The trial of Teodoro Obiang: son of the president of Equatorial Guinea

The trial of Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, is being heard in France for allegedly siphoning off more than $225 million of public money for personal purposes.

“This trial is a strong signal to corrupt leaders around the world that they are no longer immune from prosecution anywhere. The impunity they enjoyed is getting weaker every day.” Marc-André Feffer, Chair of TI France.

Transparency International France and Association Sherpa, two civil society organisations, started a legal battle to get an answer to the question, how was it possible for Teodoro Obiang to live such a luxurious lifestyle in France – own a multi-million dollar car collection and a fancy apartment – on the salary of a government official. As many as three quarters of the population of Equatorial Guinea live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

“This is a milestone in the history of the anti-corruption movement. Civil society has taken legal action to question a powerful figure and present the evidence of his corruption. The trial will show the levels of scandalous enrichment in a country where more than 70 per cent of the people live in extreme poverty. The poor citizens of Equatorial Guinea, a country rich in minerals, have a voice to help them win justice in the face of corruption”, said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

On 19 June, the opening day of the trial, Obiang’s lawyers asked for the case to be dismissed, citing that he enjoyed diplomatic immunity, that there were procedural errors, and that a French court had no jurisdiction in the case. The judge, however, allowed proceedings to begin.

William Bourdon, the lawyer for the prosecution, described the vast wealth amassed by Obiang, who he likened to a “spoilt child” in his spending habits: the luxury apartment with 20 rooms, a Hamman bath, a discotheque, a cinema, and a hair salon. Testimony from former employees described the suitcases of cash that Obiang is suspected to have regularly brought into the flat, wardrobes full of designer clothes and the garage filled with prestige cars including a Rolls Royce, a Bentley and a Porsche.

A MUST READ: Former CDF Spokesman Alfred Sam Foray breaks his silence…Calls on Kandeh Yumkella to quit SLPP and “let the dead bury their dead”

A man never short of colorful expressions, the former Spokesman of the Sierra Leone Civil Defence Force ( CDF ) and one-time outspoken stalwart of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party , Rev. Alfred Sam Foray, has broken his long silence . He is speaking once again.

In telling words replete with Mende proverbs , biblical quotations and idiomatic expressions , characteristic of him, Mr. Foray has written an open letter to embattled SLPP  Presidential Flagbearer aspirant , Dr. Foday Yumkella , advising him “to seize the day and the moment” , bid farewell to the SLPP and  “Let the dead bury their dead”.

SamForay broke ranks with the SLPP  when heavily-armed Police officers representing the Special Court of Sierra Leone stormed  the office of the Internal Affairs Minister cum- Commander of the CDF , the late Chief Hinga Norman, sealed off his office and  the whole Liverpool Street, handcuffed  him and indicted him  for war crimes on March 7, 2003 under the watchful eyes  of the SLPP Government (led by  the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah), which the CDF  had protected and defended with extraordinary zeal and  valor during the  apocalyptic war with the murderous and limb-hacking Revolutionary United Front ( RUF ).

Foray fought a long and sustained battle of words and wits with the Kabbah Government and the Special Court and Chief Norman died a prisoner while seeking treatment in Senegal on February 22,  2007.Even after the SLPP  lost power in the same year, Rev. Samforay remained very vocal but in recent years he seemed to have lost his fervor and he went silent.  However, his letter to Kandeh Yumkella shows where Mr. Samforay stands in the unending  SLPP fiasco . The letter also shows that even die-hard SLPP  fanatics have lost patience with the ugly mess going on in the SLPP ,  characterized by deadly infighting and court cases .

