News

By Mustapha Sesay

Parliament on Tuesday ratified a US$10 million loan agreement åbetween the government of Sierra Leone and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to finance a project aimed at improving the health system, with specific focus on reducing maternal and neonatal mortality.

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Richard Moigbe has promised “credible” investigations into alleged killings involving officers of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP).

DIG Moigbe, who was speaking at a press briefing held at the SLP Headquarters in Freetown on Wednesday, said the alleged murders involving Police constables Osman Conteh and Mohamed Sultan Kargbo would be independently investigated by the CID.

Conteh stands accused of shooting to death Alimamy Kamara, while Kargbo allegedly murdered his 11-year old son.

By Mustapha Kamara Jnr

A Sierra Leonean human rights advocate who was detained and forcefully deported from The Gambian is calling on the Sierra Leone government and the international community to help him secure justice.

Peeble Romer lived in Gambia for over ten years and led the advocacy group seeking the Abolition of war in West Africa (ABOWA), an organization he set up as a refugee living in The Gambia. Romer said it was dedicated to the prevention of war in Africa.

By Mustapha Sesay

Parliament on Tuesday approved Mohamed Alie Bah as the new Minister of State in the office of the Vice President.

Mr Bah, who replaces Harriet Turay, a respected veteran women`s rights activist, was approved together with seven other Presidential appointees who would serve as board members in different government parastatals.

Nine leading newspapers and about 15 journalists in eight West African countries have highlighted a dysfunctional health system in the region and called for action by the authorities and the public through demanding accountability.

A press release issued Monday by “Ouestaf News” operated by the nine newspapers says “the extent of the Ebola outbreak…has exposed the dysfunctions and mismanagement of health systems and services in the region”.

By Umaru Fofana just back from Kailahun

The community health officer at the Buedu health centre in the eastern Kailahun district has complained bitterly over the non-payment of hazard allowance to him and his staff even before the abolition of the special incentive.

Amadu Kanneh, who supervises health centres in the Kissi Tongay chiefdom, told Politico that he had still not received his hazard pay for January, February and March and that many of his colleagues were still owed for October 2014 to March 2015.

By  Mustapha Kamara Jnr

The executive director of the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL), Ibrahim Tommy, has called for an urgent reform of the justice sector to halt prevalent violations of fundamental human rights of citizens.