TRACE JOENAL

By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay For four years now Sierra Leoneans are waiting for the former Presidential Aspirant of the main opposition Sierra Leone People Party in the 2012 elections, Julius Maada Bio to prove critic wrong that he (Bio) can go to the most powerful country on earth. Bio looking depressed? Maada Bio himself has said that he has no problems that will prevent him to go to the United States of America but SALONE TIMES learnt that several attempts made by Bio recently to get a US Visa have been denied by the Embassy based on the Human Rights records of Bio. Several flag bearer aspirants including Andrew Karmoh Keilli, Munda Rodgers are already in the US to attend the convention for the second consecutive time.   The convention which is taking place in Philadelphia is an annual event of the SLPP in that part of the country. According to Andrew Keili SLPP North America Branch invited them as aspirants to witness the convention. He said the SLPP North America Br...

…PRICE DECREASE on DStv Premium by 7%, Compact Plus by 10%, Compact by 7%, Family by 15%. MultiChoice has announced reduction in their prices as a way of helping Sierra Leoneans. This came through a dialogue by the Minister of Information and Communication when they visited South Africa recently.   At a press conference on Thursday 20 th October 2016 at the Information Ministry, the Minister of Information and Communication Mohamed Bangura said he is very proud of Dr. Adonis Abboud who is the head of Transnational Sierra Leone Limited. He went on to say that Dr. Abboud has contributed in his own little way and they are very proud of him. According to him they scratched heads at the Ministry for them to see how they can achieve some of their basic benchmarks as a Ministry.   He described the process of getting a song aired on DStv as very r igid. The Minster disclosed that the he had been attacked by different stakeholders about the price of DStv but he ...

By John Mansaray Sahr Hakeem Gborie victim A physically challenged man, Sahr Hakeem Gborie, son of a late famous politician from Yormandu Village, Kono District, is wanted by village elders to succeed his late father to continue to uphold and maintain the norms of the Poro secret society. According to a source from the village, this Sahr Hakeem Gborie, who is already in hiding, is a victim of circumstances as the elders want him to serve as leader of the secret society, a leadership the Gborie family vehemently opposes, requesting for his protection wherever he is. Family sources intimated that the secret search for Sahr Hakeem Gborie was launched in 2013 after a tipoff from a close friend, forcing Gborie to go into hiding to save his and his children's lives and other family members because of the dreaded secret society. This Poro secret society is very powerful in Sierra Leone, creating fear in people. Some people who don't want to be part of this secret socie...

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Trade and Industry in Parliament, Hon. Veronica K. Sesay has said that trade is the backbone for the development of any country. Hon Sesay made this statement on Tuesday 18th October 2016 when the committee summoned the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The committee noted that there is no price control in commodities and asked what the ministry has done towards that and their status report. She pointed out that when the committee is going on oversight functions they want to see policies of the ministry because they are the people’s representatives the public is asking what the committee is doing as there is no price control in the country. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade Abdul R Fofanah informed the committee that he is in charge of the administration of the ministry and   his responsibility is to advise the minister on administrative issues. In his presentation to the committee, Mr. Merew...

Very sad and difficulty moment for Sierra Leoneans as they bid farewell to the Iranian Cultural Consul,Dr. Mohammad Marefat.  Both Muslims and non-Muslims, staff of the Cultural Centre, Imams, Lecturers and Journalists, among others, wished him well Dr.Marefat well as his departure came as a surprise. Most of the scholars at the farewell ceremony yesterday spoke about the good works of the Cultural Consul and how he has transformed part of the Cultural Centre. Sheik Ahmed Tejan Sillah, Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque, first spoke about the Karbala killing of Imam Husain pointing out that the event is not a celebration but a commemoration as one can see the honestly and Godliness in Dr.Mohammad Marefatto serve mankind, adding, "This is not the time his country could have recalled him but while human beings plan, Allah’s has his own.” He prayed for Allah’s guidance and protection upon him and for him to return to Sierra Leone.