READ :

Open Letter to Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella

by Rev. Alfred Munda SamForay

My Dearest Brother,
As you well know a letter such as this would have been relayed to you in private with the full assurance of confidentiality, but time and circumstance have a way of dictating matters outside our normal channels. As the Wise King Solomon well observed in his much recited treatise in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

And if I may humbly add to King Solomon’s wisdom, there is time to ponder thoughts – to borrow from our dear Pastor Andrew Keili – and a time to decide. This is the time to refrain, to give up, to throw away, to tear apart and to speak. The time for embracing imaginary friends is over. The time to search for non-existent unity within the Sierra Leone Peoples Party is over. The time to keep what Milton Margai, Albert Margai, Kandeh Bureh, Ella Koblo Gulama and Bai Shebro Yumkella sought to have and to hold, to love and to cherish until death do us part is over. It is time for a new beginning; the dawn of a new era. “The night is long that never finds the day”. In short, it is time to move on. To seize the day and the moment – or as you CKC boys would say, Carpe Diem. And if I may be as bold (and cold) as Jesus Christ Himself, “Let the dead bury their dead”.

There is a Mende proverb that says Nimi nimi a lo kalei maloh bi kula. Roughly translated, you must quit sucking on the bone while there is still some sweetness left in it rather than wait for the bitterness that follows. This has been a long journey on what we call in America a cul-de-sac. Literally, the bottom of the sack. A dead end street with only one way in one way out meant primarily to keep outsiders (those foreign to the area, call them kenyemui sia), those who do not belong there from driving through the neighborhood. It is the city version of the Trump wall.

We are all painfully aware of several instances where you would have crashed face first into this Trump wall, but for the grace of Almighty God. There was the much ado about nothing concerning you not being a registered member of the SLPP. Or not having ever voted in Sierra Leone. Then there was that dreadful day when an honorable woman, Hadja Bintu Yumkella (your mother), was physically assaulted at the party office in Freetown, spat upon and her hijab rudely removed from her head by thugs later identified as belonging to Brig.-Gen. (Retd) Julius Maada Bio. And then lately, there were, as we later found out, plans under way to expel you and your supporters from the party had the recent Appeals Court ruling gone against you. And speaking of the court ruling itself, the Sierra Leone Court of Appeals only asked that votes in 39 disputed constituencies be recounted. The court never said anything about lower level elections. But true to their calling (mis-calling), the illegally constituted National Executive Council comprising of the former Deputy Chairman of the party, Dr. Prince Harding, decided to begin the re-count at sectional, chiefdom and District levels contrary to the court’s instructions.

It is such flagrant and reckless disregard for the judiciary of our country and the blatant violations of the SLPP constitution that has brought the once noble and admirable party of Sir Milton Margai and others to a marginal Opposition party and a laughing stock of our national body-politic. That’s why so many of us are saying, enough is enough. Quit while you are still ahead of the game. Even Jesus saw fit to warn His disciples:

“I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you…But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and remove even the dust off your feet as a warning to them that treacherous days are ahead..”

It is time to bid fare well Unity House with malice towards no one. It is time to seek peace elsewhere with people of like mind for the betterment of the nation. Much work needs to be done between now and the proposed elections time in March 2018. In the past few days, we have heard about serious physical confrontations between supporters of the two main contenders for the chairmanship of the SLPP, Mr. Manyeh and Dr. Harding. There is very little precious time left to be wasted on such intra-party squabbles that seem to have no end. The energy of those who have invested in your “Hope, Opportunity and Transformation” – in your plans to transform Sierra Leone from a beggar nation to a more prosperous one – cannot be squandered on endless battles within the SLPP.

Again, King Solomon and Andrew Keili:
There is a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time build and a time to tear down,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Please “ponder my thoughts”.

Your Brother,
Munda

Court halts and voids SLPP election reruns

The Appeals Court ruled on contempt allegations against SLPP leadership yesterday regarding their response to a June 5 court order voiding constituency-level elections in 39 constituencies.
The SLPP’s National Executive Council (NEC) re-ran these constituency elections on Wednesday, but also lower level elections for zonal, section, and chiefdom representatives. The plaintiff’s attorney, Banja Tejan-Sie, argued that these actions are contrary to the appeals court ruling, which they believe clearly instructed the NEC to only re-run elections at the constituency level.
The three judges, led by Justice Reginald Fynn, ruled that they refused the allegation of Contempt of Court, but did find the SLPP’s interpretation to be outside the scope of their June 5 Court Order. In response, they ruled that all election reruns conducted on Wednesday to be null and void.
“Our orders were directed at the constituency level elections,” Justice Fynn said. “Any ambiguity should have been rectified by the dates cited in the decision.”
In the June 5 Appeals Court decision, they specifically nullified all elections held on 26th November and 3rd December 2016 in the 39 constituencies. The only elections held on these dates were at the constituency level, a distinction the judges believed left no ambiguity about the integrity of zonal, section, or chiefdom election outcomes.

