By Abdul Fonti

Communications Manager in the Office of the President has told Ariogbo Newspaper that the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) never challenged the ex-combatants’ recruitment claims made by President Ernest Bai Koroma in 2007.

Jarrah Kawusu-Konteh made this disclosure yesterday, while reacting to questions bordering on pro-SLPP claims attempting to equate Maada Bio’s recent allegations against the APC, to claims made by President Koroma, while he was opposition leader, in a letter dated 27th August 2007 that was addressed to the US Embassy.

“As far as the allegations made by the SLPP against the APC were concerned, there was not a scrap of evidence published alongside the allegations in Maada Bio’s press release,” Kawusu Konteh stated, adding that all what was contained in Maada Bio’s press release were series of wild and unsubstantiated allegations. 

 

The Communications Manager said: “The allegations made by the APC then were credible and based on facts as SLPP thugs were actually arrested and later released on the instruction of Solomon Berewa who was Chairman of the Police Council then.”

According to him, the SLPP didn’t react at the time because ‘they were guilty of the charges leveled against them.

He stressed that: “President Koroma has a duty to jealously and effectively protect this country and maintain peace and quiet, a panacea for sustainable development and transformation.”

The State House Communications Manager emphasized thus: “Because some people are bound to politicize national issues, even those bordering on national security, does not mean the government should allow Maada Bio and his SLPP caboodle of nation-wreckers, money-grubbing lying rogues and false pretenders to have their way and be allowed to create havoc through unfounded and baseless allegations. They must provide proofs.”

It should be noted that the fresh circulation of Ernest Koroma’s letter to the US Embassy by pro-SLPP agents came in the wake of the move by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) to invite Maada Bio to make a formal statement with regards to his allegations of ex-combatants’ recruitment.

In the August 27, 2007 letter, Ernest Koroma claimed among other things that the SLPP’s Tom Nyuma, Maada Bio and John Benjamin (all former top NPRC operatives) “are now actively recruiting army ex-combatants and thugs to deploy them in Kono and Freetown, to undermine the (electoral) process in their favor in Kono, or disrupt it and have it nullified in Freetown.”

The said letter, which was well publicized by then and which never received a single public defence from the SLPP, went on to make more serious allegations about the SLPP’s then Vice President Solomon Berewa inciting youths to cause havoc; and “the arrest and detention of ten army ex-combatants on 23rd August who were found in possession of dangerous weapons” by a patrol team of OSD but were later ordered to be released by the Vice President.

As all of this is happening, political observers have described the latest move by the SLPP as an ‘attempt to divert the attention of the public and the police from the grave consequences of the allegations made by Maada Bio’.

Another school of thought says it could be that the allegation was true or was being contemplated by the SLPP, the reason they kept silent and did not investigate nor charge the opposition APC leader at the time to come forward with proof or face the full force of the law.
In the case of the APC however, one legal luminary said because the Government of Ernest Bai Koroma is not contemplating engaging in such acts, and because it wants to prove to the international community that the country is safe from all that Maada Bio alleged in his press release, is the reason why the President has initiated an investigation into the allegations.

“If the APC had made allegations against the SLPP and the latter did not take them seriously; that should not mean the APC would behave the same when the ‘favor’ is returned almost five years later,” the legal luminary opined.

Meanwhile, the APC continues to face pressure from various walks of life to investigate the claims of Maada Bio to the letter.

Topic: Politics

 

By Abdul Fonti

Communications Manager in the Office of the President has told Ariogbo Newspaper that the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) never challenged the ex-combatants’ recruitment claims made by President Ernest Bai Koroma in 2007.

Jarrah Kawusu-Konteh made this disclosure yesterday, while reacting to questions bordering on pro-SLPP claims attempting to equate Maada Bio’s recent allegations against the APC, to claims made by President Koroma, while he was opposition leader, in a letter dated 27th August 2007 that was addressed to the US Embassy.

“As far as the allegations made by the SLPP against the APC were concerned, there was not a scrap of evidence published alongside the allegations in Maada Bio’s press release,” Kawusu Konteh stated, adding that all what was contained in Maada Bio’s press release were series of wild and unsubstantiated allegations. 

 

The Communications Manager said: “The allegations made by the APC then were credible and based on facts as SLPP thugs were actually arrested and later released on the instruction of Solomon Berewa who was Chairman of the Police Council then.”

According to him, the SLPP didn’t react at the time because ‘they were guilty of the charges leveled against them.

He stressed that: “President Koroma has a duty to jealously and effectively protect this country and maintain peace and quiet, a panacea for sustainable development and transformation.”

The State House Communications Manager emphasized thus: “Because some people are bound to politicize national issues, even those bordering on national security, does not mean the government should allow Maada Bio and his SLPP caboodle of nation-wreckers, money-grubbing lying rogues and false pretenders to have their way and be allowed to create havoc through unfounded and baseless allegations. They must provide proofs.”

It should be noted that the fresh circulation of Ernest Koroma’s letter to the US Embassy by pro-SLPP agents came in the wake of the move by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) to invite Maada Bio to make a formal statement with regards to his allegations of ex-combatants’ recruitment.

In the August 27, 2007 letter, Ernest Koroma claimed among other things that the SLPP’s Tom Nyuma, Maada Bio and John Benjamin (all former top NPRC operatives) “are now actively recruiting army ex-combatants and thugs to deploy them in Kono and Freetown, to undermine the (electoral) process in their favor in Kono, or disrupt it and have it nullified in Freetown.”

The said letter, which was well publicized by then and which never received a single public defence from the SLPP, went on to make more serious allegations about the SLPP’s then Vice President Solomon Berewa inciting youths to cause havoc; and “the arrest and detention of ten army ex-combatants on 23rd August who were found in possession of dangerous weapons” by a patrol team of OSD but were later ordered to be released by the Vice President.

As all of this is happening, political observers have described the latest move by the SLPP as an ‘attempt to divert the attention of the public and the police from the grave consequences of the allegations made by Maada Bio’.

Another school of thought says it could be that the allegation was true or was being contemplated by the SLPP, the reason they kept silent and did not investigate nor charge the opposition APC leader at the time to come forward with proof or face the full force of the law.
In the case of the APC however, one legal luminary said because the Government of Ernest Bai Koroma is not contemplating engaging in such acts, and because it wants to prove to the international community that the country is safe from all that Maada Bio alleged in his press release, is the reason why the President has initiated an investigation into the allegations.

“If the APC had made allegations against the SLPP and the latter did not take them seriously; that should not mean the APC would behave the same when the ‘favor’ is returned almost five years later,” the legal luminary opined.

Meanwhile, the APC continues to face pressure from various walks of life to investigate the claims of Maada Bio to the letter.

Topic: Politics

Keynote Address by His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma On the Formal Opening of the Foreign Service Seminar Miatta Conference Centre, February 10, 2012

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Vice President Former President Kabba Mr. Speaker My Lady the Chief Justice Cabinet Ministers Hon. Members of Parliament Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I am delighted to join you all at the first in a new series of Foreign Ministry Seminars and to thank the organizers of this forum for inviting me to grace this groundbreaking event. Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, on taking over governance of this nation in 2007, I identified, among other things, the major challenges facing the public service. These included capacity gap, corruption, the neglect of commitment to duty and the lack of effective policy implementation.

Thus in 2008, my Government, in collaboration with development partners, undertook a management and functional review of some of the key line ministries, including in particular, my Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The reviews identified operational strengths and weaknesses, and also recommended some policy options and appropriate action. Ladies and Gentlemen, You will recall, that in my address at the State Opening of the Third Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Third Republic in October 2010, I declared a commitment to transforming the way we implement our foreign policy objectives by establishing a ‘closed’ foreign service to which very qualified and competent persons will be directly recruited. I am here with you, today to reaffirm my commitment to that declaration and, to translate this initiative into a concrete outcome and plan of implementation.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, The rapidity with which the information and communications technology has evolved in the last quarter of the century brings with it new and complex domestic demands and international pressures. These transformations have significantly changed the diplomatic landscape. The old one-track model of diplomatic engagement no longer obtains.  The days of ‘wining and dining’ diplomacy are over. Our Foreign Ministry and its overseas diplomatic outposts must step up to respond to the multiple emerging challenges of our time and to adapt to the constantly changing global policy environments.

In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of our independence in April last year, I challenged my compatriots that amidst the human and resource potentials that this nation is endowed with, we can propel Sierra Leone from a Least Developed Country to a Middle Income State. This transformation demands a new thinking geared towards modernizing our economy, attracting quality investments and emphasizing what I called the three ‘E’s and the two ‘I’s at the recently concluded Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation.

These are education, energy, employment, infrastructure and investments in programs of inclusivity, equity and accountability. The transformation is already happening, and we shall see it through. We must see through the expansion of road network, electricity, health and educational programs all over the country. We must continue to march forward and tell the whole world that this country is a prime destination for business, progress and development. We will not relent; we must not relent, and we shall not relent.

At the international front, we increasingly face security challenges ranging from the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons; the promotion and protection of human rights; terrorism; transnational organized crimes and narcotic drug trafficking to climate change; food security and the global financial crisis among others. With these trends, the global community is becoming more and more interdependent and, it is only through greater cooperation that we can ensure our collective security and mutual coexistence.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Amidst all these big challenges, the role of the foreign ministry in coordinating the implementation of our foreign policy objectives in support of the Government’s Agenda for Change and the transformation of the country is critical. As a nation, we are now playing a significant role at the global, continental and sub-regional levels.

As Coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten on the reform of the United Nations Security Council, we have been engaged in exploring workable options to make the United Nations Security Council more inclusive, legitimate, democratic and consistent with the demands of the 21st century. Again, Sierra Leone is today contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security, both as a troop contributing country and a sub-regional peace broker.

It is in response to these demands that I endorse a review of our foreign policy formulation and implementation as well as the professionalization and the ‘closing’ of the Foreign Ministry. We need to do this in order to re-position our foreign service to promote and protect our national interest on the one hand and to continue to play a greater and more sustained role on the international arena on the other. It is refreshing to note that all sectors, including former Foreign Service officials, MDAs, bilateral and our development partners have also been invited to contribute to this dialogue.  I welcome the inclusive nature of this seminar and hereby entreat you to engage in frank and open discussions.

Let the discussions be aimed at  arriving at a comprehensive framework outcome for a new top class Foreign Ministry poised to take its place not only at the new location at Tower Hill but on the world stage as well.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I entreat you to use this forum as a platform for exchange of thoughts and sharing of experience on the implementation of Sierra Leone’s foreign policy over the last half century, and to come up with concrete recommendations to re-energize the foreign ministry as a professional entity.

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honour to formally declare this workshop open. I thank you all for your kind attention.
Related items

• Recent reforms in Sierra Leone: Beating the effects of global economic downturn
• EXCLUSIVE : Sierra Leoneans say Schulenberg’s secret letter to UN exposed his bias against ruling government
• The nation under President Ernest Bai Koroma : My four weeks experience in Sierra Leone
• NOSLINA seeks award nominations
• Daily Mail Online Editorial : If Inspector General Francis Munu can’t make Maada Bio honour the police summon then he needs to resign now

© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

Submitted by Vijay Pillai on Thu, 2012-02-02 11:52

 

The year 2011 ended on a high note for the reformers in Sierra Leone.  There were two significant reforms which the government saw through – reforms that had been long overdue, but which now hold the potential of unleashing new investments and economic growth in the country.  Can Sierra Leone’s use these reforms to beat the potential effects of a global economic downturn?  One hopes so.

The energy sector in Sierra Leone has long faced under-investments. Not very long ago Freetown had the dubious distinction of being the darkest capital in the world and the Bumbuna dam remained elusive.

Since the completion of the dam, Freetown has been benefitting from its power, albeit at reduced levels.  Still, the energy sector suffers from years of neglect and governance challenges.  With astonishingly high levels of technical and commercial losses (estimated to be nearly 50%), new investments in the energy sector are unlikely to deliver returns unless this hemorrhage is stopped.  So in December, the government got the Parliamentary nod for two significant laws to strengthen the regulatory environment and improve the performance of the utility – setting up of an independent regulator and unbundling the electricity sector.

There is still a long way to go before the country can fully benefit from its abundant hydropower potential, but implementing the new laws is clearly on the critical path.

Another sector with significant growth potential across Africa is the telecommunication and ICT sector.  Sierra Leone too has seen some exciting developments with the recent arrival of the submarine cable.  But the existing monopoly for the international telecom gateway has been constraining the sector from realizing its full growth potential.  The total outgoing telecom traffic only grew by 55% during 2006-08, while some other countries in the sub-region saw 200% growth during the same period.  There is also the problem of a large share of traffic diverted through illegal operators, because of the monopoly, leading to a loss of revenues for the country.  And the net loser is the average person on the street, who spends $0.22 a minute for an international call – two to three times what their counterparts in other African countries pay. The government has now publicly announced a firm timetable for revoking the monopoly of the gateway later this year (which would allow other operators to manage gateways in the future), and undertaking revisions to the existing telecommunication law to increase competition in the sector.

Both these reforms have no doubt been tough, but they could unleash a lot of economic activity and jobs.  Coming on the back of Sierra Leone’s recent impressive performance in the Doing Business scores, they suddenly makes both these sectors look that much more attractive to investors and entrepreneurs.  No doubt, the enormous spin-offs from a vibrant energy and telecom sector would only benefit the people of the country in the coming years.  There is still a lot of work to be done in implementing these reforms – which would require resoluteness — but nevertheless it has been a great way to end the year for the country.

 
Related items

• President Koroma addresses formal opening of Foreign Service Seminar
• EXCLUSIVE : Sierra Leoneans say Schulenberg’s secret letter to UN exposed his bias against ruling government
• The nation under President Ernest Bai Koroma : My four weeks experience in Sierra Leone
• NOSLINA seeks award nominations
• Daily Mail Online Editorial : If Inspector General Francis Munu can’t make Maada Bio honour the police summon then he needs to resign now

© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

 A secret letter written by Michael Von Schulenberg to the  United Nations ‘ Under – Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, has been leaked to the  international media and Sierra Leoneans say that the contents prove that the  Leader of the United Democratic Movement ( UDM ), Mr. Mohamed Bangura and sections of the press  were right all along to doubt  the UN Secretary General Executive Representative‘s  diplomatic impartiality and professional behaviour  in Sierra Leone. The leaked letter also left no doubt that Schulenberg had some kind of  grudge  for President Ernest Bai Koroma, whom he accused of hostility towards him .

SCHULENBERG : HIS LETTER TO THE UN HAS BEEN LEAKED TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

 

In the letter, according to Reuters , Schulenberg stated : “ There can be little doubt, that the decision by the President to force my early departure will be seen – rightly or wrongly – by virtually every Sierra Leonean as an effort to remove a potential obstacle to his re-election and as opening the door to manipulating the election outcome in his favor”. It came as a huge shock to many Sierra Leoneans this evening that Mr. Schulenberg would virtually see himself as a potential obstacle to President Koroma’s re-election.

Sierra Leoneans who read this statement in the  Reuters story  this evening described  it as unfortunate and disturbing , coming from a diplomat  sent  to Sierra Leone to act as a neutral agent of the UN Secretary General .  They regard the statement  as not only very undiplomatic and unprofessional  but the effusions of a man who had compromised his diplomatic neutrality in a country struggling for political stability  .

Most Sierra Leoneans who spoke with COCORIOKO regarded the statement by Schulenberg as a tacit indication  by the former ERSG that he had problems with President Koroma being re-elected this year. They further described the statement as a shame to Mr.Schulenberg’s  diplomatic credentials because they could be construed as confirmation of the fears of the media that he may have been  working towards a regime change in Sierra Leone .

State House Director of Communications, Unisa Sesay, promptly refutted Mr. Schulenberg’s claims that President Koroma forced his departure. Since January 27, Government had firmly denied having anything to do with Schlenberg’s departure from Sierra Leone. The government described its relationship with Schulenberg as cordial.

According to Sierra Leoneans, the statements confirmed their fears that the Chief of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone ( UNIPSIL )  may have forgotten that he was not in Sierra Leone to determine our choice of leadership or equate his position with  that of the Head of State but to work impartially with  the government, all political parties, civil society groups , women’s groups and other stakeholders to help build and consolidate peace in Sierra Leone.

Also, Sierra Leoneans said portions of  Mr. Schulenberg’s statements in the leaked letter appeared to give the impression that  he was trying to bring a standoff between the UN and Sierra Leone over his recall. He wrote : “I also feel that we should engage the President directly over his sudden flair of hostility towards me before giving in to his request for my departure. ”

Another disturbing  portion of the leaked letter written by Mr. Schulenberg said : “Many Sierra Leoneans (as indeed many among the international community) may see the U.N. as readily caving in to unreasonable and unjustified pressures without making even the slightest attempt to protect the position as the Secretary-General’s representative in this country “. Sierra Leoneans interpreted this to mean that  while falsely assuming that President Koroma asked for his recall, Schulenberg was saying that the UN  should have declined the request and protected his position by keeping him in Sierra Leone.

This leaked letter which will appear in many other international and local media, Sierra Leoneans say,  paints a very uncomplimentary picture of Mr.Schulenberg’s tenure in Sierra Leone and it justifies  calls that the former ERSG’s service in Sierra Leone  be investigated  by the UN to get at the bottom of the matter.

The other situation  that will be of concern to the UN is,  who leaked the letter to Reuters ? It certainly was not done by the Undersecretary For Political Affairs who is an accomlished and very responsible diplomat . This leakage should be thoroughly investigated by the UN. Three months ago,  proceedings of a closed door Peacebuilding Commission Meeting at the UN were  leaked to the opposition media , albeit with a big slant that the UN had warned Sierra Leone about the media attacks on Mr. Schulenberg when in fact all that happened was that some PBC stakeholders had enquired from Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Shekou Touray , the reasons for the press attacks on Schulenberg , given how well the UN had acquitted itself in Sierra Leone.

