Feature

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

On Saturday the conference on peace and national cohesion, better known as Bintumani III, ended at the Bintumani International Conference centre in Freetown. The conference is part of President Julius Maada Bio’s dream of having a Peace and National Cohesion Commission established in Sierra Leone.

The overall goal is to unite a country that is sharply divided along political party, regional and ethnic lines.

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

On a cloudy Wednesday morning, amidst a sign of an impending torrential downpour, a group of commuters are chasing a moving vehicle. The white mini bus had just arrived at the Wellington Lorry Park and it’s slowing down to a halt.

The scramble for a seat in public transport vehicles is a familiar sight across Freetown, where shortage of means of transportation has exacerbated the experience of many Sierra Leoneans already anguished by a perennial economic hardship.

By Makmid Kamara

The Bintumani III conference for peace and national cohesion held last week. A lot of things were said. A lot more were left unsaid. It has left behind debates on both traditional and social media. Some boycotted it (some opposition political parties), others have called it a waste of resources and others still have regarded it as mere opportunity for political posturing. I hold a different view and here is why.

By Abdul Tejan-Cole

Mokgadi Caster Semenya is a woman and she should be allowed to compete as one. Period! This is where this story should end. But sadly it doesn’t.

By Kemo Cham

“It is better to teach someone how to fish than to give them fish every day,” declares James R. S. Kamara, to a rousing applause from fellow villagers of Maborie.

When residents of this predominantly agrarian community became fed up with their children traveling long distance to school, they decided to have their own. But with the competition for the meager resources, they realized it would take long, if not impossible, for government to build them a school, and so they decided to do it themselves.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Day 1: The opening

Finally! So this was Bintumani III. The buildup was almost overshadowed by the boycott from political parties. Coalition for Change and All Peoples Congress pulled out but somehow the National Grand Coalition cushioned that effect by making a sudden U-turn, just hours to the opening of the event.

It is important to note that the turn out wasn’t disappointing, especially on day one. The frank discussions about peace actually kicked in on day two.

MR. SPEAKER, HON. VICE PRESIDENT, HON. CHIEF JUSTICE, MINISTERS OF GOVERNMENT, HON. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT THE FIRST LADY, EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members of this august body, I committed in my maiden address to this body on May 10, 2018 to transforming the economy, creating the ecosystem for investment and private sector growth, investing in human capital development, and making wide ranging institutional and governance reforms.