The SLPP’s attorney, Umaru Koroma, argued during proceedings that the constituency elections could not be re-run without also re-running elections for the lower level representatives who vote for their respective constituency leaders. They maintained their actions were in full compliance with the Appeals Court ruling and denied any charges of contempt.

The plaintiffs – three SLPP members, brought the original suit against SLPP leadership and the NEC citing irregularities in the rules used to conduct lower level executive elections. Only one day after the Appeals Court ruled in their favor on June 5, the three men were expelled from the Party. When the judges asked for an explanation for the expulsion, Koroma said the Party had been intending to expel the members far before the court ruling due to multiple complaints by Party members. Koroma did not elaborate on the specifics of these complaints.

Justice Fynn strongly condemned the SLPP’s decision to expel the members in what they considered to be retribution for bringing litigation against the Party. He called the move “oppressive” but stopped short of ordering any legal repercussions.
The judge’s ruling confirms the integrity of the original zonal, section, and chiefdom election results, but leaves constituency appointments empty in these 39 constituencies.

Sierra Leone has become The World's Fastest-growing Tourist spot

It was devastated by a brutal, decade-long civil war, which destroyed much of its infrastructure and displaced two million of its residents.

Then it found itself at the epicentre of a global health emergency with the biggest ebola outbreak in history.

Crime, civil unrest and disease are still rife in Sierra Leone, but it has found some unexpected good fortune — it’s suddenly become the world’s fastest-growing travel destination.

 That’s according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, which reports the West African nation welcomed a whopping 310 per cent more overseas visitors in 2016 compared to the previous year.

According to figures in the UK’s The Telegraph, there were just 24,000 overseas arrivals in Sierra Leone in 2015. In 2016, that number swelled to 74,400.

While it’s hardly the most visited spot in the world — Australia welcomed about 10 times that number of tourists in April alone — Sierra Leone is having a major popularity moment right now.

It topped the UN’s list for fastest-growing travel destinations ahead of Nepal (which has seen a growth of 39.7 per cent), Iceland (33 per cent), South Korea (30.3 per cent) and the Eastern European nation of Moldova (28.6 per cent).

The sudden spike in tourists arriving in Sierra Leone is likely due to the country being officially declared ebola-free by the World Health Organisation in March last year.

And while it’s a place perhaps best known for blood diamond infamy, resource-rich Sierra Leone boasts plenty of wonders for tourists.

It has stunning, white-sandy beaches and idyllic islands, including Banana Island and the Turtle Islands. It has one of the world’s largest natural harbours, as well as incredible savannas, rainforests — which are home to the elusive pygmy hippo — and glorious northern mountains.

The capital, Freetown, is a energetic city with plenty of tourist attractions, including museums, the historic Cape Sierra Leone Lighthouse and houses on stilts, a legacy of the country’s history as a British colony. English, and English-based Creole, are among the main languages spoken.

Although the country’s bloody civil war ended in 2002, there is still the threat of civil instability and rates of crime are high, especially violent assault and armed theft, including in Freetown.

Sierra Leone is now free of the ebola outbreak that claimed the lives of more than 4000 Sierra Leoneans alone.

However, the country is still listed as endemic for deadly yellow fever, and medical facilities in the country are limited.

Save The Date For African Fashion Week In London (AFWL) 2017

Over 100 African fashion designers and exhibitors will feature at the 7th edition of Africa Fashion Week between Aug.11, 2017 and Aug.12, 2017 at the Grand hall of the Freemasons in London. Ronke Ademiluyi, founder, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria/London on Wednesday disclosed that the event would be an exhibition of the African fashion whose creations had become unique designs and brands. She said that the designers and exhibitors would be coming from Ghana, Togo, Kenya, South Africa, Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Senegal, Uganda and Cameroon.“Some Nigerian designers that will, also, be participating include: Signature Secret, Neopele, Lady Biba, Step Up, Sheila Black Style, House of Bo and Joela Bags.“The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), will lead a delegation of Nigeria’s best emerging designers that will also be accompanied by the Council’s catwalk show,” she said. Ademiluyi also said that 10,000 guests are expected to grace the two-day show at the Freemasons Hall in London to be entertained by 60 catwalk shows with daily exhibitions.

