Author: gleanernewspaper
Sebastian Ashong-Katai, Managing Director Ecobank The name ECOBANK now seems to be synonymous with missing funds. The bank is again in the spotlight for another huge sum of missing government revenue deposited at the bank. The latest stolen funds, according to an investigation, run into tens of billions of Old Leones, in which staff of the Bank (names withheld for now), are said to have conspired with other staff from another institution, (name withheld for now), to divert government funds deposited at the bank into personal accounts. It is not known whether the bank’s staff that were arrested and detained at…
People on the move stand near the border wall during a sandstorm after having crossed the US-Mexico border to turn themselves into US Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas on May 10, 2023 [File: Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez] By Belén Fernández On November 6 in the city of Tapachula in Mexico’s Chiapas state, just down the road from the border with Guatemala, a young woman lay face down on the pavement in front of one of the offices of COMAR, the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance. Generally speaking, “refugee assistance” means stymying the northward movement of desperate refugees at the behest of…
Minister of Employment, Labour, and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, has joined colleague Labour Ministers in Baku in a 3-day session to discuss innovative solutions and digitalization of labour and employment services in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states. The sessions are held on the 21st-23rd of November 2023 in Baku. The three-day conference is organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in collaboration with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). This three-day session will cover OIC programs on labour, employment, and social protection, as well as the exchange…
His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio is leaving Freetown today for Oyala City in Equatorial Guinea to take part in a consultative summit of the African Union, AU, Committee of Ten (C-10) Heads of State on the reform of the United Nations Security Council, UNSC. After a welcome statement from the host, H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasago, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; a statement by H.E. Moussa Faki, the Chair of the AU Commission; address by H.E. Denis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio will address the meeting as Coordinator…
The Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM-USL), the leading university in Sierra Leone, is gearing up for a groundbreaking reunion and networking night on November 24, 2023. This event, which is expected to draw a vast alumni representation, will not only serve as a platform for reconnection but also mark the unveiling of a new logo and the naming of a state-of-the-art building that was constructed for lectures and other purposes. In an exclusive interview with the event coordinator, Mrs Branda Peacock-Sawyerr, she highlighted the inspiration behind organising such a grand event. “The decision to organise this reunion was…
The Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Dr Haja Ramatulai Wurie, says medical education plays a pivotal role in advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 3, aligning with the broader agenda of achieving quality education and promoting good health and well-being. She was speaking at the Plenary Session of the Scientific Conference organised by the People’s Friendship University, named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN) on the theme: “For the Sustainable Development of Civilization: Corporation, Science, Education, Technology – Africa’s Pathway to the 17 SDGs: An Integrated Approach.” “In the pursuit of sustainable healthcare development, medical education emerges as a key…
The Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI), an annual Africa Development Bank (AfDB) ranking, recently unveiled its 2022 edition rankings of the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLEWRC) as the eight (8) best regulators among forty-four (44) regulators in Africa. The ERI is an extensive AfDB-led study, that gauges the developmental stages of regulatory frameworks within Africa’s electricity sector. The study’s empirical approach identifies areas necessitating improvement, while comprehensively assessing these regulatory structures’ impacts on the continent’s electricity performance. It also deepens understanding concerning regulatory authorities’ operations and the human and financial constraints impacting electricity sector regulation across Africa. Under…
President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday 21st November 2023, officially launched the Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians (NeWMaP) and delivered the keynote address at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown, at which event he observed that despite the challenges in many areas, there is hope for women and girls in Sierra Leone. The event was organized by the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs, with support from Campaign for Good Governance, TROCAIRE and Irish Aid. The President articulated that women have led before and can lead again, and appealed to them to build strong alliances, observing that the event…
Ibrahim Alpha, Sesay Trade Minister Henry Musa Kpaka, Agriculture Minister Domestic food price inflation remains high. Inflation higher than 5% is experienced in 52.4% of low-income countries, 88.6% of lower-middle-income countries, and 61% of upper-middle-income countries and many experiencing double-digit inflation. In addition, 67.3% of high-income countries are experiencing high food price inflation. The most affected countries in Africa are North America, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia. In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation by 76% in 166 countries. Ten countries with the highest food price inflation are: Egypt: 36%, Lebanon: 31%, Rwanda: 15%, Argentina: 12%, Ghana:12%, Türkiye:…
When 62-year-old fisherman Kpana Charlie has finished sorting through the day’s catch and patching up the holes in his nets, he likes to settle into a weathered wooden chair on his front porch and let his mind drift back to his childhood. Back then, his home on Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island seemed like paradise. He spent endless hours playing with his friends on the island’s dazzling white beaches or splashing about in the warm, green sea. He liked to kick around a soccer ball on the sports field in his village, and in mango season, he would shimmy up the…