed.

He highlighted that after the 2018 elections, political interactions between the two major political parties – APC and SLPP – is expressed in the form of threats to the country’s peace and security, which he said has been aggravated by social media as a platform for disseminating hate speech and messages of violence.

Disunity among Sierra Leoneans, Teddy Foday Musa, said is that disunity is not a hidden secret, fueled during periods of electioneering by ethnicity and regionalism.

The current Government of Sierra Leone, in contrast to previous administrations, has identified the strengthening of national cohesion as a top priority area. In his address on 10 May 2018 to Parliament, President Bio noted that,: “In the last ten years, the building blocks of national cohesion and the feeling of belonging of all citizens have gravely crumbled. The recent governance strategy has been characterized by tribalism, divisiveness, exclusion and the weakening and subversion of state governing institutions…”

As to the causes of disunity in the society, Civil Society Activist, Andrew Lavalie, Teddy said, notes: ‘The regional and ethnic voting pattern in elections undermines our national cohesion. It is unfortunate that ethnicity plays a salient role in our national politics both as a source for political organization and a basis for support…The results of the 2007, 2012 and 2018 elections clearly depict a pattern of ethnic and regional allegiance”.

Of particular concern to Teddy is the hate-driven politics between the APC and SLPP.

“Their current political tension is the fodder for future violent conflict. Challenging conditions have added fuel to the fire, as disillusioned party supporters, many of them unemployed youth, show a willingness to confront the Police and thus perpetuate violence. Instead of seeking solutions to these tensions, party leaders continue to preach divisive messages to their supporters, conditioning them to work against the national Government’s agenda.”

Given this narrative, The Calabash would want to believe that the work of the coming Peace Commission is to, according to Teddy, critically understand and address the ways mutual mistrust, suspicion, anger and animosity spill over into priorities of national development, such as the fight against corruption and attracting foreign investment.

UBA Foundation Launches 2020 National Essay Competition

By Mary Kabay

The United Bank for Africa Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School, has on Friday 13th November, 2020 launched their 2020 National Essay Competition during a news conference that was held at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) Conference Hall at New England Ville in Freetown.

The National Essay Competition was launched by the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education Dr. David Moinina Sengeh who during the launch commended UBA Foundation for this laudable initiative.

According to him, the essay competition offers an opportunity for pupils in examination classes to strengthen their critical thinking, civics, and other skills relevant for their growth.

“Winners will be given an opportunity to win a scholarship grant for their university education up to the limits of Le50 million, Le30 million and Le20 million for the first, second and third positions respectively,” he disclosed.

NEC is a UBA Foundation Initiative that was initiated in 2011 as part of the Foundation’s drive to improve the access to education for the under-privileged across Africa.

This year will marks the launch of the National Essay Competition in Sierra Leone in conjunction with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE).

In so doing, children across the country will be given an opportunity to participate in the life changing competition. “The NEC is also being launched in Sierra Leone to compliment the Sierra Leonean Government’s efforts in promoting quality education in the country,” Usman Isiaka, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of  UBA Sierra Leone pointed out.

He disclosed that participants must submit their hand-written essays not later than 11th December 2020 at 4:00 PM at the MBSSE district offices, at UBA Bank headquarters located at 15 Charlotte Street, Freetown, or at the bank’s branch locations anywhere in the country. All essays submitted must include the participant’s;

full name, Age, Town and district, School name ,full name and telephone number of participant’s teacher, full name and telephone number of participant’s parent/guardian, participant’s essay, and the essay’s word count (number of words used in the essay)

All essays must be about the following topic: During the COVID-19 pandemic school closures, explain the interventions you wished you had implemented to make your life at home or your community more comfortable.

The word count should be between 450 and 500 words, and all essays must have a title. The essays will be judged based on their structure, grammar, illustrations of ideas, and their creativity.

Essays submitted by participants at the 16 district levels will be marked by a panel of academic judges, who will be selected by the MBSSE and UBA. Announcement of the 12 finalists of the competition will be made over TV broadcast, radio and newspaper. The 12 national finalists will be contacted using the information provided in the application for further details and next steps.