“This year’s show will hold in two days; with five shows, that will have 60 designers on the catwalk, along 40 exhibitors,” she said Ademiluyi said that the African show would be part of activities to promote African fashion before the international community.“Africa Fashion Week London, a sister event to the just concluded Africa Fashion Week Nigeria, is a celebration of African designs, talents and diverse ethnic fashions in the United Kingdom (UK).“It is going to be a celebration of African designs, talents and the diverse ethnic influences that contribute to the development of fashion industry in the UK.“Samson So boye, an established London-based fashion stylist and a creative director behind the brand `Afro chic’ who has worked as a freelance stylist for publications will be our head stylist for AFWL 2017 .

 She said that since the debut of the programme in 2011, it had been identifying and promoting new and emerging designers inspired by the rich culture of Africa and contemporary designs. The princess said that AFWL had become Europe’s largest event for African and African inspired fashion. Ademiluyi said that the show was conceived at promoting new and emerging designers that were inspired by the rich African culture incorporated into contemporary designs. She said that AFWL had become the platform through which designers boost their creativity in African fashion at international markets, as well as the nation’s tourism industry. Ademiluyi, founder of Africa Fashion Week London/Nigeria, said that Africans should appreciate what they had and make efforts to promote them to the rest of the world. The 2017 Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria organised in conjunction with the Lagos State Government, in April and June, showcased the nation’s iconic pride with the theme: “ Celebrating the vibrant Pulse of Africa”.

Sierra Leone and democratic accountability- A Must Read

Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world, public service provision is weak, and ethnicity is highly predictive of how people vote. The All People’s Congress wins seats in the North where Temnes predominate, while the Sierra Leone People’s Party wins seats in the South, the traditional homeland of Mendes.

Information is also scarce. In the rural areas where the study was conducted, 70% of the population had never been to school, 30% had no radio (TV and newspapers are extremely rare), just 3% knew how much money MPs are given to spend in their constituencies, and less than half could tell who was the incumbent. What’s more, there is no requirement for MPs to disclose how they spend the money they are given for their constituency so there is no information to fill out an MP report card.

Bringing electoral debates to rural voters

During the 2012 election, Search for Common Ground—an NGO with a local reputation for independent news coverage—organised debates between candidates for MPs in 14 constituencies. Candidates were asked about their priority for government spending, how they would spend their constituency funds, as well as their positions on topical policy issues. These debates were videotaped in the common national language, Krio, and a mobile cinema took the videos on a tour of local communities, often screening them on the external wall of a local school at night. Hundreds of people would crowd around and watch the debate screening, which was translated into local languages. In total, roughly 19,000 people watched the debates in the weeks before the election.

To evaluate the impact of the videotaped debates on voting, the mobile cinema visited 112 villages, randomly picked from a list of 224. People in all 224 villages were then surveyed on or just after election day.

The findings

1) Voter knowledge

Substantial impacts were found on voters’ knowledge about MP candidates and their policy positions thanks to the debates. People in the villages where debates had been screened were more likely to be able to name the candidates, know which one was more educated, who was the incumbent, and how much money MPs were given to spend. Knowledge of policy positions taken by candidates improved dramatically too: for example, 29% could name the first priority for spending by the SLPP candidate in debate areas, compared to 14% in the control villages.

2) Voter decision making

Voters were more likely to vote for someone who had the same policy priorities as they did. In addition, the candidate who was seen to have performed best in the debate got five percentage points more of the vote in debate villages than nondebate villages. Who performed better was determined by asking the audience at debate screenings as well as an independent panel of experts. There was striking agreement between the two groups about who was the best performer.

