THE PRESIDENT OF SIERRA LEONE- ERNEST BAI KOROMA - NEW YEAR (2012) MESSAGE TO THE NATION

UPDATE!! SUNDAY 04 MARCH 2012

Sierra Leone President

                                 Addressing the UN General Assembly

Opinion poll shows Sierra Leone’s ruling APC party set for another landslide victory in upcoming November elections 
 

                                 Proposed Econome Zone

 Read more: Click Links
                                                                                        
                                                                                 
http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/24490
                

Watch Video within article

 http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/14630

Fellow Sierra Leoneans,
New Year’s Day is usually a time for reflection and resolutions. In 2007 you gave me the mandate to push your resolutions through for a better Sierra Leone. Four years on, my record of transformational achievements is very visible for us to reflect on and strengthen our resolutions for 2012.
In 2007, we firmed up our resolutions for development into an Agenda for Change. We resolved to bring back electricity to Freetown and we have done it; we promised to take electricity to every district headquarter town and we are doing it; we committed ourselves to building roads everywhere, turning farms into enterprises that will benefit farmers and the nation, transforming the health sector, reviewing and improving the educational system, fighting corruption, promoting a more effective public sector management system, attracting investment and creating thousands of jobs. Everywhere you go today you will see our resolutions at work and our promises being fulfilled.
These are achievements for every Sierra Leonean. The highway to Bo and Kenema is for every Sierra Leonean irrespective of political party; the Road to Pamlap is for every citizen irrespective of age; the roads in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Kailahun, Port Loko, Kono, Moyamba, and Pujehun are for everybody irrespective of ethnic group. The water supply systems we are constructing and rehabilitating in district headquarter towns are for everyone. Services provided by the Free Healthcare Initiative are for the mothers and children of every region. We are establishing agricultural business units in every chiefdom and we are providing agricultural inputs to farmers in every district. We made a resolution to be a government of nationwide services; a government of infrastructure and a government of implementation. And we have acted on our resolution.
Fellow Sierra Leoneans, our country is undergoing its greatest transformation since independence. Forecasts for our country becoming an oil-producing nation are great, we may soon become the largest per capita producer of iron ore in the world; we have landed the fibre optic cable, we are attracting huge investments in agriculture. Sierra Leoneans should take charge of this transformation; citizens of this great nation must be the drivers of this change.
I know we can rise up to the challenge, I believe in the capacity of Sierra Leoneans to do what they have resolved to do. In 1996, we decided to reject men of violence, and we did it; in 2007 we decided to establish a government of action, and we did it. I believe the overwhelming majority of the citizens of this country in every region and every political party are peaceful, law abiding and development oriented. I believe in the vision of Sierra Leone as an innovative, forward-looking donor nation in the next few decades.
Fellow Sierra Leoneans, on this very first day of 2012, I am reiterating my resolution to make this country live up to its destiny of greatness. We will continue along the path of progress and development. We will continue to build the roads. We will keep on increasing electricity supply, we will go on with turning farms into businesses, and we will continue to implement the free health care initiative. We will go on with rebranding this country. We will continue to win accolades for our dedication to development and democracy. We will continue to lead reforms at the United Nations. We will go on sharing the blessings of peace by sending peacemakers to trouble spots in the world. We will move on with attracting investments, improving the business climate, creating jobs and maintaining law and order. We will continue to fight corruption. We will continue to protect the environment and bring to book those who violate our environmental laws; we will continue to prosecute those who are involved in electoral violence; we will continue to stand up for the common man and woman. We will not be distracted; we will not turn back; the only option is to move forward with unrelenting zeal.
Let me also use this occasion to congratulate the youths of this country for their great contributions to the development of Sierra Leone. Youths are our partners in transformation, the pillars of our actions and the mainstay of our aspirations for a better Sierra Leone. We salute your resilience and your talents as musicians, teachers, traders, students, religious youths, office workers, riders and drivers. We applaud your skills and energy as operatives of tele and video centers, your mastering of the use and repair of mobile phones and electronic games. We are heartened by your passionate but peaceful support of football clubs. We are with you in your celebrations of youth. Together we are transforming this nation. Together we will overcome the challenges posed by a few youths taking chances with violence and drugs. Together we will continue along the path of democracy and sustainable development.
Later this year we shall be organizing presidential, parliamentary and local government elections. We must ensure that peace prevails. We must continue to repudiate violence. We must continue to reject political campaigns based on intimidation, ethnic sentiments and retrogression. Never again must this country surrender itself to the violent, the law breaker and the extremist. The government that I lead will not tolerate plots or acts to push this country towards violence.
Registration of voters for the elections will start later this month. I call upon all of us to make it a New Year resolution to register. Registration enables us to exercise our rights to vote and be voted for; it shows that we are ready to participate in the governance of the country, and it is one of the most profound of the responsibilities of citizens. Come out in your millions to register and send out a clear message that ballots, rather than bullets must prevail.
We have set up the Sierra Leone Conference on Transformation and Development to facilitate the process of bringing out all the ideas about how we are going to achieve this vision of our country becoming a middle-income country in 25 years and an advanced donor nation within 50 years. Make it one of your New Year resolutions to be part of this movement for a better Sierra Leone. I ask all of you to act on our collective resolutions for peace, democracy, and sustainable development. Bring on your ideas and best practices; make the resolution now, and rededicate your actions to the realization of our best aspirations.
I hereby declare the week beginning 16th January as a week of prayer for Peace, Prosperity and the great transformation of our beloved country Sierra Leone. The Muslims will end their week of prayer on Friday the 20th and the Christians on Sunday the 22nd.
Once again, I congratulate the citizens of this country for the great strides we are making to build a better Sierra Leone.
I wish you all a bright and prosperous 2012

