TRACE JOENAL

JOURNALISTS ARE NOT ENDANGERED SPECIES!! ! Certain politicians, public officers and religious leaders seem to see journalists as endangered species especially Human Rights journalists who report on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) ‘bondo’ and other secret societies violating other people`s rights. The rate at which journalists have been intimidated and threatened for the past years by politicians and government officials is alarming. An instance was when both the broadcasting houses of the main opposition, the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) parties were summarily shut down. No pleas were made on that move by anybody even the media regulatory body, the Independent Media Commission (IMC). Abu Sheku Kamara This medium gathered that on April 2014, freelance journalists and human rights activists, Mohamed Turay, Alpha Jalloh and Abu Sheku Kamara and others were declared wanted because they were advocating for the righte of homosexuals and the aboli...

NAFFSL & FBOs On Constitutional Battle The National Association of Farmers of Sierra Leone (NAFSL), an offshoot of the National Federation for Farmers in Sierra Leone (NAFFSL) which was established by an Act of Parliament to enhance and supervise the farming activities in the country and other Farmers Based Organisations (FBO), are at each other’s throats. This medium gathered that NAFFSL flouted its 2009 Constitution to hold on to power for eight years without elections and has also muscled out some FBOs by cutting down the NAFFSL executive from seventeen to nine, a move that has left out deputies, the Treasurer with only the Secretary having deputy. Sources further revealed to this medium that in 2013 the 2009 NAFFSL Constitution was amended with FAO paying the consultant and after that Amendment in Bo, the NAFFSL President and Secretary, Jess Olu John and Mohamed Kabiru drafted another Constitution, making provision for the two of them running the federation. The sources f...

Massive Rebranding Rocks SLBC But… By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) came to existent through an Act of Parliament in 2009 but since the Act came into law on the 28th January, 2010 according to the Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette Vol. CXLI, No. 8 the SLBC has been creeping since. This has made the Cooperation looks like any one man business that one can crack his brain to source money to run it business. The SLBC of recently has been face with serious renovation and rebranding in all sectors, ranging from structure to studios and administration. This rebranding according to the Director of Media and Public Affairs Ransford Kabia is to demonstrate Management commitment to transform the Cooperation just like any international broadcaster. He said currently the SLBC have a proper filing system and have concluded two successful audits in 2011 and 2012 and they are now working on their 2013 report. The reception desk, board room, the s...

CSOs Trained In Enhancing Effective UPR Participation By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay The Civil Society Oraganisation United Nations Periodic Review Monitoring Group – Sierra Leone (CUMG-SL) has concluded a day training of trainers in ‘Enhancing Effective Sierra Leone CSOs’ Participation in the UPR second cycle and shadow reporting processes,” The seminar which took place on the 8th May this year at the Presidential Lounge, National Stadium Freetown saw CSOs’ government and Non-Governmental Organisation under one humbler to chat the way forward According to the Chairman of CUMG-SL Edward Emmanuel UPR is a United Nations process that includes a review of the human rights records of all states once every four years. It provides the opportunity for each State to declare what actions they have taken to improve the human rights situations in their countries. Sierra Leone he said was reviewed under the UPR in 2011, and the Government accepted 126 out of 129 recommendations included in the fina...

for lack of toilet facilities… City Council Shuts down Shops By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay The Freetown City Council has for the first time in history taken a very proactive move in carrying out their mandate by closing buildings that do not have toilet facilities. “This building exists without toilet facility contrary to the law of Freetown City Council. The environmental authority declares it closed until further notice. By order.” This was the notice placed on the doors of various shops at Kroo Town Road. This move taken by Council took has been welcomed from all sectors of society. This according to Sierra Leoneans in the municipality of Freetown is what they have been yearning. According to some staff of Freetown City Council they have been doing some survey in the municipality to assess the health of the environment. According to them Freetown should be seen as a healthy city at all times and that they are going to ensure that they enforce the bye laws now that they have secured cou...

