News

By Francis H. Murray

President Julius Maada Bio has assured members of the diplomatic and consular corps, as well as development partners of Sierra Leone, that robust response measures were being instituted as part of government’s strides to prevent Covid-19 from entering the country.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

President Julius Maada Bio has appointed Daniel Kaitibie as the new Director General of the National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM). Kaitibie, who was the deputy director general until his new appointment, replaces Maxwell Massaquoi.

The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement from State House.

It is not clear why Massaquoi was sacked. But he just returned from a month long suspension, amidst murmur about bad blood between him and Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Rahman Swaray.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

Petty traders in Freetown have complained about the impact of the city council’s latest ban on night trading, which is part of the response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Some of the traders who depend on night sales told Politico that they feared the ban by the Freetown City Council (FCC) would seriously impact their livelihoods by reducing the “meagre” profits they were making.

By Kemo Cham

President Julius Maada Bio on Friday ordered the closure of all of Sierra Leone’s land borders as part of efforts to keep the Coronavirus disease out of the country.

According to a statement from the State House, the shutdown took effect on midnight Saturday March 28. The statement issued from the office of the Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman added that the measure will last for 90 days, subject to review.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) has rejected the findings of the just concluded Commissions of Inquiry (COI), describing it as unacceptable due to its lack of legal premises.

The APC singled out the lead Commissioner, Justice Biobele Georgewill, for criticism, accusing him of fanning hate.

By Prince J Musa in Kenema

The Minister of Works and Public Assets, Peter Bayuku Konteh, in collaboration with officials of the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA), has ended a regional tour to monitor feeder roads local councils are constructing in the east of the country.

Mr Conteh and delegation visited Kenema, Kailahun and Kono districts where they checked the progress of the roads under construction.

By Francis H. Murray

Thomas Moore Conteh, a civil society campaigner arrested for involvement in an anti-government protest earlier this month, has been acquitted and discharged of all counts leveled against him by the Sierra Leone Police. Magistrate Mark Ngeba dismissed the case on Friday for “lack of evidence”.