Abdul R Thomas – Editor

17 May 2012

After a brutal civil war, which brought total destruction to Sierra Leone’s governance and civil society infrastructures, the collapse of the rule of Law and the emergence of mob justice, the long and hard road to rebuilding the country continues.

Hundreds of Millions of Dollars have been spent, the challenges are immense. But so far, there is so little to show for that effort: poverty is increasing; clean drinking water has become a luxury, while fewer than twenty-percent of households have electricity.

No civilised nation can function without an effective and efficient public sector or civil service, notwithstanding the ideological debate as to the role and size of the state sector in society.

In Sierra Leone, that debate is far from being necessary, as the provision of basic essentials of life, such as clean, safe drinking water and food, takes centre stage.

Continue reading →

Alpha Kawusu

14 May 2012

The current economic downturn in Sierra Leone provides a useful context for reassessing the role of local government in the country’s economic development.

Unemployment is running at over 60%, with youth unemployment in most communities much higher than 65%.

Although Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to rise from 5% in 2011 to 13% in 2012, driven by a one-off surge in iron-ore mining export, it is unlikely to be sustained in the long-term due to the absence of a coherent Local Authority led economic development strategy.

Local government can play a significant role in stimulating private investment and creating jobs, thereby leading to economic growth.

Continue reading →

John Pa Baimba Sesay

13 May 2012

What I have noticed in recent times, is the confidence that the international community has continued to demonstrate in their relationship with Sierra Leone.

And, as a result of the trust and confidence that developed and emerging nations have in Sierra Leone, it is no gainsaying, that we continue to witness a twist, in terms of investors.

They are arriving in the country to invest their resources, because they trust the leadership of Ernest Bai Koroma.

I wrote a few days ago, extensively on Sierra Leone’s investment opportunities. I argued that in the area of extractive industries, there has been many reforms; as well as in the fisheries, infrastructure and tourism sectors.

The media landscape too, has its opportunity for investment and this; we have begun realizing with an investment decision by Star Times Group in China, who are planning to arrive in Sierra Leone to invest in the development of digital television.

Let us, for a moment examine the basic facts.

Continue reading →

Yusuf Keketoma Sandi

12 May 2012

It was a day our APC friends had thought will never come and some possibly prayed not to come. The day a former military head of state showed his credentials as to why he wants to be the democratically elected president of Sierra Leone – a nation of six million people.

It was a day when a politician of the UK governing conservative party, Chris Bucwell, to the amusement of the audience, begged Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio for his next government to adopt a policy of Compassionate Conservatism.

I am really talking about Thursday, 10th May when the Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio was hosted by the Chatham House, which has been the home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs for ninety years.

Chatham House is no ordinary institute, but a forum where global leaders are invited to speak to the world. And the Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio did not let the people of Sierra Leone down.

Continue reading →

11 May 2012

When president Koroma took office in 2007, one of the promises made was that he would leverage the special relationship he had struck with Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora, especially those living in the USA – supporting his Agenda for Change, to help rebuild the country’s economy.

But five years on, his diaspora financial backers have let him down woefully. They have done nothing, other than enriching themselves in a national corruption scam, dubbed – ‘operation payback time’.

Few of president Koroma’s financial backers once living abroad, who returned to Sierra Leone after Koroma won the elections, have invested in establishing private enterprises. Their impact on the country’s economy is said to have been negative.

Continue reading →

11 May, 2012

Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in Chatham House, yesterday, the presidential candidate of Sierra Leone’s main opposition party – the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) – Mr. Julius Maada Bio, talked about the kind of society he wishes, for the country to become under his leadership.

He also discussed his aspirations for a prosperous, socially just and economically inclusive Sierra Leone, where no one goes to bed hungry. This is what he said:

Continue reading →

9 May 2012

Julius Maada Bio – the presidential candidate for the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) is indeed a man with a mission to become president of Sierra Leone at the polls in November.

He is enjoying a successful tour of UK cities, meeting supporters and well wishers. There is little doubt now, that, he is the president of Sierra Leone in waiting.

Bio is visiting the UK, along with key SLPP policy advisers – Alhaji kanja Sesay, who is the Chairman of the party’s Sierra Leone southern region, and Mr. Andrew keili – heading the party’s policy committee.

In London last Saturday, over a thousand loyal supporters and politically neutral Sierra Leoneans living in London, greeted Bio at a fund raising event.

And on Monday, he arrived in Reading, where he made a stunning speech to the applause of hundreds of Sierra Leoneans. It seems Bio is now unstoppable, as he mobilises supporters and well wishers in the UK, in support of his bid for office at the November 2012 elections.

Yusuf Keketoma Sandi reports:

Continue reading →

5 May 2012

Sierra Leone lays tracks for future economic growth

A report published by Ernst & Young says that international investors’ perceptions of the continent of Africa are beginning to shift positively. But what is even more encouraging for the continent and its people are the key findings, suggesting that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects into Africa have more than doubled from 339 in 2003 to 857 in 2011.

The study also found that; Intra-African investment has grown exponentially increasing from 27 in 2003 to 145 in 2011 – 17% of all new FDI projects on the continent last year; 60% of respondents say perception of Africa as a business location has improved over past 3 years and three quarters say attractiveness will improve further over next 3 years.

Ernst & Young are predicting Africa’s GDP to grow between 4 and 5% a year in the next decade and Foreign Direct Investments into Africa reaching US$150b by 2015.

Continue reading →

John Baimba Sesay – Information Attaché

5 May 2012

The role of the People’s Republic of China in Africa’s development has been tremendous. In January of this year, the African Union (AU) commissioned a $124 million headquarters, built single-handedly by China for the African continent.

This is a clear manifestation of the depth that Sino-Africa relations have reached in recent times. Being the world’s second largest and fastest economy, China is poised to continue to play a strategic role in driving the world’s socio-economic development.

Sierra Leone’s friendly and diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China dates back to the late 1960s. It was no surprising therefore, that Sierra Leone was historically well placed to ensure China’s entrance not just to the United Nations – but the UN Security Council.

This was a victory for foresightedness, ably demonstrated by the late President Siaka Stevens, at the time when the rest of the world could not have anticipated the near global economic dominance that China has so rapidly achieved, in less than half a century.

Cooperation ties between the two countries have since grown from strength to strength.

It is against this backdrop that an article on the Embassy in Beijing, authored by one Alpha Kargbo and published in the Sierra Leone Telegraph online newspaper of Tuesday, 1st May, 2012, would require important clarification of the facts on the ground.

Continue reading →