The Power of the people, is greater than the people in power
Key members of the Consortium of Progressive Political Parties embarked on a Nationwide Road Tour across the country, starting in the South East of the country in Kailahun.
On route to Kailahun, the CoPPP delegation led by the Chair, Madam Femi Claudius Cole, stopped at the PMDC office in Kenema, where they were warmly received.
In Kailuhun, the CoPPP Executive held a meeting at the APC Party office, where they met with party members from across the political spectrum who are members of the consortium.
Reflecting on the meeting in Kailahun, Madam Femi Claudius Cole stated that the purpose of the meeting was to make party members understand the concept of CoPPP and how the parties in the consortium are working to form a coalition. She explained that through CoPPP, the parties want to ensure that the aspirations of every single tribe and region are represented. Through the mechanism of CoPPP, Sierra Leone has the opportunity to put do mi, ar do yu politics, behind us. Sierra Leoneans can come together as one nation, working for the development of our country, and looking at how we can support each other, as brothers and sisters, rather than as enemies.
Wadi Williams of NPD said the reception towards CoPPP by the PMDC and APC party in Kenema and Kailahun was extraordinary. Mr Williams said that for the first time, we are putting together the structure and organisation, which was inclusive of all tribes and regions. Mr Williams noted that CoPPP members have committed themselves to pursue Sierra Leone’s development and progress in a peaceful manner, and to repair the damage inflicted on our country by the government. He observed that those who attended are acknowledging that they must own the need for change.
All man don accept say, di future of Sa Lone nar CoPPP ihn han, e dae. Everyone at the meeting recognised that the power of the people is greater than the people in power.
The PMDC Chairman, Tony Songa said that he would stop at nothing, to see that Sierra Leone gets back on track, on the path of national development and progress, which was why we demanded independence from the colonisers.
C4C Maria Bangura, Women’s Leader, weighed in, saying that under CoPPP, every tribe from every part of the country, are represented.
This is what a country which is cohesive and at ease with itself, will look like. Every voice will count. Every concern will be acknowledged.
NGC Party Chairman, assured the audience in Kailahun, that CoPPP presents Sierra Leone, with an opportunity for rebirth and renewal. Everywhere across the African continent, people are coming together under their national identity, to develop and advance their countries. We must do so too in Sierra Leone.
The Tour will continue to other towns and cities as CoPPP aims to reach each and every member in the country.
After spending days in jail…
APC Kemoh Sesay walks out
The Principal Magistrate, His Worship Magistrate Sahr E. Kekura has granted bail to Hon. Kemoh Sesay, former Minister of Transport and Aviation in the past Government.
The former Minister was initially before the Court to answer to one Count of Cyber Stalking and Bullying contrary to Section 44 (2) (b) of the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021.
Following amendments, the Prosecution offered no evidence for the said count and the accused was accordingly discharged.
Before being discharged, the accused took a ‘not guilty plea’ to two counts of offences on a fresh file to wit; Cyber Stalking and Bullying contrary to Sections 44 (1) a and 44 (1) b of the Cyber Security and Crime Act of 2021.
The particulars of offences revealed that Hon. Kemoh Sesay between March and April 2022, through social media, via WhatsApp, in Port Loko District, Bakeloko Chiefdom in the Northern Province of the Republic of Sierra Leone, did wilfully and repeatedly communicate directly or indirectly to the President, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio in a manner that he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing danger, and same been detrimental to the status of His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio.
The Defence team led by former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Charles Francis Margai, raised jurisdictional objection, stating that the Magistrate lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter. C.F Margai Esq. referenced Section 5 (1) of the Court Act of 1965.
“This matter should be tried in Port Loko and not hear,” C.F Margai submitted.
On his part after joining the Prosecution team, Senior State Counsel A.J.M. Bockarie objected on grounds that the offences charged are not to be tried summarily but rather a Preliminary Investigations should be conducted as the punishment, especially the fines, falls outside the summary jurisdiction of the Court.
“These are offences are triable on indictment and therefore the Magistrate should conduct PI because it’s not within his summary jurisdiction,” Senior State Counsel A.J.M Bockarie, referring to Section 6 of the Court Amendment Act of 1981 and the NPRC Penalties Decree Act of 1993.
In addition, State Cousel cited part 3 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1965 which deals with Preliminary Investigations (PI).
“Pursuant to those provisions, the offences committed by the accused are not meant for Summary trial but PI,” State Counsel argued.
Before withdrawing the file for ruling, an application for bail was made by the defence team, His Worship Magistrate Keikura granted the accused Kemoh Sesay Bail, Le. 500,000,000 with two sureties in like sum, title deeds and the sureties must be ordinarily resident in Western Area. Accused to tender all travelling documents to the DAR and be reporting thrice a week.
The matter comes up on Wednesday, 11th day of May, 2022 where Magistrate Sahr Keikura shall rule on the Jurisdictional Objection either in favour of the Prosecution or against the Defendant
PUBLIC REVIEW ARTICLE
That article I repost on corruption in THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN was written twelve years ago – in 2010.
From SLPP government (1964 to 1967) to military government, National Reformation Council (NRC) – 1967 to 1968 – to APC (1968 to 1992), to military government, National Provinsional Ruling Council (NPRC) – 1992 to 1996 – to SLPP (1996 to 2007) to APC (2007 to 2018), to SLPP (2018 to. .)…each new government would accuse its predecessor of “egregious corruption”, establish corruption commission of inquiries…. Have we made the necessary dramatic progress in the War on Corruption? No!!