Finalists will be supported to travel to Freetown with either their teacher, parent or guardian to compete in the final round (travel, lodging and feeding of winners and their supervisors will be provided by organizers). Finalists will write a second essay, which will be evaluated for selecting the first, second and third place national winners that will get the scholarship grant while all the 12 Finalists will each receive a Laptop. The final round will be broadcast live on an AYV TV Show.

All submissions must be handwritten and not typed. They can be submitted through one of the following methods: Email: cfcsierra-leone@ubagroup.com,WhatsApp number: +23275142718, dropped off at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education District Offices or HEAD OFFICE (New England Ville, Inspectorate Office)any UBA Sierra Leone Office

Education Ministry Discloses Fat Packages for Teachers

Dr. David Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE)

By Foday Moriba Conteh

Dr. David Sengeh, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has on Tuesday 10th November 2020 revealed to the Executive of the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU) that fifteen billion Leones has been budgeted for the re-assessment of over four thousand teachers who have worked for years on their old salary scales.

This was disclosed when the SLTU Executive headed by the Secretary General, Morris Conteh, engaged the Minister Dr. David Sengeh, the Deputy Minister Madam Gogra and the Permanent Secretary to pledge their continued commitment to work with the Ministry and Government in pursuance of President Bio’s flagship programme. The meeting also focuses on the discussion of issues affecting the welfare of teachers in the country.

Welcoming the Union, the Permanent Secretary, David Banya, noted that SLTU very is paramount in the Free Quality Education programme as the teachers are the engine for the successful implementation of the project and with this the ministry is always ready to sit and discuss issues with them.

The Secretary General of the Union, Morris Conteh, revealed the high expectations of the SLTU leadership, teachers and education stakeholders towards the pronouncement of the Free Quality Education by HE President Julius Maada Bio in his manifesto and State Opening of Parliament. He reiterated that the membership is prepared to work assiduously to actualize the President’s vision.

The Secretary General furthered that their there is huge task in the Education sector looking at the multiple problems of the teachers, schools and the teaching profession as a whole.
“As this year has been declared a Year of Delivery by the New Direction Government, SLTU would like to draw the attention of the Minister to some of the burning issues: Recruitment, Promotion and Reassessment, the payment of teachers with Pin-codes, Non-payment of fees and subsidies for Second and Third terms, signing and Gazetting of the collective Agreement, Challenges of COVID 19 in schools, approval of teachers , more school structures/ classrooms to cater for the rapid increased enrolment and the timely payment of school fees subsidy,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister Madam Gogra welcomed the Executive of SLTU and noted that their concerns are not new as the Ministry is seriously working on most of them. She stressed that on the approval of schools, they have done community engagement but is said to note that some people emerge with schools but cannot provide the necessary documents or go through the correct process. She also revealed that some people go to the rural areas to be approved and after that they moved away from that location to urban areas.

The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr David Sengeh, commended the Union for their support and stressed the need for meeting quarterly so as to discuss issues related the teaching profession. He made the following disclosures:
Re-assessment –as a Government that is interested in the human development, a budget of Le 15 Billion is slated for the re-assessment of over four thousand teachers. With this the Ministry is striving very hard to put smiles on the faces of these hard working teachers who have worked for years on their old salary scales.

Recruitment –Retirement– as one thousand six hundred teachers have retired, the Ministry is working very hard to replace these teachers. It is unfortunate that most teachers do not want to go to the remote areas to help their brothers and sisters.
Promotion– the Ministry supports the guidelines of the Teaching Service Commission in the promotion of teachers.
Subsidy-he has instructed the Deputy to set up a taskforce to look into issues related to schools affected.
US 66Million – construction and rehabilitation of over five hundred classrooms, alongside provision of furniture in deprived schools. With this type of engagement with SLTU, the Minister accorded them to make some recommendations towards some of these schools.
COVID 19.

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