AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Sierra Leone accounts for 69.3 percent of illiterate male population whereas 80.0 percent of the female population is illiterate the Ministry of Education has confirmed. This puts the country among nations across the world with the highest illiteracy rate.  Findings of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) shows that women and girls were mostly affected by the county’s eleven years civil war which exposed women to a number of abuses including sexual and other human rights abuses leaving many as victims of rape and war widows.  In order to redress such violations encountered by women, the TRC put forward imperative recommendations for education, skills training, access to justice and economic empowerment to be provided for Women by the Government. Paragraph 495 and 496 of the Commission’s recommendation upholds that: “skills training programs should be provided for amputees, other war-wounded, victims of sexual violence, and war widows. On the successful com...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson One of the utmost aims of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Sierra Leone is to ensure that never again violations of human rights such as drugging, forced recruitment, rape, and sexual assault be meted on children as it was during the nation’s civil war. Therefore, the Commission made recommendations on the following areas in order to ensure the welfare of children in Sierra Leone. These include: Child Rights Bill, Age of Majority, Adoptions, Fostering and Guardianship, Early Marriages, Sexual Offences against Children, School Education and Laws on the Employment of Children to ensure that the rights of children are fully protected are to be ensured by the government. Among the areas highlighted above, school education is the prime focus of this publication as it is considered to be the basic building block for national development. The TRC recommendation 385 clearly states that, ‘’The Commission notes that primary school education is supposedly...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson✍️   With support from the European Union through the PRO-Act 2015 Resilient Project Cooperazione Internationale (COOPI) has trained over 200 Smallholder Cashew Farmers in Kambia, Port Loko, Bombali, and Karene on Safety Standards in Cashew Processing and General Food Safety from August 25 – 4th September 2020. The training which was held in four different locations in the districts headquarter towns of Kambia, Port Loko, Bombali, and Karene respectively catered for over fifty Cashew Farmers and Processors in the each of the four districts.  Elvis Lamin Koroma was lead facilitator of the entire training. He disclosed to Northern Times that the training featured a number of key issues but importantly it was tailored to fit the participants who were thoroughly guided on topics such as: What is Food Safety, its standards, concepts and processes, As well as the Health and Safety of the Consuming Public and the Needs for Safe Cashew Processing and Safe Food.  When as...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson✍️ As they continue to popularize the concept to abolish the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone, the National Movement for Emancipation Progress (NaMEP) with support from Men-Engage has conducted a day’s meeting with residents of Mankneh-I community in the Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone.  The meeting fostered discussion between NaMEP and residents of Mankneh-1 community on the abandonment of the practices of FGM in the community as a way of curbing the effects of the ancient practice in that part of the country.  Moses Lamin Fofana, a led facilitator of the meeting said that attendees were very responsive and positive in terms of accepting the dangers of FGM and all of their feedback was crystal clear on their readiness to abandon the practice of FGM in the community.  Mohamed Tholley and Salamatu Kamara spoke on behalf of other attendees. When speaking to Northern Times, the two parents acknowledge that the practice of FGM has ...

Invitation for Bids National Competitive Bidding (NCB) Date of First Issue: 3rdSeptember 2020 Karene District Council CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR(4)TWIN CULVERT ALONG KAMETHE-KAFUNGUBA ROAD SELLA LIMBA CHIEFDOM IN KARENE DISTRICT. Procurement Number:KarDC/RMFA/GoSL/2020/001 LOT NO: DESCRIPTION QUANTITY CULVERT POINTS KM CHIEFDOM 1 Twin Box Culvert 04 0+0.77;0+1.5;0.2.0;0+2.75. SellaLimba The Karene District Council has received funds Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) for the procurement of, works and now invitessealed bids from eligible bidders for the Construction of: Four(4)Twin culverts along Kamathe to Kafunguba in the SellaLimba Chiefdom Karene District. Bidding is open to all National Contractors who hold Sierra Leone Roads Authority Certificate and Registered with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure. Interested bidders may obtain further information and inspect the bidding document ...

By: Ibrahim Jalloh – (Jallomy) It was suppressed jubilation when the National Advisory Committee (NAC) of the main opposition APC party congregated in the North East Regional Headquarters of Makeni city to preside over the official return of Sam Sumana to the APC where some five years ago he was hounded out like a common criminal. The official endorsement on the return of Sam Sumana was predictable as previous events and actions dictated. Sam Sumana's ascendancy to the Pinnacle of power in the APC and subsequent political graduation to the Vice presidency of the state of Sierra Leone was dramatic and incredible. The explanations were many and varied but what was common place was the profiling that he was the money man and therefore the key financier of the APC campaign leading to the political victory of 2007. Upon becoming vice president and early in the journey of state governance, the working relationship between Sam Sumana and his boss, former president of Sierra Leone Dr. ...

By: Richmond Brima Tholley Family sources yesterday confirmed to this medium that the chiefdom authorities at Simiria Chiefdom in the Tonkolili District, Northern Sierra Leone last week unanimously agreed to banish a married man Alusine Kargbo from his biological land on the ground that he allegedly killed an industrious manAlimamy Tamba Koroma from his witch craft activities. Alusine Kargbo is a married man at Makomp village in the Simiria chiefdom and is said to have abandoned his wife and three children to an unknown destination as tradition and custom demands. His banishment came after a group of traditional herbalists in the chiefdom proved him guilty through their own traditional means that prompted chiefdom authorities to take the said decision to banish him. In an interview with the Regent Chief, he said the accused Alusine Kargbo must be banish from the land because such actions are not new in the chiefdom during the reign of PC Alimamy Bangura 11 his predecessor and there...

