TRACE JOENAL

By Abdulrahman Koroma As they remain abandoned at Mile 6  in deplorable condition, flood victims are requesting  an explanation of the status of  their bank account.  Sierra Leoneans who were affected by the September 16 flood in Freetown are calling on the government of Sierra Leone to explain what has gone wrong with the Bank Account that was created to solicit funding from philanthropist individuals and organisations.  Morlai Marrah, deputy Youth Chairman at Mile 6 Relocation Site told Salone Times that sometime this year, a Sierra Leonean philanthropist based in England tried to send them money through the flood victims bank account but the account proved dormant.  He said several other attempts were made but the account could not be accessed. They had to resort to getting someone to hand deliver  the money to them at the site through an individual who was travelling into the country. 

“ Countries should raise tobacco prices and taxes – 10% increase reduces tobacco consumption rates by 8%; Minimum ECOWAS 15%.” This was a quote from the World Health Organization who is the leading technical adviser to the Ministry in relation to Tobacco and was delivered by Lansana Conteh, Programme Manager, Health Education Division, Ministry of Health and Sanitation during an orientation of Media Practitioners on Tobacco Prevention and Control.  The Programme Manager, Health Education Division went on to say that tax issue is a serious problem for them to fight against tobacco. He disclosed that they are working on a bill that will be subjected to debate in Parliament to restrict tobacco product in the country.  He said the orientation is to empower the media to have more information on the danger of Tobacco and what are the steps they have taken. According to Mr Conteh this is just a continuation of the lineup activities for this year.

Sierra Leone Law Court Building   By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay The rift between the defunct Help a Needy Child International (HANCI) and parents continues as the parents are still yearning for justice for their alleged trafficked children. The defunct Help a Needy Child International (HANCI) which worked with a U.S-based adoption agency, Main Adoption Placement Services (MAPS) facilitated the adoption process of 29 Sierra Leonean children from Makeni to the United States of America The parents, who the organization alleged willingly gave their children for the adoption, claimed that the organization trafficked their children surreptitiously. To address this, President Ernest Koroma, in 2010, established the Justice Adeliza Showers Commission of Inquiry to examine cases of the purported adoption said to have been facilitated by HANCI and one of its partners in the US Maine Adoption Placement MAPS in 1997. At the end of 2011 after going through the investigation process, the c