Sierra Leone and the resource governance index 2013
Wednesday 22 May 2013
By Yusuf Keketoma Sandi

Just last week Wednesday, the Revenue Watch Institute, published its latest Resource Governance Index for 2013. The Resource Governance Index measures the quality of governance in the oil, gas and mining sector of 58 countries. After almost a year of assembling 46 expert researchers who gathered original data from all the 58 jurisdictions and the findings examined by 56 peer reviewers plus an independent review, the report for Sierra Leone and many other countries would make an uncomfortable reading. Overall, the index finds that only 11 out of the 58 countries have satisfactory standards of transparency and accountability. In the rest, the public lacks fundamental information about oil, gas and the mining sector. Most worryingly, more than half the sample, 32 countries, do not meet even basic standards of resource governance, performing weakly or simply failing. Read More

Police brutality in the ongoing election petition matter
Friday 26 April 2013
By Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie

Freetown, Tuesday 23rd April, 2013: The public would recall that after the contentious November 17th, 2012 Presidential Elections, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) challenged the results in the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone. The SLPP took this position because the Party believes in democracy, peace and the stability of the Nation. After five (5) months unwarranted delay, the matter was first called up on Wednesday April 17, 2013. The SLPP objected on the grounds that the Respondents were not properly before the court. This preliminary objection was over ruled. Lawyers representing both the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the All Peoples Congress (APC) moved that the matter be struck out for irregularities including non-compliance with the Elections Petition Rules 2007 and the Public Elections Act 2012. The matter was later adjourned to Tuesday April 23, 2013. Read More

Infighting splits APC in to factions.
Wednesday 24 April 2013
By SLV Team Freetown

As the fighting to replace President Koroma in 2018 intensifies, the APC remain dangerously divided and such division is visible in Kono, the hometown of Chief Samuel Sam Sumana who is also determined to replace his boss.
It is rumoured that the VP’s authority is seriously undermined in this second term of office than it was in the first. Sources within APC disclosed to our reporter that the VP even had no say on the appointment of the Minister of State in his own office and even all executive members loyal to him in the APC Kono district executive have being replaced. The rivalry between VP Sam Sumana and Minister of Internal Affairs, Diana Konomani who also hails from Kono is bittern than ever before. Read More

PONDER MY THOUGHTS: CIVIL SOCIETY: When the hunter becomes the hunted
Wednesday 24 April 2013
By Andrew Keili

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have become important actors for delivery of social services and implementation of other development programs, as a complement to government. Globally CSOs have influenced the shaping of global public policy over the past two decades. On the local scene CSOs have been very dynamic and advocated for many issues pertinent to our national life especially since the end of the war. It is therefore surprising that they seem to be accusing each other now of not being true to the cause.In a recent newspaper report titled "NMJD slams civil society organisations", the writer states that the group Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) has criticised some CSOs in a recent report for “compromising the intents for which they are established”. Referencing NMJD's. Read More

The same APC yesterday and today ….Fuel crisis hits Sierra Leone
Monday 15 April 2013
By SLV Team Freetown

The APC’s “Agenda for Prosperity” has turned to “Agenda for Extreme Poverty and Underdevelopment” as fuel crisis hits Freetown for the second week.
For the whole of last week, Sierra Leoneans have been spending the night in long queues to buy fuel for their vehicles and generators. In fact the NP fuel station at Congo Cross limit their sales to only 10 litres per person to people who have been issued tickets while a litre fuel costs up to Le 10,000 in the black market.There is currently serious panic in the country as when this crisis will end because of the inconsistent information coming from the relevant authorities.Read More

MTS LAUNCHES RECRUITMENT DRIVE

Statement by Mr.Amara Denis Turay (aka Kao Denero), at the United Sierra Leone high-level conference
Monday 15 April 2013
By Mr.Amara Denis Turay (aka Kao Denero)

