NRA stabs SLRTA! By SaiduDumbuya Officials of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) attached to the Gbalamuya Customs Post in Kambia District are alleged to be stabbing the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Authority (SLRTA) in its efforts to ban Right Hand Vehicles (RHV) from plying roads in the country. Though the ban on RVH is supposed to be effective few days to go in coming September, The Salone Champion understands that, employees of NRA are in their move to amass illegal wealth, undermining measures been put in place to discourage the importation of RHV into the country. In a recent interview with BBC Media Action, one of NRA’s Customs Officers, Mr. Ben, maintained that though they’ve heard about the SLRTA’s public notice on the ban of RHV over local radio stations, the Authority has not officially notified them through a direct correspondence for them to stop entry of right hand drive vehicles in the country, adding that they have been collecting revenue from right hand drive vehicles entering the country from Guinea since March this year after the ban was placed last year September. When The Salone Champion contacted the SLRTA Public Relations Officer (PRO) to ascertain the legality of the NRA Customs Officers’ actions, Abdul Karim Dumbuya expressed disappointment to have heard from a Customs Officer attached to the Gbalamuya Customs Post that they received no correspondence regarding the ban, arguing that SLRTA has since communicated and made known of the ban to all its associate institutions across the country. “So it is rather unfortunate for an NRA Official to deny having knowledge about the ban,” the PRO stated, pinpointing that nothing would derail SLRTA from enforcing the ban, except it comes from Government,” the PRO stated, and described the state of affair as stabbing at SLRTA efforts. He fumed at the behaviour of the NRA Customs Officers, and emphasized that, come September 1st, 2014, no RHV would be allowed to ply the country’s roads. According to him, though incessant pleas are coming from members of the Motor Owners Union for the SLRTA Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu, to postpone the ban, the Authority is committed to commence the exercise on its slated date – September 1st, 2012. “We are steadfast to decimate the rate of road accidents through the ban on RHV. Therefore, the best thing RHV owners need to do is converting their vehicles to Left Hand Drive Vehicles (LHV) rather than negotiating for a deferment of the ban. The garages for this conversion works have been identified and widely communicated. The SLRTA therefore sees no reason why those owning RHV are failing to convert them to safe LHV at reasonable costs,” he concluded. Flood perishing Bonthe and Pujehun Districts By Momoja N. Lappia Reports reaching The Salone Champion indicate that, about ten (10) villages within certain Chiefdoms of Bonthe and Pujehun Districts in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone are currently being flooded by spilling waters from the Atlantic Ocean. With yet no reported death, the flooding is said to have held all activities to ransom amid no emergency response from government and her development partners. Breezing into the offices of The Salone Champion on Kissy Road in the east end of Freetown last night, the traditional head of Kwamebai Krim Chiefdom, Paramount Chief Mohamed Soko Messi V, disclosed that they had envisaged a possible disaster from previous abnormal water levels. According to the Paramount Chief, though they alerted the All People’s Congress (APC) led government about the looming flooding through the Office of National Security (ONS) representatives in the two districts, no proactive actions were put in place to save lives and properties. And that even when he exploited means to attract government’s attention to the hanging trouble, no deterrents were in place to avert the flooding when the water level reached its peak past Monday August 11th this year. PC Mohamed Soko Messi V said though flooding is not a peculiar event in the localities’ calendar, it has never occurred in the months preceding September and at the present magnitude it is flowing. “Though flooding took over Tei Village and Messi Island in 1992 and 2006 respectively, both occurred in late September months and were as a result of overflowing nearby rivers,” PC Soko Messi V narrated, and stressed that they were frightened this August month when the sea level astronomically rose and started telling on the rivers and streams within the Districts. Besides his Chiefdom, PC Soko Messi V claimed that the current flooding has engulfed other Chiefdoms in Bonthe District, more so the Nongoba Bullom Chiefdom. He revealed how during a conducted tour he observed that as the flooding keeps roaring within the south-western basin of Southern Province, several villages within Yakemo-Kpukumu Krim and Mano Sakrim Chiefdoms in Pujehun District have also been trapped. In a dispirited mood, the Paramount Chief informed The Salone Champion about the devastation the