New X-Ray Machine For Koidu Hospital Kono which is regarded as the bread basket of Sierra Leone since the discovery of diamonds in the District in the 1930s does not seem to have benefitted from this natural endowment. Many companies have come and gone without any clear legacy, all what they left is a destroyed land. It is against this backdrop that a daughter of the soil has come home to change the history of the district in a positive way. The New Citizen in Kono recently met this productive daughter of the soil, Madam Sia Jarieu B, Morsay, who left the soil of Sierra Leone some 24 years ago for abroad and has decided to come home. According to Madam Morsay, whilst in American, she provided scholarships to over 400 school going children whose parents could not afford to pay their school fees. Most of the scholarships awarded were for the girl child within the Kono District. She also made donations of laptops, tape recorders to six media houses in Kono, plasma TV with a generat...

Commemoration of Iran famous Amir Kabir The Cultural Consul of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Sierra Leone Mohammed Sofla has disclosed that today Friday 10th January 2014 coincides with the 8th of Rebial Awal, 20th Dey of Solar Calendar every Year is Amir Kabir Commemoration day. Speaking in Freetown, Mr Sofla said Mirza Taqi Farahani was born in 1807 in Farahan, Iran, entitled Ataback-e Azam (The Chief Minister), Amir Nezaam (The Prince of the State), and Amir Kabir (The Great Prince), is one of the greatest politicians in the recent two centuries of Iran. He initiated reforms that marked the effective beginning of the modernization of at an early age Mirza Taqi learned to read and write despite his humble origins. “Because of his natural gift and talent, he mastered the required knowledge and skills when still very young. He joined the provincial bureaucracy as a scribe and, by his abilities, rapidly advanced within the hierarchy of the administration. In 1829, as a junior m...

TRACE: Time Is What Agenda For Prosperity Failed To Address Happy New Year to my beloved readers, TRACE is very pleased to see you againthis new season. The expectations of Sierra Leoneans are very high this year. Some Departments, Ministries and Agencies will begin to see the changes the 2014 budget bring this year. This is a welcome idea from TRACE, thanks to the government for such initiative. As TRACE was on vacation, TRACE was meditating on some of the words people were saying during the 2013 era. One thing that keeps swinging around TRACE was the issue of TIME. TRACE came to the realization that there are lots of emphases on time by many stakeholders. TRACE critically looked at the Agenda for prosperity under the All People Congress (APC) government. After attending many events during the past years and observing the lives of many Sierra Leoneans, TRACE has come to the realization that people do not value time. The word, in time means not late. The word punctuality is...

No Wahala as… Sierra WiFi internet services officially launch Information and Communications Minister, Hon. Alhaji Alpha Bakarr Kanu on Thursday 12th December, 2013 officially launched the Sierra WiFi internet services at the company’s headquarters on Wilkinson Road in Freetown. Hon. Alhaji Alpha Bakarr Kanu said that Information Communications Technology (ICT) is a core part in the development of any country, but especially in Africa. He went on to illuminate how the importance of the electronic magnetic spectrum can help the ICT industry in Sierra Leone. The Honourable Minister hinted at the introduction of a Computer Licensing program that will help the nation become more computer literate by learning the basics of how to use a computer. He commended Sierra WiFi for its innovations in linking the entire nation to the world of ICT by providing information technology and computers to schools and also the provision of free WiFi zones nationwide. The Minister revealed that Sierra WiF...

Sierra Leone biggest and finest GSM operator africell has take the single leg amputee sports club to another level by been the main sponsor in their ongoing national sport competition in Kenema city.Team from Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Kailahun are currently battle it out for supremacy. During the official opening ceremony over the weekend, statements were made by stakeholders in sports and africell being the lead sponsor. In his address, head of Events and sponsorship Arthur Bockery Kallon said among other things that africell appreciate the gain made by amputee since they decided to partner with them in 2007. He disclosed that africell have sport at heart that is why he said they sponsored the national team, African Nations Cup, World Cup, squash and other sporting activities in the country. He went on to say through sports peace and unity can be entails in any community. He encourages spectators to give support to amputee where ever they see them as disability is not inab...