Foremost, let me reiterate my very sincere apology to the people of Sierra Leone, and to all those affected during the musical rally. I want to sincerely register my deep regret and apologies to both the government and people of Sierra Leone who may have been affected by this incident or otherwise who may have been offended by any statement or comment, following the incident.
I would like to clear the air and make it known —in no uncertain terms — that I do not tolerate violence or thugs. It is most regrettable that this has happened and innocent people have suffered. We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused by this incident.Read More

Movement for the Transformation of SLPP (MTS) Launched
Tuesday 26 March 2013
By

Bio and his pa-o-pa fanatics are a threat to SLPP unity and progress
Monday 25 February 2013
By Yankuba G Kai-Samba

Umaru Fofana’s article published by politico news media is a clear indication of the continuing threat posed to the unity of SLPP and by extension its future electoral chances by the pa-o-pa fanatics of Julius Maada Bio. I am particularly dismayed by the arrogance of these fanatics and incensed by their show of complete disregard for party unity. One of the Bio fanatics in Kenema was quoted by Umaru Fofana to have said that they (the pa-o-pas) would not accept any other leader other than Bio. There is nothing more divisive than these types of undemocratic utterances and it is time the party collectively and totally rejects this destructive faction that is tearing the party apart.Read More

Joseph Sherman's Baboon Buttocks
Friday 22 February 2013
By Sheku Sheriff

APC's Joseph Sherman, one of the ubiquitous loyal attack dogs of the current APC administration of President Ernest Koroma seems to be going through some tormenting midlife crisis, and he is not a happy man. Joseph Sherman came to light and vigour after the appointment of Cocorioko blogger Rev. Kabbs Kanu as Minister Plenipotentiary in charge of rebranding Sierra Leone. Sherman saw an opportunity like this in the future and he dove into blog journalism with fanatic passion. Sherman, an unrepentant admirer of the political clergyman took the rebranding program seriously. Starting with the poorly written APC Times he soon opened his own propaganda online portal, The Salone Monitor in which he constantly . Read More

FILMS AND FILM MAKING: What is the way forward for Africa?
Wednesday 20 February 2013
By Abdulai Braima

In the fermenting fields of modern public entertainment, the shiny silver screen continues to loom large and loud.The innate human desire to be thrilled and tickled has always been a major motivating wheel in the accelerating drive through the ever growing challenges and the meteoritic expansion in innovative techniques to depict situations and create circumstances that either reflect our relative realities (past and present) or stretch our imagination to a future or a dimension far beyond ourselves.From the rudimentary stage shows of the Athenian amphitheatres where dance-dramas, oratorical renditions, and chorus choirs riotously vied for public attention, the film industry has surged far beyond the humble barebones of these unlikely inspirational foundations to the tantalizing glitz and glamour of modern Hollywood stunt masters and their. Read More

Aspirant for the SLCU Chairmanship 2013 James Wallace-Kargbo takes his case to the Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels
Wednesday 20 February 2013
By James Wallace Kargbo Campaign

Press Release from the Wallace Kargbo campaign

Dear all,One cannot deny the fact that any system that is subjected to a limited authority is vulnerable to a stalemate. This is exactly the current situation that we find ourselves in the SLCU. It could be recalled that in 2011, the Sierra Leonean Community in the Netherlands was completely divided. This did not only cost everyone time and money, but also multiplied hatred amongst us. Sadly, this was all due to the negligence and inept attitudes of our elders in the community, the SLCU Advisory Council to be more specific.Read More

PRESS RELEASE WaterAid: 1.5 million more Sierra Leoneans lack access to sanitation than in 1990
Wednesday 20 February 2013
By WaterAid

The Government of Sierra Leone is failing to keep its promises on funding for sanitation, a new report by the international development charity, WaterAid (http://www.wateraid.org), has revealed(1). The report warns that unless investment is increased, the challenges of urbanisation, inequality of access, climate change and population growth risk turning back the clock even further.From 1990 to 2010, the population of Sierra Leone grew by 1.8 million, however only 325,000 people secured access to sanitation over the same period. In total, over 5.1 million out of 5.8 million people - 87% of the population – are without access to a safe toilet. 27% use shared latrines while 28% practice open defecation (2).The Keeping promises: why African leaders need now to deliver on their past water and sanitation commitments report uses the Government’s own figures . Read More

