TRACE JOENAL

In his Keynote Speech marking World Mental Health Day ceremony which was organised by Advocacy for Mental Health and Human Rights Sierra Leone on Monday 10th October 2016, Dr. Adonis Abboud expressed shocked over   Kissy Mess Mess Mental Hospital.  “It is in a real Mess,” he stressed. The day which was commemorated all over the world has it theme: ‘Psychiatric First Aid’ “Having seen the documentary about the inmates in that hospital, it was clear that several of them merely needed proper counseling. Instead, what you see is that the inmates are injected periodically with some kind of heavy tranquilizers,” he said. He went on to say that most traumatic events are experiences that created stressful responses and intense emotional behaviour. The crucial element, he added was the support that they give people who experienced trauma, crisis and distress, noting that they need to ensure that victims get the kind of care that is needed promptly and appropriately. He p...

Hello folks, it is with deep mixed feelings that TRACE is writing this piece considering the level of information TRACE gave to the Freetown City Council about the massive encroachment that is going on in the cemeteries especially the Circular Road cemetery.   TRACE was shocked when the news break about the 72 graves that were opened. This is what TRACE saw years ago. That is why TRACE was calling on the attention of the authorities to act but it turned out to be the mastermind of the crimes because they allowed people to construct dwelling houses and use the cemeteries for all sorts of things. The cemeteries in Freetown now have radio stations, garages and also dwelling houses among others. The authority just sit and watch without taking any action. To jug your memory, TRACE has reproduced one of series about the cemeteries in Freetown and how reluctantly Freetown City Council has acted.   Only In Sierra Leone… Killing The Dead Twice All Because Of A Radio ...

Rev. Arnold H.O. Paker of Greater Heights Global Mission which is situated at 45 King Harman Road Brookfields Freetown has published a must read book titled,   “What Must We Do?” The book which was launched by Lady Commissioner OlayinkaLaggah of the Bethel World Outrich Ministries took place at the church premises on Saturday 15th October 2016 at King Harman Road in Freetown. In his statement, Rev. Arnold Paker explained that “What Must We Do” has to do with the works of God and that it is the first book he has authored and published. He said it was never in his wildest imagination that he would write a book but sometimes around 2010, he began to have sudden surges of spontaneous inspirational thoughts and the urge to write them down. He explained further that when he began it first appeared to be random thoughts and articles but they later crystallized into a book. Rev. Arnold Paker said one of their dreams in Greater Heights is to have an arm of the Mission t...

F ollowing our fist publication about the lesbian nature of Asiatu Sankoh, formerly of 3 Patton Street off Kissy Road in the east end of Freetown who is reported to be on the run for involving in an act of lesbianism, which is against the laws of Sierra Leone, this Press has gathered that her family members, community people and even the country’s lawmakers are looking for her for engaging in such diabolic, disgraceful and shameful act which was least expected of her. According to one of Asiatu’s close friend, who begged for anonymity, she said the reason that got Asiatu into lesbianism was when she started working for one of government parastatals, where she met one Abdul Razak Koroma with whom she fell in love and had a son called Imran Koroma. She revealed that they got married but that when Asiatu was later transferred to one of the office branch in town, her husband Razak dated one of her friend in the same office. She continued that Asiatu was never expecting her husband an...

By Abdulrahman Koroma Academic Researcher, Human Rights, Peace and Security Advocate; Benjamin John Sesay is afraid for his safety if he returns to Sierra Leone. Benjamin who specifically focuses his advocacy on the effects of land grabbing on the lives of landowners in Sierra Leone is presently in Sweden contemplating his home coming. Benjamin first visited Sierra Leone in September 2013 and returned to Sweden after his research in January 2014. He revisited in June 2014 to recollect missing data from his laptop. Both visits to his native Sierra Leone were to do a research for his Thesis titled the "EFFECTS OF THE ADDAX BIOENERGY INVESTMENT ON FEMALE FARMERS’ RIGHTS TO LAND AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS IN BOMBALI DISTRICT, SIERRA LEONE" This was the time when he was a Master’s candidate in International Development and Management at Lund University, Sweden. Benjamin got himself into trouble when officials of Addax Bioenergy and few loyal community elders learnt that he ...

A siatu Sankoh has being reported of being a Lesbian is afraid to return to the country because of stigmatization from her family and the community. Asiatu Sankoh a victim of stigmatization  Like many other anti-social vices, lesbianism, homosexuality, same sex marriage, gay and other western cultural practices are taboo, foreign and imported into Sierra Leone from the developed world for which they are frowned at and are illegal. Mr and Mrs Sankoh have condemned the act of their daughter and demanded for her death or never to see her. According to Pa Sankoh he said they are devoted Muslims and they hold Senior Positions in the Mosque which they his members of the Mosque and the community is looking forward to them as examples. “This is a big disgrace to the family. We can’t have such daughter and we will never have one.  We want her dead for bringing disgrace to the family,” Pa. Sankoh went on to say that they are fasting and offering prayers for God to elimin...

