Wednesday, 19 February 2014
WILL NOT, or WHEEL NUTS? TAM MBAYOH HAS DONE 'UNSEEN BOLT' ... A FAST FLEEING 'GET AWAY FROM HERE' EXERCISE...!
Monologue 'WILL NOT' be aired as before because the Presenter TAM MBAYOH's 'WHEEL NUTS' were apprently removed yet, he drove his car at 50 miles per hour in haste through the streets of Freetown ending up at Wilkinson Road before TWO tyres 'fly off' whilst the car was stable and did not turn over. 'LUCKY BOY' or an 'UNLIKELY STORY'? His residual reputation is now nothing more than a BOLTS and NUTS case:)
Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Sierra Leone Parliament enacted into law, the Right to Access Information Act, 2013.
THE PASSING OF THIS "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2013" HAS GENERATED A WIDER DEBATE WITHIN THE SIERRA LEONE COMMUNITY AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN? WOULD IT WORK IN THE ABSENCE OF DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION? WOULD THIS ACT WORK CONTRARY TO THE CONTROVERCIAL PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1965, ESPECIALLY THE CRIMINAL LIBEL AND SIDITION PROVISIONS OF THAT ACT? WHAT SAFEGUARDS ARE PROVIDED FOR MISUSE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH VIOLATIONS THAT GENERATE CONFRONTATIONS WITH SOME JOURNALISTS?
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The Sierra Leone Parliament enacted into law, the Right to Access Information Act, 2013 otherwise known as, the “Freedom of Information Act.
Freetown, Sierra Leone 29th October, 2013
By KWAME YANKSON
The Minister of Information and Communications, Hon. Alpha B.S. Khan in presenting the Bill told parliamentarians and members of the public that the Right to Access Information has today become a human right component in the administration of modern States aimed at promoting transparency, good governance and accountability. An important feature of the bill, the Minister said, is that which has to do with efficient records keeping within Ministries, Departments and Agencies and even Non-Governmental organizations.
Records keeping among State and Non-State actors had collapsed over the years, and it is the fervent belief of the Minister that with the advent of the Right to Access Information Act, Sierra Leoneans will inculcate the art of record keeping and the development of libraries and archives.
Khanu in his usual confident and convincing posture allayed the fear of some parliamentarians who were of the belief that the Right to Access Information Act is aimed at giving Journalists a field day to poke into the private lives of public officers. He said the exempt clauses in Part 111 of the Act are the safeguards for individual’s personal lives, traditional societies and that of our national security.
“The Act does not favour Journalists in the strict sense of the word, rather every citizen including Researchers, academics and the ordinary man at Krubola in Koinadugu district stands to benefit from this Act”, Khanu emphasized.
Hon. Frank Kposowa of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s party in his contribution informed the House that Sierra Leone has joined 94 countries in the world including 11 countries in Africa that have enacted the Right to Access Information Bill. He said the Bill is designed to fight against ignorance and make way for an open government initiative… “It is designed to restore human dignity and to usher in effective monitoring of Government expenditure. This will build up confidence in the system.” He concluded.
The passage of the Right to Access Information Act 2013 has further increased His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Koroma’s democratic credentials. Upon assumption of office in 2007, he committed himself to ensuring that every citizen has access to timely and accurate information by creating institutions like the Open Government Initiative (OGI) where citizens have direct access to the President and all State functionaries through town hall meetings to explain Government’s policies and programmes uncensored.
The creation of the Office of the Government Spokesman and the hosting of weekly Press briefings at the Ministry of Information and Communications further demonstrates President Koroma’s genuine commitment to transparency and accountability in the governance of the State.
The Right to Access Information Bill was first introduced to Sierra Leone’s Parliament as a Government motion by the former Minister of Information and Communications, Hon. Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo in 2010 and committed to the Legislative Committee on two occasions.
Khanu in his usual confident and convincing posture allayed the fear of some parliamentarians who were of the belief that the Right to Access Information Act is aimed at giving Journalists a field day to poke into the private lives of public officers. He said the exempt clauses in Part 111 of the Act are the safeguards for individual’s personal lives, traditional societies and that of our national security.
