The Sierra Leone Association of Journalist (SLAJ) regrets to announce the sudden death of journalist AMB. JONATHAN LEIGH a former deputy Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, a publisher of the Independent Observer newspaper, which sad event took place on the 9th April, 2022 at the Connaught Hospital, Freetown after a short illness.
“This is a great loss to the media fraternity in Sierra Leone. Jonathan Leigh was a true professional. Our sincere sympathy goes to the bereaved family and may God have mercy upon his soul”, said SLAJ Preident, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla.
Sympathisers may call at Independent Observer newspaper office, Top Floor, 67 Siaka Stevens Street, next door to Red Lion bread shop.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later. (Mob: 077 400 438 or 078 326 422).
Gbalamuya Customs Community Lacks Basic Amenities
By Alusine Babah Kamara
Gbalamuya old customs is a small but very important community/village that is located in Kambia district North West Region of Sierra Leone. It is the border point that links Sierra Leone and Guinea. A good number of traders from different part of Sierra Leone were always traveling to and from neighbouring Guinea to buy goods pass their night in that community.
Chief Pa Alimamy Zakaria Jalloh is the Gbalamuya old customs town chief, explained to this medium how their village is seriously facing hygiene problems.
Chief Jalloh said that since Gbalamuya old customs is the resting place for traders that always came from different parts of the country (Sierra Leone) to travel to neighbouring Guinea to buy goods, 95% of these traders pass their night here.
Due to the lack of public toilet facility this made it very difficult for them to pass their night there.
According to Mr Jalloh, few Houses that have toilets in the community where always closed by the owners by way of preventing to be misused by traders.
“Because of this constrains the traders uses plastics, cards and other things to ease themselves which made it very unhealthy for residents in the community”, Jalloh said.
On a telephone conversation on the way forward for the construction of a public toilet for the people of Gbalamuya old customs between TV-News24 Kambia district reporter Alusine Babah Kamara the Chief Administrator for Kambia Edward Alpha apologizes to the people of Gbalamuya old customs for being in such conditions.
“It is the responsibility of every local council to provide better hygiene for its people but what we are facing as a council is lack of land”, Alpha says.
Alpha stated that those who normally claimed as land owners from that community mostly sell all lands that are located in some strategic areas without reserving land for community development, for any time the Council want to take development.
Koidu Limited practices safest mining in West Africa
By Mento and Emmanuel
After thorough findings on activities of various mining activities in Sierra Leone, this medium had discovered that the Koidu Limited in Kono District, Eastern part of the country was the first to practice the safest underground mining system in West Africa.
This was brought to the attention of Central Base Journalists Sierra Leone (CBJSL) when the Corporate Affairs Manager for Koidu Limited, Ibrahim Turay was responding to an exclusive interview at 84 Wilkinson Road head office in Freetown on Saturday, 9th April, 2022.
As a stakeholder in Kono, Mr. Turay informed journalists that the management of Koidu Limited would soon undertake a big rehabilitation exercise on the Kono Blind School to be habitable for our vulnerable visually impaired children, recalling that recently, they had dished out Seventy Million Leones (Le 70M) for the cleaning of Gbesseh Market for traders.
Mr Turay explained that they have also recently paid over One Billion Leones (Le 1B) surface rent, adding that Koidu Limited was the most compliance mining entity in terms of honoring the payment of Government taxations.
He also spoke about the Company’s priority to continue maintaining it good and satisfactory safety records, adding that the presence of the National Mineral Agency (NMA) Mines officer always felt in their mining site for the purpose of transparency and accountability.
Turay emphasized that underground mining was the safest because it allow miners to work on a well-protected and safety environment with abundant ventilation, unlike the Open Cast system of mining which was exposing workers to the hot burning sun, rainfall and other abnormalities.
“Our safety records are the best in the country”, Turay stated and continued that as a result of the outstanding records been practiced by the management of Koidu Limited, Ghana School of Mines hadn’t only affiliated with the Imatt College in Sierra Leone to begin offer mining courses, but they had also selected Koidu Limited to play the role of training students on the practical aspect.
“I will soon represent the whole mining industry in Sierra Leone to South Africa because they believed that Koidu Limited was a model which is always existing to set brighter example for others to follow”, said Turay and he mentioned that the Company had life insurance to respond to any problem like accident or death which might affected any staff of the company.
According to records displayed to the Central Base Journalists Sierra Leone (CBJSL) by Mr. Turay, no lost time or injury had taken place in the mining sites since January-April this year as a result of the huge amount of capital the company was spending in buying expensive materials to make sure the underground mining activities remain the safest at all times.
“We never practice an unsafe or indiscriminate mining activity, but we are known for our organized mining system since our inception”, he told this medium and clarified that illicit mining activities was dangerous because the company would not only run at loss but the central government would also loses huge revenue.