Sierra Leonean Investors Meet Ghanaian Counterparts
Tuesday 19 February 2013
By

The Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Authority (SLIEPA) is set to deepen relations with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) in a bid to explore trade and investment opportunities in the country.The collaboration will not create a platform for exchange programmes but also help SLIEPA to establish a strong investment team that can go beyond Ghana to the West Africa sub-region.A delegation from SLIEPA has consequently paid a courtesy call on the acting Chief Executive Officer of GIPC, Mrs Mawuena Trebah, to acquaint themselves with investment procedures as part of the measures to catch up with all investment agencies in the sub-region.The Director of Investment Promotion at SLIEPA, Mr Raymond K.Gbekie.Read More

Is the APC Government of President Koroma Resorting to its Old Dirty Tricks of Ingratitude?
Tuesday 19 February 2013
By Joseph Sherman

History is repeating itself. As S.I. Koroma once said, “When you allow a Baboon to go upstairs, the first sign of gratitude it will show to those that lifted it, is its red buttocks.” This saying is reminiscence of the APC government of President Koroma whose evil machinations and old dirty tricks of showing ingratitude to the APC chapters of the Diasporas is crystal clear.These acts of ingratitude by th e APC in the past has sent many to their early graves and for those who survived the ordeals are left with no alternatives but to form splinter groups or joined other political party of their choice. Is the APC government of President Ernest Koroma not learning from the demise of the SLPP party because certain partisans were aggrieved and decided to abandon the party?. Read More

Superfood for Babies: Breastfeeding Is Key to Saving Newborn Lives in the Developing World
Tuesday 19 February 2013
By

A handful of leaves mixed with human sweat and untreated water is a frightening cocktail fit for no human being. For a baby living in one the most impoverished parts of the world it is potentially deadly. Yet on a recent visit to the West African country of Sierra Leone this is precisely what I saw being prepared as a replacement for breast milk. I had been asked to travel to West Africa with Save the Children, a charity that I have become heavily involved with over the last three years, to help launch a new major campaign on breastfeeding. Of course, it's not always possible for every mother to breastfeed, be it in Sierra Leone or London. But where it is possible, Save the Children says that a child in the developing world is fifteen times less likely to die from preventable .Read More

President Koroma makes his last Northern dominated Cabinet and other Appointments
Saturday 16 February 2013
By

The full list below
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT:
Professor Monty Jones – Special Adviser & Ambassador-at-Large (West)
Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo – Special Advisern (North) Ambassador Dauda Kamara – Special Adviser (North) Dr. Sylvia Blyden – Special Executive Assistant to the President (West)Dr. Matthew Teambo – Labour & Social Security (North) Mr. Alimamy Kamara – Youth Affairs (North) Mr. Paul Kamara – Sports (North) Alhaji Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay – Political & Public A ffairs (North) Mr. Peter Bayuku Konte – Tourism & Culture (North). Read More

WHY THE ‘JIHADI ISLAMISTS’ MUST BE CRUSHED: Part 2- Manacling the Malian Menace!
Thursday 14 February 2013
By Abdulai Braima

Within the context of any impartial analysis, the “Jihadi Islamist” fighters are bad news for West Africa. Very bad news!This deluded group of knife-slashing, axe-shattering, gun-misfiring fanatics deserve neither sympathy nor a single ‘safe’ place to practise their brutal butcheries and barbaric bombings. Parading under the guise of a religion, ANY religion, is the strangest if not the Craziest Costume for starting or spreading a storm of Satanic Savagery that could consume every soul, within its revolting reach.In my studied opinion, what we have here is not ISLAM. It is a SCAM! By many a mile is it anywhere near anything that could remotely .Read More

Clarifications of allegations against the SLCU Holland Advisory Council
Wednesday 13 February 2013
By James Wallace Kargbo Campaign

