TRACE JOENAL

Following widespread condemnation from residents of Freetown about the activities of Guma Valley Water Company in the city, the company has again come under the negative spotlight. The intersection between Congo Cross and Kingharman Road west of Freetown has become Guma’s hydrant station. This new ‘station’ has caused serious embarrassment for road users in the city as almost all the tarred covering in that road have been uprooted. This is largely due to the fact that the constant siphoning of water by giant trucks has left hug potholes in the road making it very difficult for pedestrians and vehicles to have smooth ride towards the National Stadium end. The potholes are gradually eating into the main motor road of Congo Cross, the road which is use by thousand of people every day. Another unsatisfactorily activities of Guma in that area is the manner in which the water bowzers queue taking up one of the four lanes of the main road; they almost bring traffic to a halt. This situ

By Mohamed Jaiah All 19 aspirants for the flagbearership of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) have been nominated and declared eligible to be voted for as Presidential Candidate in the forthcoming National Delegate Convention slated for Sunday 31st of July, 2011. Among the 19 candidates, Andrew Keili as if by divine providence was the first aspirant who fulfilled the nomination process set up by the Electoral Board. This was due to the fact that the first three aspirants who were called upon were not prepared to present their nomination forms. Another prophetic incident was that Andrew Keili who was sitting fourth in the row of aspirants, when called for the nomination was allotted the number four box among the nineteen multiple boxes which are to be used for the convention. Addressing the aspirants at the Sierra Leone People’s Party headquarters on Monday 24th July 2011, the Chief Electoral Commissioner the former Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Alie Bangura explained the M

As part of a series of activities during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Cultural Committee of Iran in Sierra Leone on the 15th of August will kick off a Quaranic Competition for all Muslims. This was disclosed to SALONE TIMES by the Cultural Consul Mohammed Gezel Sofla in an interview at his cultural Office yesterday. He disclosed that effective today, registration will open for all Muslims to participate for free and it will close on the 10th of August to all good presentations during the two days competition. He went on to say that there will be three judges noting that the competition will form an memorization of the whole Quarn, half of the Quaran, one third of the Quaran among the recitation of the Quaran. Attractive prizes will be given for first to third recitals. “Reward from God cannot be compared to the prizes we are giving,” he said. Apart from the Quaranic Competition the Cultural Consul said exhibits of different handcraft, translated and transcribed Qu’ran, Se

By Thomas Dixon The Chief Electoral Commission of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) Ambassador Alie Bangura on Tuesday 25th July, 2011 assured supporters of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party of a credible election. He stated that the Electoral Board of the SLPP is well prepared for the conference and election of the SLPP flagbearer which will begin on Friday the 29th July and end on Sunday the 31st of July. According to the ambassador, all the nineteen candidates have agreed to the multi ballot box voting system and as at now they have no dissenting voices literally. He demonstrated that the SLPP has been an administrative party throughout its existence and that the party is going through a transparent and democratic election. He revealed the result of the election for the National Executive will be out by Saturday and result for the flagbearership will be on Sunday. He advised party supporters to be calm and cool as everything will be under control of the Electoral Commissi

By Komba Fillie Health and Sanitation Minister Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura has said that African society is currently undergoing rapid transformation, and the demands for democratization. Delivering her keynote address at the informal meeting of European Union Development Ministers on the role of Democracy, Human Rights and People’s Empowerment in Africa, in Sopot, Poland, Mrs. Bangura observed that the global climate has become increasing discomforting for non democratic governments. Such governments, the Minister noted are consistently denied legitimacy and the resources to perpetuate themselves in power. She told the meeting that by 2008, the number of sub Saharan democracies had increased to over 20, accounting for more then a quarter of the regions population. The Minister opined that the establishment of the African Union (AU) and its adoption of the Cumulative Act, New partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as well as the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechan

BY Josephine W. Lagawo Parliament has approved Mr. Max William Thompson as a Board Member of the Nation Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM). Mr. Thompson is a retired telecommunication engineer who has an enormous wealth of experience in the field of telecommunication engineering. He joined the Sierra Leone External Telecommunication Limited (S.L.E.E.T) which merged with the Sierra Leone Telecommunication Company in 1995 to form the Sierra Leone Telecommunication Company(SIERRATEL) as a Telegraph Operator. He has held the following positions: In 2003-2005 Acting Controller of Commercial Services, 1995 to 2003 Manager of Operation and Maintenance, 1992 to 1995 Chief Engineer, 1987 to 1991 Senior Engineer, 1975 to 1978 Senior Technician, 1969 to 1974 Electronic Technician. He acted as General Manager and deputy General Manager on several occasions. Mr. Thompson voluntarily designed and developed the company’s (SLG) first software for internal call billing. Hon Salamatu Turay