<p>February 14, 2012 | Filed under: Breaking News,Diaspora,Headlines,Lead Story | Posted by: Cocorioko Newspaper</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>Edit This Post</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>A secret letter written by Michael Von Schulenberg to the United Nations ‘ UnderSecretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, has been leaked to the international media and the contents prove that the Leader of the United Democratic Movement ( UDM ), Mr. Mohamed Bangura and sections of the press were right all along to doubt the UN Secretary General Executive Representative ‘s diplomatic impartiality and professional behaviour in Sierra Leone. The leaked letter also left no doubt that Schulenberg had a personal dislike for President Ernest Bai Koroma.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>SCHULENBERG : HIS LETTER TO THE UN HAS BEEN LEAKED TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>According to Reuters, in the letter Schulenberg stated : “ There can be little doubt, that the decision by the President to force my early departure will be seen – rightly or wrongly – by virtually every Sierra Leonean as an effort to remove a potential obstacle to his re-election and as opening the door to manipulating the election outcome in his favor”. It came as a huge shock to many Sierra Leoneans this evening that Mr. Schulenberg would virtually confess that he was a potential threat to President Koroma’s re-election.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>Sierra Leoneans who read the Reuters story this evening described as unfortunate and disturbing such comments coming from a diplomat sent to Sierra Leone to act as a neutral agent of the UN Secretary General . They regard the statement as not only very undiplomatic and unprofessional but the effusions of a man who had compromised his diplomatic neutrality in a country struggling for political stability . Most Sierra Leoneans who spoke with COCORIOKO regarded the statement by Schulenberg as a confession by the former ERSG that he had problems with President Koroma being re-elected this year. They further described the statement as a shame to Mr.Schulenberg diplomatic credentials and further proof that he was working towards a regime change in Sierra Leone , as the media had been complaining.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>State House Director of Communications, Unisa Sesay, promptly refutted Mr. Schulenberg’s claims that President Koroma forced his departure. Since January 27, Government had firmly denied having anything to do with Schlenberg’s departure from Sierra Leone.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>According to Sierra Leoneans, the statements confirmed their fears that the Chief of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone ( UNIPSIL ) may have forgotten that he was not in Sierra Leone to determine our choice of leadership or equate his position with that of the Head of State but to work impartially with the government, all political parties, civil society groups , women’s groups and other stakeholders to help build and consolidate peace in Sierra Leone.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>Also, from Mr. Schulenberg’s statements in the leaked letter, it appeared as if he was trying to bring a standoff between the UN and Sierra Leone over his recall. He wrote : “I also feel that we should engage the President directly over his sudden flair of hostility towards me before giving in to his request for my departure. ”</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>Another disturbing statement in the leaked letter written by Mr. Schulenberg said : “Many Sierra Leoneans (as indeed many among the international community) may see the U.N. as readily caving in to unreasonable and unjustified pressures without making even the slightest attempt to protect the position as the Secretary-General’s representative in this country “. While falsely assuming that President Koroma asked for his recall, Schulenberg is saying that the UN should have declined the request and protected his position by keeping him in Sierra Leone.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>This leaked letter which will appear in many other international and local media paints a very uncomplimentary picture of Mr.Schulenberg’s tenure in Sierra Leone and it justifies Cocorioko’s call that the former ERSG’s service in Sierra Leone should be investigated by the UN to get at the bottom of the matter.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<p>The other situation that will be of concern to the UN is, who leaked the letter to Reuters ? It certainly was not done by the Undersecretary For Political Affairs . Three months ago, proceedings of a closed door Peacebuilding Commission Meeting at the UN was leaked to the opposition media , albeit with a big slant that the UN had warned Sierra Leone about the media attacks on Mr. Schulenberg when in fact all that happened was that some PBC stakeholders had enquired from Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Shekou Touray the reasons for the press attacks on Schulenberg ." href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=350350168332798&set=o.127592540696164&type=1&ref=nf" rel="theater" data-ft="{"type":41}">

Calls made to the office of the undersecretary last evening did not go through, but we hope to interview some UN officials tomorrow about the matter. Related items

• Whitney Houston, the golden-voiced singer we loved, found dead in hotel room
• Biometrics registration figures: Why APC will beat SLPP in November’s elections
• Letter from Freetown : We must not keep quiet indeed ! !
• Sierra Leone Government responds to Maada Bio’s mischievous press release
• APC-NA FUNDRAISING DANCE

© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

 By Solomon Sesay :   Inspector-General Francis Munu’s Public Notice in response to Maada Bio’s allegation regarding the rearmament of ex-combatants in the southeast region of Sierra Leone, is impressive. In so many words, he reinstated the wild claims made by the SLPP Presidential candidate Julius Maada Bio. As one of the leading law enforcement officials charged with the responsibility of public safety, he requested the assistance of the public to gather information and evidence that will aid the police in discerning the validity of Bio’s assertions. Maada Bio probably did not think through the corollaries of his utterances before setting off such an ominous alarm. At stake is not just all out election brawl between the APC and the SLPP, but the peace of Sierra Leone.         In essence, he is accusing the Government of Sierra Leone of contravening a very important obligation to the nation-protect lives by sustaining peace. As such, it is the government’s crucial task to thwart another arm conflict. Unlike previous allegations made by Bio, this one deserves the utmost attention of not only officials in Sierra Leone, but the worldwide body of Sierra Leoneans. To disregard it as another false alarm by a panicking presidential contender would be a costly mistake somewhere down the road. Without a conclusive resolution, Julius Maada Bio would most certainly use it as grounds for warfare if the results in the November Elections do not favor him and his party. It is for this reason that we commend Inspector-General Francis Munu’s public notice to all Sierra Leoneans.       IG Munu said “Security is a collective responsibility.” In theory he is right but as activities of Bio’s SLPP suggests, they want nothing to do with the cooperative task of guaranteeing that Sierra Leoneans live in peace. If past maneuvers are anything to go by, then we must conclude that Julius Maada Bio has just dropped another bombshell on behalf of the SLPP. While vying to lead the nation, one would expect that he’ll be the first to provide empirical evidence authenticating his bid to democratically unseat the current government. Instead, Julius Maada Bio only mirrors the diabolical plans of his party completely forgetting about peace and security within the nation. As far as he is concern, anyone who is not a SLPP member can go to hell.       I am afraid to say it, but the IG should expect no meaningful input from Bio as he (Munu) tries to diffuse Bio’s bombshell. Unlike Bio, it is however reassuring to note that in collaboration with other government functionaries, the IG has acted conscientiously to let the public be aware of the matter and concrete steps being taken to address it. The IG wrote, “The public is hereby informed that there is no cause for alarm as every effort is being made to maintain the security of the country at maximum level. The police wishes to advise members of the public to go about their normal business.” In layman’s terms, the original findings indicate there is no legitimacy to Bio’s allegations, therefore continue your peaceful existence.         One only need to read the SLPP press to notice that there is truly no cause for alarm regarding the rearmament of ex-combatants allegation made by Bio. It is important to state here that there are reasons for all Sierra Leoneans to be alarmed because of the deteriorating state within the SLPP. What had the appearance of a firewall has become a fire alarm all because their “fire for fire” campaign is backfiring.  Instead of focusing on the bread and butter issues to offer the nation better alternatives, an agenda of violence has become their main focus. Instead of electing a sober candidate with fewer controversies, an individual plagued by internationally known credibility issues was their choice. Beneath the hype that the SLPP is made up of the best and brightest Sierra Leoneans, this appears to be the dumbest decision ever made by Sierra Leone’s elitist party.       The rate at which Bio and the SLPP are losing integrity is alarming.  Dr. Lans Gberie, much-admired as an accomplished journalist, is now being taunted as an alcoholic who misinforms the world to get another booze. Umaru Fofana, whose reports were trustworthy, is now being described as a blind SLPP sycophant who cannot see the deficiencies within his party.  While the President called for a week of prayer and fasting for peace in the nation, Bio’s plan was to amplify lawlessness thereby resulting to the arrest of Mohamed Kanu Mansaray and other strong SLPP members on kidnapping and other charges.  The SLPP has degenerated to a political outfit even those in their stronghold are not proud of. The rate at which Sierra Leone’s oldest party is losing trustworthiness, its standing, reliability, and authority within and outside Sierra Leone is shocking.         It is within reason to conclude that Julius Maada Bio sounded the wrong alarm. If his claims were accurate, Albert Massaquoi would not have published the report that implies the SLPP is “leading in biometric registrations after first phase.” Why? Instead of showing the world a picture of individuals peacefully standing in line, we would have seen pictures of the rearmed ex-combatants intimidating citizens from registering to vote. With all their trepidations about winning in November, it is abundantly clear that the SLPP propaganda machine wastes no time in revealing to the world damaging information and images about the ruling party. In Dr. Banya’s “Who is beating the war drums,” nothing is mentioned about rearming ex-combatants. He cautiously talked about the movement of people and the low turnout in Kailahun.        In his opinion “Former combatants are being recruited in the south and east and made to register.” Nothing implies that were armed or ammunition was given to them by the government. Furthermore, if nothing disqualifies them from voting why shouldn’t they register? It looks as if the unprecedented effort by the APC to gain democratic grounds in the southeast is what troubles Maada Bio and his SLPP. The NEC successfully identified ten individuals who tried to register multiple times. They were arrested and now in police custody awaiting prosecution. I am convinced the same NEC would have sounded the truthful alarm if former combatants were armed and daunting individuals attempting to register. How many such individuals are in police custody for disturbing the peace of those who are simply carrying out their civic duty? On this note, IG Munu must rely more on the NEC officials and the local police for accurate information dispelling Bio’s assertions than Bio himself and desperate SLPP officials. Bio and the current SLPP have lost all credibility. Lonta!           Related items

• EXCLUSIVE : Sierra Leoneans say Schulenberg’s secret letter to UN exposed his bias against ruling government
• Whitney Houston, the golden-voiced singer we loved, found dead in hotel room
• Biometrics registration figures: Why APC will beat SLPP in November’s elections
• Letter from Freetown : We must not keep quiet indeed ! !
• Sierra Leone Government responds to Maada Bio’s mischievous press release

© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

Since Ernest Bai Koroma took over the reins of government in 2007, nearly everyone was called upon, at one point or the other, directly or indirectly, to make available their talent and expertise towards the socio-economic development of Sierra Leone.  After eleven years away from Sierra Leone, I was delighted to go back home and witness firsthand, the developments that have taken place under the Ernest Bai Koroma’s administration.  It was a great pleasure, honor and privilege to meet with veteran journalist Ibrahim Ben Kargbo and his deputy Mr. Sheka Tarawallie who served our country diligently.  I have no doubt that the rise of these two media professionals was a result of dynamism, leadership, and entrepreneurial ability in the dispensation of good governance.

