News

By Mustapha Sesay

In recent times the international community has praised the National Electoral Commission (NEC) for conducting elections they’d described as ‘free and fair’, especially those conducted in 2007 and 2012. Both elections apparently witnessed little direct involvement of outsiders, the international community, into the process.

By Mustapha Kamara Jnr

Human Rights Defenders Network- Sierra Leone (HRDN-SL), a local human rights advocacy group, has called on government to lift the State of Public Health Emergency, citing its negative effects on the masses.

The organization, among others, accused state authorities of using the emergency regulations to stifle liberty rather than for its expressed purpose.

By Mustapha Sesay

Officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism say high cost of flight tickets is impeding the growth of the tourism industry of Sierra Leone.

Presenting the 2014 status report to the parliamentary oversight committee on Tourism, the delegation which included Acting Minister of Tourism Kadie Sesay said this situation has caused the country to lose tourists to other unnamed countries.

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

Co-chairman of the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) has warned the Sierra Leone subset of the global initiative against the implication political interference.

The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) is seeking to promote transparency in payments in the extractive sector.

Dr Steave Manteaw was assessing the work of the Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) in Freetown.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi

A magistrate court, sitting in the southern district town of Pujehun, has committed for trial in the high court in Bo two cases of sexual offences ranging from rape and sexual penetration and one on larceny.

Magistrate George Edwin said Kamanda Massaquoi, who told the police that he was 16 years old, had a case to answer to in the high court on one count charge of rape, contrary to section six of the sexual offences Act of 2012 being his instrument.

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

Young Entrepreneurs Network, a local civil society organisation focusing on the training of young people in entrepreneurial skills, has called on government to improve on its skills training schemes for the youths.

By Joseph Lamin Kamara

Their fear is that they will lose votes in elections if they eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). And their argument is that the practice is an age-old aspect of our tradition. But they will not say the former openly. And when they are forced to talk about the issue they will either be hesitant or reticent.