Author: gleanernewspaper

The United States Foreign Policy Association has conferred its esteemed Foreign Policy Association Medal upon His Excellency, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, at the 2024 World Leadership Forum Dinner, recognizing his exemplary global leadership and progressive initiatives in Sierra Leone. In his acceptance remarks, President Bio expressed gratitude to the Association for the honour, stating his joy in receiving the medal as a representative of Sierra Leone’s ongoing advancement. He reflected on the privilege of leading a nation that has faced significant challenges but has consistently upheld its commitment to democracy. “I remain committed to the belief that democracy, though…

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown By Nikolas Fischer The German Africa Foundation describes Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the Mayor of Freetown, as an “inspiration.” In just six years, she has introduced models of sustainability to Sierra Leone´s capital. Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown in Sierra Leone, has been described as a powerful woman. She has improved her city in many ways and made it a pioneer in several areas. The Sierra Leonean capital now boasts of a liquid waste processing system, with 160 water storage tanks and rainwater collection systems installed. Extensive flood protection measures have also been implemented. Waste from toilets…

President Bio, Finance Minister, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, Chief Minister, Dr Sengeh, Ndeye Koroma, Sierra Leone Ambassador to the United States, Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai. By Mohamed K. Fofanah The Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit (SLCDU), operating under the Office of the Vice President, has successfully secured a transformative $480 million Compact from the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) aimed at revitalizing the nation’s energy sector. This significant funding is expected to play a crucial role in addressing the longstanding challenges faced by the energy industry in Sierra Leone. Ndeye Koroma, the National Coordinator of the SLCDU, has been at the…

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…