flooding is causing. “Being that most houses in these affected Chiefdoms are erected from local materials, the gushing sea water is washing them away with ease. In addition, the flooding has swept, plenty domestic animals and plants affected inhabitants have been banking on for survival,” he maintained. PC Soko Messi V says as the victims are patching to contend the trauma, he is worried whether they would resist the flooding aftermath traumas as the government and its development partners are reneging on providing relief supplies. However, though the Environmental Protection Agency, Sierra Leone Red Cross, ONS and other development stakeholders have expressed interests in rendering assistances, PC Messi underlined the need for a timely intercession. “It is as a result of this same insensitivity of government and its attendant Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) to the relevance of prompt actions that the inhabitants of Bonthe and Pujehun Districts are perishing today,” PC Messi observed, and noted how a replication of this negative attitude will cost more lives in that part of the country and beyond. Meanwhile, though PC Soko Messi V is blaming the flooding on heavy rainfall, EPA sources The Salone Champion talked with before going to press alleged that the flooding cannot be unconnected to certain inimical activities been practised by the inhabitants of the two Districts. The EPA sources blamed the flooding on land degradation, which is caused by deforestation due to widespread timber harvesting, sand mining and land clearing for farming purposes. Massive fraud at Labour Ministry! By Mohamed Kamara Past Ministers of Labour, such as the late Hindolo Sumanguru Trye, is said to have left blueprints at the Ministry, as he passed an order that all foreigners should register for work permits before doing any job in the country. But what has emerged from many citizens is allegedly an entrenched lack of patriotism and abuse of office at the Ministry, especially the nontransparent manner labour officials are demonstrating. Allegations are rife that registration of foreigners for work permits is on-going with receipts issued, but that the largesse of the exercise ends in private pockets. Speaking to The Salone Champion, junior workers, who begged not to be named for job security reasons, alleged that though registration of foreigners for work permit is on-going, the number been registered, how much accrued from the exercise and how such monies are managed is a mystery. The junior workers also hinted about how ‘ghost workers’ typical of yesteryears when corruption crusades were too insignificant are still eminent at Labour Ministry. “Just investigate and you will observe that there are people not working here, but receive salaries every month at the expense of government,” the workers alleged, adding that the trend is stealthily going on because certain senior officials get their shares from such ‘ghost’ salaries. Besides, many citizens have raised eyebrows over the manner labour officials deal with complaints, as according to them, they are with the ingrained habit of siding employers – foreign and indigenous - that are complained by employees. They lamented that cases of many Sierra Leoneans illegally terminated by their bosses are not taken seriously by labour officials despite proven evidences that employees have been ill-treated and abused contrary to the laws of the land. In the event of a complaint, citizens say, labour officials assigned to arbitrate the matter would swiftly contact the employer and strike a deal with him, while the complainant remains unprotected. According to the anonymous junior workers, there are hundreds of cases filed and kept in broken cupboards as hapless complainants have since resigned to fate because labour officials had paid lip service to them. Some employees have also raised concern over why labour officials in Sierra Leone are not going from one workplace to another to monitor the existing conditions of work under which citizens are placed like their counterparts in other countries do to check the excesses of employers. Despite monetary gains are made at the Labour Ministry, a source confided in The Salone Champion that the outfit remains the most outmoded in terms of its building structures at New England Ville. When this reporter went to crosscheck the allegations with labour officials on Friday, those contacted could not respond, except to say “we don’t know… it is not our domain.” COMMENTARY Weighing the Public Health Emergency By Momoja N. Lappia Granted, the endorsement by Parliament of the Public Health Emergency declared by President Koroma is immeasurably helping in halting the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease [EVD] across the country and beyond. Though President Koroma’s declaration and Parliament’s endorsement of the Public Health Emergency came a little bit later as was expected by a sensible section of the Sierra Leonean society, its current implementation is evoking some causes for concern. No gainsaying that, EVD is contagious