Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday, 3rd December 2018, indicted Mr. Abdulai Barrie, a former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Infrastructure in the Koroma led APC government for various corruption offences.
Mr. Abdulai Barrie was indicted on five counts of Using Office to Improperly Confer an Advantage, contrary to Section 42(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008; one count of Knowingly Abusing Position in Performing a Duty, contrary to Section 43 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008; one count of Failure to Disclose Interest to a Public Body, contrary to Section 45(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008; and one count of Knowingly Misleading the Anti-Corruption Commission, contrary to Section 127 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008.
According to the particulars of offence, Mr. Abdulai Barrie, on or about the 23rd June 2015, used his office to improperly award contracts for the refurbishment of various government properties to Ribar Enterprise, a business he jointly owns with his wife, amounting to One Billion, Eight Hundred and Eleven Million, One Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand, Nine Hundred Leones (Le 1,811,176,900), and was principal signatory to Accounts into which payments were made.The ACC is reassuring the public of its commitment to controlling corruption at all times.
In a notable show of fulfilling its corporate social responsibility during the celebration of Esther, Orange Sierra Leone has embarked on the distribution of assorted food items to eight churches in Freetown, Porloko ,Lungi and Bombali.
A disturbing incident has been reported in Kakola Village, in the Biriwa Limba Chiefdom, in Bombali District, Sierra Leone, on Saturday, 23rd March 2024, where Sorie Sesay, claims to have been harassed and chased by unknown individuals attempting to forcefully initiate him into a secret society known as the "Gbamgbani Society".
The governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) are gearing up for their nationwide primaries early 2025, according to reliable sources close to the National Executive Council (NEC), the highest decision-making body of the party after the National Delegates’ Conference (NDC).
According to inside sources, SLPP are determined to conduct the lower-level elections in the first quarter of 2025 and the exercise will be followed by the National Delegates’ Conference in December 2025, where they will elect their 2028 presidential candidate.
One of the sources confided in this medium that they have decided to conduct both the primaries and National Delegates’ Conference in 2025 to avoid any intra-party squabbles over party leadership towards the 2028 elections, given the number of stalwarts in party that is very determined to succeed His Excellency President Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio.
The stalwart, who spoke to this medium on condition of anonymity, asserted that even if the outcome of the NDC is controversial, they will be able to resolve such controversy two years to the 2028 national elections.
“I only hope the national convention slated for next year will be conducted successfully so that we will organize ourselves as a very responsible political party to ensure victory in the 2028 national elections,” the stalwart averred.
Meanwhile, many intending flagbearer aspirants have started wooing party supporters in various parts of the country to succeed the incumbent President. One of them, Alhaji Musa Tarawally, has reportedly initiated the establishment of cooperative unions around the country, including Kailahun District, where groups have already been formed with seed money from the intending aspirant.
These groups have created a WhatsApp platform to communicate the needs of the district cooperative union to Alhaji Musa Tarawally and his district coordinators.
By Mohamed Sankoh
The Catholic Relief Service (CRS) through the support of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Embassy, Caritas Sierra Leone and the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) has renovated the Roman Catholic Community Primary School at ‘Bendukoro, Dian Chiefdom, and the Wesleyan Catholic Primary School at Bafodia in Wara Wara Chiefdom, Koinadugu District.
The schools, which were renovated under the project (Fiscal Year 2022-2025) “All Pekin for Lan”, were the 5th phase of the McGovern-Dole programme as Sierra Leone aims to improve literacy of school-age children and increase the use of health and dietary practices by building teachers and school administrators’ skills and knowledge.
It also improves teachers’ attendance and access to teaching and learning materials, provides school infrastructure with Wash facilities, and reduces illness related absenteeism in schools. The project also focuses on pupils’ attendance and completion by providing meal to reduce hunger and inattentiveness so as to improve nutritional status.
The phase 5 of this project further seeks to building on sustainable gains from previous phases and strengthening the capacity of National School Feeding Secretariat at national and community levels with focus on structures such as the Mothers Support Groups, School Management Committee, Teachers and School Administrators thereby ensuring that community members, especially women, adopt the habit of savings to support their children’s education.
The project has also supported the review and adoption of a school feeding policy and feasibility study on ‘’Home grown school feeding’’ thereby developing a school garden that will support the school feeding programme.
Expressing her impression about the two communities visited, the Vice President of Catholic Relief Service (CRS), Michele Gilfillan, said she was impressed by the two communities for owning the school feeding programme and showing solidarity with CRS and its partners. She ensured that part of their goals is to inculcate the centre system sustainability and partnership in communities and the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), and are willing to be part of the “Feed Salone” programme.
The Head Teacher of RC Primary School in Bendukoro, Dian Chiefdom, Charles Alie Kamara, said since the intervention of CRS in 2019, the school started benefitting from the nutritious School Feeding programme. He averred that CRS has rehabilitated the school structure and constructed a food store to enhance safe storage space for food items and that the school enrollment increased from 75 to 178 pupils with 6 teachers.
The Head Teacher furthered that there has been great improvement in the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) as 8 out of 9 pupils that wrote the exam came out with flying colours.
Mr. Kamara concluded that through the CRS ‘Teach for Sierra Leone’ programme, community teachers were capacitated with the diagnostic teaching methodology package to strengthen their teaching methodology and technique.
By Mohamed Sankoh
Chosen Generation Sierra Leone in collaboration with Marie Gold Initiative on Wednesday 17th April, 2024 launched its “Third National Annual Debate and Championship Competition for Senior Secondary Schools girls” with the theme: “Amplifying Our Voice Young Girls in the Arena of Ideas” at Africell America Corner, Bathurst Street in Freetown.
The importance of this year’s debate focuses on providing support for pupils and women in all spheres of life as they have been marginalized in society. Twenty-four Senior Secondary Schools will be participating in this year’s debate.
The topic of this debate will be sent to schools and their participants before the debate in order for them to have pre-knowledge and research about the debate.
Speaking to the pupils, Tracy Jac-During of Chosen Generation Sierra Leone emphasized the importance of the debate which he said grooms young girls and give them the platform to speak and network with people on critical issues that affect women and girls.
She said the debate will further help to identify talent among young girls and at the same time give mentorship to girls and monitor their progress.
Tracy Jac-During said the debate competition has a package of NLe15, 000 for the winner and NLe10,000 for the runners-up with mentorship and capacity opportunities to ensure young girls are confident in raising critical issues that affect them.
She also emphasized that the ideas of young girls in the debate competition cannot be over emphasized, while she called on all to support her organization as they are constrained in terms of financial support.
Launching the debate, the President of Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL), Millicent Kargbo, encouraged young girls to participate in public debates to increase their knowledge, skills, problem solving, building confidence and overcoming fear, thereby expressing their opinion and making informed and critical decisions.
The defending champions of last year’s debate from the International School shared their experience with their colleagues and posited that the debate will help them improve, foster critical thinking skills and build self-confidence..