Sheito, Sanpha and I.B.Kargbo

Upon my arrival from the United States, I made frequent visits to the Ministry of Information and Communication to observe the performance of the ministers, Mr. I.B. Kargbo and his deputy Mr. Sheka Tarawallie.  I am pleased to note that these two fine gentlemen are committed to the people of Sierra Leone with inspiration and have responded with outstanding performance to the call of President Koroma.  Almost daily, I saw people entering the offices of these two ministers, back and forth with less protocol, if any at all, to ask questions and share their experiences.  As for me, it was with no difficulty to meet with the minister and his deputy at all times.

One thing that I noticed during my visits to the media and communication headquarter at You-Yi building in Freetown is that many activities have brought us together as a nation in terms of media and communications network.  Despite the fact that critics of the minister and his deputy will say the opposite, I saw that they have always demonstrated maturity, patience, tolerance, compassion, and patriotism – qualities that are very much needed for any proactive minister, especially in the administration of President Koroma.  In the execution of their duties, Mr. Kargbo and Mr. Tarawalie have earned dignity and respect for many of us in the Diaspora.

From You-Yi building where I saw most of the ministers and their deputies, I went to the Ministry of Labor and Employment where I was fortunate to meet with my former teacher and mentor at the Sierra Leone’s Muslim Brotherhood, the minister himself, Mr. Hindolo Tyre.  During our meeting, we discussed a lot of issues ranging from migrant labor force to work permit issues.  These are important areas in the ministry that Diasporas are interested in addressing.  Also, we spoke about the issue of distorted stories dished out by many unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans on the internet with the hope of satisfying their political will which according to him was absurd.

Hindolo Trye and Sanpha Sesay

The minister’s main concern about migrant labor to the Middle East was about safety, welfare , and the overall benefit to the people who are anxious to travel to the Middle East where migrant’s labor force are needed.  He said that conditions are not favorable for someone leaving his county to work for only two hundred dollars with no other benefit added to it especially if the risks were enormous.  Even though people are desperate to move out to search for greener pastures, the act of migrating to the Middle East is particularly troublesome.  Mr. Hindolo said, “It is in my own responsibility to give out guidelines to the people about the prevailing conditions of migrating to the Middle East.  As for work permits, Mr. Hindolo Tyre said, that there must be a distinction between citizens of this country and foreigners who intend to work in the country.  It is also a privilege for migrant labor force to obtain a work permit that gives them mandate to work in the country.

Prior to my visit to the Labor and Employment Ministry, I was interested in learning about the challenges as well as achievements associated with the Ernest Bai Koroma’s free medical care initiative launched in April 2011.  I observed that the initiative is a huge plus for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under the age of five years.  It was good meeting with a woman of substance like Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura.  She has worked so hard with Health development partners in providing quality, accessible and affordable health care delivery services to Sierra Leoneans.

At New England Ville where several ministries are located, I visited the ministry of works which is also a very important area for me.  During my visit, I did interviews about the ongoing infrastructural development and road construction projects that seem to be presently crisscrossing the nation.

  Minister of Works and Employment, Honorable Alimamy P. Koroma

My first impression was the interaction between the minister, honorable Alimamy P. Koroma and myself.  I saw that in the minister’s office, there was an air of diversity or pluralistic societal bridge designed to link all tribes regardless of their political affiliations.  The right to meet ministers of government should not be a difficult task to the people because communication with the people you represent in a nation is an important role in an efficient and well-functioning government.  Like President Ernest Koroma, Honorable Alimamy Kargbo is another tower of strength and strong force for progressive and efficient APC government.

  Sanpha Sesay and Minister of Trade and Industries.

I also met with the Chief of Protocol, Mr. Alimamy Daramy at State House.  My first visit to State House was an informal visit to book an appointment to see the President but that wasn’t achieved due to the fact that the President was overloaded with foreign trips.  When my appointment was finally scheduled, it coincided with my return to the USA.  However, on several occasions at the State House, I saw the Chief of Protocol performing a very pleasant duty despite the enormous stress.

Despite all the criticism from the opposition, I have to say that President Ernest Bai Koroma’s administration has raised the bar higher with integrity and hard work as its mantra.  Although, time and space does not really permit me to give an analytical picture of all to the accomplishments of the EBK administration but I am sure that many of us can testify to the development of the nation. I will be handling the different segments of his administration in subsequent publications. Stay tuned.

By Sanpha Sesay, Texas Chief Correspondent
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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

 ‘I am not APC, I am not SLPP’

By Abdul Fonti

Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, who contested in 2011 with eighteen other Sierra Leoneans for the Flagbearer position of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) has declared that he does not belong to the two major parties in Sierra Leone.

“As it stands now, I don’t belong to SLPP, and I also don’t belong to the APC. Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara is politically neutral,” Boie Kamara disclosed over the weekend while addressing hundreds of family members, friends and supporters in Karena, northern Sierra Leone.

The former SLPP Flagbearer Aspirant made this disclosure in response to the demand of the SLPP Women’s Leader, Isata Jabbie Kabbah (IJK), who insisted that the silence of Usman Boie Kamara did not befit a politician of his stature. IJK emphasized that Boie Kamara has kept the SLPP and several other Sierra Leoneans in the dark for quite sometime now, while pin-pointing that the former aspirant must use the family re-union meeting as a forum to break his silence.

IJK and her husband, former president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah were part of the hundreds of Sierra Leoneans that thronged into Karena from various parts of the country to witness the grand ceremony that was held in honour of Usman Boie Kamara.

After the outburst that seemingly sent shockwaves among the SLPP audience, Boie Kamara went further to assure his people that he will never let them down in terms of his political and personal decisions.

“Whatever political decision I will make, it will definitely be in the interest of my people,” he assured.

Earlier, Boie Kamara was placed in a hammock and escorted amid singing and dancing five miles into Karena. The people of Karena and other supporters from various parts of the country used the forum as an opportunity to assure Boie Kamara that they will always support whatever decision he makes.

Tags: Alhaji Usman Boie KamaraSLPPAPCpoliticsTopic: Politics

By Solomon Sesay :

When I read the so-called BBC Reporter Victor Sylver’s commending  Retired Brig. Marda Bio  for choosing  Dr. Kadie Sesay as running mate , I pooked . I did not pooke because I had seen something disgusting. I pooked at the  hypocrisy of a false character who has two different personalities–The one he deceives the public with in his blog and his real character which is what he is and what he demonstrates behind the walls of his chaotic home . I told myself that this cannot be the Victor Sylver who has no respect for women and who denigrates his own wife at home and in public . It cannot be Victor Sylver saying :  ”Sierra Leone’s main opposition party has a potential Vice President, a running mate – and it is a woman of no mean standing – Dr Khadi Sesay is the first female running mate of the SLPP as a date for the 2012 elections is announced ” . It cannot  be Victor Sylver rejoicing because a woman had been chosen as a presidential running mate. The quotation that came to my mind was the statement Antonio makes to Bassanio after Shylock quotes the Bible.

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart: O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! ”  (1. 3. 80-84) – Merchant of Venice.

VICTOR SYLVER : HYPOCRITE. EVERY DAY  ABUSING AND  BEATING HIS WIFE  MARGARET WILL AT HOME BUT REJOICING THAT MARDA BIO CHOSE A WOMAN AS HIS RUNNING MATE. HOW CAN YOU RECONCILE SUCH HYPOCRISY ?

What hypocrisy this world is full of-I want to pooke again as I write this article. Only those who do not know that Victor Sylver is a verbal and physical abuser of women at the core will be impressed by his pontification over Kadie Sesay issue. Even before she starts receiving the buffetings that is the daily life of those who opt into politics,  Dr. Kadie Sesay had better be wary of  hypocrites like Victor Sylver who will try to turn her ambition into a cause for the upliftment of women when they themselves have no respect for the women in their lives and treat their wives like dogs. I am sure that Victor Sylver’s wife, Margater Sylver,  snickered in derision when she read her abusive husband’s article on Dr. Kadie Sesay. Because she knows what she knows about the wretched hypocrite who passes for her husband , she snickered in disgust at his falsehood and hypocrisy. She was left wondering how some human beings can be hypocrites in this life.

