News

By Bob Batilo Saffa in Kailahun

Thirteen candidates from six ruling houses are vying to become Paramount Chief of the Peje Bonga chiefdom in the Kailahun district.

It followed a recent announcement by the National Electoral Commission declaring a vacancy in the chiefdom.

In a recent chiefdom meeting held at the Court Barray in Manowa, the Regent Chief (or Acting Chief) Musa Sheriff acknowledged the receipt of 13 application letters from various people from the various ruling houses in the chiefdom.

By Mathew Kanu in Makeni

A random sampling of views amongst parents ahead of the reopening of schools in Makeni indicates that most parents are particularly concerned about paying “exorbitant fees” for their children.

The Politico vox-pop revealed that there were other concerns like the “high cost of living, transportation fares and the high cost of learning materials for children”

But the most common concern was fees for pupils in the public examination classes.

By Kenneth Thompson

A 29-year-old man is currently under preliminary investigations at the Freetown magistrates’ court No.2 for allegedly raping a 60-year-old woman. He faces a two-count charge of rape and malicious damage.

Being a co-tenant, the accused allegedly raped the elderly woman while she was sleeping at their Kolleh Town residence on Saturday 7 September this year.

Testifying in chambers as the first prosecution witness, the victim said that she took some sleeping pills “to aid my rest as I had been ill for the past two days”.

By Fasalie S. Kamara

Minister of Water Resources, Momodu Maligie says Sierra Leone is set to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target in water supply. Addressing his maiden news conference since his appointment, Maligie said the country was responding to the MDG target by increasing the supply of treated water to 74% by 2015. He said at present 57% had access to treated water nationwide with only 37% in the rural areas.