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 ...

By Mohamed Jaiah Now that the Supreme Court has thrown the matter between Dr. Bu- Buaki Jabbi and the SLPP out of court, the membership of the party has finally slated July 29, 30 and 31 as the “D Day” for the long awaited convention in which 19 aspirants will vie for the flagbearership of the party. All 19 aspirants are very much resourceful to the party, though opinion poll among members of the party and Sierra Leoneans both at home and abroad view Andrew K. Keili as the most suitable person for the flagbearership of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party and the only candidate who will give President Ernest Bai Koroma the run for his money. Speaking to most Sierra Leoneans from all walks of life, Andrew Keili is the only SLPP aspirant on whom they prefer to entrust the leadership of this country, after the manner in which the Government of President Ernest Bai Koroma and his APC have wrecked our economy and continuously creating untold hardship on the people of this nat...

Staff members at the Immigration Department in the country's second city of Bo south of Sierra Leone have vacated their dillapidated office and relocated to the Permanent Secretary's building. Their relocation came about as a result of series of publications by SALONE TIMES on the state of the building they occupied which was described as a death trap, to say the least, unbefitting such a reputable institution. Speaking to the Public Relations Manager of that Department Michael M. Bassie but for the timely intervention of the Internal Affairs Minister Musa Tarawallie who was resident Minister South they would have still been in that deadly building. “The new office is fully equipped with constant electricity,” he said. Despite the billions of Leones generated Immigration Department is denied access to utilize it to transform their Department to a modern one and they have to rent a few of their departments . “We are generating the money but all what we are generating is...

Subscribers of Sierra Leone number one GSM operator africell have expressed joy and satisfaction over the africell fun ring. The service which was launched a year ago provides subscribers a way to express their emotions to their callers through their phone. According to the subscribers the advance service the company has added made the service more exciting. “Conventionally my callers used to hear a boring ring tone when they call me. Now with africell fun ring, the boring old tone has been replaced with any music I like my callers to hear when they dial my number,” said Fanta Koroma. The company recently reached the third stage of this service by opening 443 dial codes for free customers service to assist subscribers. This service is now enjoyed by most subscribers especially those that cannot read or write. Some subscribers say they have no doubt over africell creativities in the country. According to them since africell's inception in the country the services and promotion...

While congratulating all on Shaban that is coincide 17 of 20011 is Imam Muhammad Mahdi (AS) birthday, the Cultural Consulate of the Islamic Republican of Iran in Sierra Leone Muhammad Gazel Sofla have said they are awaiting the global government of justice. “Certainly, we had written in the Psalms, after the Torah, indeed my righteous servants shall inherit the earth. (Holy Qur’an 21:105) whatever God has promised is the absolute truth and whether one likes it or not, it will materialize,” Mr. Sofla made these remarks in an interview with SALONE TIMES in his Cultural Office in central Freetown. He went on to say that the planet, after all that it has been through since Cain killed his brother Abel, and the tyrants that have terrorized mankind in every age and clime, including the use of weapons of mass destruction such as the atomic bombs in their times. “Does it mean that the devils in human form who are responsible for the past, present and future misery of mankind, would have ...

By Komba Fillie The Imam Khoneini Relief Foundation in Sierra Leone over the weekend awarded one hundred and fifty students who completed computer studies in different programs at the Iranian Cultural Center Howe street in Freetown. The ceremony went along side the birth anniversary of Imam Mahdi on the theme: the Philosophy and awaiting and Development . At the awarding ceremony held at Staco Hall Kissy road in Freetown, the Cultural chancellor of Iran Mohamed G. Sofla stated that at the end of history Imam Mahdi came to save mankind on earth. He noted that upon his arrival he established justice and peace for all. He added that his return is a blessing and peace will rain in the societies and people will be categorized into materials blessing and spiritual blessing. He called on people t change their attitudes for development and to be useful in their respective society. In his contribution, Alpha Jalloh spoke on the significance of the training and impact its will create in...

By Komba Fillie The Imam Khoneini Relief Foundation in Sierra Leone over the weekend awarded one hundred and fifty students who completed computer studies in different programs at the Iranian Cultural Center Howe street in Freetown. The ceremony went along side the birth anniversary of Imam Mahdi on the theme: the Philosophy and awaiting and Development . At the awarding ceremony held at Staco Hall Kissy road in Freetown, the Cultural chancellor of Iran Mohamed G. Sofla stated that at the end of history Imam Mahdi came to save mankind on earth. He noted that upon his arrival he established justice and peace for all. He added that his return is a blessing and peace will rain in the societies and people will be categorized into materials blessing and spiritual blessing. He called on people t change their attitudes for development and to be useful in their respective society. In his contribution, Alpha Jalloh spoke on the significance of the training and impact its will create in...

Residents of Kabala in the Koinadugu District North of Sierra Leone are currently facing the worst fuel crisis in their lives despite the huge quantum of fuel in the country. Investigation carried out by SALONE TIMES indicates that the usual consignment of fuel usually assigned to that region to serve that populace did not usually reach them directly. SALONE TIMES learnt that whenever the allocated supply reaches that community the two fuel stations in that community - National Petroleum (N.P.) and Safecon at Makeni road in Kabala divide the fuel. Part of the supplied will go to the fuel stations while the other half be sold at black-market rate to the Gold Mining companies and other big buyers. At Safecon we discovered dozens of five gallons loaded with fuel waiting for buyers who will pay extra. At black the markets, the fuel is sold at six thousand Leone’s (Le 6000) per liter while the official price is four thousand five hundred Leone’s (Le 4,500) some dealers at the black-...