I lost respect for Victor Sylver the day I learnt that he went on the internet and humiliated and disgraced his wife by accusing her of once having a sexual relationship with a  minister of the gospel when the man was not a minister over 30 years ago at Bass Street, Brookfields where they were neighbours. A man with criminal inclinations, Victor Sylver will deny making the allegations, but many people I spoke to in London while trying to understand why Victor Sylver has made his whole blog about the minister admitted seeing the article but that  Victor Sylver expunged it when he started being ridiculed on a discussion forum. Poor Margaret, she may not have had time to read it before the wretched man expunged it . But it was something that he wrote. But will it make any difference to her if Victor denies doing so ? Will she believe his denials ? Not when she considers the verbal and physical abuse Victor Sylver has been subjecting her to for long and his manifest hypocrisy . After trying unsuccessfully to have hosting companies pull the plug on the websites I write for with the hope of silencing me, I heard that Victor Sylver is planning to bring some misguided people he has paid –Just as SLPP Big Wigs are paying him for defaming President Ernest Koroma and the APC Government in his blog–to deny for him that he is abusing his wife. But this is the action I am waiting for to expose all the evidence I gathered about him while I was in London attending the OGI. I am just waiting for anybody he has paid to come and lie about him.

Victor Sylver’s whole life is built around hypocrisy. He set up a blog to harass fellow journalists he perceives as enemies and whom he describes as beasts. But who is a better beast than Victor Sylver, who is so bitter, coarse, crude , profane, unloving  and disgusting with the language he uses to address his wife. Victor Sylver it is who is the beast because he it is who brutalizes his wife. But he is so full of hypocrisy he accuses others of doing the very things he is very perfect at.

Victor Sylver pretends in his blog to be concerned about human rights but he is a human rights abuser. Wife-beating and the denigration of women even through verbal abuse have been elevated to the level of human rights abuses.

The worst hypocrisy Victor Sylver wants to demonstrate now is pretending to support Dr.Kadie Sesay because of the implications her being chosen as running mate has for women’s elevation in society. If Victor Sylver is not the hypocrite that he is and he really supports the advancement of women, why the defamatory and false accusations against OGI Director Khadija Sesay ? If Victor Sylver values women’s progress, why did he not seek to conduct an exclusive interview with Khadija Sesay who was in London to stage the last OGI ? If Victor Sylver cares for the progress of women, why did he not rejoice when Nannette Thomas was appointed Head of the Attitudinal and Behavioral Change Secretariat ?  If Victor Sylver is not a hypocrite, why does he accuse pro-APC journalists of being sycophants and  ” internet flying toilets ” (To use his own terms ) but he is doing no better ? He commends everything SLPP and degrades everything APC. How can Victor Sylver rejoice that a woman has been chosen running mate but at home he is busy verbally and physically abusing his wife ?

I will try to answer these questions on Sunday evening.
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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

NOSLINA CHIEF MELBOURNE GARBER

The National Organization of Sierra Leoneans in North America (NOSLINA) seeks nominations of individuals and groups to receive the organization¹s premier annual awards for significant contributions towards the advancement of Sierra Leoneans in North America and beyond. Awards will be made in the following categories:

The NOSLINA DIAMOND AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE (1 award in this category).

This is the organization’s highest award and is made in recognition of exceptional work that has significantly contributed to the peace, development, and stability of Sierra Leone while advancing the well being of Sierra Leoneans both at home and in North America. Results of those efforts should have been evident within the past 5 years and should include documented support of accomplishments. Nominations of individuals and groups are welcome.

The NOSLINA AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP (3 awards in this category).

This special award recognizes Sierra Leoneans who are active in business in the United States. NOSLINA proposes to recognize innovation and creativity in a business enterprise that has shown measurable and demonstrable success in supporting the resource needs of Sierra Leoneans and their communities. Results of success should reflect a correlation between business growth and involvement in the Sierra Leone community in North America. Only individuals may receive awards in this category.

The NOSLINA COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD (3 awards in this category).

This award recognizes groups/organizations that have actively engaged their members in building and sustaining a viable network to advance their Sierra Leone heritage and by so doing strengthening the Sierra Leone Community through cultural activities, alumni relations, professional networks, and community building. Recipients should have substantial success in promoting interconnectedness among their members and in outreach to Sierra Leoneans and their friends in North America. Only organizations are eligible for awards in this category although successful organizations will be asked to designate an officer to receive the award at the presentation ceremony.

The NOSLINA AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED HUMANITARIAN SERVICE (3 awards in this category).

This award is given in recognition of outstanding contribution to poverty reduction, national reconstruction and rehabilitation, and supply of educational and health resources in ways that have improved access and service to groups of needy, impoverished Sierra Leoneans at home.Awards will be presented to the successful nominees in all four award categories at the NOSLINA Annual celebration of Sierra Leone’s Independence Anniversary Dance and Awards Banquet. Award recipients will also be featured on the NOSLINA website and various publications of the organization.

Nominations should be addressed to: Mr. Melbourne Garbar, Chair, NOSLINA Board of Directors, and sent electronically to noslina2011@aol.com no later than Friday, February 17, 2012.

Nomination letters should not exceed one full page. In your letter, please specify the award category, name of nominee, a description of the nominee’s accomplishments, and contact information for the nominee. Self Nominations are acceptable.The NOSLINA Board of Directors believes that our interconnectedness is strengthened when we recognize our accomplishments and celebrate our heritage. Together we can work to realize this vision. Your nominations are valuable to us! Your strong support and participation is strongly encouraged.

Thank You

From  NOSLINA Board of Directors

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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

MAADA BIO : IF HE HAS EVIDENCE, WHY WORRY ?

 

SIERRA LEONE DAILY MAIL EDITORIAL :

According to a reliable source of information, the Sierra Leone Police Force, has issued a special invitation to the presidential flag bearer of the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Julius Maada Bio, over allegations he made about rearmament of ex-combatants but much to our consternation, Maada backed by his SLPP cohorts is refusing to honour the summon for fear of an arrest.

POLICE BOSS MUNU

It will be recalled that, the SLPP presidential aspirant and a former junta leader issued a press release at the beginning of last week in which he accused the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) party of transferring and rearming ex-combatants in opposition strongholds with the intent of causing violence.

The statement alleged that hands within the governing party, naming specifically the Defense and Internal Affairs ministers, have embarked on transporting the ex-combatants from different parts of the country to register as voters in towns in the southern and eastern provinces, and that the ex-combatants are being armed with weapons and other offensive instruments.

It added that foreign nationals and ex-combatants from neighbouring countries (Liberia and Guinea) are also being transported into the country. The government reacted ferociously to the statement, and it is considering legal suit.

The police came out with a statement, in which the Inspector General of Police, Francis Munu, described the matter as a “big national concern”. He said the Sierra Leone police took “these allegations very seriously” and if found true, “they have the potential to subvert the security interests of the state as they are likely to generate feelings of hatred…”  However, I.G. Munu fell short at hinting on the effects and consequences, if Maada Bio is found wanting for libel and defamation of the government. What the I.G. failed to declare publicly is that the same effect applies even when Maada Bio is lying as in this case.

Now that the police chief said they want to talk to Bio to help them get relevant information on his allegations, SLPP supporters should not raise any suspicion over the possibility of detaining their flag bearer. If Maada Bio has evidences to substantiate his claims, why worry?

Mr. Inspector General, this issue is not just a national security one but a disturbing one. Sadly but true, it has the potential of making or breaking you depending on how you decide to handle it. Sierra Leoneans, all over the world, are closely watching you with utmost interest and we are counting on you to do the right thing regardless of who is involved. Remember, “No man is above the law and no man is below it”- except if you think otherwise.

The ball is now in your court – Maada Bio needs to show up at a place and time to be determined by you, the chief – if you can’t do that for the people of Sierra Leone, then you need to resign immediately.

© 2012, Christian Foday Sesay Jr. EIC. All rights reserved. Discuss this article on the Salone Forum  Salone Forum
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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

Seditious libel was a criminal offence under English common law. Sedition is the offence of speaking seditious words with seditious intent: if the statement is in writing or some other permanent form it is seditious libel. A statement is seditious if it “brings into hatred or contempt” the Queen or her heirs, or the government and constitution, or either House of Parliament, or the administration of justice, or if it incites people to attempt to change any matter of Church or State established by law (except by lawful means), or if it promotes discontent among or hostility between British subjects. A person is only guilty of the offence if they intend any of the above outcomes. Proving that the statement is true is not a defence. It is punishable with life imprisonment. (http://dictionary.lawyerment.com/topic/seditious_libel/ )

MAADA BIO : A MUTINOUS ORATOR

“… publishing verbally or otherwise any words or documents with the intention of exciting disaffection, hatred or contempt against the sovereign, or the government and constitution of the Kingdom, or either house of Parliament, or the administration of justice, or of exciting her Majesty’s subjects to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means, the alteration of any matter in church or state, or other exciting feelings of ill will and hostility between different classes of her Majesty’s subjects.”

