News

By Allieu Sahid Tunkara

The Freetown City Council (FCC) has attained a major aspect of its transformation drive with the relocation of dozens of beggars from the Central Business District of Freetown.

The Council said 62 beggars who used to live around the iconic Cotton Tree at the center of the city have been relocated to Moriba Village outside Waterloo. It followed the payment of Le37million as rental allowance to the beggars.

By Prince J. Musa

Officials of Statistics Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) have appealed for cooperation in the ongoing data collection exercise as part of the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

The appeals were made in Kenema District were reports say people are refusing to cooperate with enumerators.

The DHS is an household sample survey periodically conducted to monitor changes in population, health and nutrition status of the people.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The Independent Police Complaint Board (IPCB) has proposed a new bill seeking to give it more powers to enhance its oversight functions over the Sierra Leone Police.

On Wednesday officials of the Board held their first consultation with members of the Committee on Internal Affairs in the House of Parliament, where board Chairman Richard Shealton Freeman made a case for a new law.

By Hajaratu Kalokoh
The Sierra Leone government has announced an indefinite ban on all students’ union activities at the Fourah Bay College (FBC) following an outbreak of violence on Tuesday.
The violence broke out during a debate by candidates contesting the presidency for the union.

Supporters of the rival candidates pelted stones at each other and engaged in a running battle with the police who helplessly fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the rioting students.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

Sierra Leone's opposition National Grand Coalition (NGC) has ended its boycott of the electoral process with the announcement of its intention to contest upcoming by-elections in Waterloo and Koinadugu.

The party said the decision was necessitated by a show of commitment by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to implement electoral reforms.

By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay

The passing of the amended Sexual Offences Act of 2019 has been delayed by at least two weeks for further consultations by stakeholders.

Alhaji Mohamed Hajji Kella, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children Affairs, made the announcement in committee room one in Parliament on Monday following an engagement with the Speaker Dr Abbass Bundu.

By Hajaratu Kalokoh

Justice Bankole Thompson has ended probe into the expenses of  Sierra Leone's Ministry of Agriculture as part of the ongoing investigations at the Commission of Inquiry. 

Monday’s proceeding saw lead Defense Counsel Lansana Dumbuya cross examined the last witness of this investigation, Edward Bassie Kamara.

Kamara, who is Chief Accountant at the Ministry of Agriculture, was on the stand to explain why certain names of people reported to have received payment were not included on bank statements of the ministry.