Author: gleanernewspaper
Beamie Moses Seiwoh Growing up in Sierra Leone, Libya was a distant name that echoed through the news. I heard tales of the Gaddafi regime, the vast deserts, and the Mediterranean coast as a young boy. Little did I know that one day my work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would take me to this fascinating country. Over the years, my career with UNDP has taken me to some of the most challenging countries on earth, where the scars of conflict are etched into both the land and the hearts of its citizens. In Afghanistan, I witnessed communities’…
Left: WHO Rep, Health Minister in the Middle & Executive Director MPHA By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma, Senior Health Education Officer, HEP/MoH. In light of growing concerns about Mpox in Africa, Sierra Leone’s health officials have announced that the country currently has no confirmed cases of the disease. This assurance was given during a press briefing for journalists in Freetown on Tuesday, August 20th, when officials detailed the proactive measures being taken to protect public health. Professor Foday Sahr, Executive Director of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), emphasized that, while there have been no confirmed cases of Mpox in Sierra Leone,…
On August 20, 2024, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a significant increase in emergency health assistance, promising up to $35 million to support the ongoing response to the Clade I mpox outbreak in Central and East Africa. This funding, which is still pending Congressional approval, brings the total US government investment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected countries to more than $55 million since the outbreak started. The latest financial commitment aims to strengthen collaboration among USAID, affected countries, and regional and global health partners. The funds will be used to…
Manuel Müller, the outgoing European Union Ambassador to Sierra Leone, has officially bid farewell to President Dr. Julius Maada Bio as he ends his tenure in the West African country. Reflecting on his time in Sierra Leone, Ambassador Müller expressed a strong attachment, saying, “It was difficult to leave a wonderful country like Sierra Leone.” He understood the importance of moving on as part of the diplomatic process, but his affection for the country was clear. During the farewell meeting, Ambassador Müller congratulated President Bio on his presidency of the UN Security Council in August. He emphasized the importance of…
By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay After a long hiatus, TRACE decided it was time to return to Freetown and rediscover its beauty. Our journey began at one of the city’s most treasured landmarks: Levuma Beach. What we found, however, was far from the peaceful escape we had envisioned. TRACE arrived at Levuma Beach around 5:00 PM GMT, eager to bask in the gentle sea breeze and spend a relaxing afternoon. Instead, we were confronted with a distressing reality. The once-famous beach has unfortunately devolved into a dumping ground, an unfinished construction site, and a makeshift settlement all rolled into one chaotic…
Lance Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma, also known as ‘Opanday,’ was acquitted and discharged by the Legal Aid Board following a lengthy court-martial over the attempted coup on November 26. The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, marks a pivotal moment in a trial that has spanned seven months and involved a total of 27 soldiers. Koroma, the 18th accused in the case, was released after the Board’s legal team proved that he had Certified Insanity. This critical finding influenced the court’s decision to acquit him, distinguishing his case from that of his 25 fellow soldiers, who were found guilty…
Augustine Moses Koroma, National Programme Coordinator at the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) Secretariat, recently had a fruitful meeting with President Dr. Julius Maada Bio at State House. During the meeting, Koroma congratulated the President on his visionary leadership and the FQSE initiative’s remarkable accomplishments, which coincided with its sixth anniversary. The Free Quality School Education program, which began in August 2018, was a key campaign promise made by President Bio to improve Sierra Leone’s human capital development. Koroma emphasized the scheme’s profound significance, claiming that it has dramatically increased enrollment rates in both primary and secondary schools across the…
On Monday, August 19, 2024, the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on Sports, led by Chairman Honourable Hindolo Moiwo Gevao Esq, paid a significant courtesy visit to the National Sports Authority (NSA) headquarters. The meeting took place at Dr. Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai’s office located at 22 Signal Hill Road. This encounter was particularly noteworthy as it marked the first official meeting between the Committee and Dr Abdulai since he took the helm of the NSA four months ago. Chairman Gevao emphasized that the visit was an essential part of the Committee’s oversight responsibilities. He articulated the Committee’s mandate to scrutinize financial and…
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), hosted a series of Regional Dissemination Workshops on August 16th and 17th, 2023. These World Bank-sponsored workshops were designed to introduce Sierra Leone’s Disaster Risk Financing Strategy and Implementation Plan to local councils across the country. The workshops were held in four key regional cities: Makeni, Port Loko, Kenema, and Bo, and participants included representatives from various local councils. The workshop in Kenema gathered council representatives from the Eastern Region, while sessions in Bo, Makeni, and Port Loko…
Jiwoh Abdulai, Minister of Environment and Climate Change planting a tree at the Western Area Peninsula National Park. The Government of Sierra Leone has embarked on a significant tree-planting initiative within the Western Area Peninsula National Park, backed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This initiative is part of the broader “Sustainable and Integrated Landscape Management of the Western Area Peninsula” project, which aims to address critical environmental challenges and bolster climate resilience in the region. The Western Area Peninsula National Park is recognized as a vital biodiversity hotspot, serving as a habitat for species such as the Western Chimpanzee,…