News

By Mohamed Massaquoi in Bo

Police in the southern regional headquarter town of Bo have confirmed to Politico the arrest of 40 young men and women suspected of involvement in violent cultism.

The police regional media officer South, Inspector Mohamed Bobson Senu, said the development followed an increase in gang crime in the region.

“The city is presently faced with the issue of some cliques comprising of both boys and girls who have been attacking innocent people and injuring them over their properties,” he said.

By Kemo Cham

After successfully championing the enactment of the Freedom of Information law in Sierra Leone, the Society for Democratic Initiative (SDI) has unveiled its next big assignment.

The local NGO will lead a group of NGOs and INGOs to convince politicians to review a new government policy on the operations of NGO`s in the country. The new policy which has already been drafted as a bill and is due to be presented in parliament for enactment is seen by activists as potentially dangerous for the freedom of expression.

Member of Parliament for Constituency 016, SLPP MP Moiwai Momoh, has said the minister of Finance and Economic Development Kaifala Marah needs to give assurance for the 2016 budget which he said was based on mere assumption.

The MP made this statement on Monday November 16, at the beginning of debate on the budget that was presented to parliament on 6^th November this year.

By Kemo Cham

The World Bank’s position on the liberalization of Sierra Leone`s international telecommunications gateway is non-negotiable, new country manager Parminder Brar has said.

The global lender is on a collision course with Sierra Leone whose government appears to have reneged on an agreement that saw the Bank poured millions of US Dollars into its fiber optic project.

By Kemo Cham

President Ernest Bai Koroma has called on Sierra Leoneans to reconsider traditional practices that impacted negatively on health as the country was declared free of the Ebola epidemic over the week end.

Declaring a 'new beginning', the president on Saturday urged the nation to learn from the lessons entailed in the fight against the epidemic. He singled out paying close attention to details as fundamental attribute worth retaining.

By Mustapha Sesay  

The United Nations children agency, UNICEF, is advocating for children`s participation in government discussion to draw up the 2016 budget.

UNICEF says it will be supporting 28 boys and girls from across the country to meet with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and members of parliament in Freetown.

By Kemo Cham

Ahead of the highly anticipated event marking the official end of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, the head of the National Ebola Response Center (NERC) said it has ordered the military to tightened security at the border with neighboring Guinea.

Major (rtd) Alfred Palo Conteh, Chief Executive Officer of the NERC, said the Eleventh Infantry Battalion in Kambia District which shares a very busy border crossing point with Guinea, had been instructed to ensure that anyone entering from Guinea be subjected to through screening.