Sewa News Stream

No doubt about it, Sierra Leone's Andrew Keili writes potent stuff. But read these summary points and then go on to his analysis of the latest fiasco in the country.  1. Accusations against the Auditor General have been vitriolic. 2. Many [Maada Bio] supporters have cited Salone's “You do me ar do you” law. 3. Audits are the same. They indicate the absence of process, procedure, and misuse of government resources. 4. Professional [bodies] can rescind the certification of their members found wanting in egregious circumstances. 5. The Audit SLL Board is missing in action (MIA). 6. Oversight bodies are bypassed in Salone. 7. SLn lawyers are all over the map.  8. Absurdities in the 1991 Constitution. 9. Civil society orga nizations have been co-opted. 11. An exercise in futility. PONDER MY THOUGHTS by Andrew Keili "LARA TAYLOR PEARCE SAGA: NINE LESSONS BUT NO CAROLS" The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a service of Christian worship celebrating the birth of Je...

In a somber video posted to social media by Sierra Network Salone, Victor Mengot addressed the latest man-made disaster in Freetown late on Friday. "We know that accidents do occur," Mengot said, "but as Sierra Leoneans pray for the victims the nation must also be aware that it is not an isolated incident." Mengot said he has seen similar disasters in Kenya, Nigeria, and several other countries. "Transporting hazardous cargo is not an easy business," he said.  "We must make sure they are transported safely and by qualified people." Originally an industrial zone, the Wellington area has now become a mixed settlement with shops and a lot of people, making it difficult to respond to a disaster, Mengot noted.  "While we mourn the loss of our citizens, we call upon the oil companies, the government of Sierra Leone, and our citizens, so that when accidents occur they don't rush to the scene to be onlookers," Mengot said. "We need pro...

The Consortium of Progressive Political Parties in Sierra Leone has released a statement on the recently concluded Koinadugu District by-election. In the press release dated October 14, Dr. Dennis Bright of the National Grand Coalition Party and Ms. Femi Claudius Cole of the Unity Party say the National Electoral Commission, which is responsible for the administration and conduct of elections, and the Sierra Leone Police, in charge of security at elections, stand accused of performing so woefully that the conduct of these elections and results have been challenged by all parties and judged as not being fair or credible. Read the full press release below:  The Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (COPPP) wishes to express grave concern over the conduct of the recent Bye Elections in Koinadugu District for Chairman of the District Council and for Councillor of Ward 155 in the same District. According to complaints by both political parties that contested the election (APC...

Polling agents and elections observers should be free from harassment. Still, numerous reports say that was not the case in a recent by-election in Koinadugu, the largest district in Sierra Leone and one of the least densely populated.  "It has become too much the case that thugs overrun our polling stations during bye-elections with the police throwing their hands in the air as if it is not their job to keep the peace," wrote Vickie Remoe, a media producer. She writes about society, culture, and good governance in Sierra Leone.  A leading voice in the widespread condemnation of elections violence and intimidation, Remoe praised the Sierra Leonean observers of National Election Watch (NEW) for their commitment to transparency at our polling stations. "Had it not been for their diligence, we would not have the facts," she said.  The following Sunday, on Africa Young Voices (AYV) television, Lahai Lawrence Leema, the deputy minister of internal affairs, launched attac...

" While it is possible to find a place to rent in Sierra Leone, what makes sense price-wise doesn't come with the amenities ," writes Vickie Remoe in a recent checklist she published for Millennials and Gen Z planning to live and work in Sierra Leone. Rental properties that include amenities are priced for expatriates, Vickie cautioned. Additionally, renting in Sierra Leone comes with the financial burden of paying rent a year or two in advance. "You may be able to afford it the first time around, but depending on the kind of salary or income, continuing to do so after a year might stretch you," she said.  Reading Vickie's tips left me with more questions than answers: 1. What does she consider as amenities? Do they include, say, running water, a rain garden, a well pump in the backyard, and a solar-powered electric generator? 2. What does Vickie mean by rentals are priced for ex-pats? 3. What are the comparative rent prices across Sierra Leone? Is she talk...