As a responsible institution which is very much passionate about the education of young people, Mr. Turay talked about the management plan of action to organize a big Inter School Quiz and Debate competition for the Kono pupils, advancing that the 1st, 2nd and 3rd winners of the competition would be benefitting from Koidu Limited scholarship scheme annually with the aim to encourage more young people stay in school until they reach tertiary level of education.
Mr. Turay maintained that they have no issue on their operations with supposed beneficiaries for the fact that they always fulfilling what is embedded in the Community Development Agreement (CDA).
The Corporate Affairs Manager pointed out that since Koidu Limited is practicing the safest underground mining system, their accident or incident ratio still stands at Zero from January to date.
In his conclusion, Mr. Turay by encouraging indegenes of Kono to continue embracing Koidu Limited as it is their to stay and do the needful for the people of Kono District and the country as a whole.
YAS Girl’s Leadership Foundation School Tours Kamakwei
One of the initially unintentional but now incredibly important consequences of me serving as Mayor of Freetown, our capital city, is the inspiration this provides to many girls and young women across the country. Over the past four years, I have been humbled by the numerous times that girls and young women have reached out to me privately and at public events to tell me that they believe they can achieve their dreams because they see me and other women in leadership.
Motivated by these girls and young women, I established the YAS Girl’s Leadership Foundation in January this year to enable me to be more intentional about playing my part in inspiring our future female leaders.
On Friday 11th February, the YAS Girls’ Leadership Foundation rolled out its first project; the ”Give Her Wings, Watch Her Fly” school tour. Funded by CIRHT, and in my personal capacity, I am engaging girls on various issues impacting on leadership, the power of female voices and how issues affecting health and mental-well being can be addressed. The first stop in this 6-month school tour cycle was Kambia District where we engaged girls from Kollenten Secondary School, Sunday Girls Foundation Secondary School and the Linda Koroma Secondary School.
The school tour was in Port Loko on 18th March with girls from Schelenker School, Islamic Secondary School and Port Loko Catholic Secondary School. And this Friday 8th April we had an amazing time in Kamakwei with girls from the Wesleyan Secondary School and the SLMB Secondary School.
During the interactive sessions with the girls, I encourage them to express their dreams for the future. And they have big dreams! They want to become lawyers, doctors, teachers, astronomers, accountants, mayors and even presidents!
The discussions then cover the many challenges faced by girls. Consistent issues are early marriage, teenage pregnancy, lack of financial support, sexual harassment, victimization and conflicts between studies and domestic responsibilities. The sessions reaffirm the commitment of the YAS Girl’s Leadership Foundation to ensure that the women and girls who make up 51% of Sierra Leone’s population, can truly fulfil their potential.
In my talks I propose that three “Wings” needed to allow our girls to fly are:
– #Prioritize your education
– #Believe in yourself; and
– #Persevere through challenges
Scholarships of Le1m are then awarded to each of the top performing SS2 students of the participating schools to further motivate the girls. And we all have a great time singing the inspirational words of the theme song led by singer/songwriter Cllr Natasha Beckley of Port Loko City Council!
I am grateful to all the school principals and teachers for their enthusiasm and support. I am also truly grateful to my colleague Mayors and District Council Chairmen who have been excellent hosts and a huge encouragement to me. But my greatest thanks go to all the amazing girls I have met in the various districts who are so passionate about their futures, about fulfilling their dreams and about making a positive mark on our society. We stand by them!
5 THINGS THAT BROUGHT GREAT MEN DOWN
• FOOD – Ask Adam
• PRIDE – Ask Nebuchadnezzar
• LOVE OF MONEY – Ask Judas Iscariot
• LOVE OF GIFTS AND APPRECIATION – Ask Gehazi
• WOMEN – Ask Samson
5 THINGS THAT HAVE LIFTED GREAT MEN
• Prayer and fasting – Ask Daniel
• Self Control – Ask Joseph
• Obedience – Ask Abraham
• Humility – Ask Elisha
• Patience – Ask Ruth
He who has ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER
Whatsapp killed BBM
Youtube killed DVD
Bluetooth killed Infrared
Xender killed Bluetooth
Zapya killed Xender
CDs killed Cassettes
Android killed Window phones
Uber killed Yellow Cab
Phone killed Post Office
SMS killed Letter Writing
Email killed Fax
Civilization killed Culture
Computer killed Typewriter
E-card killed Hallmark Card
Maggi killed Dawa Dawa
Money killed True Love
What else killed what again oooo?
Internet killed Library
Google killed Dictionary
Wikipedia killed Encyclopedia
No condition is permanent in this world, Be humble.
I almost forgot
And finally MoMo is killing ATM machine and queue in the bank.
So my beloved whatever position you are today use it positively, tomorrow may not be yours but someone else’s, it is the measure you met on them today you will get tomorrow, so live a life with the fear of God in you.
Solar power will soon kill ECG and generator……
At the end, Death will kill life and Resurrection will kill death
BE CAREFUL, THIS WORLD IS NOT FOR ONE PERSON WE ARE JUST PASSING THROUGH IT