As far as Grand Corruption is concerned, since 1964, there have been a sort of camaraderie, a ‘krahtch-me-back-
are-krahtch u back’, don’t-prosecute-me-when-you-are-
power-and-I-won’t-
prosecute-your-
corruption-when-I-
get-to-power
ethos among the bureaucratic elite of all civilian and military governments in Sierra Leone that they would fight corruption. They would agree to fool the masses that they are fighting corruption. Incredibly, successive generations of masses have not gotten wise to the Game of Pretence that the governing elite have been playing with them that they are resolute about fighting corruption – only to enrich 1% of the population, and impoverish 98%.
Are the masses waiting for ‘Prophet’ Foday Sankoh to be resurrected to ‘make the blind to see’ the hundreds of millions of dollars of Unexplained Wealth in the mansions built by poorly paid civil servants?
I plead for preventative civil society activism in the War on Corruption to prevent the resurrection of Foday Sankoh. I hope that Retired Brigadier Maada Bio, and his governing SLPP, can provide leadership role in genuinely fighting corruption – or, as precedence shows, they would be shooting themselves in the feet.
I pause,
Oswald Hanciles, The Guru.
HOW TO CRAM EFFECTIVELY
May 09, 2021 By Mohamed Rafik Conteh
It’s best to avoid cramming for exams and assignments if you can help it (I’m sure we all know this). BUT. For one reason or another, there are times when we really just can’t avoid it. It doesn’t make you a bad student or a bad person, it just makes you human!
In the spirit of the finals season that always comes more quickly than expected, here are some tips on how to cram effectively!
1. Temporarily abolish social media
This one likely goes without saying, but it’s also the tip that I personally struggle with the most. There are different ways to avoid social media such as using the Pomodoro method (read more about it and other ways to separate work from leisure) and turning your phone onto airplane mode or do not disturb mode, but my favourite method is to have someone else keep me accountable. As a self-proclaimed people-pleaser, I am much more likely to stay on task if there is even the slightest chance of disappointing someone. With this in mind, I will let my wife or friends know that I need to buckle down and fight procrastination, so if they see me doing something that isn’t related to studying or taking care of myself they can (gently) guilt trip me back on task.
2. Have a plan of action:
Cramming is difficult enough on your mind and enough as it is. Trying to do it without any guidance or a plan to follow will only lead to frustration and will deplete your energy even faster. My reflective question is, how can you effectively cram when you don’t even know what to cram in the first place? Well, my favourite method of cram-planning is creating lists of to-dos. What kind of list depends largely on what type of class or subject I am cramming for because cramming for a multiple-choice exam will look very different from cramming for a written exam. Generally, I make a master list of things I absolutely need to cover, such as anything that my professor has explicitly stated will be on the exam and any other concepts that we spent a large amount of time on during lectures. When making my list of essentials, I also make sure to specify how I should be studying them — which leads me to my next point.
3. Study smarter, not harder:
I’m sure we’ve all met (or have been) that person that says they stayed up all night studying without any breaks but still did not do as well as they had hoped to do. These types of cramming sessions are usually dominated by passive studying like solely reading the textbook or only highlighting notes. While these types of methods feel a bit easier and require less effort, they, unfortunately, aren’t as effective in consolidating information which is what we really need when we’re cramming before an exam. Instead of re-reading your notes, try active studying techniques such as flashcards and practice exams for multiple-choice exams, or practicing writing out passages related to key concepts for written exams. Studying smart is a complex and multifaceted skill so I’ll definitely recommend you check out Some fabulous article on how to be a more effective learner for additional tips!
4. Don’t forget to move and fuel your body:
Say it with me: I solemnly swear that I shall no longer glamorize the toxic side of “the grind” and hustle culture. I know that it may feel like it in the moment, but no exam mark is worth missing meals for. Not only will neglecting your body lead to feeling poorly physically, but the effects of not feeding yourself and not moving your body every once in a while will affect your ability to concentrate and store information, which is the exact opposite of what we want in such dire situations!
Whether it is setting a time to remind yourself to get up and grab a snack or meal every few minutes, or planning your cram schedule to set aside dedicated time to eat and move around, what you are putting in your body and how you are treating it is just as important as what you are trying to cram into your brain!
5. Don’t sacrifice (too much) sleep:
This one goes hand-in-hand with the previous point, but I can tell you from my own experience that I have in my just concluded first year as a graduate fellow performed (and felt) much better writing exams having only studied the minimal content but getting at least six hours of sleep than writing an exam with only one hour of sleep because I spent all night trying to cram information into my tired brain. This is because encountering a question that you might not know the answer to is more easily tackled when you don’t feel like your brain is melting out of your ears from sleep deprivation. I know this. You know this. I also know that at times it is hard to fight the anxiety that comes with cramming the day or night before an exam. But at some point, whether this is a couple of nights before the exam or the night before, you need to realize that eventually, no matter how strong-willed you are, effective cramming can no longer be physically possible.
N/B: As I said, we should try to avoid cramming as much as possible. But desperate times don’t always call for desperate measures. We got this!
About Rafik
Rafik is in his second and final year of the masters of public health and mining engineering program with the fun combination of being an environmental and occupational health specialization (he swears there’s more overlap than it seems!) he is very importantly also an avid lover of cassava leaves and sex. When he’s not spending time working and studying, you can catch him reading a book, watch YouTube comedies, or finding various ways to be a loaf.
Social media;
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