3) Voting patterns: Charisma or information

To understand what voters are responding to, another experiment was performed where some individuals were given only part of the information coming from the debates. In 40 large villages, individuals were randomly picked to watch the full debate on tablets. Others saw only the “getting to know you” introductory questions. This meant they could see which candidate had charisma but they learned nothing about their policies. A final group heard a “just the facts” summary of the debate. They did not hear the candidates themselves but learned about their policy positions and experience. In a survey at election time, all three groups knew more about the candidates’ qualities, such as their level of education, than the control group. Those who watched the debate on tablet or heard just the facts summary also knew more about the candidates’ policy positions. Only those who watched the debate, however, changed how they voted. Therefore, getting to know a candidate on its own and facts on their own are not enough, only the combination of the two changed voting patterns.

4) Informed voting and electoral accountability

Our results suggest that debates change the behaviour of politicians in office. Because the debates were held in 14 constituencies, randomly chosen from a list of 28, we could tell how participating in a debate changes performance. A survey team asked MPs how they spent the money given to them for their constituency, and then went to the constituency to find evidence of that spending. If the MP said they had paid school fees, the survey team asked the school principal how much of the fees had been paid. If the MP said they paid for road repairs, the community was questioned about how much was spent on the repairs and receipts requested. In treatment constituencies, evidence was found of two and a half times more money being spent than in control constituencies.

Don’t give up on democracy, improve it

When voters know little about the responsibilities and actions of elected officials it is not surprising that politicians under-deliver. But we should not give up on democracy. Instead we should find ways for voters to learn about their representatives. Debates appear to be an effective way for voters who may be illiterate and live in societies without freedom of information laws, to learn about politicians. Once voters are better informed, politicians may behave better.

source- Voxdev

When will Sierra Leone be able to feed itself?

When will Sierra Leone start feeding itself, is the question many in the country have been asking for decades, and successive governments have failed to provide the answer. Over 80% of basic foods consumed in Sierra Leone ae imported from abroad, costing hundreds of millions of dollars every year. And the cost keeps rising.

According to a recent World Food Programme report, majority of people in Sierra Leone are at a very high risk of starvation and malnutrition. This worrying report comes after ten years of president Koroma’s promise to ensure that no one goes to bed hungry.

The previous SLPP government was heavily criticised for failing to achieve its manifesto pledge on national food security. Today, the ruling APC government of president Koroma has proved to be no better.

source- Seirra Leone Telegraph 

Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh Has Lunched ACTB Savings and Loans

Hon. Vice President, Ambassador Dr. Victor Bockarie Foh on Thursday 22nd June, 2017 launched the ACTB Savings and Loans Limited at their Old Railway Line office premises in Brookfields, Freetown.

In his Keynote Address, VP. Foh on behalf of His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma congratulated the Board, Management and Staff of ACTB Savings and Loans Limited for the great achievement in graduating from a Credit-only Microfinance Institution, to one that, like any bank, can now take deposit from its customers.

The awarding of deposit-taking license to the ACTB Institution, VP. Foh said, is a clear manifestation of the confidence reposed in them by the Bank of Sierra Leone, the national financial regulator. This, he furthered, is no doubt a testament to the extraordinary commitment to serving their customers whilst meeting the demands of their investors.

VP. Foh commended the all-Sierra Leonean Management Team and Staff for the note-worthy achievement of becoming the biggest non-bank lender in the country; reaching 17,000 active customers, 26 billion leones lending portfolio, with 9 branches in 8 Districts in the country and a staff strength of 96, noting that this is truly a success story.

Vice President Foh used the occasion to encourage Sierra Leoneans to utilise their potential in a way and manner that would add value to the country.

He averred that the provision of access to high quality and affordable financial services to the economically active poor people, is a strategic tool for fighting poverty in any nation. "Being cognisance of this, since he assumed office in 2007, President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and his Government have made financial and economic growth a central theme in our nation's development agenda, the Agenda for Prosperity", VP. Foh declared. He informed that the Financial Sector Development Plan and the recently launched National Financial Inclusion Strategy, are only a few of the critical steps taken by Government to lay a clear path to ensuring that affordable financial services are available and accessible to all Sierra Leoneans. He therefore, entreat the Private Sector to take the lead in economic growth.