Dear All,

Ref: Clarifications of allegations against the Advisory Council
In reaction to aforementioned reference, I write to “make a proper and an in-depth
clarifications of all the allegations levied against the entire membership of the Advisory
Council.” It could be recalled that on the 6th February, I categorically suspended my
Campaign on the grounds that the Advisory Council has consistently failed to execute their
responsibility to conduct free and fair elections (art. (6) (D) (5)), and to preserve the legality
of the 2008 SLCU constitution as a whole. In the said document a number of points were
mentioned which I now have the pleasure to clarify as followa.Read More

Kei Kamara's Norwich City debut 'fills Sierra Leone cinemas'
Monday 11 February 2013
By

Norwich striker Kei Kamara has said his Premier League debut at the weekend would have created a massive buzz in his home country of Sierra Leone. The 28-year-old, on loan from Major League Soccer side Kansas City, came off the bench in a draw against Fulham. "They say all the cinemas were full. I don't even know what it would have been like out there," the forward told BBC Radio Norfolk."There's going to be a bunch of yellow shirts out there with my name on it." Kamara moved to the United States as a refugee aged 16 after two years in Gambia, during a period of civil war in Sierra Leone. He came through the USA college system and earned a draft to.Read More

Reflection on how divided SLPP was going into the 2012 elections: Bad Politics May Hinder the Chances of the SLPP.
Monday 11 February 2013
By Ernest Smith Publisher and CEO SLV

Reflection on how divided SLPP was going into the 2012 elections and where it would take the SLPP (political wilderness for a long long time) if well-meaning SLPP members do not move quickly to restore constitutional rule within the SLPP. This article was first published in June 2011. There is no doubt that the dangerous politics that is currently playing within the SLPP will certainly weaken the party and reduce their winning chances in the 2012 elections. The petty politics within the main opposition will make it extremely difficult to capitalize on the poor performance of the ruling APC Party. It is absolutely clear that certain rogue elements. Read More

PONDER MY THOUGHTS: Misuse of Donor funds
Monday 11 February 2013
By Andrew Keili

The misuse of donor funds is nothing new but the recent case of the GAVI funds the prudent use of which could have done so much to address health problems with children in this country should gall anyone who cares about this Sierra Leone. The real truth is yet to be unearthed but the misuse of donor fund has been going on unchecked in many sectors. Usually a structure should be set up for managing programmes but it seems like it is these very structures that are undermined. The relationship of these programmes with line Ministries seems to vary from programme to programme. Most of these programmes are however also monitored by the . Read More

The politics of distraction
Monday 11 February 2013
By Yusuf Keketoma Sandi (London)

These days on the lips of ordinary people there are FOUR things they complain about "NO ELECTRICITY, NO WATER, HARDSHIP and LAWLESSNESS". But, unlike few months after the 2007 elections when voters gave President Koroma the benefit of their doubts because rightly he had just taken over from former President Kabbah, this time President Koroma would not be surprised if ordinary people are becoming impatient for signs of the promised Prosperity. And the reason why the issue of electricity and water is crucial is because from the 2013 budget speech by the Finance Minister, Dr. Marrah, we learnt that during the election year alone (2012) APC government spent on the Energy and Water Sector. Read More

WHY THE 'JIHADI ISLAMISTS' MUST BE CRUSHED: Be they Malian or Malawian! Part (1)
Monday 11 February 2013
By Abdulai Braima

The essential sanctity of any faith is deeply embedded and divinely enshrined in the eternal strength of its spiritual sobriety and in the unsoiled sanity of its moral moorings. A religion should not be unfairly defined or biasedly judged by the sacrilegious villainies of its devilish deviants but by the encoded ethics of its sacred theories as demonstrated in the exemplary practices of the greater majority of its silent adherents.From the violent heydays of the self-righteous crusading supremacists, to the pacifying harbingers of slave merchants, down to the baptismal pollutionists of colonial exploiters, mainstream religion has constantly being hijacked and continuously humiliated by its. Read More