 Freetown - A view.

Maada Bio & His NPRC’s 1992 Executed Victims- ICE

DAE MAN NOR DE SLIP:  MEMBA DAT!

 As I read Sylvia Blyden's post in Face book today I felt for my personal friends who were murdered among those named in that list: my Grammar School friends, Kawuta Dumbuya - a fine Regents Olympic footballer and Salami Coker- a brilliant Actor of Born Free/Aladin fame . I feel for the whole group and especially Bambay Kamara whom I had known since I lived with my Uncle Police Inspector Inor Doherty when they ran Small Police in the East of Freetown. I wrote a likekly piece as a comment on her post and as I go through other comments I can feel a deep sense of sadness  and emotions from the partisipants, and the falies of all  those victims. But Why must Maada Bio and his colleagues get away with blatant murder?
 Let me repeat what I stated in my post a few days ago recalling the attempted Coup on Dr Siaka Stevens by the then Force Commander Brigadier John Bangura on 23 March, 1971. Any one who perpetrated such atrocities must face JUSTICE. All those who had implicated themselves or had the chance to stop the carnage then try to excuse themselves must not be spared. The AMNESTY granted in 1996 at Ivory Coast by ECOWAS was only to get the Country back to normality. These hooligans think they will get away with murder through that amnesty- well they must not be allowed to. Even the Secretary General of the United Nations then, Koffie ANAN was OUTRAGED by that amnesty. The United Nations Body did not and still have NOT recognised that amnesty. So these chaps MUST be brought to trial. If people like MOLOSOVITCH (Yogoslavia), Radavan Karaditch, Ratkom Meladitch,(Bosnia), those in Cambodia who collaborated with Pool Pot or South American Generals (Argentina, Chilli and the like) who committed similar atrocities can be prosecuted, what's wrong with us Sierra Leoneans? THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPILL IN VAIN. IF MAADA BIO THINKS HE CAN CON SIERRA LEONEANS BY GETTING HIMSELF PICKED AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SO IF HE IS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED HE CAN CLAIM FOUL ON THE ELECTORAL PROCESS,HE IS LIVING IN DREAM LAND. I invite you Sylvia, to get your hands on a copy of Volumn 1 of the booklet written by the Late Massaquoi - former Chair of SLAJ exposing these 1992 coup-makers and the plots and sub-plots they were involved in including Maada Bio, Nyuma, Strasser etc. you will be amazed to learn how divious these men were.
I am waiting patiently to see when Young Frank Kargbo, Attorney General will file the necessary papers for their arrest. Our Country's MOTO is "LIBERTY FREEDOM AND JUSTICE". We need to see more on the Justice side for the good of our blessed Country.

I am posting supporting websites whis tell the pain suffered by the families of the victims. We must always remember the even more so TODAY -29th December2011 the 19th Anniversary of their brutal killing.

MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE!!


PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINKs BELOW.