VP. Foh asserted that his presence at the ACTB's launching is a testament of Government's commitment to fulfill all of its promises to the people of this country; supporting the growth of businesses that provide financial lifeline for the people of Sierra Leone. He assured his audience that the APC led Government will continue to provide the enabling environment for businesses like ACTB Savings and Loans to grow, thrive and expand their operations so that more and more Sierra Leoneans will have access to much needed financial services, prosper personally and grow our economy for the benefit of all Sierra Leoneans.

In closing, Vice President Foh saluted the Board, Management and Staff of ACTB Savings and Loans Limited, calling the occasion a success story that is worth sharing and replicating. He then, on behalf of His Excellency the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma wished the Institution every success in their operations.

The program was chaired by the CEO of A Call To Business (ACTB), Joe Abass Bangura.

©PR/ Media Coordinator-Office of the Vice President

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has Embarked on five days meeting with stakeholders on New Boundaries

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) is visiting the districts for five days to discuss the new boundaries created by the Province Act Cap 60 of 2017, that was passed into law on the 13 March 2017.
The Director of External Relations and Media, Albert Massaquoi, said this is the second round of district stakeholders engagements on the Constituency and Ward boundary delimitation. “It is called second round because, earlier in July -August of last year, a validation of the Constituency and Wards was also done”.
This engagement was done based on the existing 14 electoral districts and four regions that have changed. “We are now talking about 16 electoral districts including Falaba and Karina districts and five regions including the North West and the other chiefdoms which are now added to the 149 chiefdoms”.
Massaquoi said, “The addition of these two districts means an addition of councillors, MPs, District Council Chairs and Mayors, so we are going to have Districts Council chairs for Falaba and Karene districts and Mayor for Port Loko.”
Stakeholders included: Paramount Chiefs, CSOs, Political Parties, women and youth groups and the media. The NEC Director of External Relations, said, “So far, there is mixed reactions, especially when NEC has done earlier engagements on the previous constituencies and ward boundary delimitation”.
There is mixed feelings since it has to do with new boundaries. “We still maintain the record of 132 seats but because of the rearrangement of some of the chiefdoms, Constituencies and Wards there is a concern. Some think it favours some while some think it does not favour them as they believed that it is against the wish they had earlier hoped for”.
Elections will be held nine months from now, in March 2018. Massaquoi said they will be ready.
Since the Instrument of Constituency and Boundary Limitation was kicked out of Parliament, Albert Massaquoi, said “We have met with the office of the Attorney General and a sub-committee was set up. We want to ensure that by the 7th of September, that is exactly six months to elections, we would have completed all work relating to elections”.
“By the end of June, we should have completed this engagement so by the 30th we would have completed the report and present it to the AG who will then table it in Parliament before their recess on the 13th July, so when it is approved it becomes a legal documents”.
BM/22/6/17
By Betty Milton
Friday June 23, 2017.

"I personally don’t need to get into power to make myself rich"- John Sesay, who could become the next president of Sierra Leone

                                                              John Sisay

Rumor has it that John Sisay the mining tycoon is running for the sierra Leon presidential seat  during this next election on  march 7, 2018. according to independent Uk  stated that
 "Mr Sisay is standing to be president next year and there is a strong likelihood that he will emerge as the leader of his country. If he does not succeed, he says, it will not be for want of trying. “We south Londoners are pretty damned determined when we set our mind to something. Don’t forget, there is already one Tooting boy who is not doing too badly at politics at the moment,” he points out.

There was once the possibility that 47-year-old Mr Sisay, who spent a large part of his childhood in south London, may have followed Sadiq Khan, who he knows, into public life in Britain. Like the Mayor of London, he too was a member of the Labour Party and was also the president of the students’ union while at London University’s Goldsmith College.

• READ

But Mr Sisay decided that Sierra Leone, his home country, was where he wanted to serve. He has political connections there: his first cousin, Ernest Bai Koroma, is the current President and his family has long been socially and politically active. There are also financial connections, he is the former CEO of Sierra Rutile, the largest mining company for rutile, a mineral formed mainly of titanium dioxide, in the region and is the president of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Mines.