“The Act does not favour Journalists in the strict sense of the word, rather every citizen including Researchers, academics and the ordinary man at Krubola in Koinadugu district stands to benefit from this Act”, Khanu emphasized.
Hon. Frank Kposowa of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s party in his contribution informed the House that Sierra Leone has joined 94 countries in the world including 11 countries in Africa that have enacted the Right to Access Information Bill. He said the Bill is designed to fight against ignorance and make way for an open government initiative… “It is designed to restore human dignity and to usher in effective monitoring of Government expenditure. This will build up confidence in the system.” He concluded.
The passage of the Right to Access Information Act 2013 has further increased His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Koroma’s democratic credentials. Upon assumption of office in 2007, he committed himself to ensuring that every citizen has access to timely and accurate information by creating institutions like the Open Government Initiative (OGI) where citizens have direct access to the President and all State functionaries through town hall meetings to explain Government’s policies and programmes uncensored.
The creation of the Office of the Government Spokesman and the hosting of weekly Press briefings at the Ministry of Information and Communications further demonstrates President Koroma’s genuine commitment to transparency and accountability in the governance of the State.
The Right to Access Information Bill was first introduced to Sierra Leone’s Parliament as a Government motion by the former Minister of Information and Communications, Hon. Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo in 2010 and committed to the Legislative Committee on two occasions.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL JOINT PRESS RELEASE
29 October 2013 - -COCORIOKO International
http://cocorioko.info/?p=1831
Sierra Leone: New law promotes transparency
Long-Awaited Information Act Could Spur Greater Government Openness
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The law was first proposed in 2003 but has languished in Sierra Leone’s parliament since 2010. President Ernest Bai Koroma must now sign the act for it to enter into force. “One of the most important things in Sierra Leone right now is for everyone to have the right to information,” said Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, executive director of the Society of Democratic Initiatives, which coordinated the Freedom of Information Coalition’s campaign for the bill’s passage. “Sierra Leoneans can’t hold elected officials to account without access to basic information about what the government is doing.”
Sierra Leone is recovering and rebuilding from a long and brutal armed conflict that ended in 2002. With foreign investors returning to the resource-rich country, the government is leasing land for commercialized agriculture and mining. Some affected residents who have sought more information or challenged these deals have faced reprisal ranging from harassment to arrest. Freedom of information is recognized as an essential element of the right to freedom of expression in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international instruments.
By passing this law, Sierra Leone’s government is significantly advancing its commitment to international and regional human rights obligations. Donors to Sierra Leone, as well as other multinational bodies, have called on the government to increase transparency and adopt other good governance and rule of law measures. Passage of the law would enable Sierra Leone to meet the minimum eligibility requirements to join the international Open Government Partnership, which meets in London from October 31 to November 1. Sierra Leone has applied to join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which works to improve openness and accountability about how revenues from natural resources get managed. But its bid was suspended in February, pending further information, because of insufficient documentation of mining revenue and company payments.
Transparency of government information in Sierra Leone has been hindered by the country’s criminal libel law, which the authorities invoke against journalists, civil society members, and others who criticize the government. On October 25, two journalists from a privately owned newspaper, the Independent Observer, were arrested, charged with sedition and other offenses, jailed, and denied bail for criticizing President Koroma. “If fully and effectively implemented, the new information law can help transform Sierra Leone into a model of transparency and rule of law for all of West Africa,” said Solomon Sogbandi, Amnesty International Sierra Leone Director. “We urge the president to show the necessary leadership and political will by signing this long-awaited bill into law.”
For more information, contact: In Freetown, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai (English, Krio), Coordinator, Freedom of Information Coalition, +23276647456; +23233647456 or measdrb@gmail.com In Dakar, Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus (English, Spanish), Amnesty International, +221 338642664 In New York, Rona Peligal (English), Human Rights Watch, 1-917-363-3893 or peligar@hrw.org
My thanks to COKOROKO International -
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Hon. Ibrahim Bundu lectures on Rights to Reputation as Right to Access Information (RAI) bill gets enacted.
