News

By Hajaratu Kalokoh

Government sponsored students at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology have expressed concern over the continued delay in the payment of their tuition fees, which they say has prevented them from attending lectures, four weeks since they commenced.

Only students who are sponsored privately are currently attending lectures.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has condemned the decision by the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to register and verify citizens for the purpose of the voter list.

In a press conference held on Thursday, the party described the move as “illegal” as it’s within the mandate of the Authority.

National Secretary General of APC, Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh, said they had already written a letter to President Julius Maada Bio clearly stating their position on the issue.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay and Francis Murray

Members of Parliament have highlighted major loopholes in the National Disaster Management Agency Bill that was brought in front of the house on Thursday, causing a delay in passing it as expected.

The concerns raised about the bill ranged from the leadership of the board, the necessity of the agency itself, its function and possible overlap of functions with similar institutions.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

The Government of Sierra Leone has convened a seminar to focus on fixing the country’s economic challenges and increasing service delivery. The seminar comes just six weeks after a cabinet retreat which also focused on service delivery. In that retreat, President Julius Maada Bio declared 2020 as “The Year of delivery”. Tuesday’s seminar was aimed at giving the different heads of government the political orientation they need to follow the President’s “New Direction” agenda, according to government officials.

By Hajaratu Kalokoh

The telecommunications operator, Orange Sierra Leone, has launched a specialized internet package for school pupils across the country. The product known as ‘’Students pack’’ was launched on Wednesday at the St Joseph Secondary School in Freetown.

The company said the product is designed to expose pupils to data usage and to facilitate learning process at a lower cost.

By Prince J Musa in Kenema

The Ministry of Health and the China Center for Disease Control (CDC) have held an engagement session with Paramount Chiefs in Kenema District on a planned survey on Lassa Fever carrying rodents.

Lassa Fever is a hemorrhagic fever disease that is transmitted by a host of vectors that include rats. Communities where rat is consumed are prone to the disease. In Sierra Leone, the eastern region has long been identified as part of the Lassa Fever Belt that also include about half a dozen other West African countries.

By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Sierra Leone has cleared Supreme Minerals Corporation Sierra Leone Limited to commence mining gold in Valunia Chiefdom, Bo district.

EPA gave the company its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license over the weekend.

Copies of a correspondence sent to the company by the agency indicate that the EIA license is valid for twelve months from 03/02/2020 to 02/02/2021 and it’s for small scale gold mining.