Author: gleanernewspaper

By Augustine Sankoh The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and its partners joined other countries in the world on Wednesday 24th January to celebrate the 6th International Day of Education 2024 in Bo Town, Southern Sierra Leone with the theme; Learning for Lasting Peace. Back in 2018, the United Nations decided that January 24 would be the International Day of Education. This decision was made by 59 countries that wanted to highlight the importance of education. Since then, every January 24 has been a day to recognize and celebrate the significance of education worldwide. In this year’s celebration, both the…

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has reappointed Yusuf Keketoma Sandi Esq. as Press Secretary at State House, where he is once again expected to oversee the general communication architecture of the Presidency. It could be recalled that between April 2018 and July 2023, Keketoma diligently served as Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman to the President, during which his brilliant skills in handling public issues and ability to bring the presidency closer to the people earned him the admiration of many. After the June 2023 elections, he was appointed Deputy Information Minister, where he also helped to manage and…

At the United Nations International Day of Education on Wednesday, January 24th, in New York, Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah eloquently narrated Sierra Leone’s educational journey, beginning with the system the colonial masters handed over to us, the decadence that set in afterwards, the disruption caused by the war and the restoration of hope by current President Julius Maada Bio. The confident Minister Bah held the august audience spellbound with his narrative of his country’s educational history, harping on the theme for the event “learning for lasting peace”. He dilated on the impact of the war on education,…

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, announced in Freetown that the United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development, plans to invest $1.5 million to support Sierra Leone’s Agreement for National Unity.  “Democracy is not just a lofty ideal. It is the cornerstone of a free, fair, and prosperous society,” said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield “The United States appreciates that the Government of Sierra Leone and opposition leaders have worked together to safeguard and to expand democracy, including through the historic Agreement for National Unity, which provides a pathway towards electoral reform and inter-party dialogue,” Ambassador…

Bank Governor, Dr. Ibrahim Stevens Auditors from Audit Service Sierra Leone have uncovered that there are Differences Between Physical Cash in the Vault and the Trial balance at the Bank of Sierra Leone. During the review of currency management, it was observed that a difference of SLE4.096 million (4.096 billion old notes) was over the trial balance amount stated on the currency aggregated accounts. It was further observed that no reconciliation was prepared for currency circulation movement from July to December 2022. Officials at the bank responded during the time of audit that  “Work is currently ongoing by a special task force to reconcile…

Civilians carry their belongings as they flee after heavy gunfire that raised fears of M23 rebels advancing along a road from Sake near Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on February 9, 2023 [File: Reuters/Djaffar Sabiti] “Our daily lives are powered by a human and environmental catastrophe in the Congo.” – Siddharth Kara, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives In mid-December, I joined hundreds of thousands of people in central London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. “We are united”, I told the crowd, “in our demand for peace…

Minister of Energy, Alhaji Dr. Kanja Sesay Minister of Energy, Alhaji Dr. Kanja Sesay, has stated that the level of illegal electricity abstraction is very alarming and has led to a huge loss of revenue. Alhaji Kanja Sesay was speaking in a Press Conference at his electricity house office in Freetown to raise awareness about the massive revenue loss the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) has incurred over the years due to the deliberate act of some citizens who abstract electricity illegally. He called on citizens to imbibe the patriotic culture of citizens’ security, by helping his Ministry and…

The Public Accounts Committee in the Sierra Leone Parliament, Chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, has requested that the various heads of the Energy Ministry, EDSA, and EGTC face the committee and answer questions for unsolved audit queries in the next PAC hearings. The Committee on Monday 22/1/2024 commenced hearings on the Auditor General Report for 2022 at Committee Room 1 Parliament Building in Freetown. The Chairman said the witnesses were invited to Parliament to respond to the terrible audit queries, and emphasized the seriousness of the issues and allegations. While addressing the government officials, especially…

The Sierra Leone Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran accredited to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ambassador Alie Badara Kamara, has presented letters of credence to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev in Baku. Ambassador Alie conveyed greetings from the President of Sierra Leone, HE President Bio, to thank him for the assistance rendered during the EVD outbreak to fight the spread of the pandemic. He furthered that as outgoing Chairman of the Non-Alignment Movement, he is looking forward to more cooperation and strengthening the decades of bilateral relations between the two countries. The President, in his response, considered the establishment…

African Collective, the network connecting Africans and people of African Descent worldwide, has kicked off the inaugural year of African Collective Global Business Month. The global event brings exposure to black-owned businesses around the world and helps the Global African community get acquainted with the products and services their businesses have to offer. “Be Black, buy Black, think Black and all else will take care of itself” was the directive given by the famous African leader Marcus Garvey. African Collective Global Business Month serves as a rallying call to individuals and businesses worldwide, inviting them to participate in the groundbreaking month-long…