News

By Prince Musa

The underdevelopment and deplorable state of Kenema District should be blamed on bad politicking, a government minister says.

Ishmail Sengu Koroma, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, blamed the situation on local politicians whom he accused of “jealousy, tribalism and selfish leadership.” 

He also vowed to use force, if necessary, to get people to tow the line of the government for development to come to the eastern district.

By Kemo Cham

The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has put in motion a system of self-regulation in a bid to win public support for greater press freedom.

The association last week kick started a campaign to popularize its revised Code of Ethics which seeks to promote professionalism among its members.

SLAJ president, Kelvin Lewis, was quoted saying journalists should choose between journalism and politics and that genuine practitioners should endeavor to let the public easily distinguish them from impostors.

By Kemo Cham

Exactly one year to the day the World Health Organisation first declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, the country will mark the occasion with a three-minute silence.

According to a statement from State House, at exactly 11:00 am on Monday 7 November, flags on all government buildings will fly at half mast. 

All vehicles are expected to stop, and classes in schools and all other learning institutions will also grind to a halt lasting the moment of silence. 

By Kemo Cham

The Sierra Leone government is set to end 10 years of state subsidy on petroleum products, officials have confirmed, bringing to an end weeks of speculation on the vexed issue that has left civil society and political opposition up in arms.

Government officials said last week at a special press conference that the decision was being taken as part of austerity measures announced in the beginning of October.

By Prince Musa 

The police Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the alleged disappearance of Le40 million from the Kenema District Health Management Team (DHMT), Politico has learnt.

The money, according to officials, was meant for the just-concluded mass polio immunisation campaign.

At the centre of the investigation is the Finance Officer of the DHMT, Edward Senessie, from whose office the money was allegedly taken. 

By Prince Musa

Agents of the state-owned Sierra Leone State Lottery (SLSL) in Kenema have accused the company of a breach of contract and threatened action if their grievances were not addressed.

They say Lotto has “repeatedly failed” to pay customers with winning tickets, and that they are also unhappy about the technical problems they encounter making it difficult for them to serve their customers.

By Septimus Senessie

Sierra Leone’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday ordered the arrest and detention of the Procurement Officer of the Kono District Council, Thomas Bangura.

According to Wilfred Bangura who heads the ACC Office in the eastern district, Thomas is being held at the Tankoro Police Station.

He told Politico that the suspect spent the night in detention after failing to meet his bail conditions.