News

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

The authorities in Kono have declared an indefinite night time curfew in a bid to stem the spread of Ebola.

The edict which was announced by Paramount Chief Paul Saquee at a District Task Force meeting last night, starts today and will last from 10:00 PM - 07:00 AM.

No vehicles will be allowed into the district after 8PM.

Over 110 civil society organisations across West Africa have called on ECOWAS to appoint a Special Envoy on Ebola in the light of the current epidemic in the sub region.

The organisations include the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL), Centre for the Coordination of Youth Activities CCYA) ActionAid Sierra Leone and Democracy Salone.

By Crispina Cummings

Don Bosco Fambul, a child protection organisation in Freetown, has promised to embark on an extended service to provide legal support to young prisoners in the country.

Its director, Brother Lothar Wagner, told journalists on Friday that they would join efforts with Caritas to seek justice for young prisoners. He said the move was significant “because it would help provide legal aid to under-aged and marginalised youngsters at the Pademba Road central prison”.

By Crispina Cummings

Member of Parliament for Constituency 94 has donated Personal Protective Equipment, PPEs, to health centres in Waterloo and Tombo to help in the fight against Ebola.

Kemohkoh Conteh made the donations at his “Kick Ebola out of Constituency 94 and Sierra Leone” campaign last week. The package included 5 cartons of PPEs, 130 plastic buckets, six megaphones and three infrared thermometers for each of the health facilities.

By Mohamed Massaquoi

Pujehun District Descendant Association, PDDA, through the district health management team, has donated money and food items for Ebola suspected cases and people in quarantined homes in the district.

PDDA National Chairman, Patrick Ansu "Carburetor" Kaikai said the items cost Le 36 million which money he said had come from executive members of the association and other indigenes of the district.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Regional Manager of the Anti-Corruption Commission office in Kono, has warned against misuse of funds meant to fight the Ebola virus disease and threatened huge penalty on conviction.

At a well-attended District Ebola Taskforce Committee meeting held at the government hospital in Koidu, Rev. Bob Kandeh strictly warned organisations and individuals handling such resources to use them judiciously and avoid being caught by ACC after the outbreak would have been eradicated.

Following a meeting yesterday, the French government has warned all its nationals to avoid travelling to Sierra Leone and Liberia due to the Ebola outbreak.

Paris also asked Air France, one of only three airlines flying to and from Freetown, to suspend flights to the Sierra Leone capital. But on both counts they did not affect Guinea.