By Jeneba V. Kabba
By Jeneba V. Kabba
The bill entitled Right to Access Information (RAI) Act of 2013, on Tuesday 29 October 2013 got enacted. The bill which was piloted by the Minister of Information and Communication, Honourable Alhaji Alpha Kanu, was unanimously approved by the entire membership of parliament. The debate, prior to it being passed, however saw one of the respected elected parliamentarians, Hon. Ibrahim Bundu of Port Loko, stand up to lecture on the need for rights to reputation to also be honoured by those journalists demanding their rights to access information.
Hon Ibrahim Bundu, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of the ruling All Peoples Congress in Parliament, said, with the enactment of the bill, journalists will now have an unprecedented access to huge volumes of information. He pointed out that though concerns had been raised about the potential for unscrupulous journalists to abuse their rights to access information, the APC has always been determined to ensure the rights of citizens to access information, was promulgated.
Hon. Bundu went on to cite the constitutional provisions that the ruling party adhered to in order to push for citizens to be given access to information. He debunked claims that any external force was responsible for the APC-led government to push the bill through. It can be recalled that at his first press conference called up after his re-elections, President Koroma had categorically stated that the RAI bill will be enacted shortly.
In the Well of Parliament, Hon. Bundu continued his submissions by acknowledging that those journalists who believe in character assassination will be tempted to tread on dangerous grounds but he strongly cautioned them that the State will not sit by and allow such attacks on rights to reputation to be tampered with.
“It was a famous philosopher who once said that if you lose you wealth, you do not lose anything. If you lose your health you have lost something but if you lose your reputation, you have lost everything,” the Hon. MP asserted.
“There is no supermarket in the world where one can walk in and buy a bottle of reputation that has been lost. You can buy a lot of things but you cannot buy reputation that has been lost”, Hon. Ibrahim Bundu disclosed. He therefore ended his lecture by advising all practicing journalists to stay within the laws of the land. He said if they just obey the laws governing their profession, they will be on “safe ground and be on the right track”.
Similar sentiments were expressed by other MPs. In his contribution, Hon Andrew Lungay of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party(SLPP) representing Kenema District said some journalists are doing remarkable jobs but he lamented that some others were just horrible. The MP further advised media practitioners to consider insurance for their establishments, their employed reporters so that in the consequence of being levied to pay damages, the Insurance company will pay.
Adding to the debate the Deputy Minority Leader of SLPP in Parliament, Hon. Ansu Kaikai said with the enactment of the RAI bill, yellow journalism and malicious libel will no longer be entertained as journalists now have the right to request and receive correct information. Hon. Kaikai said speculative journalism will now be frowned upon.
*******************************************************************************Hon. Bundu went on to cite the constitutional provisions that the ruling party adhered to in order to push for citizens to be given access to information. He debunked claims that any external force was responsible for the APC-led government to push the bill through. It can be recalled that at his first press conference called up after his re-elections, President Koroma had categorically stated that the RAI bill will be enacted shortly.
In the Well of Parliament, Hon. Bundu continued his submissions by acknowledging that those journalists who believe in character assassination will be tempted to tread on dangerous grounds but he strongly cautioned them that the State will not sit by and allow such attacks on rights to reputation to be tampered with.
“It was a famous philosopher who once said that if you lose you wealth, you do not lose anything. If you lose your health you have lost something but if you lose your reputation, you have lost everything,” the Hon. MP asserted.
“There is no supermarket in the world where one can walk in and buy a bottle of reputation that has been lost. You can buy a lot of things but you cannot buy reputation that has been lost”, Hon. Ibrahim Bundu disclosed. He therefore ended his lecture by advising all practicing journalists to stay within the laws of the land. He said if they just obey the laws governing their profession, they will be on “safe ground and be on the right track”.
Similar sentiments were expressed by other MPs. In his contribution, Hon Andrew Lungay of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party(SLPP) representing Kenema District said some journalists are doing remarkable jobs but he lamented that some others were just horrible. The MP further advised media practitioners to consider insurance for their establishments, their employed reporters so that in the consequence of being levied to pay damages, the Insurance company will pay.
Adding to the debate the Deputy Minority Leader of SLPP in Parliament, Hon. Ansu Kaikai said with the enactment of the RAI bill, yellow journalism and malicious libel will no longer be entertained as journalists now have the right to request and receive correct information. Hon. Kaikai said speculative journalism will now be frowned upon.