READ MAADA BIO'S WIKIPEDIA ENTRY. INTERESTING!!-
(January 16, 1996 – March 29, 1996)
CLICK THIS NEXT LINK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Maada_Bio







PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINKs BELOW.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=338149066196462&id=100001603180299&notif_t=share_reply



http://news.sl/drwebsite/exec/view.cgi?archive=6&num=15842&printer=1




http://www.news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200518814.shtml





 Here is an additional piece CURLed from Sylvia Blyden's response to a contributor.  INTERESTING!!! Read on:-

John Kanu, I see you are repeating the SLPP-Bio propaganda by stating that Bio was NPRC Information Minister at the time of the killings. By making such a claim, the SLPP & Bio supporters are DELIBERATELY downplaying Bio's position as the N...PRC's Number 3 man at the time of the extra-judicial killings by referencing him as a lowly Information Minister.
Kindly allow me to educate you today on this issue. MAADA BIO WAS NOT THE NPRC INFORMATION MINISTER ON 29 DECEMBER 1992.
On 29th December 1992, Julius Maada Bio held the official title of the number 3 position in the NPRC which was that of PRINCIPAL LIAISON OFFICER NUMBER ONE (PLO-1). It was synonymous with being a SUPER MINISTER. In other words, Maada Bio was the Super Minister in charge of the following Ministries: Finance, Foreign Affairs and Information.
The NPRC Minister of Information on the date of the brutal extra-judicial killings of innocent Sierra Leoneans is currently an APC STRONGMAN (name withheld for now because of certain reasons).
Whilst for certain reasons, I will not name the APC Strongman who was the Info Minister at the time of the killings, I will expound on another issue here. The world has read a lot about the position of current APC Justice Minister & Attorney-General who also held the same position in the NPRC. Many are under the illusion that Frank Kargbo was also the NPRC Attorney-General/Justice Minister at the time of the killings 19 years ago. They are mistaken. Frank Kargbo was the NPRC Transport Minister at the time of the illegal killings.
The then Attorney General and so-called 'Justice Minister' was Arnold Bishop Gooding who joined in the post-killing whitewash they (NPRC) tried to perpetuate but when the extent of the OUTRAGE spread after the killings and increased international anger, the NPRC tried to make some appeasement by reshuffling the Cabinet during which the positions of Gooding and Frank Kargbo were switched and Kargbo then became Attorney-General and Gooding became Transport Minister.

 *******************
Kishin all the NPRC boys were paid off by foreign donors who gave them scholarships with funding overseas. There was talk of Nigeria's Abacha giving them cash as well but this was never documented. However, it was widespread to such an extent that when Leatherboot attacked and beat up Tom Nyuma in 2007, one of the reasons for bitterness between the two men is that Leatherboot accused Nyuma of not sharing the cash Abacha gave to Maada Bio for the ordinary soldiers serving NPRC ministers. Only Maada Bio and the NPRC can speak on that allegation of getting cash from Abacha as no documented proof exists.
What is not a secret and is well documented is that a special arrangement with the United Nations Development Programme, the British, the French and the Americans ensured the NPRC boys got educated and funded after they were FORCED to quit office. Make no mistake, Maada Bio and Co. left office grudgingly. The market-women drove them out of office. Before the Arab Spring's Tahir Square events, we had the Krootown Road Market Spring. SLPP likes to portray Bio as leaving power willingly. This is UNTRUE. He left grudgingly after his Bintumani II efforts failed...
Infact, one of the first things Bio did on overthrowing Strasser was to spend a huge sum of millions and millions of leones in renovating new suite of offices for himself at State House. Strasser was overthrown on 17 January 1996 and the then elections were slated for February 1996 so why spend such huge sum in renovating new offices for yourself to sit for just one month??? Does not sound like a man who was planning to leave in just a month's time. Does it?
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A word to the wise...
God bless:) 

23 MARCH 1971- A day I will never forget- Attempted Assination of Dr. SIAKA STEVENS

CLICK LINK
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DH2G5aO4W3UU%26feature%3Drelated&h=eAQHcEewnAQGOKY0Zj-WIE4iTAV6sxfW6Jj9QX0rwVFIJWQ