By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay The University of Sierra Leone has awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Civil Laws (honoris Causa) to His Excellency Zhao Yanbo Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, at the Mary Kingsley Auditorium Fourah Bah College Mount Aureol on Friday 30 th September 2016. University Register, Sorie N. Dumbuya in his welcome remarks used the opportunity to inform his audience that the authority for the conferment of any degree or similar award in the University of Sierra Leone is vested in the Head of State in his capacity as Chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone as provided in section 13 A of the universities Act of 2005. “However, section 13 B of this Act also provides for this authority to be delegated to any person that holds the position of Vice-Chancellor and Principal, whether in a substantive or an acting capacity.”   The Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principle Professor Ekundayo J.D. Thompson disclo...

A patriotic Sierra Leonean, Francis Beckley is calling on all Sierra Leoneans with cars to help get children to school and home early. Francis Beckley   who is the Chief Campaigner of Help Get That Child to School and Home Early, told SALONE TIMES that his campaign started last academic year when he saw the challenges some school children were faced with in getting to school and home early in the country. He said he began to send WhatsApp messages to different people and groups as a start. Beckley further informed this media house that his main focus of running this particular company is to help improve the educational system in Sierra Leone as education is day by day depreciating. He said that helping get a child to school and coming home early will make a great impact. He said a child who stays all the way at Goodrich village or beyond and is attending the Government Model Secondary School at Circular Road gets to school by 10 am and this causes the child to miss th...

The art of good living is when one is attracted to healthy foodstuff. In this edition of Inside The Market, attention was drawn by traders and buyers about the latest sardines in town, Anny Sardine. Traders as well as buyers that spoke to Inside The Market yesterday at Kroo Town Road market, Congo Market and Dove Cut among others described Anny Sardine as one of the healthiest sardines in town. Manteneh Daboh one of the buyers at Kroo Town Road said Anny Sardine is very nutritious and readily available. “From the first time I bought Anny sardines, my entire family has gotten used to it. It is a must for us to use it on a daily basis.”   Marilyn King one of the traders at Kroo Town Road market said at first she thought Anny sardines was just like any other sardines until she decided to use it in her breakfast and felt the difference.

By Mariama B. Bah In their joint effort to help children affected of ebola, Soroptimist International paid a courtesy called on the Foundation for Children of Ebola Affected Medical Workers (FOCEM) beneficiaries in Bo.The visit took place on the 24 th September 2016 at Wan Word link in Bo Town. Madam Cole, Mrs Emsley and team Admin Officer of FOCEM, Andrew S. Coomber said the purpose of the visit was for FOCEM and Soroptimist International to map out ways they can collaborate and sponsor the beneficiaries by providing them with educational assistance. Mr Coomber recalled that, FOCEM was founded in 2014 by philanthropists like Andrew Keilie, Sam Zoker, Winstanley Bankole Johnson and others. He disclosed that FOCEM is operating in five Districts in Sierra Leone namely Bo, Kenema, Bombali, Kailahum and the Western Area and FOCEM   currentlycaters for 100 beneficiates: Bo 21, Bombalie 10,   Kailahun 38, Kenema 16, and 15 Western Area. He went on to mention tha...

By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay As a way of empowering journalists of Sierra Leone with information on access to energy revolution, 25 media houses were trained in a day workshop on decentralized solar technologies. Journalists and Power for All staff looking ahead for better energy access The training which took place on September 21st at the Hub hotel in Freetown was first of its kind as Chairman of the Guild of Newspaper Editors Donald Theo-Harding, Editors and Reporters were in attendance. The workshop facilitated by the Renewable Energy Advisor to the President of Sierra Leone Serry-Kamal was held to provide the press with more information on decentralized renewable technologies-including solar, mini-grids and micro hydro-which will help to address the energy needs of the country. Power for All Campaign Leader, Aminata Dumbuya, informed the Press that the Sierra Leone Energy Revolution has provided an important way to catalyze clean energy access in the country, and it...

Oh yes! TRACE meant what he said. Folks how are you doing anyway? TRACE along with other Freetonians woke up on Monday morning 22nd August this year with the hope that our garbage would have been cleared by no less a company but MASADA Waste Management Company. To our dismay, it was not so as the company staff has laid down their tools for what they described as two months salaries backlog. Admin Director of MASADA Sahr Karku confirmed the strike action to TRACE. According to him there are workers who usually work at night but due to their financially constrain, they failed to show up for duty. He said they have being working for eight months now but they have not been receiving payment for the work they have done from the government. “The workers went out of patience. We have been talking to them to continue working while we are trying to settle their two months salaries but to our surprise they resisted us. Eight months now we have not being paid by the government. We...