As a sample of the initial debates, I re- produce below (with kind permission) a brief Facebook discuss betwen John Baimba Sesay and Sourie Turay, following John Baimba Sesay's original posting, which I find very interesting.
John Baimba Sesay Beijing, China Initial post
The enactment of a law guaranteeing access to public held information is a clear manifestation of the country’s commitment to the principles of good governance especially in relation to openness. FOI law, no doubts serves governance in a number of ways: it underpins elections, ensure accountability, central to participatory democracy and a prominent tool in tackling corruption. The Government, through its Ministry of Information and Communication deserves commendation. And thanks to Minister Alpha Kanu and his team for this great achievement. This apparently indicates the commitment of the Koroma led administration to ensure we move in line with president day good governance practice for which I am proud as a Sierra Leonean. Watch out for my take on this in the form of an article….
This promted an initial debate between Sourie Turay and John Baimba Sesay
- Sourie Turay This is clearly a good move and we hope the devil does not lie in the details. As you prepare your article, remember we have a template agreed in 2005 and what you need to clarify would include the Information Commissioner, his role and reporting line and whether he will be independent; the Publication Scheme which tells us what we should generally expect to get and timeframe; the Exemption Clauses which tells us in clear terms what we are not entitled to. We need to know how this whole Act will sit with the basic Constitutional provision to the right to privacy and in the absence of any Data Protection Act to what extent the FOI may actually conflict with the Constitution. Look forward to reading your take!!
- John Baimba Sesay After the enactment,we now talk about the infrastructure needed and thereafter we get the structures in places....this is realistically commendable on the part of government
- Sourie Turay That cannot be true. The Act will tell us about the structures. That is an integral part of any FOI so you do not have an Act and then talk about the "infrastructure needed" as if to say it is an enabling Act. The minister himself referred to it as a "human right" and it is not something you leave to the minister to pass by regulations. But we labo here because we are only past the First Reading and unless it becomes an emergency bill, we have a way to go yet. You begin to worry me already with your grasp!!!
- John Baimba Sesay Sourie Turay be realistic here ...it is clearly clear that the structures will only come after the enactment,like having the office space,the personnel u referred to amongst others....I have been an advocate for this for years as I was Information Officer for Society for Democratic Initiatives ,the body that has taken the lead in this campaign.... The fact that the law is there is an indication of the country's readiness to get things up and running. Bro or sister
- Sourie Turay We are not talking about people rather we talk about an office for which there is a clear provision in the Bill. Let us forget about your credentials for a bit my friend. If the Bill provides for a Commissioner, it will tell us what that Commissioner will do; it will tell us whether he is independent or has a reporting line. If the minister talked about an Exemption Clause recognising our "traditional" values then the Bill like FOI Acts every place on earth will talk about Exemption Clauses and above all, it must talk about the Publication Scheme because that is what the essence of the law is. We are not talking about whether John Baimba will be the Commissioner or whether his office will be in WSilberforce Street, we talk about what in the eventual Act makes it worthy of our jubilation at what is after all and by any definition a historic step. If you were what you tell us you were, you would at least know these fundamentals and I will bet you my life that when the Bill becomes law, it will have all those specifications I have outlined and it is the extent to which those are restricted or expanded that will make it a truly historical Act. I can tell you cover to cover what the original draft drawn up with Article 19 says and it is against this that the eventual law will be judged!!
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Sheku Sheriff's Diary: All Peoples Congress (APC) Lawyer writes Strongly Worded Letter to Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma
This is one more disappointing correspondence that has reach me. Very disrespectful - Lawyer Alieu Iscandari
CLIC THIS LINK
Sheku Sheriff's Diary: All Peoples Congress (APC) Lawyer writes Strongly Worded Letter to Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma
- Israel Ojekeh Parper Snr said...