Small Sierra Leone businesses urge review of 'outdated' trade law
Monday 11 February 2013
By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone's small and growing businesses are calling for a review of the country's trade laws in the face of what they say is unfair competition from big companies. Due to lack of proper policies, many of Sierra Leone`s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have stagnated, even as the economy picks up in the post-conflict years. Small traders blamethison importers who they say engage in retail thereby being in direct competition with them. A 1969 protectionist legislation prohibiting big businesses and foreign nationals from retailing has failed to deliver, prompting loud calls for its review. However, a de facto policy of a liberalised market system, in place since the end . Read More

Agenda for Prosperity – Watch out for the signals
Friday 8 February 2013
By P K Muana

After winning a second term as president, De Pa proclaimed an AGENDA for PROSPERITY. Long Live De Pa, we shouted for “Salone Messiah”. Now in the weeks following that and as we prepare for inauguration, De Pa’s main campaign trump card – continuous electricity appears to be in terminal decline. Take a look at a few signs that the agenda is being derailed.Residents of Freetown have finally made peace with the much vilified Kabbah Tiger (the stone that the builder refused is now the head corner stone). The thing has been restored to its former glory.All projects that were being frantically carried out day and night in the weeks leading up to the elections have all ground to a halt:Read More

Annie Walsh Memorial School: A matter of history or a philosophy on the capital?
Friday 8 February 2013
By Cecil Blake

At the first glance and reading of the letter from President Ernest Koroma to Bishop Lynch regarding the possible relocation of the Annie Walsh Memorial School, I was struck by the absence of an introduction that would suggest that all options on negotiating the idea of removing the school to another location have been exhausted, necessitating a letter from the president as the last resort. I still do not understand why the letter was sent from State House and not the Mayor's office. It appears to be a "thank you" gesture by State House to the traders for their support during the November elections.Read More

‘Ontological Seniorship’: A Critique of Epistemologies of African Conflicts: Violence, Evolutionism and the War in Sierra Leone (New York: Palgrave, 2012) by Zubaru Wai
Friday 8 February 2013
By Dr Lansana Gberie

The Sierra Leone ‘rebel’ war (1991-2002) has over the years attracted huge scholarly attention: a debate about the origin and nature of the war still rage among academics and, before the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), jurists. This is somewhat curious, since the conflict, though devastating, was puny. A hundred or so well-trained soldiers with perhaps two combat helicopters would have snuffed out Foday Saybanah Sankoh and the petty army he called Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in March 1991, and no one would have remembered either after a year or two. In the event, the Sierra Leonean state, denuded after decades of misrule, incompetence and corruption under the All Peoples Congress (APC), Read More

Sierra Leone Central Union Holland Chairman hopeful suspends his campaign.
Thursday 7 February 2013
By Wallace Kargbo Campaign

A memo reaching Sierra Leone View in which James Wallace Kargbo aspirant for the Chairmanship for the SLCU Holland clearly states that he has suspended his campaign with immediate effect.
Below his statement
Public Notice from the Wallace Kargbo Campaign February 6, 2013 Herewith wish to express my thanks to you all for given me the opportunity to contest for the
SLCU Chairmanship, 2013. It is evidently clear that during the past few weeks, we have been
actively engaged in the campaign process to member unions for the SLCU Chairmanship.
However, during this process a lot have come to the fore which has made me to “reconsider”
my stance as a genuine candidate to suspend my campaign, reasons already mentioned to the Advisory Council.Read More

RIGHTSWAY accuses Sierra Leone Police, Human Rights Commission and Paramount Chief as being ‘’ responsible’’ and ‘’ delaying justice’ for the disappearance and death’ of Yeabu Beckley in Kamabai
Wednesday 6 February 2013
By RIGHTSWAY

(February 2013, Freetown), a leading human rights group RIGHTSWAY today accused the Sierra Leone Police, Human Rights Commission and Paramount Chief of Kamabai town as being ‘’responsible’’ and ‘’ delaying justice’’ for the disappearance and death of Madam Yeabu Beckley, age 56, who disappeared in November 7, 2012, and subsequent autopsy report now reveals she died through ‘’Asphyxia and ligature strangulation’’, after her skeletalremains were found in the bush, near the town in January 2013.RIGHTSWAY said that the Police, Human Rights Commission.Read More