Author: gleanernewspaper
At the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, all countries approved a major new political declaration to radically scale up efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a major threat to modern medicine. AMR threatens to unwind a century of medical progress and could return us to the pre-antibiotic era, where infections that are treatable today could become much harder to treat and grow potentially deadly tomorrow. AMR is caused largely by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines – such as antibiotics – making microbes resistant to them, and diseases more dangerous and deadly. It’s an issue with implications…
US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken By Mohamed K. Fofanah The United States has expressed its enthusiastic approval following the recent signing of a significant $480 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the Government of Sierra Leone. This landmark funding aims to enhance access to electricity across the nation, promote sustainable economic growth, and improve the overall quality of life of its citizens. The initiative represents a crucial step forward in addressing the energy challenges faced by Sierra Leone, a country that has long struggled with inadequate power supply. In addition to the MCC grant, the…
Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, and his team, comprising the Senior Permanent Secretary, Joseph Tekman Kanu, and the Deputy Director General of Operations, NASSIT, Edwin Mohamed Kamara, are in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the first Africa Social Security Institutions Coordination and Cooperation Forum [ASSCCF] from the 25th – 26th of September, 2024, on the theme: ‘Fostering Inclusive Social Security in Africa: Extending Coverage to the Informal Economy, Rural Sector, and Migrant Workers.’ The conference, which recognises Social Security as a fundamental human right, attracted Government Ministers and technical participants from social security institutions…
Popular businessman and renowned football administrator, Umaru Bah, officially took up his new role as Team Manager of Sierra Leone’s national senior men’s football team, Leone Stars, on Thursday, September 26. Bah was formally introduced to the squad by the Acting General Secretary of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), Mohamed Benson Bawoh, during training with home-based players, which marked the beginning of a new chapter for the team. Bah’s appointment comes at a pivotal time, as the country prepares for crucial qualification matches in both continental and global competitions. The new manager, known for his hands-on approach and keen…
Professor A.M. Alghali Chairman of the Tertiary Education Commission, Professor A.M Alghali, has called for an overhaul of Universities’ fee structure and availability of facilities for them to be sustainable. Prof Alghali pointed out that lack of adequate financing prevents universities from achieving their outlined mandates. “Frank discussions should be held on the area of fee structure to help our universities thrive and offer better services,” he stressed. While responding to students who raised concerns on the area of paying other charges, alleging their diversion to other areas by the university for specific items, the TEC Chairman described it as…
OHCHR concluded a one-day regional dialogue on 25 September 2024, with recommendations for effective independence, collaboration, accountability, capacity building, and the setting up of regional networks of anti-corruption institutions, human rights commissions, and civil society organizations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and beyond. Welcoming the participants, OHCHR’s Representative, Christian Mukosa, stated that the focus of the Dialogue, among other things, was to put in place strategies on how corruption’s adverse effects on the enjoyment of human rights can be addressed collaboratively, and to “seek opinions and best practices to have human rights and anti-corruption institutions actively participating in accountability mechanisms, including…
Joseph Nganga, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAAP), paid a courtesy call on President Julius Maada Bio in New York. Facilitated by PI-CREF, the meeting provided an opportunity to talk about progress in the country’s energy sector. The meeting included Chief Minister, David Sengeh, Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, PI-CREF’s Pete Kaindaneh, Chief Technical Adviser and Anthony Kamara, PI-CREF Director of Partnerships, Communications and Outreach. Nganga, who was previously Executive Director, of Power & Climate Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation, confirmed that GEAAP is excited to come back to Sierra Leone…
Engineer Hadji Dabo, the Director General of the National Minerals Agency (NMA) and Minister of Mines and Minerals Resources, Julius Mattai Recent revelations have sparked significant concerns regarding the operations of the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA) in Sierra Leone, suggesting that undisclosed agreements with mining companies are being conducted without public knowledge. The situation came to light following the announcement by an American company, Elektros (OTC PINK: ELEK), which has recently signed a lease agreement for a lithium mining project in the country. On August 22, 2024, Elektros, recognized as an emerging…
One of the most significant stories ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations this week is the United States’ recent announcement that it supports expanding the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to include two seats for African countries. It’s a remarkable and long-overdue breakthrough to give Africa the stronger voice that our nations deserve on the world stage. If other countries – specifically the five permanent members of the council – follow suit, this urgently needed change will make the Security Council more relevant and responsive to the world we live in today. Since its…
The National Revenue Authority (NRA) on Saturday, 21st September 2024, hosted its annual general staff meeting at the Freetown International Conference Centre at Aberdeen, Freetown. The theme of this year’s meeting was “One Team, One Vision” and was aimed at updating the general staff on the Authority’s revenue collection performance for the first half of 2024, discussing strategies for achieving future targets and inspiring the team for the good of their mandate. Out of the nearly 850 staff, members across departments, units and from the field offices, participated in the one-day event. It will be recalled that this is the…