- This is not only a child like written letter but exposes a level of disrespect to the President and contrary to the ideals of all those who really love the APC. As a lawyer you (alieu Iscandari) have put you case VERY BADLY. I read your posting with disappointment and disgust. This is so disrespectful of the President in style and content and depicts the approach of an annoyed 16 year oly teenager who is very desirous in reporting a complaint to a big brother about what a younger sister has done, said to him or called him which he detests. As a Lawyer - you Alieu, have let your emotions overcome your professionalism. Opening your letter to the President with those very words which you found distasteful and in the manner in which it is put shows you do not really respect the President and has an impact of embarrassing the President and the party you claim to belong even more so than the complaint you are trying to elaborate on: in truth, you should not have bothered- you are nothing but a LET DOWN to the partyAlieu. I think you must before it is too late write another open letter of APOLOGY to the President and the APC without delay. You have not helped your course even if you have been hurt by the invectives used in the PRIVATE communication you received which you yourself made PUBLIC. The effect of your action is nothing short of a deliberate embarrassment and total disrespect to President Koroma and the APC. Alieu, you see yourself as a member of the APCFamily- try and behave/ comport yourself as one: show RESPECT where it is most desired, keep your cool as a lawyer should at all times, maintain the required dignit and please please try and WRITE as an educated Professional not lead, directed or overcome by emotions.
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Kandeh Yumkella says "I Will Not Run Under SLPP"! .
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE SLPP? IS THIS OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE COUNTRY?
A source has told the Spectator that Kandeh Yumkella has said he will not run for leadership in the SLPP come 2018.
His- Kandeh Yumkella- breaking quietness to our source came owing to endless guess-talk that he intends take up mantle of Presidential leadership in the Sierra Leone People’s Party to challenge any of APC’s appointed Presidential candidate come the 2018 elections.
That Yumkella has made it unambiguously clear that he is neither SLPP nor has he any interest vying for the party’s top seat anyhow.
Such revelation, our source said, has somewhat discouraged the membership of the already established KKY and Project Yumkella movements, whose singular intention is to unseat the incumbent SLPP candidate Julius Maada Bio.
Unconfirmed revelations have it also that Yumkella wants President Koroma make him his inheritor in the APC as he takes his exit in 2018.
It is, of course, true that Maada Bio’s oppositionists in the SLPP have had endless moments organizing themselves into camps in support of Yumkella; a man they say can make their party returns to power in 2018.
News on all sides (APC & SLPP) speculate that Yumkella’s backing off the race for SLPP leadership came shortly after his man of choice- Alie Bangura- loses to Somano Kapen in the recently held party chairman and leadership contest in Bo.
That had Alie wins he would have been the man brushing his way for Presidential leadership in the SLPP.
“The likes of Somano Kapen,” our source said, “is Maada Bio’s picking, whom people say will not sit by and see his man of selection beaten at pools come the next SLPP Presidential contest.”
His- Kandeh Yumkella- breaking quietness to our source came owing to endless guess-talk that he intends take up mantle of Presidential leadership in the Sierra Leone People’s Party to challenge any of APC’s appointed Presidential candidate come the 2018 elections.
That Yumkella has made it unambiguously clear that he is neither SLPP nor has he any interest vying for the party’s top seat anyhow.
Such revelation, our source said, has somewhat discouraged the membership of the already established KKY and Project Yumkella movements, whose singular intention is to unseat the incumbent SLPP candidate Julius Maada Bio.
Unconfirmed revelations have it also that Yumkella wants President Koroma make him his inheritor in the APC as he takes his exit in 2018.
It is, of course, true that Maada Bio’s oppositionists in the SLPP have had endless moments organizing themselves into camps in support of Yumkella; a man they say can make their party returns to power in 2018.
News on all sides (APC & SLPP) speculate that Yumkella’s backing off the race for SLPP leadership came shortly after his man of choice- Alie Bangura- loses to Somano Kapen in the recently held party chairman and leadership contest in Bo.
That had Alie wins he would have been the man brushing his way for Presidential leadership in the SLPP.
“The likes of Somano Kapen,” our source said, “is Maada Bio’s picking, whom people say will not sit by and see his man of selection beaten at pools come the next SLPP Presidential contest.”
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE SLPP? WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
THE SLPP IS REALLY NOW ONE BIG 'DOMBOLO, MIXED-UP PARTY'!