“Sedition is a comprehensive term, and it embraces all those practices whether by word, deed, or writing, which are calculated to disturb the tranquility of the state, and indeed ignorant persons to endeavor to subvert the government and the laws of the Empire.”

http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/S/Sedition.aspx

We have brought you the definitions of Seditious Libel from two different sources for the benefit of our readers who may be asking what constitutes the offence.

Indeed …”A knife is not more dangerous in the hand of a mad man than eloquence in the mouth of a mutinous orator. “  JEAN BODIN
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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

John Baimba Sesay

by John Baimba Sesay in Beijing, China

China, having the second largest economy in the world has continued to ensure its presence is felt in, and appreciated by Africa and Africans. From West Africa to Southern Africa, East and Northern Africa, the presence of China is there for all to see. Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, has been one of those countries having diplomatic relations with China.

Diplomatic ties

Sierra Leone’s  diplomatic relations with China have been of exceptional standing, taking into account how both countries have been working over the years to not only improve on such relations, but also, to see how there could be mutual benefits between the two countries. The decision by the then President Siaka Probyn Stevens to enter into diplomatic relations with  China has today been seen as a wise one, which has also be interpreted by many to mean that  then President Stevens (RIP) was indeed a wise man who had the interest of his people in mind even unto death.

Sierra Leone has a Diplomatic Mission in China. This Mission is also accredited to a number of countries in South East Asia and the Pacific Region, including Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India and Australia, among others. The Sierra Leone Mission in China, is one of, if not, the largest Mission.

Since entering into diplomatic ties in 1971, China has been of great help to Sierra Leone by completing a number of projects, such as stations for popularizing rice-cultivation techniques, roads, bridges, the National Stadium, the sugar cane complex, office buildings, hydropower station, power transmission and substation projects, and civil housing. The Sino-Sierra Leone Cooperation which is of mutual benefit started from 1984 and it has been making serious progress since then.

When President Ernest Bai Koroma assumed power in September 2007, one of his first priorities was to work towards the implementation of an Agenda for Change, which aims at moving the country to a new direction in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, energy and power. To this end, the Mission in China has a crucial role to play in the implementation of the Agenda for Change, taking into account the strategic position of China in terms of sustainable support to African countries. President Ernest Bai Koroma’s Government is one I could refer to s being pro-poor and pro-people, in the sense that it caters for every Sierra Leone, rich or poor, irrespective of political beliefs. And because of this, President Koroma has decided to appoint His Excellency Abu Bakarr Multi-Kamara as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China.

Who is Abu Bakarr Multi-Kamara?

Abu Bakarr Multi- Kamara has got 25 years of progressive professional experience both as a civil servant and in his tremendous service to the United Nations. Coupled with that, he also has extensive experience in partnership and collaborative work with Governments, agencies of the United Nations regional and international bodies like ECOWAS, AU, DFID, among others and has a proven record and a strong ability to manage humanitarian emergencies.

Between September and November 2011, he was Events Coordinator in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Sierra Leone, where he coordinated and managed administrative and implementing processes towards a high-level Investments and Partnership Forum. Also, he was very strategic in the success of the Strategy and Policy Unit in the office of the President between October 2008-November 2010. As Programme Manager, he ensured that the day-to-day operations of the Unit complied with established procurement and accountability standards.

In 2008, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma had in place a Presidential Transition Team which was there to ensure a smooth transition of power. And between August-September of that year, the newly appointed Ambassador to China served as Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Peace-building and he, together with others, worked with the then out-going Government in ensuring a smooth transition with greater attention to institutions, projects and programmes dealing with national security and peace building.

He also served the United Nations Development Programme in Nigeria, during the period 2004-2007 where he served as Governance Adviser/ECOWAS Focal Point.  Between December 2001 and October 2004, he was Deputy Director at the United Nations Office for Project Services, Programme of Coordination and Assistance for Security and Development, in Bamako, Mali. He also served as Assistant Resident Representative (Programmes), Team Leader, Emergency, Reconciliation and Recovery Unit, UNDP, between 1998 and 2000.

Ambassador Abu Bakarr Multi-Kamara holds a Master of Arts degree in Development Economics from the School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, United Kingdom. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Estate Management from the Department of the Built Environment Polytechnic/University of the South Bank, United Kingdom.   Added to the above is a Post-Graduate Diploma in Economic Development with Distinction, Department of Business Studies, Polytechnic/University of North London, United Kingdom.

He has received several meritorious rewards from the United Nations Development Programme in recognition of his dedicated service to the agency and in 1994 the UNDP rewarded him “in recognition of significant contributions to UNDP/WFP/UNFPA programmes in Sierra Leone, consistent hard work and willingness to accept additional responsibilities; and exceptionally high performance in the development of the United Nations strategy for peace, rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery in Sierra Leone.”

From the above, we see that he has got the required experience to be able to foster the good relationship between Sierra Leone and China.

Bringing more goodies

The strategic position of Asia, especially China to Africa’s economic and infrastructural growth could not be overemphasized. China has been a good partner with Sierra Leone, in terms of Sierra Leone’s development agenda. As President Koroma looks for re-election in November of this year, the development potentials that Sierra Leone stands to benefit from its development partners must be explored for the good of Sierra Leoneans. The appointment of Ambassador Abu Bakarr Multi-Kamara means a lot for Sierra Leone’s development. With his wealth of experience, Sierra Leone stands to get more goodies from Asia in general and specifically from China.

We have seen how China continues to demonstrate its preparedness to be a development partner with Sierra Leone. There is a China-aided road rehabilitation project and the construction of the Charlotte Hydro Power Project which was marked by an official turning of the sod ceremony by President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the Chinese Ambassador Kuang Weilin late last year. The road project, which has an estimated cost of US$30 is the largest undertaken by the Chinese Government in Sierra Leone and will take 25 months to complete.

We have also witnessed an improved relation between China and Sierra Leone in the area of boasting the latter’s educational system with Sierra Leoneans graduating from Chinese Universities every year. China had offered scholarship to over 311 Sierra Leone students since 1976. The appointment of H.E Abu Bakarr Multi-Kamara would therefore serve as an impetus that will continue to strengthen the diplomatic relation between Sierra Leone and China and the other countries that the Mission here in Beijing is accredited to.

I wish him success in his office and may the good works of President Koroma continue to be felt by Sierra Leoneans.

Agriculture has been identified as vital for the development and transformation of Sierra Leone. To address this problem, President Ernest Bai Koroma in 2008 established a Task Force of which he is Chairman to tackle and address the myriad challenges facing the sector.

On Tuesday, February 7 this year, the first meeting to be held outside Freetown took place in the Port Loko District Council Hall with stakeholders of the sector, including farmers’ representatives, traditional leaders, Government Ministers and donors.

President Koroma welcomed attendees and noted that this is the first meeting to be held outside Freetown. He reminded them that the meeting was expected to provide reviews on the agricultural sector and wished everyone fruitful deliberations.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, did a brief presentation on the proposal for the establishment of a Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) which he said is designed to address the spike in prices as well as to minimize impact on private incentives, consistent with promoting the small holder commercialization project.

He noted that the SGR will comprise physical stockpiles that could be complemented by cash reserves, for example, three months food reserve for the country which will approximately cost Government about fifty three million Dollars ($53 m) to establish.

The objective of the reserve, Dr. Sesay maintained, is to manage periods of rapidly increasing prices and cope with food emergencies such as floods. According to him, the indicative size of the SGR will be 69,000 MT (3 months of food for food insecurity). Dr. Sam Sesay however said that the exact size will be determined in due course.

On the operations of the Strategic Reserves Unit established in the MAFFS and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the hardworking Dr. Sesay noted that decisions relating to release of rice remain with government and an early warning system could increase efficiency. He also dilated on the procurement procedure by saying that rice will be bought domestically through an open public tender  to stock the reserve, while adding that the cost will be determined later.

Responding to questions, comments and observations, the Minister of Agriculture noted that the draft proposal of the SGR has been completed, while maintaining that the issue of storage is not too urgent at this preparatory stage as there are several storage facilities across the entire country.

On the issue of cost, he said that the SGR will be released whenever the market price of rice goes up. Timing of the purchase is also very important as government should not wait until February when the prices would have started going up.

President Koroma said there should be a Management Unit to handle the SGR and asked whether the meeting has concluded that the main action point is the acceptance of the proposal presented by the Hon. Minister of AFFS, Dr. Sam Sesay.

Speaking on the development of water points, Dr. Sam Sesay informed that there are 61 water points in Freetown among them four big ones with larger capacities than the Guma Valley Dam in the far west of Freetown . He spoke on the need to protect these water points through law enforcement, a-forestation, community participation, alternative livelihoods, awareness raising and pro-poor financing.

In his brief but insightful presentation, Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Richard Konteh said government will be purchasing about 8,000 bushels of husk rice and 3,000 bushels of grain rice to boost the SGR. He noted that government is anxious to provide a ready market for traders as the SGR should be dominated by our own local rice as a way of reserving more foreign exchange. Dr. Konteh emphasized that his ministry’s plan is to buy more of husk rice rather than milled rice, adding that they plan to buy 30,000 bushels of husk rice to kick start the process.

The MTI minister also disclosed that his ministry is working on a Local Content Policy to ensure we deal with our own local goods, which will be expected to compete with goods from other countries as they will be meeting international standards.

