Author: gleanernewspaper

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…

By Megan Cornell To celebrate this year’s International Day of Peace, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies invited Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, to speak on his career trajectory and experience working for peace in Sierra Leone. Every year as part of their annual Peace Day celebration, the Kroc Institute honors a Notre Dame graduate cultivating peace globally with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Bah, who received his master’s in international peace studies from Notre Dame in 2011, is this year’s award recipient. Associate Director for alumni relations, Anne Hayner, praised Bah for his work…

By Mohamed K. Fofanah On Monday, September 23, 2024, a PI-CREF team led by the initiative’s chairman, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, is in New York as part of the Sierra Leonean delegation to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The team includes Mr. Peter M. Kaindaneh – Chief Technical Advisor and Mr. Anthony Kamara, Director of Partnerships, Communications and Outreach. Among other bilateral meetings and high-level engagements, the team joined Chairman Yumkella in representing Sierra Leone as co-chair of the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation along with Norwegian Minister of Development- Anne Beathe Tvinnereim.…

By Mohamed K. Fofanah In a poignant address reflecting on Sierra Leone’s tumultuous history, President Julius Maada Bio emphasized the importance of dialogue, vigilance, and international support in the nation’s journey from the depths of a brutal civil war to a hard-won peace. He credited organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their pivotal roles in fostering this stability. As President Bio highlighted, Sierra Leone’s experiences inform its contributions to the UN Security Council, where it advocates for the respect of international law, the protection of civilians, and the necessity…

The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has officially concluded the search and rescue operations at the collapsed seven-storey building at 57 Bai Bureh Road, Shell New Road, which tragically collapsed on September 16th, 2024, between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. The NDMA responded swiftly to the incident, coordinating efforts among various government agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners to expedite recovery efforts and assist those trapped beneath the rubble. A total of 24 individuals were recovered, with 16 fatalities, including children under the ages of five and ten, teenagers, and adults. Fortunately, eight survivors were rescued, including children under five,…

On September 26, 2024, Rise Radio 96.3 FM proudly commemorates its second anniversary of broadcasting, a significant milestone in our shared media journey. Over the past two years, we have established ourselves as a trusted source for news, community engagement, and music, making a meaningful impact on the lives of our listeners. As the Station Manager, I have prioritized delivering content that not only informs but also empowers and inspires our audience. Rise Radio 96.3 FM has transformed into a vital platform for amplifying the voices of marginalized individuals and advocating for social justice. Our programming is designed to foster…

The International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with The National Investment Board (NIB), and other partners, successfully organized a five (5) day training of trainers in Business Matchmaking Platform for Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, and Gambia. The Platform is part of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOM), which is coordinated by ECOWAS and funded by the European Union. It was designed to provide businesses within the ECOWAS region with a user-friendly, multilingual digital space to connect, advertise services, and engage in real-time communication. It supports businesses to overcome language barriers through automated translation in…

By Heba Aly, Brenda Mofya and Andreas Bummel On Sunday, the world’s governments made a series of commitments to transform global governance at the United Nations Summit of the Future in New York. The ambitiously named summit was described as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to “forge a new global consensus on what our future should look like”. Indeed, we are at a critical time when change is urgently needed. The world faces “a moment of historic danger”, with increasingly imminent risks – from nuclear war to a planetary emergency, from persistent poverty and widening inequality to the unhindered advancement of artificial intelligence – threatening humanity’s…