The rich deposits of one form of mineral, diamonds, should have been a great boon for Sierra Leone, but they also proved to be a source of much misery. Greed for the fabulous riches offered by “blood diamonds” led to bitter divisions, ending in a civil war which became noted for its savagery in killings, mutilations and rapes.

One of the key instigators of the violence and the industrial scale looting of diamonds was Charles Taylor, the leader of Liberia, the state next door. He has been indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity at The Hague and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Mr Sisay is keen to point out the jobs he created while working for Rutile which employs thousands across the country, with 80 per cent of the senior management from Sierra Leone, rather than expatriates. He volunteered for the anti-Ebola campaign, stressing that the medical safety measures he and his team put in place resulted in “zero case” of the epidemic in the company’s mining areas. He has also, on a number of occasions, paid the salaries of teachers in parts of the country and offered loans on generous terms to small businesses.

The seeming altruism can, and has been, ascribed to smoothing his path to power. Mr Sisay accepts that he is open to that claim. But, he wants to add: “I have shown that I can run a business which is successful and also good for the wider community, and a dynamic private sector will be hugely important for the economy. I personally don’t need to get into power to make myself rich. Surely, it is a perfectly natural aspiration to give something back to one’s country.”

If it does not work out at the end of the day Mr Sisay could, perhaps, return to the party fold in Britain, with Labour now doing so unexpectedly well. “What is happening in the UK is really interesting,” he acknowledges. “But it is almost too exciting, I think I will stick to our more boring, sedate form of politics.”

Sacked Sierra Leone VP asks for $ 210 million and reinstatement

 

By Umaru Fofana

Lawyers for Samuel Sam-Sumana have completed filing their case at the ECOWAS Court in Abuja challenging his sacking in March 2015 as Vice President of Sierra Leone.  They are led by Ghanaian lawyer Dr. Raymond Akongburo ATUGUBA and prominent Nigerian lawyer Femi Falana

In a 25-page application, the lawyers are asking the Ecowas Court to order Sierra Leone to pay their client $ 210 million in damages and legal cost. They also want him reinstated as Vice President of Sierra Leone. 

They say his removal from office, the appointment of current Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh and the ruling by the Supreme Court upholding his dismissal should be declared “illegal, null and void”. 

In the detailed submission which catalogues the events leading to those dramatic events in March 2015 when he was first expelled from his ruling APC party and then sacked as VP, they argue that due process was not respected. 

 

The application says Sam-Sumana’s rights were violated including his personal safety and security, participation in government, and even his dignity. They also say Sierra Leone failed to provide an effective remedy accusing the country's Supreme Court, which justified the president's action to sack him, of denying him to "exhaustively present his case". 

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joseph Kamara says they've been notified about the matter by the registry of the Ecowas Court but that they are yet to receive the document hence cannot comment on it the substance of the matter. He however says that they are "willing and ready" to defend the action of the President any time, anywhere. 

Sam-Sumana was expelled from the ruling All People’s Congress party in March 2015 and accused of lying about his faith and educational qualification. he was also accused of anti-party activities.

He has been living out of Sierra Leone for exactly one year. 

This is the third time Sierra Leone has been brought before the ECOWAS Court under Ernest Bai Koroma’s presidency. 

Lebanese businessman, Mohamed Wanza sought redress over a questionable gunboat deal he went into with the NPRC junta. A former police officer Mohamed El-Tayyib Bah also challenged his dismissal from the force. Both men won by default after the government failed to represent itself. 

While the government obliged the outcome of Wanza’s ruling by paying for his gunboat, it is yet to do so in the case of the police officer for whom the court asked a financial compensation. 

Did The SLPP Party Learn Anything from The Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) Flagbearership Convention?

Every day we learn to live and we live to learn, particularly from both present and past events, be they good or bad. But looking at things, it seems as if the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) deliberately refusing to learn from both present and past happenings in the world, especially in the country’s political activities. They seemingly refusing to learn good lessons from the world are every day events, especially political events, including Europe, America and African politics.