BUT, WHAT'S REALLY WRONG WITH THE SLPP? WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?
The real 'Peoples Party' was formed by a Creole Reverend from Gloucester (Up Hill - Mountain District) called Reverend Etheldred Nathanniel JONES - born 28 June1884. He changed his name in the early 1920 to 'LAMINA SANKOH' because he believed that all SIERRA LEONE must be ONE; Colony & Protectorate. So in 1948, he founded 'The PEOPLES PARTY'. He was educated both in the CMS Grammar School and the Albert Academy and then Fourah Bay College & Oxford. There was big conflict between Colony & Protectorate after 1945 end of World War 11; so he joined the race and was elected into Freetown City Council which he helped reformed, published radical articles through his Newspaper, "The African Vanguard". The country was divided, but, Lamina Sankoh had the courage to stand his ground that Sierra Leone was 'ONE COUNTRY' - all inhabitants were 'ONE PEOPLE'. So he agreed with the other existing upland party- "The Sierra Leone Organisation Society"(SLOS) and merger to become "The Sierra Leone Peoples Party" and his Newspaper became the first SLPP Newspaper. This change of name by Creole people for the sake of 'country unity' was common: the first Krio-man to get a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of London WILIAM J. DAVIES, changed his name to ORISHATUKAH FADUMA , and they even began to dress like protectorate people- all for One Country, One People. This was all in the light of constitutional changes in the country at that time. There was "the Protectorate Assembly" (PA) which was to be embedded in the constitution with seats in the Legislative Council that will give them majority seats of 14 out of 30. Governor Stevenson was not taken kindly by the conservative / traditionalist Creoles like Dr H C Bankole- Bright. But you have radicals like Mr ITA Wallace-Johnson and his Youth League. Bitter conflicts (not violent) grew between Protectorate pressure groups and intellectuals, like the Protectorate Educational Progressive Union (PEPU) and the Sierra Leone Organisation Society (SLOS) of Milton Margai and John Karefa-Smart against the traditional elite Creoles facing tribal loyalties and animosities of their opponents in the protectorate. But the SLOS and the PEPU were not at all unified: one dominated by intellectuals, the other by Chiefs. Only Madam Ella Koblo Gulama's dad, Chief Julius Gulama of Moyamba, the Protectorate's most conspicuous illuminati belonged to both the PEPU & SLOS groups and at the same time being the President of the SLOS. Other elites in the mix included Mr. Doyle Sumner, John Karefa-Smart, Siaka Stevens (a founder member of the SLOS & hailed from Chief Gulama's chiefdom attended the Albert Academy and studied in Oxford in 1946), Ahmad Wurie (commonly known as A D Wurie - Bo School) and A J Momoh-later most TOP Civil Servant and the very young F S Anthony-agronomist - who wrote critical pamphlets and credited, together with Doyle Sumner, of spreading trade unionism within the Teaching Profession and educational progress for protectorate men in the late 1940s and, one time High Commissioner to UK - Freetown born Mr Alex Cotay (A B Cotay, an adoptive interlander and editor of the Bo Newspaper- the Sierra Leone Observer and big in the SLOS. The SLOS group saw themselves as fighting for democracy (whatever that meant then) for the "common people of the Protectorate who are taxpayers and are entitled to more representation" than the Chiefs in the PA and the type of indirect elections that was proposed then was not to their satisfaction.