23rd MARCH 1971- The day the Force Commander, Brigadier John Bangura showed his disloyalty to then PRIME MINISTER Dr. Siaka Stevens and to Sierra Leone. I will never forget that day. I was leaving at Henry Street in Freetown with my four younger sisters. They will not let me out that morning. After the initial NIGHT of heavy shooting which turned out to be an assassination attack on Dr. Stevens's life at his residence at King Harman Road, led by Major Jawara, I left the house and together with the Late Hon. JOHN KANU at Niaimbana Street, we picked up his car and collected Mama Princess. Bucknor (of The APC Office). We drove to Brookfields towards the Dr. Stevens resident; the soldiers did not allow us. We moved towards Congo Cross and saw Lieutenant Colonel Sam King, and others in a Land Rover driving fiercely through Congo Cross Road towards Town. It was confusing! We ended up in a Hon. Minister's house at Wilkinson Road (Name withheld - He was later demoted). He was as confused as us. We left back into Town. I then went to my workplace at Standard Bank, by which time loads of soldiers were marching into town. I advised my General Manage in fear, to shut up shop and all staff ordered not to leave until we all helped each other to finish whatever job they were doing and closed the Bank. By that time soldiers were all over town, and a resumption of shooting, attacking the PM at his office up Tower Hill by Paramount Hotel - the old office of Sir Milton Margai -the first Prime Minister. 

My Cousin - in - Law, the Late Lawyer Kanji Alpha Daramy, Minister of Information (formerly Minister of Development and Economic Planning - the replacement of the earlier sacked Prof Solomon A J Pratt ) was among those with the Prime Minister- but they all survived this deadly second phase. It was still very confusing as it was Sam King who introduced Brigadier John Bangura before he made his 'TAKE OVER' speech at about 3 pm. So, who was in charge?  It became clearer when Sam King and other senior officers staged a counter operation and arrested John Bangura and spoke to the Nation DISSOCIATING themselves from coup attempt later that day. 
I had to make my way home via Circular Road - a round trip - through the back streets, for fear of the soldiers and their guns the types of some I had never seen before. An expatriate had been shot and killed near the American Embassy. It was a RELIEF to hear the PM Siaka Stevens' voice after Sam King and Tom Caulker, and the second broadcast at about 8pm was all inspiring and assuring. The SLBS played its part that day.
I will never forget that day. Brigadier John Bangura was Executed in April 1971 for this Coup attempt - A SAD PATCH in our COUNTRY'S HISTORY.

MAADA BIO MUST TAKE NOTE OF THIS FAILED COUP AND ITS SUBSEQUENT RESULTS- in the light of his statement after the 2007 ELECTION VICTORY of the APC. (See reference in his entry in WIKIPEDIA)

PRESIDENT ERNEST BAI KOROMA : A SHINING LIGHT IN AFRICA

CLICK LINK BELOW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAm2RpthlhE&list=HL1324994241&feature=mh_lolz

Economic Corruption - Global Rankings for 2011

Economic Corruption - Global Rankings for 2011



The scale and depth of corruption - defined by Transparency International as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain varies greatly across the world. No country can ever score a perfect score for eliminating corruption from their economy but the annual rankings of perceived corruption provide a useful way of identifying the best and the worst performers (most of whom are plagued by extreme poverty, war and failed government). Systemic corruption damages human lives and can undermine almost everything that international organisations seek to do to promote development and poverty reduction.
Several countries have made sizeable progress in tackling and reducing endemic corruption and are thus better placed to attract sustainable inward investment as part of their development strategies.
Here is a link to a video on the Economic Corruption rankings for 2011 produced by Transparency International

http://www.youtube.com/TransparencyIntl

 LINKS:

 http://www.transparency.org/




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBYTh19gi7g&feature=player_detailpage#t=15s




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBYTh19gi7g&feature=player_detailpage#t=15s




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajnWQD7H3Bg&feature=player_embedded#t=0s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajnWQD7H3Bg&feature=player_embedded#t=0s

SLPP IN A CONFUSED STATE- DOMBOLO MIX-UP

http://news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200519898.shtml

There are people with integrety and common sense still in the SLPP. Afterwards this is a Party that began in the early 1950s with people with good crdentials; including Chiefs, Doctors, Lawyers Businessmen and women, Clargymen – people with consience who knew the values of Nation building. Pick up some of the old records, and read about their contributions. Men liks H E B John – the First Education Minister in Sir Milton Margai’s Government. Men like RGO King, Chief Jai Kai-Kai, Kaisamba, Hon Chief Bia Koblo, Kandeh – Bureh, JCO Crowther, A G Randal, PC Kamanda -Bongay, Prince J Williams of Bo, to name but a few.