In view of that they also seem not to learn from their present and past mistakes for the success of their party in the country. Therefore, I am constrained to say that they seemingly failed to do that because of their personal prides and political egos of some of their members. They (SLPP) know why they are losing elections to APC, but they always turn blind eyes to that pretending not knowing anything about that at their own expense.

The SLPP know that they normally lose elections to APC because they do not believe in working very hard with honesty for the people in the country like what APC is currently doing. They spent complete 11 years in power but they did very little for the country and for its people, particularly in terms of the improvement of electricity (Kabbah tiger), good hospital facilities, good roads etc.

The fact is the SLPP depend on the promotion of tribalism, regionalism, fake politics and political violence, and also because of their ungrateful attitudes and behaviour towards their fellow Sierra Leoneans, especially those within their own political party. Whether they accept that or not it’s up to them, but it’s an open secret.

They seem to forget that the days of fake or deceitful politics or fake propaganda are over. There is no more room for fake politics or deceitful politics for Sierra Leoneans, especially for those living in the country. Now we live in an Information Age that you cannot easily tell lies or make fake propaganda on people and let you go free. They will go all out to find out.

 Because every town and village in the country now needs progress and development NOT party colour or tribalism promotion or fake propaganda. They need good roads, light, good health facilities, good market facilities, good drinking water and so on.

Whether SLPP like to hear that or not President Koroma APC government is doing extremely well in the country, particularly in terms of infrastructural development and also the improvement of electricity which are any country’s life blood. Sometimes it is good to praise others for their good work and we critique when necessary because no one knows it all.

Anyway as it is not yet time to talk politics or write politics. It is time to write, talk or discuss about development, the good work of our law makers, especially the effective monitoring of the shylock wicked business people, land grabbers and the frogmarching of the fake contractors that used to say our governments are in their pockets.

On how to keep our country safe from the enemies of peace, progress and development in and out of the country, as our people are tired of violence and war, we should give them peace.

 However, the just concluded Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) convention prompted me to ask the question if SLPP learned any good lessons from the election of flag bearer of that political party.

I decided to ask the question if SLPP cry-baby learned good lessons from their past regular unpatriotic habit of walking out of Parliament. What fruits did they normally yield from their walking out of Parliamentary proceedings?

When David Gbla of Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) worked out of their convention what was his benefit? Who became the victor between him (Gbla) and Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray? The questions are food for thought for SLPP.

Recently after the country’s Central Statistics finished doing hard good work by counting all Sierra Leoneans living in the country they threatened to boycott the pending presidential and parliamentary elections that to be held in 2018, for what they alleged to be unfair or uneven census statistical result.

They further argued that the ruling APC government manipulated the census in their favour, especially for making what they called APC strongholds, which are  the northern and western parts of the country more populated than the South –Eastern areas according to  the result of the census.

Generally speaking since SLPP lost elections in 2007 to APC, anything that is not in their favour is a sham.  Nothing is good in the country for them, particularly to some of the blind progress and development critics or detractors.

For simple logical argument sake, SLPP forgot that when the war started in the Southern part of the country it took some time there before it was extended to the Eastern region. During that time, those who ran to the north-west of the country for their safety had already gained settlement with good integration, including inter-married in those parts of the country before the war reached there (north-west).

In view of that most of the people from the South-Eastern parts of the country who unwontedly moved to the North-Western Areas of the country for the safety of their lives and families, after the war many of them did not return to their various towns and villages again.

Due to the fact that some of them cannot even identify or recognize their towns and villages again because of the heavy destruction that took place there. It is also because some of their villages are currently being covered with elephant grasses and trees. While others because of the ongoing mining in the North they have gained employments. Others it is because they have lost their settlement completely in the South-Eastern parts of the country as I said.

 In view of that logically compare the population growth in the north-western region, particularly Freetown, the capital city of the country before the war and after the war before we can talk about the South-Eastern population.

However, if SLPP really believe that if they boycott the pending 2018, presidential and parliamentary elections because of the census result in the country that will yield good dividend for them, do let them don’t learn any lesson from David Gbla ADP flag bearer convention walkout, so that the APC will have less campaign job to do in the country.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own