Eventually after a lot of acrimony the two groups merged to become the Sierra Leone 'Protectorate' Party in 1951: major concession of principles by the SLOS was shown to the PEPU due to the persuasive nature of both Chief Gulama and Dr Milton Margai. But this alliance had all the hallmarks and seen as a 'Protectorate Party' reflecting the divide and emphasising the polarities between the Colony with its own Creole elite Party "The National Council of Colony of Sierra Leone (and Wallace- Johnson's input with his Youth league) and the Protectorate. But thanks to LAMINA SANKOH - (Rev E N JONES): the vision of unity and name - SIERRA LEONE PEOPLES PARTY (SLPP) were owed to the importance of this intellectually impressive Creole man from the Mountain District, the Founder of 'The PEOPLES PARTY' in 1949, who had the conviction and belief that Sierra Leone is ONE COUNTRY, ONE PEOPLE. So the S L P P does not belong to any one TRIBE or GROUP or SECTION or DISTRICT in Sierra Leone. NOTE THIS:
" The S L P P that fought the 1951 election was an impressively variated patchwork. Its leadership included representatives of chiefs, intellectuals, populists, Christians, Muslims, Creoles and all the major tribal groupings. To its credit, the party won two seats in the Colony, as well as gaining both seats at the Protectorate Assembly's disposal (won by Milton Margai and Siaka Stevens) and four of the seats in the gift of District Councils. An absolute majority in the legislature was secured by wheeler-dealing and winning over of Independents after the election - a skill in which Milton Margai always excelled. Thus, when the first native [i.e. Sierra Leonean] Executive Council members were sworn in two years later, all six new ministers were SLPP men - two with an Organisation Society [SLOS] background, two from the Peoples Party and two from the PEPU - Siaka Stevens's Portfolio was Land, Labour, and Mines."
But what are the characteristics of today's SLPP? Violence, Tribalism, Regionalism! Pa-o-pa politics, with no vision! Like naughty school boys and girls, the SLPP leadership had to be called up to the 'Head Master's Office' for a 'telling - off: 'behave yourselves or you will be punished'! What a far cry from the SLOS, the PEPU, the PA days! What has gone wrong with the Sierra Leone Peoples Party? A blames B, B blames C, all the way to X blaming Y, Y blaming Z and Z blaming A- and the merry-go-round starts all over again. The Spirits of the Founder Members of all sections, religion, tribes, districts, ability, chiefs, locals will be saddened to see from their resting places, this Tom foolery that is taken place in the 'school grounds' of a Political Party that is supposed to be RESPONSIBLE with educated and elitist membership among their Rank an file!
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
... THE AGENDA FOR PROSPERITY!! A ROAD MAP TO THE FUTURE
Keynote Address by His Excellency the President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma at the Launching of The Agenda for Prosperity 12 July 2013
 It is with great expectations that I today launch our Agenda for Prosperity. For the next five years, this Agenda will be our road map towards meeting our goal of becoming a middle income country and donor nation within the next 25 to 50 years.
This Agenda is the firming up of the aspirations of our people. We made tremendous progress during our implementation of the Agenda for Change. We built roads everywhere, attracted billions of dollars of investment in agriculture, mining and other sectors and ensured one of the fastest growing economies in the world. We commenced the creation of a favourable environment for the private sector to thrive, established a free healthcare program for pregnant women, mothers and children under five, and more than doubled resources allocated to education. We improved electricity supply, provided funds for local government more than any other government before, ensured the reduction of poverty, and continued the consolidation of our democracy through greater respect for human rights, gender equity, and a freer press.
We still face challenges, but we are a government dedicated to doing more to sustain the transformation of our country. That was why when Sierra Leone turned 50 in 2011, I constituted a Committee on Development and Transformation, charged with the responsibility to take stock of the progress we have made as an independent nation over the last 50 years and to chart the way forward for the next 50 years. The Committee organised the Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation, which came up with a number of outcomes. I took these recommendations on board when I asked for re-election; my party, the All Peoples Congress endorsed these aspirations when we asked for the peoples mandate for the next five years.
This Agenda for Prosperity is therefore the outcome of the pact between the people of this country, my party, my government and myself to do more.
