Visit Sierra Leone

Recent political developments unfolding in the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone seem quite bizarre yet unique and interesting. This is as a result of the government’s pharisaical, inconsistent, parochial and selective/double standard posture in that direction. Sometime last month, I reacted rather angrily to a press statement from President Koroma’s press secretary titled “President Koroma names and shames corrupt government institutions”.  I lambasted the president’s press secretary for a worthless demagogic propaganda in support of the government’s efforts in the fight against corruption, and the president for his lip service, lack of political will, and doing too little all too late to tackle the hydra headed monster and canker worm of corruption.

A tender launched by NPA, in July 2009, to attract foreign power companies to operate and maintain installations in accordance with internationally recognised standards was won by EEPCo, which sees itself working abroad for the first time in its half-century-plus-experience in the management of hydroelectric power dams in Ethiopia.

President Ernest Bai Koroma has officially unveiled the historic and unique war monument constructed along State Avenue in Freetown.

The war monument was constructed by the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) in honour and remembrance of all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the First and Second World Wars and the brutal decade old war that ravaged Sierra Leone.

In attendance during the grand event that took place on Thursday 18th February 2010 includes former President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, Vice President Sam Sumana, present and past Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, Members of the Business Community, Soldiers, Police and well wishers.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, said today it will launch its Business Edge training product in Sierra Leone by March 2010 deepening its support for businessmen and women in the country and helping them acquire the skills they need to succeed.

IFC is currently seeking partners to deliver Business Edge training in Sierra Leone, where it is supporting private sector recovery and growth. Business Edge is an interactive learning program that offers skills training to help managers increase their knowledge and run more efficient businesses. The product has helped thousands of entrepreneurs in emerging markets improve their skills and businesses.

Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC Resident Representative for Sierra Leone and Liberia, said, “We are seeking to create partnerships with local consultants, qualified firms and institutions to launch and manage Business Edge in Sierra Leone. Supporting smaller businesses is a major focus of IFC’s work, particularly in African countries recovering from conflict, where a stronger small business sector will help create employment and support economic growth.”

African Minerals, the Aim-quoted mining company, said it was sitting on the largest industry certified resource of magnetite iron ore in the world, after revising upward the size of a deposit in Sierra Leone to an estimated 10.5bn tonnes.

The results of drilling at the Tonkolili project comply with the Joint Ore Reserve Committee, or JORC, the industry standard for verification of mineral deposits, and were signed off by the well-regarded SRK Consultancy.

But some mining analysts said investors should be cautious and questioned the record of Frank Timis, executive chairman and major shareholder of African Minerals, one of the largest mining companies on Aim by market capitalisation.

The recommendations for reform towards a better health care delivery system in Sierra Leone done by the Anti Corruption Commission reveals that both Government Hospitals and Health Centers should both display price list and account for funds collected.
Rashid Turay attached to the Systems and Process Review of the ACC, said in an interview that after they did a systems review of all Government hospitals in the country, they recommended that hospitals should display a price list of all medical charges. He said that will enable people to know the services or drugs they pay for.
What the review observed in the area of revenue collection was that there exists a confused landscape for revenue collection among the health delivery institutions. A unified or centralized system for the purpose of revenue collection was absent.

It’s the largest agricultural investment ever in the West African nation of Sierra Leone—and a Swiss firm is behind it. Addax Bioenergy, based in Geneva, just signed a deal that will allow it to produce 100,000 cubic meters of bioethanol from sugar cane within the next two years alone.

In Sierra Leone, people are enthusiastic and looking forward to more jobs and benefits. This deal also suggests that Switzerland won’t be left behind in the race for productive land on the African continent.

The Freetown City Council (FCC) is reported to have applied for a license to the Independent Media Commission (IMC) to own and operate a radio station in the Western Area for which reason is obvious.

Even though its planners are hiding under the cloak of using the radio to propagate and disseminate what they claim to be Council's activities to its constituents, the obvious rationale behind this whole gimmick is to provide avenue for the APC party to propagate its political messages to residents of Freetown in readiness for the upcoming 2012 general elections.

Three pediatric surgeons from Germany will visit Sierra Leone to offer free medical services for children with specific conditions requiring pediatric surgical expertise.

Dr. T Gresing, a consultant pediatric surgeon and head of department at Pediatric Surgery at the Evangelical Hospital in Lippstadt, Germany, Dr. El-Naieb, also a consultant in private practice, and Sierra Leonean-born retired pediatrician based in Germany, Dr. Morley Wright, will arrive in Freetown on March 12 this year.

Sierra Leone's Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Jongopie Siaka Stevens informed this reporter in an exclusive interview at the Embassy in Berlin on Monday January 1 about plans to empower youths in Sierra Leone and promote investment programmes through the support of the Federal Republic of Germany.