F rancis Kamara, a 17 year-old in the Northern headquarter town of Makeni was last seen by those who know him on 1st May last month. Despite searching for him and reporting his disappearance to the police, he is yet to be seen. Francis Kamara  The day he disappeared, a friend of Francis told this medium that Francis had a confrontation with members of the Poro society, a feared cult in Sierra Leone. For one reason or the other, he said Francis was to be forcefully initiated into this cult and was bundled into a waiting car. Francis’ friend said he was forcefully taken away by these unknown men to an unknown destination. Francis Kamara’s friend said he has enquired about the whereabouts of his friend but to no avail; but a business partner of Francis’s father, one Mr. Frank, said the Poro members would continue to look for Francis until they kill him. His friend said the police have not been helpful   in investigating the whereabouts of Francis, adding that the...

Freetonians woke up on Monday morning with the hope that their garbage would have been cleared by MASADA Waste Management Company but to their dismay, it was not so as the company staff has laid down their tools for what they described as salary arrears. According to the staff, the company owed them two months salaries which they said has caused embarrassment for them as they have to take care of their families. MASADA Admin Operator Sheku Jalloh said the workers started the seat down strike on Sunday night when the night shift workers failed to show up for their duty. From Monday there were pockets of garbage on every corner of the streets of Freetown including the premises of the Freetown City Council. Sahr Karku is the Admin Director of MASADA and   according to him, their workers usually work at night but due to their financial constrains, the staff failed to show up for duty. He went on to say that they have being working for eight months now but that they h...

T he telecommunication is one of the fastest growing industries in Sierra Leone. The battle for leading the market is one of the main goals of all Mobile companies in the country. Some mobile companies saw the challenge as very tough and they are left with no option but to pullout of the race whiles others endure it. The latest mobile company that has sold their brand is Airtel Sierra Leone. The company claimed from its headquarters in India that they are not making profit in Sierra Leone, contrary to the claims made by their country office in Freetown. As Airtel is packing their bags to the leave the shore of Sierra Leone for orange to stepping, the company has no option but to confess to this medium that africell one of their competitor have an upgraded network than them. This Press was speaking to one of Airtel Technical Staff identify himself as Musa and June Rose at the company’s Headquarters in Freetown. They were responding to questions posed to them by this Pres...

  “There is victory for us There is victory for us In the struggles of APC There is victory for us For us oh yeah  In the struggle of APC There is victory” Hahahahahaha, give me a big clap, hahahahaha. Oh yes folks, this is how we are doing things in this country.  We clap even when things are not nice for us, as long as we survive for the day. Most of the expectations of the people were dashed more especially the voters. Thing are not going the way they were expecting.  Forget about the Ebola excuses because things were not going on well from the onset. TRACE has a distance friend around TRACE resident that use to spend time with TRACE talking more about politics. He normally likes to argue on issues that relate to his All People Congress (APC) party. Gumbays likes APC so much that he can’t stand anybody that want to criticize them. His main source of income is to fetch water for people and they are paying him Le 1,000 for five ga...

“Are you underestimating me? I alone am able to win all the seats in the Western Area,” Moseray Fadika last words to this medium last December. He stated that Sierra Leone does not need people that will come and steal from the poor but Sierra Leone needs people that will help them and that he is the right person to become the President. He continued that he is coming up for the position to help the poor people and that it was these people who told President Koroma during the 50 Anniversary of Sierra Leone Independence that after Koroma is him (Moseray). He explained about his nationwide consultation and how people are spurring him everywhere he went to redeem them from poverty.

As their contribution to ease the stress on some guardians that are taking care of children whose parents died during the Ebola episode in Sierra Leone, the Foundation for Children of Ebola Affected Medical Workers (FOCEM) has distributed Scholarship Packages to some of the affected children. The Bo district Scholarship Award Ceremony which took place in Bo City last week Thursday is one of the series of ceremony that will be held in other districts and cities in the country. Sierra Leone was severely afflicted by the epidemic of Ebola virus disease, along with the neighboring countries of Guinea and Liberia. World Health Organisation (WHO) reported a total number of cases are about 28,637 across six countries. Cases contracted in Sierra Leone was 14,061 as of 25th October 2015 and a death toll of 3, 955.   The epidemic devastated families and communities across the country and disrupted every aspect of life; some people who lost their loved ones are still in a stat...