We will do more to complete residual projects in the Agenda for Change and to address recurring and emerging challenges. We will do more to address unemployment, particularly among the youth. We all need to do more to better manage our natural resources for the good of all Sierra Leoneans, we need to do more to add value to our primary products, and we need to extend, expand and sustain the Free Health Care and Scaling-Up Nutrition initiatives. We will reform the education system to meet the emerging needs in the job market, we will finish on-going projects in roads, energy and water supply, and we will build much needed infrastructure, including the new mainland airport, railway, roads and ICT capabilities; provide a social safety net for the vulnerable population; promote good governance; ensure that the public sector is capacitated to deliver; empower our women and ensure equal opportunities for both men and women; and above all, we will sustain our fight against corruption, and provide the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive. We prepared this Agenda for Prosperity to guide our collective aspirations to doing more to sustain the transformation of our country. We hope to draw on lessons learnt and to merge innovations with the strong economic growth we have recorded in the last five years. This new imperative calls for smart work, resilience, and discipline. It calls for the assertion of our best in our relations with each other, with work, with government resources and with our collective inheritance. We are the best nation in religious tolerance, and the friendliness of our people to strangers is second to none in the world. We must carry these attributes of being best to the productive sectors of agriculture, mining, tourism, business partnerships, financial services, education, and healthcare. We must ensure that our economy is diversified to promote inclusive and sustainable growth. We must anchor our Agenda on efforts at being globally credible and internationally competitive. This may require partnerships with internationals in building up capacities in our judiciary, our foreign ministry and other key state institutions. To be successful in the global environment we need to draw upon the best and committed within the country, the best and committed within the Diaspora and the best and committed at the global level. Implementing the Agenda for Prosperity will require concerted efforts, collaboration and coordination among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Emphasis will be placed on monitoring of projects to ensure that results are achieved on timely manner. We will continue to attract foreign direct investment by forging strong partnerships with the private sector, especially on large-scale projects. The Agenda for Prosperity is the country's one vision and one plan. Its implementation will be guided by strong commitments by Development Partners as well as the Government. In this regard, Government is developing a mutual accountability framework that will be jointly monitored and reported on. Our goal is to strengthen the partnership between Government and Development Partners as well as ensuring that the voice and opinion of each and every Sierra Leonean is heard in the implementation as was done through wider consultation in developing this national plan. As we embark on this epic journey to become a middle income country, let me remind fellow Sierra Leoneans that we are today re-committing ourselves to asserting our best. Prosperity is not a gift on a silver platter. Abundance of natural resources is only half the story; the reality of prosperity only comes to a people that go for it. We must go for it with determination. We must sweat it out with our hands, with our brains and with our minds. We must set out to embrace the values of innovation, of cultural renewal in the workplace and respect for public goods. Most importantly, all Sierra Leoneans, at home and in the Diaspora, must realise that success primarily depends on what we as a people do for ourselves and not on what others do for us. Ask not what others have done for you, but what you have done for yourself, your community and your nation. The possibilities of growth, renewal and transformation reside in every Sierra Leonean. We must assert these possibilities to seize the destiny of prosperity. I am very optimistic that we will be successful; I believe that we will all do more; and that together we will achieve the goals that we have set out for ourselves in our Agenda for Prosperity. |
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NEWS FLASH : ENERGY AND POWER MINISTER AND DEPUTY FIRED : NPA CHIEF SUSPENDED
Saved under COMMENTARY, SPECIAL FEATURE, TOP STORY
OLUNYI ROBIN-COKER
The Minister of Energy and Power, Oluyini Robin Coker, and his deputy Martin Bash Kamara have been sacked by H.E President Ernest Bai Koroma while the Ministry Permanent Secretary , Alhaji BE Sesay and National Power Authority General Manager Zubriu Kalackoh and his Deputy have all been suspended with immedate effect.
GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, SEVERAL MEETINGS WERE HELD AT STATE HOUSE TO REVIEW OUR ENERGY PROJECTS.
THE OUTCOME OF THESE MEETINGS HAS LEFT HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND THE NATIONAL POWER AUTHORITY HAVE NOT PROVED THEMSELVES EQUAL TO THE TASK OF MANAGING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR ENERGY PROJECTS.
IN CONSEQUENCE THEREOF, HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT HAS DECIDED TO RELIEVE MR. OLUNIYI ROBBIN-COKER, MINISTER OF ENERGY AND MR. MARTIN BASH-KAMARA, DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY OF THEIR DUTIES WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.
FURTHERMORE, ALHAJI B.E.SEISAY, PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF ENERGY, DR. ZUBAIRU KALOKOH GENERAL MANAGER, AND MR.DENNIS GARVEY, DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, NATIONAL POWER AUTHORITY ARE ALL SUSPENDED FROM DUTY WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT PENDING APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO BE INSTITUTED AGAINST THEM.
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STATE HOUSE
FREETOWN 19TH FEBRUARY, 2014