Since Government plays a pivotal role in enhancing the private sector, Dr. Richard Konteh said Government plans to bring the interest rate for particularly Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to a single digit not exceeding 5% per annum. On institutional feeding, Dr. Konteh revealed that the stock in place is not enough to embark on institutional feeding, while suggesting that we should use locally produced rice to do institutional feeding rather than spending huge amounts of money and foreign exchange to import rice into the country. He also maintained that an SME fund will be established to address the financing challenges facing them while the African Development Bank (ADB) will be providing training for them.

  Mohamed Lamin Fofanah

 

Recent appointment of Mr. Mohamed L Fofana as the National Fundraising Director is a direct political sham by the failed Aziz administration. It has not cultivated any meaningful political fruit for the APC North America or for the APC Secretariat in Freetown. What options are left for Aziz and the APC Secretariat and Victor Foe only God knows? It will take a miracle to rescue the sinking ship of Aziz Turay; despite the thousands of dollars the Aziz administration may have alleged to have spent on the APC secretariat as bribes to cover their butts. This has not produced any useful dialogue with the opposition of the former Chairman.
Mohamed L. Fofana the protector of our byelaws decided to defecate on our byelaws and sold us out. After the end of Aziz administration the Chairman of the APC North America Bye laws should have come up with some meaningful solutions in order to call for a Mini convention. Mohamed L. Fofana as a law enforcement officer sold his position in exchange for the position of National fundraising director. It is quite a humiliation and negligent of duty on the side of our Chairman of the APC North America Byelaws Committee. This was a position previously held by a former Member of Parliament, called Honorable Dauda Tumbo. His responsibility was to help raise funds for the APC Party. Honorable Dauda Tumbo was unable to carry out his responsibility effectively, because of his intimate association and marriage with the Aziz administration. Today Honorable Tumbo is missing in action and his mission is a failed one. Despite Mohamed L Fofana being a tall and lanky man, his mission as a National Fundraising Director will be lost in oblivion. The success of that mission lies on the support of the various members of the APC North America and not on the Failed Chairman. Mohammed can take the Carmel for a drink, but Mohammad will not force it to drink.

The APC Secretariat in Freetown has a great responsibility to rescue the North America Branch, giving a blind eye will create a negative result for future political Flag bearer of the party.

                                                          

The theme of the Thanksgiving prayers is of varied purposes.  The goal of the organizers is to pray for a peaceful Sierra Leone. Bring into focus the need to foster the spirit of peace and harmony among Sierra Leoneans. To ask the Almighty God to instill Peace among our various ethnic groups. The last but not the least is to propel a campaign to sustain Sierra Leone women’s respect and empowerment.

  The primary motivating factor is based upon the cultural and traditional believes of our ancestors, which the present generation has ignored and replaced with western values that are imbedded with violence and lack of respect.  This is why a group of patriotic Sierra Leoneans formed a grassroots movement that set the tone for the Thanksgiving for our nation and its wonderful people who had suffered from twelve years of a brutal rebel war.

In other to uphold our tradition Africans should keep the flames of our ancestral believes burning, by setting aside a yearly National day of Appreciation. These are among the core believes of the founders, including the newly elected president, the dynamic community activist, Ms. Rosetta Zizer, who is also one of the founding nationalistic Sierra Leonean.

Because a nation whose populace is without God at heart is a nation that will soon suffer from both religious abstinence, and will experience a downgrade in moral values. By tradition Africans should offer scarifies and thanksgiving to the Almighty at a specific period of the year in appreciation for what the good Lord has done for us. Thus, a significant focus of the event will be on prayers.         

Historically, Sierra Leoneans turned to the Lord for help and salvation during and after the war in record numbers. Today, there are Masjids and Churches in almost every corner of the streets in Freetown, but are we doing the right thing? Doubtful it stood.

 The Thanksgiving gathering in Maryland and Washington DC, is going to be the largest of its kind wherein Sierra Leoneans of different faiths and all works of life shall converge to the tri-city to grace the glorious event.

With the trend of event in religious tolerance and mass construction of religious entities, one might think that our nation has to have a national prayer every month.  But the more sac religious a cross-section of our population becomes the closer to hell they get.  Because what use to be fables and entertaining stories about voodoo that most people believe to have no substantive significance, are now a reality in our nation. As a result, witch craft, witch guns, fangay etc, are publicly displayed and vended on local markets and streets corners. Are we becoming a hell-religious nation?  This led many to wonder how religious we are, our religious orientation has moved from questionable to unbelievable and unbearable.  

The Appreciation Day gathering will comprise of structured speakers and speeches with religious themes. Most prominent are clergies from varied religious denominations that will include both Christians and the Muslims.

The event organizers are of the view that all political parties and Sponsor Organizations should be given a slots to show-case both their intended work, or their current activities.  The political perspective of the government will be equally presented and a catalogue of past, present and probably the future will be discussed by politicians. The organizers also welcome the opposition as the Thanksgiving prayers are meant to search for a bi-lateral meaningful political platform that shall for ever promote peace among all ethnicitiies.

It will be a day of festivities after the Christians and Muslims clergy’s prayers and short speeches to be followed by varied sponsorer’s short speeches, as well.

 The organizers meticulously set the stage by stimulating the tempo of the event from a purely religious and political, to adding a minimal flavor of social escapades that will take the gathering through the night.  The program will closed by a never to be forgotten dance.

Google GmailYahoo MailHotmailAOL MailAny email     By:  State House Communications Unit :

Agriculture has been identified as vital for the development and transformation of Sierra Leone. To address this problem, President Ernest Bai Koroma in 2008 established a Task Force of which he is Chairman to tackle and address the myriad challenges facing the sector.

On Tuesday 7th February, the first meeting to be held outside Freetown was held in the Port Loko District Council Hall with stakeholders of the sector, including farmers’ representatives, traditional leaders, government ministers and donors present.

President Koroma welcomed attendees and noted that this is the first meeting to be held outside Freetown. He reminded them that the meeting was expected to provide reviews on the agricultural sector and wished everyone fruitful deliberations.

The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) Dr. Sam Sesay did a brief presentation on the proposal for the establishment of a Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) which he said is designed to address the spike in prices as well as to minimize impact on private incentives-consistent with promoting smallholder commercialization.

He noted that the SGR will comprise physical stockpiles that could be complemented by cash reserves, for example, three months food reserve for the country which will approximately cost government about 53 million dollars to establish.

The objective of the reserve, Dr. Sesay maintained, is to manage periods of rapidly increasing prices and cope with food emergencies such as floods. According to him, the indicative size of the SGR will be 69,000 MT (3 months of food for food insecurity). Dr. Sam Sesay however said that the exact size will be determined in due course.

On the operations of the Strategic Reserves Unit established in the MAFFS and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), the hardworking Dr. Sesay noted that decisions relating to release of rice remain with government and an early warning system could increase efficiency. He also dilated on the procurement procedure by saying that rice will be bought domestically through an open public tender  to stock the reserve, while adding that the cost will be determined later.

Responding to questions, comments and observations, the Minister of Agriculture noted that the draft proposal of the SGR has been completed, while maintaining that the issue of storage is not too urgent at this preparatory stage as there are several storage facilities across the entire country.

On the issue of cost, he said that the SGR will be released whenever the market price of rice goes up. Timing of the purchase is also very important as government should not wait until February when the prices would have started going up.

President Koroma said there should be a Management Unit to handle the SGR and asked whether the meeting has concluded that the main action point is the acceptance of the proposal presented by the Hon. Minister of AFFS, Dr. Sam Sesay.

Speaking on the development of water points, Dr. Sam Sesay informed that there are 61 water points in Freetown among them four big ones with larger capacities than the Guma Valley Dam in the far west of Freetown . He spoke on the need to protect these water points through law enforcement, a-forestation, community participation, alternative livelihoods, awareness raising and pro-poor financing.

In his brief but insightful presentation, Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Richard Konteh said government will be purchasing about 8,000 bushels of husk rice and 3,000 bushels of grain rice to boost the SGR. He noted that government is anxious to provide a ready market for traders as the SGR should be dominated by our own local rice as a way of reserving more foreign exchange. Dr. Konteh emphasized that his ministry’s plan is to buy more of husk rice rather than milled rice, adding that they plan to buy 30,000 bushels of husk rice to kick start the process.

The MTI minister also disclosed that his ministry is working on a Local Content Policy to ensure we deal with our own local goods, which will be expected to compete with goods from other countries as they will be meeting international standards.

Since government plays a pivotal role in enhancing the private sector, Dr. Richard Konteh said governments plans to bring the interest rate for particularly Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to a single digit not exceeding 5% per annum. On institutional feeding, Dr. Konteh revealed that the stock in place is not enough to embark on institutional feeding, while suggesting that we should use locally produced rice to do institutional feeding rather than spending huge amounts of money and foreign exchange to import rice into the country. He also maintained that an SME fund will be established to address the financing challenges facing SMEs, at the same time the African Development Bank (ADB) will be providing training for SMEs.

Progress on the Smallholder Commercialization Programme (SCP) was effectively elaborated on by the MAFFS minister Dr. Sam Sesay. He expressed delight that the production intensification, value addition and marketing as well as construction of the ABCs are broadly on track. The focus, Dr. Sesay maintained is to have them fully operational and commercialized within the next few months. The meeting was adjourned by His Excellency President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.