Whrere is this integrety in MAADA BIO and the likes of him who selected him? ARE SIERRA LEOLEANS MAA-DA? Are You CRAZZY? Maada Bio for President? What a JOKE!!
Lets have more resignations or actions and demonstrations against this unacceptable fafe of COUP-MAKER optimist who thinks he should lead Sierra Leone. One thing we must remember, the AMNESTY that was reached in Ivory Coast(after MAADA Bio’s Palace Coup on Strasser) was never recognised by the UNITED NATIONS. Even Kofi Annan- the then UN Secretary General, rejected with RAGE the fact that people like BIO should get away with killing innocent people. This man was involved in more than one plot to stage the coup in 1992, then afterwards made a coup on his Leader Strasser. How can Sierra Leoneans TRUST such an unstable powerdrunk self promoted general? He should be facing charges in the International Criminal Court soon, now that the Special Court of Sierra Leane's mandate is coming to an end. Like Charles Taylor, Dr Radavan Karaditch, he should not escape justice for the innocent  whose lives perrished with his contrbution. Shame on people like Dr Khadi Sesay, people with intellegence who is still backing kim. Well as for John Benjamin, he is right up there with it as well- Secretary to the NPRC -who will forget?
I am not surprised JOHN LEIGH resigns.  I am sure more clear minded and upright SLPP Party workers will take correective measures soon if the SLPP is to survive as a proper Political Party and not a CLICK of secret society marginal men.



READ ON & follow LINKS below

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Thanks to AWARENESS TIMES- Freetown Sierra Leone for this piece of news. [ Photo from Cokorioko

Two Significant Western Area Indigenes Resign from SLPP (One Country; One People slogan under Threat): Josephine Mac-Thompson & John Ernest Leigh say goodbye By Dec 16, 2011, 17:16

Two Significant Western Area Indigenes Resign from SLPP (One Country; One People slogan under Threat)
Josephine Mac-Thompson & John Ernest Leigh say goodbye

December 15, 2011

Mr. Sulaiman Tejan-Sie

Secretary-General

J                                                                                                                                     John E. Leigh
                                                                                                                      

Sierra Leone People's Party

Wallace-Johnson Street

Freetown

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Dear Sir:

After much careful thought and deep soul-searching over time, I have concluded that I must exit the party that I have genuinely long labored to promote and modernize against impossible odds.

In deciding to resign my party membership, I have categorically rejected any and all advice and recommendations from deeply loyal party friends I respect and who repeatedly pleaded with me to stay put.

Clearly, while many fine personalities continue as loyal, hard working party members nationwide and abroad, someone with my background, experience and upbringing cannot belong to a political party fronted by ex-junta personalities and under the sordid influence of those I personally know as nation-wreckers, money-grubbing lying rogues, false pretenders for money and such-like characters; not to mention the widespread acceptance in secret and off-camera of voodoo juju-swear ceremonies as part and parcel of the party's unofficial 'democratic' process in selecting its leadership.

Accordingly, please enter my resignation, effective today, from my membership of the Sierra Leone People's Party as well as any patron or committee positions that may have been assigned me.

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Sincerely,

--------------

John E. Leigh

cc:

Mr. John O. Benjamin, SLPP Chairman

Dr. Alieu Massaquoi, Acting Secretary-General, SLPP New England, USA Chapter

Mr. Murtada Tunis, Secretary-General, SLPPNA



SEE JOHN LEIGH IN ACTION- Campaining for SLPP Leadership. 
 CLICK LINKs   below.

http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article6326



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SWiTBw3hKQ&feature=player_embedded#t=12s

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“I wept because that was the greatest ungratefulness I have ever heard!”- Josephine E. Mac-Thompson (December 2011)

Train Runs again in Sierra Leone- "The Iron Ore Train"

Can you believe it? Yes!! Its true - A TRAIN RUNS once again in Sierra Leone.. No - Not a passanger Train but one that carries oshipment of IRON ORE- to PEPEL for Export. YES- after35 years of no IRON ORE Production in Sierra Leone. The last Iron Ore lbueiness ended in the mid 1970s. when the Scottish Company pulled out the plug- and dissolved itself. Was a subsidiary of a larger company. Hope this time we get it right. BRAVo to improvement in Sierra Leone. The Future




READ  LINK BELOW

http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/spip.php?article6327