This weekend on Twitter, Ambrose James, director of Sierra Leone's National Authorising Office, tweeted  that the first phase of a 163-meter long steel beam was launched across the Mabang river for a new bridge. According to the tweet , 71% of the total 231meter bridge has been put in place. The new bridge is being funded by the government of Sierra Leone and the European Union (EU).  The National Authorising Office-Sierra Leone (NAO), is the principal management and executing agency of the EU-Government of Sierra Leone development cooperation. (See more on the NAO's Facebook page).  T he old Mabang bridge collapsed on February 22nd, 2013. Shortly after,  a group of concerned Sierra Leoneans in America hired civil and structural engineers to inspect the collapsed bridge. Based on the 2013 findings, the collapse of the Mabang Bridge was due to extensive scour on the piers of the bridge. "The foundation of the pillars was also destroyed by impact from eroded soil...

World Health Day was first celebrated on April 7, 1950. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since then, the WHO has aimed to create awareness of a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern. Past themes include protecting health from climate change, road safety, and healthy environments for children. World Health Day 2009 focused on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. I chose to focus on Sierra Leone's need for a national alliance for mental health. My op-ed was first published in The Patriotic Vanguard , 7 April 2009.  This weekend, the All Peoples Congress Party of North America held a fundraiser in Maryland. In the interest of full disclosure, I am not a member of APC North America, but I planned to buy a ticket and support the event. Unfortunately, something came up at the last minute, and I did not make it. Still, I am rather curious to know which Sierra Leonean cause...

Few weeks after President Julius Maada Bio was forced to deny the rumors that the Chinese were about to build a fish factory around the pristine Whale Bay and Black Johnson beach, the West African nation is making headlines again. On Tuesday,  a Sierra Leonean man employed by the China Kingho Mining Company, based in a northern district of Sierra Leone, had become a meme. The video of a fight between him and a Chinese ex-pat employed by the China Railway Seventh Group had been shared thousands of times on WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook. On Wednesday morning, a flurry of press releases began doing the rounds. First was a three-page statement from the China Railway Seventh Group (SL) Co., Ltd. or CRSG. "The conflict between a Chinese staff and local staff in the repair shop was an unexpected and isolated case which did not represent the behavior or attitude of the management of CRSG and Kingho. After the incident, the person in charge of CRSG has taken necessary measures against th...

Tracey Marke's grandfather was a prominent lawyer. He owned property in Hamilton, Freetown, and his son, Tracey's father, worked hard as a businessman to become the most prominent landholder in Hamilton in the 1960s.   There was a stretch of wetlands in Hamilton called " Portoh " that was used by the community. This area was eventually grabbed by local politicians, depriving Hamilton villagers of valuable food planting land. "After learning about how Prince Harding and his wife Anne Marie had been trespassing, I got a fence erected to protect the land," Tracey wrote in March 2020 . "When Prince Harding and his wife realised what was happening, they went to my caretakers with thugs. They threatened to break down Josephine Soya-Bongay's fence.  I wasn't too worried about this threat as it would be impossible to traverse land belonging to Josephine to get to mine without destroying her fence or gates. "In March 2020, I was told that Mrs. Anne ...

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have unveiled their 2021 World Press Freedom Index.  This year's survey of 180 countries shows that journalists are finding it hard to investigate and report sensitive stories, especially in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. (Newspapers of Sierra Leone photo courtesy of Calabash Newspaper) On Twitter, RSF (@RSF_inter) tweeted that the leading takeaway from the 2021 RSF Index is that the main vaccine against disinformation is completely or partially blocked in 73% of the countries ranked by RSF. Top 10 countries in the  2021 World Press Freedom Index  1 Norway 2 Finland 3 Sweden 4 Denmark 5 Costa Rica 6 Netherlands 7 Jamaica 8 New Zealand 9 Portugal 10 Switzerland How the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ranked 27 Cabo Verde 30 Ghana 37 Burkina Faso 49 Senegal 59 Niger 66 Côte d’Ivoire 74 Togo 75 Sierra Leone 85 The Gambia 95 Guinea Bissau 98 Liberia 99 Mali 109 Guinea 114 Benin 120 Nigeria Sierra Leone moved up 10 sp...