The Accra-based sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Tuesday urged Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma, to respect the independence of his country’s Independent Media Commission (IMC) in carrying out its regulatory mandate. The call followed the withdrawal of the broadcast licence of Afri Radio, a privately-owned radio station, on 12 April by the statutory media regulatory body, the media commission, ”following a direct order from President Ernest Bai Koroma.” ”The MFWA calls on President Koroma and his government to respect the independence of the IMC and allow it to carry out its regulatory mandate under the Act that established it as advised by the State Attorney,” the sub-regional rights body emphasized in a statement. According to MFWA, President Koroma, during a meeting with officials of Sierra Leone’s National Telecommunications Commission on 9 April, reportedly ordered the Chairman of the IMC, Rod MacJohnson, to immediately suspend the...

The formation and operations of Secret Societies in Africa especially Sierra Leone forms part of the cultural heritage. It is believed that Secret Societies serves as a channel through which our ancestors and predecessors communicate with the living, and so the sustenance of secret societies has become a necessity in Sierra Leone. In modern day Sierra Leone, lots of secret societies are in operation. Major among these secret societies is the one known as the Orsupiorso Secret Society that is operating in every district in Sierra Leone. It was founded by the late Jonathan Showers commonly known as Pa Jonathan, a fisherman who had the vision while fishing along the Mambolo River in Kambia district, Northern Sierra Leone, some fifty years ago. The main objective of this society was to acquire wealth and prevent early death, and it is only a male who has obtained the age of 18 years and above is eligible to become a member. The Orsupiorso criteria states that before gaining membersh...

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 25, Mar 2013 – Peter Tropper is leading a team of more than 30 SME Ventures fund managers and IFC Advisory staff from South Asia and Africa. The objective of the visit is to share experience from challenges and opportunities from Ventures investments around the globe. On investment side, Peter is accompanied by two Senior Investment Officers: Tracy Washington, Sergio Pombo and on advisory side by Michel Botzung, Global Product Specialist and Ignace Rusenga, SMEs, Head for Africa Region. The IFC delegation visited some investees companies of West Africa Ventures Fund (WAVF), which makes investments in Sierra Leone, and later met with other stakeholders in Sierra Leone. Peter recognized the fund managers for making strategic investments that are making a significant development impact in producing basic goods and services needed to support domestic growth. Peter said, “I am pleased to visit Sierra Leone which is among the pioneer countries in SME Ventures...

The pluralities of harmful traditional practices, which has caused untold sufferings to many families are still been practiced and that government have all the right to intervene in mitigating the practices so that able youth with the strength and ability to contribute in the development of their communities will continue to create gap for youth participation in the development of the communities. Due to these barbaric acts, many youth who have become converted in the Christianity and Islamic faiths have resorted to escape for their lives in other countries especially so when elders in their communities continued to uphold the norms and practices of the Poro secret society in enforcing the line of succession from father to son. It could be recalled that before the general elections last year 2012, the chairman national council of Paramount Chiefs P.C. Charles Caulker of Rutifuk made a nationwide proclamation for the suspension of all secret societies which suspension is still in fo...

It was a great moment for Trace to reach the home of the almighty Bumbuna. Indeed I was at home watching a Nigerian movie title 'True Story'. The movie itself was centred around love and how a man lost his happiness at his home but when he went to the bush to hunt animals he eventually found happiness with a female farmer. At the farm, they usually spend time telling stories through which the man eventually discovered that he eases his stress. As he got used to that he began telling lies to his wife. As that movie was played, I reflected on how life is treating people in this country and how people are unfaithful to their work and loved ones. Clearly there is light in any area where there is darkness if only we want it to happen, I said to myself. That brings to mind how it was for residents of Freetown when about five years ago Freetown was described as the darkest city in the world. Here I am to day watching movies after a stressful work. I said to myself again but on...