By Thomas Dixon The Open Government Initiative on Friday the 15th of July took people all over the country to interface with the Parliamentarians and the Local Councils at Parliament Building. The Director of the Open Government Initiative Khadija Sesay said that it would be important for the people to ask their Parliamentarians and councilors question as to what they are doing. Khadija Sesay said that the mandate of the OGI is to make sure that the people are informed about the functions of the government and to create a participatory kind of government. She also opined that the OGI will continue to bring the government closer to the people so that they will have their say in governance. The Speaker of Parliament thanked the OGI for such a wonderful imitative and said that it is good for people to ask their Parliamentarians questions so that they will be well informed. His Excellency the President Ernest Bai Koroma commended the OGI for such a wonderful job and told Parliamenta...

As part of it Corporate Social Responsibility Sierra Leone’s biggest GSM operator africell, joined other partners in preparing unemployed graduates for a brighter future in a day’s job creation workshop. The event which took place at the British Council over the week brought together over three hundred graduates from various institutions has as its theme “Employability and Economic Productivity takes more than a University Degree” Africell Corporate Affairs Officer Joe Abass Bangura in his statement said the investments africell have made in the country have created more than 800 direct employments and more than 5,000 indirect employments. That he said includes dealers, security companies, maintenance companies and several other institutions that provide services to africell. “The direct and indirect economic effect of africell’s investment in the country is also very huge,” He went on to say human investment through training of personnel in the practical application of knowledg...

Football fans all over the country have commended the Premier League Board for successfully ending the one leg round Premier League. The above league initially met a stumbling block due to lack of sponsorship thus causing the board to scale down the usual two legged competition to a single leg. Even at this the fans commended the Premier League Board for ending the league without a single team boycotting the league as had been done in previous years. This, the fans said was due to good administration. It could be recalled that when Rodney Michael was appointed as Chairman of the Board, most fans stated that it was a test case for him as he intends to replace Nahim Khadi as Chairman of SLFA come 2012. Alhaji Komba a member of the Board’s Media Committee told SALONE TIMES that the secret behind the Board’s success was due to the timely intervention of Africell and Mercury International the league’s major sponsors. Komba said africell which a few years suspended their sponsorship came ...

The executive of the Western Area Football Association WAFU has suspended the association’s acting Secretary General Thomas Collins for six months Sources state the executive of Brookfields United filed a protest against Shefield United for using two unregistered players during their match in the ongoing Division 1 league. The sources further states that Brookfields United paid a protest fee of Le 100,000 to Collins. Collins did not pay the money into the association’s account which is the normal procedure. It was when the verdict was delayed that it was found out that he never paid the money into the said account. This was why the Vice Chairman of the board Nasiru Deen Othman wrote a letter suspending the acting secretary for six months. According to the letter Collins is being suspended from being a member of the executive from Friday 8th July 2011. The executive made it known to the Collins that the action is without prejudice. The executive also asked for a replay of the match i...

The conviction on Monday of the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) Philip Lukulay spelt another disaster for the Anti Corruption Commissioner and his team. This time around out of a one hundred and ninety four (194) count indictment charges levied against Mr. Lukulay by the ACC only thirteen were found tenable. Mr. Philip Lukulay was charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission on charges including indictment for wilfully failing to comply with rules and regulations relating to the management of public funds, misappropriation and conspiracy. He was barely convicted of twelve (12) counts of misappropriation of public funds and one (1) count of failing to comply with a requirement under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 by the High Court of Sierra Leone. The Hon. Justice Browne-Marke fined the accused a total of One Hundred and Twenty Five Million Leones (Le125, 000,000) and ordered him to repay the misappropriated sum of One Hundred and Thirty Nine Million...

What should have been a morale booster for the country turned out to be a disappointment especially the Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation Tamba Bobor Sawyer. The Deputy Minister who served as the Keynote speaker at the West African Health Organisation’s (WAHO) 24th anniversary celebration waited for over an hour waiting for the programme to kick off. The minister though visibly agitated, waited patiently until he was given the microphone to officially launch the celebration. It was then that he lambasted the organizers. “I am not impressed with the way things happen here. We all aware of what is happening in the Health sector especially on the Free Health Care service,” he said. The first statement of the deputy Minister made his audience pay more attention to him. The deputy minister went on to say since he was appointed as deputy Minister of that ministry over five events he had attended had turned out to be not only a disappointment but a disaster. He said the message...

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) over the weekend celebrated the 24th anniversary of WAHO at the Atlantic Hall National Stadium in Freetown. The theme of the programme was Attaining the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs), the challenge of Multisectoral Approach. The celebration brought together stakeholders from all sectors of the society. In his address the Chairman of the event Dr. Samuel Kargbo said the organization was born due to the misunderstanding of the English and French speaking countries in addressing health issues in the West African region. He said WAHO is a collection of 15 West Africa countries that came together to help achieve the MDGs. He emphasized that the MDG’s will not be achieved if the country continues to get bad roads as bad roads lead to health problem among other things. “We will not achieve the MDG’s if we continue to have bad roads in the country. We need to look at all area related to health and ...