News

By Politico Staff Writer

The Sierra Leone government's plan to create a commission for peace and cohesion took a giant leap last week with the presentation of a bill to parliament for approval.

The Bill entitled: “The Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion" is the blueprint for the establishment of a commission for promotion of peace, national cohesion and development in the country.

By Francis H. Murray

Police in the Southern District Headquarter town of Bo have arrested one Jeremiah Mbaimba Tucker, a herbalist, for an alleged case of exhuming human remains for ritual purposes.

Tucker was arrested on Sunday 8^th November by night police personnel deployed at the Sammy community, along the Bo- Koribondo Highway. Police say he was in possession of decomposed human remains, including a human skull and hand, together with a white burial cloth, all of which he admitted to have exhumed from a community cemetery.

By Saio Marrah

The Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, has announced a 75 percent pay rise for all security personnel in Sierra Leone starting 2021 financial year.

The announcement was made as part of the budget presentation on Friday. According to Saffa, the increase will be effected in three years, meaning 25 percent per year.

By Francis H. Murray

The Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) has engaged members of parliament on the establishment of the wages and compensation commission.

The new commission, authorities say, is not only aimed at harmonizing salaries and wages of employees across the country but also addressing disparities in wages and salaries.

The deliberations took place on Monday 9^th November, in Committee Room One, Parliament Building in Freetown.

By Francis H. Murray

The Head of the Child Labour Unit at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Abdul Karim Conteh, has expressed the need for the government to establish special budgetary allocation to the Ministry in order to foster the elimination of the worst forms of child Labour in the country.

By Francis H. Murray

In an effort to reduce rice importation and increase production in the country by 50%, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, through the Regional Rice Value Chain Project (RRVCP), has engaged key stakeholders in Kambia and Bonthe districts. The reason for the engagement is to identify districts and solicit their support and full participation in the acquisition of the farmland and the expected role of the community and district stakeholders in the implementation of the project.

By Abass Jalloh

Despite Sierra Leone’s impressive performance in the 2020 Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Scorecard, land rights activists have expressed dissatisfaction over its failure on the indicator concerning Land Rights and Access.

The country scored 24% on land rights and access, and 38% on Natural Resource Protection. The campaigners are therefore calling for the government’s swift action on addressing some of the obvious causes of what they described as consistent poor performances in that regard.