News

By Mohamed T Massaquoi in Pujehun

Authorities in disaster-prone Pujehun have reactivated the District Disaster Management Committee ahead of anticipated heavy downpours that have in the past led to flooding and severe destruction.

Over the years Pujehun has experienced both fire disasters and flooding, leaving many people homeless and in huge financial losses. While fire outbreaks are usually frequent in the month of March, flooding happens in the months of August and September.

By Crispina Taylor

As Sierra Leone yearns for the much anticipated start of the 42-day countdown to declare it free of the Ebola epidemic, the effectiveness of the toll-free emergency line has been called to question.

The emergency 117 call line was designed to enable citizens call-in on time in case of a suspected case so that health officials can swiftly respond to prevent any further spread of the virus.

But reports from the ground is that either there is delay to respond to calls or health officials do not turn up at all.

By Mustapha Sesay

A series of mysterious deaths in and around Freetown recently has sparked fears of a resurgence of murderous crime in the capital. The most recent of these, last Saturday, involved a security guard, murdered in cold blood while on duty at Bathurst Street in the city center.

The victim, Ibrahim Bah, was hastily buried under the Ebola burial protocol. No postmortem was carried out and that, say police, is a concern. A CID source hinted at the possibility of exhumation during the course of investigation.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi
Chairman of the Pujehun district council has told a security briefing of district stakeholders at the council hall that the area is the most affected in terms of sexual violations in the country.

The country head of the United Nations World Health Organization said the fight against the Ebola epidemic has entered its 3^rd phase and called for increased vigor to end the epidemic.

Dr Anders Nordstrom, in a statement issued Monday, said this stage of the fight involved tracking each and every chain of the virus transmission and closing down the remaining chains as quickly as possible.

By Mustapha Kamara Jnr

Youth Empowerment Development Association Sierra Leone (YADA-SL), a civil society organization, has urged the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) to address the issue of impersonation within its rank.

Mohamed Kamara, Executive Director YADA-SL, told Politico that they have had to deal with a number of complaint from the public, notably in the east end of Freetown, where he rogue people disguising as journalists were on the rampage extorting money from innocent business people.