Author: gleanernewspaper

President Julius Maada Bio released the White Paper on Constitutional Review on January 13, 2022. On 30th July 2013, President Ernest Bai Koroma established a broad-based Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to lead a national effort to review and strengthen Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution. The CRC, comprising eighty members and representing political parties, democratic institutions, non-governmental organisations, the media, and key independent bodies, was tasked with conducting extensive civic education and public consultations, as well as making recommendations for constitutional reform. As the CRC itself stated, “The major civic education and consultation process undertaken by the CRC gave the people the opportunity to…

Swiss city of Davos, January 20, 2026. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Abdullah KH ALMUSAIBEEH, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), committed to strengthening their partnership.President Bio briefed BADEA’s president on the status of the bank’s existing projects in Sierra Leone and outlined the government’s priorities for future engagement. He emphasised BADEA’s role in assisting with the implementation of the country’s Medium-term National Development Plan, claiming that the bank’s interventions have been critical in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture…

His Excellency Zhao Yong, the newly appointed Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, paid a formal courtesy call on the Honourable Chief Justice of Sierra Leone, Justice Komba Kamanda, on January 20, 2025, and promised to strengthen collaboration between the Chinese Embassy and the Sierra Leone Judiciary during his tenure.Ambassador Zhao expressed gratitude for the Chief Justice’s warm welcome and praised the existing cordial working relationship between the Judiciary and the Chinese Embassy. He stated that his mission in Sierra Leone would focus on consolidating the long-standing bilateral ties between the People’s Republic…

After being called to testify before the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry, Johny Kouza, the CEO of Accord Logistics, received harsh criticism from the Sierra Leonean Parliament. The Rt. Hon. Speaker Segepoh Solomon Thomas publicly chastised Kouza during an appearance in the Bar of Parliament, calling his behaviour toward the Committee and the legislature intolerable and possibly constituting contempt of Parliament.Addressing Kouza directly, the Speaker made it clear that refusing to comply with any Standing Committee summons would constitute contempt and result in the full force of the law. He reminded the CEO that Parliament has the authority to…

Africell CEO Shadi Gerjawi Africell Group has introduced Africell Business, a dedicated enterprise brand aimed at accelerating digital transformation for corporate institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sierra Leone. The launch event, held at The Leads Hotel in Aberdeen, Freetown, was attended by senior government officials, private sector leaders, corporate clients, and development partners, emphasising the company’s intention to position itself as a strategic partner in the country’s digital economy.According to Africell CEO Shadi Gerjawi, the Africell Business initiative represents a deliberate shift away from providing standard telecommunications services and toward tailored, end-to-end enterprise solutions. According to Gerjawi,…

Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh convened a targeted stakeholder meeting to discuss a variety of issues affecting chieftaincy governance and local administration, such as chiefdom de-amalgamation, extended regency periods, outstanding court disputes, redistricting, and capacity building for local governments. Dr Sengeh emphasised in his opening remarks that chieftaincy and local governance issues are frequently discussed at the National Security Council and in presidential briefings, highlighting their strategic importance to national stability. He acknowledged that recent efforts to de-amalgamate chiefdoms have exacerbated tensions in some areas, particularly over land ownership, boundary delineation, and relations between neighbouring paramount chiefs. Dr Sengeh…

The Sixth Report of the Committee on Appointments and Public Service, chaired by the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, was debated and approved by Parliament on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, for Sierra Leone’s development.Parliament approved the presidential nominees listed below:1. Mrs Marion Joy Emerald Nyanda Gouldson, Member of the Board of Directors, Sierra Leone National Shipping Agency.2. Ms Fatmata Deveh Khellah, Member of Sierra Leone Commercial Bank3. Mr Sheikh Ahmed Tunis, Executive Director of the National Protected Area Authority.4. Mr Leslie Gordon Brown, National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) Board of Trustees member,…

n a meeting with representatives of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) at State House, President Dr Julius Maada Bio reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting growth driven by the private sector through ongoing collaboration and engagement. The President, in his opening remarks, reaffirmed the strategic significance of the oil marketing industry to Sierra Leone’s economy, pointing out that it directly affects daily life and that the government must give it careful consideration. President Bio stated, “This year, I am not only acting; I want to act with haste,” emphasising that if the government and business are to collaborate successfully, swift and deliberate…

Professor Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala, Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Director of the Rotary Peace Centre at Makerere University, was invited by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to an official meeting on January 12, 2025, at the Conference Room, Third Floor, Integrity House, Freetown. The visit shows a desire to strengthen ties between one of Africa’s top universities and Sierra Leone’s main anti-corruption organisation.The ACC Commissioner welcomed Professor Nkabala and underscored the significance of her visit in bolstering integrity systems and improving Sierra Leone’s governance structure. He emphasised the Commission’s dedication to establishing long-term collaborations with the…

The Sierra Leone Police (SLP), with funding from the British Peacekeeping Support Team in Africa (BPSTIA), ended a three-day peacekeeping capacity building workshop for thirty (30) female personnel at the Police Wives Vocational Training Hall, Kingtom Barracks.The workshop brought together former, current, and prospective female peacekeeping officers to provide a forum for experience sharing, mentoring, and strategic engagement aimed at improving female leadership, participation, and performance in peacekeeping deployments.The training focuses on key peacekeeping principles, such as the nature of conflict in Africa, United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) peace agreements, and the fundamental principles of peacekeeping missions.In his…