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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

The silky-smooth voice, Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston has died at age 48, a family spokesman said on Saturday.

“Unfortunately she is gone,” the spokesman said.

Houston, inspired by soul singers in herNew Jerseyfamily, including mother Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and the late Dee Dee Warwick, as well as her godmother Aretha Franklin, became one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, taking multiple Emmy, Grammy and Billboard Music awards.

Up until her death, she was one of the few singers that effectively bridged the white and black divide in music. Over the years, she has inspired many of today’s hit singers from Mariah Carey to Christina Aguilera.

Her popularity went through the roof in the 1980s and 1990s with consecutive No. 1 hits including the smash single “I Will Always Love You,” from the soundtrack of the feature film “The Bodyguard,” in which she starred. The soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy for Album of the Year.

The circumstances surrounding her death is not yet known.

The world will surely miss you Whitney. May your soul rest in perfect peace!

© 2012, Christian Foday Sesay Jr. EIC. All rights reserved. Discuss this article on the Salone Forum Salone Forum

This stunning death has occured of the world-famous singer, Whitney Houston. We bring you the report by the Associated Press :

Los Angeles (AP) — Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” ”You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

“When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,” she told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that’s their image. It’s part of them, it’s not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody’s angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.”

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

 

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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© 2012, Cocorioko International. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum

President Koroma receiving his honorary degree

Congratulation Dr. Ernest Bai-Koroma….Please read below for his acceptance Speech

Acceptance Speech

This, indeed, is a historic occasion, the import of which is not lost on me – to be invested with the first honorary degree, at the first graduation ceremony of the first private university in Sierra Leone.

My acceptance of this honour, and the initial support my government had given to the establishment of University of Makeni as a private university underscore our firm belief, and resolve, that higher education must play a critical role in the promotion of good governance and sustainable development in Sierra Leone. In my acceptance speech, therefore, I wish to dilate on three interrelated themes relating to higher education: i) the role of higher education in development; ii) the need for relevance in our higher education curricula; and iii) partnership in higher education.

Role of Higher Education in Development

It is now a well established fact that knowledge rules the contemporary world. Our globalised world is driven by a ‘knowledge economy’ which determines in very profound ways how well a country thrives. No more is our rate of development and our prosperity as a nation determined solely by our natural resources. Rather, it is also determined by how knowledgeable, skilled, trained and competent our people are. This is because in the end, these are the factors that determine how effectively and efficiently we utilise the natural resources we have, and the governance structures we put in place to regulate our development.

Sierra Leone, like many other African countries, has made significant strides in primary and secondary education in the past decades. But it has become increasingly evident, however, that higher education can make a significantly more proximate impact on economic growth and on mitigating poverty. Knowledge drives economic growth and development, and higher education is the main source of that knowledge.
We expect our universities to take the lead in generating new ideas, and in accumulating and transmitting knowledge. We recognise that with the phenomenal developments in information and communication technologies and the emergence of new ‘knowledge communities’, universities may no longer be the sole generators of knowledge needed for development.

Nevertheless, we expect that through the exercise of their mandate of research, teaching and service, they will help to produce a high level expertise that will manage development, engineer social transformation, and preserve social values and cultural ethos.
What then are our precise expectations of higher education in Sierra Leone? We expect that both in design and delivery, higher education should aspire to actualise the following:
• Preparation of a high quality workforce equipped with the robust skills needed to adapt to changing job requirements, and to ‘hold its own’ in a highly competitive globalised world: One of our critical challenges as a nation is how best to provide strategically the human capacity needed to strengthen economic development. With the current and anticipated technological and industrial changes, more positions will require some higher education, and there will be an on-going need for continuing education to meet the demands for new skills. Our universities should design programmes to meet this need.
• Dissemination of research and promoting technology transfer: Our pace of development will be measured by the extent to which we contribute to technological innovation, and how we harness the vast potentials of technology to transform our society. In other words, we have to transcend our current status of ‘technology consumers’ to become ‘technology innovators’. This can only be achieved through a higher education system with a vibrant research and development (R&D) structure. Our universities must take a lead in building this structure in partnership with our fast growing industrial sector. Our university graduates should not only be more aware of and better able to use new technologies. They should also be more likely to develop new tools and skills themselves, using the local resources available.
• Improving teaching and learning at all levels of the education sector: It is the business of higher education, and the universities in particular, to nurture and strengthen all other levels of the education system – from pre-school to graduate level. By producing top quality teachers, they can enhance the quality of primary and secondary education systems while also giving secondary graduates greater opportunities for economic advancement. By also carrying out high quality, situation-specific research into our education system, they can proffer solutions to the current inefficiencies and imbalances in it that manifest in poor performance at public examinations, a high drop-out rate, gender inequality in enrolments, and the spate of graduate unemployment that has become noticeable.
• Providing lifelong learning opportunities: In a globalised world in which the quantum of knowledge increases at a phenomenal rate, and new skills and competencies are continually being required, our universities should be structured to provide opportunities for lifelong learning. This requires developing mechanisms for identifying or anticipating current, emerging and future personal and societal needs, as well as the needs of business and industry.
• Championing societal transformational by nurturing good governance and leadership skills: Our universities should be the ‘incubators’ for talented individuals imbued with good attitudes, good decision-making skills, respect for the rule of law and for fair play and justice. They should be the places where students graduate with a deep appreciation of fair legal and political institutions, and of the values of transparency and accountability. Our graduates should be people skilled in addressing environmental problems and in improving security against internal and external threats. In this light, it is profoundly regrettable that our universities and other tertiary institutions now seem to have become ‘incubators’ of cultism and other unwholesome social behaviours.

In summary, our higher education should help us, in the knowledge economy of today’s world, to keep up with more technologically advanced societies. The knowledge, skills and competencies they provide, and the values and attitudes they nurture should help not only to accelerate our development pace, and to take our place once again as a respectable member of the global community. Higher education can produce both public and private benefits.

The private benefits for individuals include better employment prospects, higher salaries, and a greater ability to save and invest. These benefits may result in better health and improved quality of life. But all these benefits are hinged on the quality and relevance of the knowledge generated in our higher education institutions. Let me now address the issue of relevance.

Need for Relevance in Higher Education Curricula

There is the well known saying that “no nation can rise above the quality of its educational system”. This quality, very often than not, is determined by how relevant the content of education is to the current, emerging and future needs of the country. Firstly our curricula must embed harnessing science and technology. In a knowledge economy, a science and technology-based higher education can help our economy gain ground on more technologically advanced societies, as our graduates are likely to be more aware of and better able to use new technologies.
I am not, by any means, implying here that higher education should be all about science and technology. Rather, my position is that higher education, and our universities in particular must respond to national and regional needs, and must also be proactive in identifying national and regional strategies for development, and supporting them.

Our universities must increasingly be ones that are entrepreneurial, and that create the capacity for people to directly relate research to what happens in our society, and in everyday life. Increasingly, they should be producing graduates with the capacity to create jobs, for themselves and for others. Our universities can no longer remain ‘ivory towers’, enjoying a state of privileged seclusion from the practicalities of the real world.

Partnership in Higher Education

Higher education is called upon, among other things, to provide the expertise that feeds into business and industry, as well as the public sector. There are many ways by which higher education can serve as a critical resource for business and industry.

It is not surprising, therefore, that university-public/private partnerships have become an important item on national policy agendas of many countries. These partnerships underscore the growing importance of knowledge as a production factor. Sierra Leone needs a viable partnership between higher education, business and industry in order to create a robust educational infrastructure that would support a thriving economy. This calls for a shared commitment by all sectors, private and public, to increase the value placed on education and to improve the educational programmes that would assure the steady flow of expertise from higher education into business and industry.

Vital collaborations among government, academia and industry are being championed by my government in key research areas relating to agriculture and food security, human resource development, medicine and good governance, among others. Such collaborations have served to promote greater interaction among key partners, and create a friendly and conducive environment for innovation. It is the wish of my government to continue and intensify this collaboration.

The recently concluded Sierra Leone Conference on Transformation and Development greatly emphasized education as an engine of transformation. Nothing transforms the lives of individuals, communities and nations more than relevant education. With education we can transform the natural resources of this nation into great wealth for the benefit of all of us.
Conclusion

Let me end by thanking the Council and Senate of the University of Makeni for honouring me with this investiture. I see it as a significant symbol of appreciation for the role my government has played, and will continue to play, in repositioning and enhancing higher education to better serve our development aspirations. Let me also thank the Catholic Mission for establishing this premier centre of learning. Christ is the greatest teacher, and He also healed the sick and fed the hungry.

May this University and its graduates live up to the ideals of teaching, healing, feeding, and transforming our nation. May the first graduates of this institution be examples of faith, service and relevance to their communities, the nation and the world. The world may sometimes be a tough place, but your education should enable you to overcome challenges; your education must make you tougher, but more compassionate; and more importantly, your education should enable you to lift this country, with God’s Grace, higher and higher and higher.
I THANK YOU ALL

© 2012, Christian Foday Sesay Jr. EIC. All rights reserved. Discuss this article on the Salone Forum Salone Forum