News

By Hajaratu Kalokoh

Lecturers at Fourah Bay College (FBC) have demanded that the government of Sierra Leone withdraws from the responsibility of directly paying their salaries with immediate effect. The Academic Staff Association (ASA) took the position in a statement issued to the press last week.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Some children who were members of the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) have testified against Dr. Sylvia Blyden at the Commissions of Inquiry, accusing her of ordering the assault on them.

According to the children’s testimonies on Thursday, they were physically assaulted at the premises of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs by a group of “thugs” who were allegedly hired by Blyden who was then the minister.

By Umaru Fofana

The Sierra Leone Government has scrapped entry visas effective this week and has duly informed all its embassies, airline operators and international partners and other government bodies. 

Travellers will now get visa on arrival at the airport or the land border. 

Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Rahman Swaray told Politico that this was a move to encourage tourism and business in the country.

By Umaru Fofana

The spokesman of the main opposition All People’s Congress says he is prepared to return home.

Speaking to Politico from The Gambia, Cornelius Deveaux said if the police withdrew the “wanted” notice and dropped the le 5 million bounty on his head he would be prepared to come back to Sierra Leone immediately.

He was declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police following clashes at the APC party headquarters on 31 May. The police accused him of public order offences and asked him to report to them.

By Mabinty M. Kamara

A month since the August 2^nd flooding that wreaked havoc in part of Freetown, one of the victims remain in a hospital bed in need of urgent medical attention.

Ramatu Kamara, 22, was hit by a falling fence which left her severely injured. Doctors at the Connaught hospital, where she has been admitted, said she can only survive her condition with a surgery overseas and the nearest facility is in Ghana.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nabeela Tunis has said government is concerned about the ongoing persecution of African immigrants in South Africa.

The persecution which started early this week has already claimed five lives and displaced hundreds of foreign nationals.

Speaking to Politico in a telephone interview, Tunis said: “We are concerned as a government about the situation in South Africa.”

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is in Ghana to attend a meeting on peace and security in Africa.

Koroma will be among other former leaders of the continent at the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum, organized by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), in collaboration with the Federal Government of Germany and the Government of Norway.

The forum is being convened on the theme: “Peace Operations in the Context of Violent Extremism in Africa.”