By: Ibrahim Jalloh – (Jallomy) "The three organs of State: Executive, Legislative and Judiciary are co - equal partners in the 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone", courtesy of Hon. Ibrahim Bundu, former Member of Parliament of the APC. The competitive edge of the executive organ of government is that it raises state resources, control same and distribute to state intuitions for the effective and efficient running of state governance. The legislature has the critical role of ensuring that state resources are used judiciously and for the intended purpose. In essence, both the executive and legislative organs of government are mutually reinforcing in a democratic state. State intuitions exist to serve but not to decorate the state. When it becomes glaring that a state institution has assumed a liability character, the executive organ can step in to readjust the situation and this is precisely the focus of the Ministry of Information and Communication through the Minister, Hon....

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson The Sierra Leone Football Association last Tuesday and Wednesday, September 8-9, 2020 has conducted a two days workshop for 48 newly Appointed Male and Female Coaches and Technical Staff of various National Teams at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown. Multiple Facilitators guided and led Participants through discussions centered on the importance of team building, Sports Administration, Medicine, Working together as a team and how they as Coaches should best approach the media. “We are on a new era, trying to change the narratives of football in the country. This is why we organized this seminar for the newly appointed Coaches and Technical Staff to boost their Morals, Integrities and Capacities by providing technical guides in accord with the FIFA Principles of Agreed Objectives that will help improve their job to achieve the Federation’s mission and vision.” Brima Manzola Kamara, the Vice President-1 of SLFA noted. Delivering his key note address at the se...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson✍️   Sierra Leonean and French based FUSC Bois Guillaume goalkeeper Solomon Zombo Morris has bowed out from international football after representing Sierra Leone at the international stage for eight years.  Zombo 30, tendered his resigned on Wednesday, 18th August, 2020, and has communicated his decision to the Sierra Leone Football Association citing reasons for retirements.  “This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to take in my football career. The former Leone Stars goal-stopper told Northern Times. “After a lot of soul searching and under the circumstance I’m taking a different direction.  It’s been both a difficult and complex year for us as a county, but at the same time it’s been a wonderful and uplifting professional and personal experience for me.    “I’ve been inundated with letters and emails from fans. Many have brought tears to my eyes and take it from me it tasks a lot to do that, he recalled.  Thanks to all loyal supporters of Leon...

By: Brima Bah, Sports Commentator and Analyst✍️ The Chairman of the Central One Football Association (COFA), Pa Sama Sesay recovered from a long and critical illness, but he still remains tired and is trying to regain his full strength. At his resident today, Sunday 13th September 2020, he expressed gratitude to God for seeing him through what was a long, painful and critical illness that left him admitted, and in most part, under intensive care for nearly six months.  "During this period of illness, my family, close friends, and a number other well wishers stood by him, thanks for their invaluable support." The recuperating COFA Chairman remarked. Chairman Sesay has been one of the most contributing members to the socio-cultural development of the Freetown Central Community and perhaps the biggest promoter of local football in the entire country for the past ten years, through his leadership of COFA.  Over the past 35 years, thousands of players,managers, team owners and pro...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson By means of engaging and fostering intergenerational dialogue between youths and the aged for lasting peace and mindsets transformation of young people in the country, Community Organization for Peoples Empowerment (COPE) with funding from partners through Youth Dream Center Sierra Leone (YDC-SL) has on Saturday, September 5, officially handed over a newly built Youth Safe-Space center to the New London community in Makeni, Bombali District. According to COPE National Coordinator, Alphanzo Stephen Kamara, the decision to construct the Youth Safe Space Center for the community is in response to the survey they conducted in 2019 which results revealed the need for such project.  “57% of the respondents, mainly Youths said that they were not actively involved in decision making processes by elders, while 78% said the community is very hostile and 65% noted that there is no center for them to meet and take actions which is why they normally converge at hideouts.” H...

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Media Reform Coordinating Group-Sierra Leone(MRCG-SL) and Media Foundation for West Africa(MFWA) with support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana has on Wednesday, August 2, jointly organized a day’s Capacity Building Workshop for thirty (30) Journalists at the G-GEM Services Hall in Freetown. The training chaired by Dr. Francis Sowa, the MRCG Chairman is to improve the capacity of Bloggers, Journalists, Reporters, Producers and Editors working for Print, Electronics and Online media outlets in Sierra Leone to Report accurately while staying safe. Sierra Leone’s BBC Correspondent, Umaro Fofana was the lead facilitator of the day’s Safety Workshop Journalists training, he shared numerous personal experiences and global safety issues other media practitioners have encountered during the course of their work. He also introduced the participants to the Basics of Safety in Journalism, risk awareness, digital and cyber safety including practical ...

By: Ibrahim Jalloh - (Jallomy)✍️ Our beloved country Sierra Leone is going through tested and difficult times on account of several factors that can be traced to politics, the economy and the polarized nature of the state.  We should advised ourselves not to apportion or shift blame on the current state of affairs but we must appraise ourselves with the reality of  what went wrong and what is going wrong. What is happening today with the economy, the politics and the overall governance dynamics of the state is a pointed trajectory of deliberate and intentional governance failures and failings in the remote and distanced past. The economy was dealt with a crushing blow and, some will say,  brutally raped with speed and agonizing rapidity. Governance was narrowed to a private entity and leaders assumed the character of shareholders and all was run as a for - profit enterprise. Politics became an industry, in fact the biggest industry. The tribe and region became political theatres. Poli...