Author: gleanernewspaper

Mrs Francess Piagie ALGHALI and Mr TSUJI Kiyoto On August 23, Mr TSUJI Kiyoto, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Hon. Mrs Francess Piagie ALGHALI, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Sierra Leone, visiting Japan to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial Meeting. The overview of the meeting is as follows. At the outset, State Minister Tsuji expressed his gratitude to Sierra Leone for its close cooperation with Japan as a key member of the C10 countries, including in the areas of Security Council reform. In response, Hon.…

The UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Gilles Fagninou, has successfully concluded a working visit to Sierra Leone, which took place from 12 to 15 August 2024. The visit was a crucial step in strengthening partnerships and promoting UNICEF’s priorities and programmes in support of children’s rights. During his visit, Mr. Fagninou engaged with high-level officials and key partners, including government Ministers, to discuss their collaboration with UNICEF and strategies for advancing children’s rights. A significant highlight of the visit was the launch of the Report on the Situation of Children and Adolescents (SITAN) in Sierra Leone, which…

Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held a farewell party for the international students who have been awarded Chinese scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Ambassador Wang Qing, Minister of Technology and Higher Education Hon. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, and Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Victoria Sulimani attended and delivered speeches. Ambassador Wang congratulated the 189 scholarship recipients on their upcoming study in China and reviewed the fruitful cooperation results in education and human capital building achieved by the two sides in the past 53 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone. Amb.…

President Dr Julius Maada Bio on Friday, 23 August 2024, officially launched a major educational project at Bo Government Secondary School, signalling his commitment to Sierra Leone’s educational reform. During the groundbreaking ceremony in Bo City, the President turned the sod for the construction of seven new buildings and the rehabilitation of 24 existing structures as part of a $65 million initiative funded by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). The President expressed deep gratitude to the Principal, Board of Directors and other stakeholders for their unwavering support of his educational agenda. He highlighted his enthusiasm for…

In its quest to fulfil one of its constitutional obligations, the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Aviation, chaired by Hon. Ambrose Maada Lebby, conducted an oversight function at Autospect SL Limited, at Mile Six in the Western Rural District of Sierra Leone, on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024. The Autospect was contracted by the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) to handle the production of licenses, fitness tests of vehicles, and the production of Number Plates and Life Cards The Parliamentary Oversight investigated Autospect’s operations, especially license issuance, vehicle fitness tests, revenue generation, tax obligations, and social welfare for staff. In…

Following allegations about the dumping of expired sardines by SABCO Fishing Company at Bormeh in Freetown, a team from the National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC), led by CEO Lawrence Bassie, visited the production site of the company at Jui on Monday 26th August 2024. During the visit, the head of the company explained that the allegations made against them were false, calculated to tarnish their image and force consumers and their numerous customers to seek other alternatives. She explained that what they have been dumping at Bormeh by Ferry Junction are the waste products, like the head and entries of…

Just two weeks after a key transformer at Waterloo went faulty, the Deputy Minister of Energy l, Dr Eldred Taylor, has demonstrated the commitment of the government to making access to electricity a fundamental priority by replacing the derelict transformer with a brand new one with increased capacity. While installing and commissioning the new transformer, Dr. Taylor said electricity was an essential service that the Government of President Julius Maada Bio was taking seriously, noting that the President had given him clear instructions to replace the transformer within two weeks. He said the fact that they were installing a new…

By FADDA BAKISH Sabco, a local sardine processing company, has come under fire following reports of expired sardines being dumped at the Kissy Waste Dumping site in Burmeh. This troubling incident, which occurred on Friday, August 23, 2024, has sparked widespread concern among residents, onlookers, and workers, prompting regulatory bodies such as the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau and the National Consumer Protection Commission (NCPC) to take immediate action. Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a white truck arrive and unload a large shipment of what appeared to be expired fish. Alie Sesay, a resident who witnessed the incident, described the…

Stephanie S. Sullivan, the newly appointed US Ambassador to the African Union, recently paid a courtesy visit to His Excellency Ambassador Harold Bundu Saffa, who is Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary and currently Chair of the C-10 Group of African Ambassadors in Ethiopia. This meeting, held at the Sierra Leone Mission in Addis Ababa, emphasized the value of collaboration between the United States and African countries, particularly in addressing pressing global issues. Ambassador Saffa greeted Ambassador Sullivan and expressed confidence in Sierra Leone’s current status as President of the United Nations Security Council. He stated that Sierra Leone plans to…

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’…