The Sierra Leone National Petroleum Company (NP) has recently been making waves in the corporate world as it unveiled its new logo. The new logo was designed to give the company its own image and has letters n and p in small letters and coloured green. The green colour is seen as the symbol of growth with abundance of product replenishing the vegetation that is being destroyed on a daily basis. The swoosh protruding from the top of the letters np symbolizes the dynamic nature of the business model. The swoosh can also be equated to the boldness of company’s attitude in taking business risks and the swiftness of its decision making process in order to satisfy the needs of its customers. NP business patrons are already familiar with the company’s green and yellow which are also part of the company’s inheritance. Apart from being popular colours, green and yellow are an attractive combination and easily identifiable and appealing to the eyes. The yellow colour signifies energy wh...

Sierra Leone’s biggest and finest GSM operator africell has again taken lead in awarding football fans 2,000 on-net units to enjoy the African nation’s cup tournament. Africell predict and win allows both pre-paid and post-paid subscribers to predict the winning team or draws from the football matches in the African nations cup by texting the name of the football team to 777. Draws will be conducted on radio talk shows after every match or the following day if match is played late. Africell Media Relation Supervisor TommyTerry Coker said africell deem it fit to add more value in the African Nations Cup by involving their subscribers to it. He said subscribers can make unlimited number of predictions and every correct prediction will give the subscribers a chance to qualify for the live raffle draw immediately after the match. “All predictions for the match will be 15 minutes to the end of the match,” He disclosed that during the live raffle draw at Skyy and Kallene radio station...

After stressful weeks of a seemingly fuel shortage in their towns, passengers travelling from Kabala to Freetown were left stranded at the bus station, because of the unavailability of transport. According to some of the passengers TRACE spoke to at the bus station in central Freetown, they alleged that despite their early presence at the bus station, the bus had always failed to pick them up earlier. "We have been here since 6.00 a.m. and until now there is no bus to take us to Kabala," said Foday Marah. He said at times the bus will pick passengers at 9.00 a.m. as the earliest time, by which time all other buses would have almost reached their destinations whilst they are left under the hot burning sun. This situation they went on is becoming unbearable for them as they too are working on schedules in their various places of work. They alleged that when such situation arises, the authorities failed to explain to them the cause of the delay. "Considering the dista...

One of Sierra Leone leading GSM operators Comium is gradually reaching the end of it carnival promotion. The promotion which is of total class, professionalism and innovative style has helped improve the lives of subscribers. This promotion started with an official launch on the 26th October, 2011 at the prestigious SHANGRI-LA restaurant at beach road. In that event the Managing Director of the company deliberated that subscriber’s satisfaction was his priority and encouraged Sierra Leoneans to get their money’s worth. Comium Marketing Officer who served as MC on that day John Toure reiterated that $50,000 was not a small amount and demonstrated that if exchange rates permit the lucky winner is talking about Le 225,000,000 (Two Hundred and Twenty Five Million Leones) . The launching of the Comium Carnival promotion was later transformed into float parade along the beach road, Lumley and Wilkinson road area to give subscribers the taste of the promotion. The promotion also fo...

After a successful massive cleaning, painting, planting of decorative flowers and maintenance of the road as a way of welcoming the New Year, Tengbeh Town Youth Organization has embarked on a monthly cleaning exercise to give the community a facelift. The youths were spotted over the weekend cleaning the streets of Tengbeh Town. The chairman Tengbeh Town Youth Organization Oju Moses said they decided to embark on a monthly cleaning as a way of keeping the environment free from diseases and for it to be healthy at all times. According to him they have been doing such exercise for over ten years now but at that time it was occasionally. “But now we want to do it every last Saturday in every month. It is our way of giving back to the community as youths,” he said. When asked about political backing, Mr. Moses said they have not yet received any political backing "All what we are doing is from what individuals in the community are giving us..We wrote to the politicians but t...