On April 27, 1961, Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to flag independence from Great Britain and became the country's first Prime Minister. Sierra Leone retained its membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. In the archive photo, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are pictured with  Milton Margai at one of the nationwide events held during their visit to Sierra Leone in 1961.  The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, visited Sierra Leone on the royal yacht Britannia from November 25 to December 1, 1961. Absent from the ceremonies was the leader of the main opposition All People's Congress (APC), Siaka Stevens, along with Isaac Wallace-Johnson, another outspoken critic of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) government. They were arrested and placed under house arrest in Freetown, along with sixteen others charged with disrupting the independence celebration.

Almost three years ago,  Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr announced on Facebook that she was back on her feet, buoyed by the support and good wishes from Freetonians, family, and friends. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her in the photo were Umaru Koroma, national secretary-general of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) (left) and then Minister of Political and Public Affairs Foday Yumkella, brother of the 2018 National Grand Coalition presidential nominee, Kandeh Yumkella. The same week, Aki-Sawyerr had been assaulted outside SLPP's headquarters. Responding to the outrage after the attack, the national secretariat of the SLPP issued a statement condemning the assault and denied its party members were involved. "We shall never be a party to any ploy to derail the effective operations of the office of the Mayor of Freetown, or any other person of authority," the statement said.   Almost three years to the day, the mayor was reportedly shaken after a mugging by knife-wiel...

Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation has issued a public notice about its COVID-19 vaccination drive. According to the notice, the first phase began on Monday, March  22, and will continue through Wednesday, March 31. Target beneficiaries are below: Health care workers (Public & Private) Every Health care worker irrespective of age. Military Officers Age 40 years and above Police Officers Age 40 years and above Fire Force Officers Age 40 years and above Prison Officers Age 40 years and above Teachers (Public & Private) Age 40 years and above Lecturers and Instructors (Public & Private) Age 40 years and above Social Workers Age 40 years and above Custom & Immigration Officers Age 40 years and above General Public Age 70 years and above The following health facilities have been designated as vaccination sites:  BOMBALI  Makeni Gov’t Hospital  Kamabai CHC KONO  Koidu Gov’t Hospital  UMC Jiama Sewafe MOYAMBA  Moyamba Gov’t Hospital  Njala Universi...

Photo courtesy of #SaloneTwitter  

The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning violence, abuse, discrimination, and intimidation in football and the West African nation. The letter signed by SLFA President, Isha Johansen (standing left in this archive photo), said that what was expected to be a 'healthy campaign atmosphere' quickly degenerated into an ugly, almost fatal scene. Johansen apologized to Victor Lewis and wished the football veteran a speedy recovery.  Lewis has served as chairman of the Sierra Leone Premier League Board.  Rodney Michael (photographed with Johansen in happier times) also posted a rebuttal to a listserv, known for its controversial online activity.  On the platform, Michael said Mohamed Kallon,  who is considered the most famous footballer from Sierra Leone in some quarters, was not his supporter as reported by Mohamed Kamara of Sierra Leone Football News . "He  (Kallon) may be my friend and hero, but he is a Presidenti...

Days after human rights activists held vigils to commemorate the victims of acts of violence on January 6, 1999, the owner of Freetown's East End Tigers football club Victor Lewis is reportedly fighting for his life after being stabbed in the neck. According to Mohamed Kamara of Sierra Leone Football News , Lewis was attacked during a brawl that took place inside the football headquarters of the Sierra Leone Football Association. It is not known whether Isha Tejan-Cole Johansen, the current president of the Sierra Leone Football Association, was in the building. The football association is yet to make a statement. Kamara said witnesses taking part in the elective nominations at the football headquarters blame former Inter Milan striker Mohammed Kallon, lawyer Emmanuel Abdulai Saffa, and Rodney Michael, the brother of the Mercury betting company manager, for instigating the stabbing.  Apparently, the fight started when Lewis, chief executive officer of East End Lions, a pr...