and its potential to easily spread could in the midst of other possibilities be catalysed by unregulated contacts with affected persons’ excreted fluids. Impliedly, the essence of the Emergency – in pursuant to section 29(3) of the to-be revised 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone Act No.6 – is to debar this unfettered contacts among people presently living in the country and elsewhere. Unarguably, the restriction is quite in place. But a look across the country speaks volume about how this Public Health Emergency is carving another ‘Animal Farm’ out of Sierra Leone. With all commendation to President Koroma and the Legislators to impose the Emergency, nothing will sound more deceitful than shying away from saying that certain sections of the government that have been charged the order seem to be ill-using it for personal interests. In most instances, the ways and means by which some government officials are implementing the Emergency have made some class of people more superior than others. It is inexcusable that in any national fight where there is a common enemy, all citizens are obliged to sacrifice, though not by the same proportion. But this is not proving so in Sierra Leone’s war against the dreadful EVD. While patriotic citizens prefer bearing the brunt of the Ebola outbreak by adhering to the imposed Emergency, it goes without saying that plenty unnationalistic personalities are making fortunes out of the predicament. This is saddening, more especially for a country that says it is yearning for prosperity. But, to give the Emergency its real meaning, our government operatives are supposed to set the precedents. Much could be inferred from the mere arresting, charging to court and sentencing of those that have allegedly breached the Public Health Emergency while certain individuals are being treated by the law as exceptions. For verification sake, it is absurd to note that amid exempting our future leaders from attending schools, poor hawkers from converging at ‘Lumors’ to do business and soccer fans from watching games at cinemas, the Ministry of Local Government [MoLG] and National Electoral Commission [NEC] are deep-neck in the conducting of Chieftaincy Elections across the country. Pondering on how electoral processes warrant the excessive intermingling of people tells how these sectors – MoLG and NEC – are trivializing the country’s crusade against Ebola. The confluence of traditional activities that Local Elections provoke clearly points out that, though MoLG and NEC may feel they are doing some good, their action has virtually undermined the ban on public gathering, cultural activities like hunting and initiation of secret societies. In the nutshell, the institution of a Public Health Emergency is one thing, but government needs to see that it is implemented to the letter. Being that the EVD has nobody as an exception to contract, nobody/section must also be seen as a sacred-cow in government’s fight against it. FCC nets Le85M Local Tax Revenue By AbdulaiMento Kamara Although the collection of Local Taxes from residents of Freetown Municipality remains a tedious task for the Freetown City Council (FCC), His Worship Mayor Franklyn Bode-Gibson has in a recent interview with The Salone Champion at his office on Wallace Johnson Street in downtown Freetown, disclosed of a total of eighty-five (85) million Leones (Le85, 000,000.00) been collected so far. Mayor Bode-Gibson complained about the negative attitude of residents in honouring their tax obligation which he noted as the major cause why FCC’s developmental output is underpinned as compared to other City Councils across the country. He however commended those who have honoured their tax obligations and implored others to emulate the exemplary move. On whether the inhabitants’ denial to pay Local Taxes, Dues, License Fees, City Rates and Fines are as a result of having poor perception about FCC’s Management, Mayor Bode-Gibson allayed his subjects’ fears that: “The current FCC Management is different from its predecessors. We are running an accountable, transparent and responsible management and see no need why residents should be justifying their renege on paying obligations by the corrupt practises of previous FCC Administrators.” According to him, the major means by which the inhabitants of Freetown can contribute to the city’s development is by honouring their obligations. Comparing the raised Le85,000,000.00 to the cost of projects FCC is envisaging to undertake to facelift Freetown, Mayor Bode-Gibson said the costs fact exceed what have been collected. Against this background, the City Father called on tax payers to imbibe the noble culture of paying taxes. When The Salone Champion contacted the Chief Administrator of FCC, Mr. John Amadu Conteh, he confirmed the amount of Local Tax Revenue been raised and its inability to finance some key projects they are envisaging to carry out in the coming months. Chief Administrator Amadu Conteh narrated the deplorable conditions of Municipality Schools, Markets, Health Care Units, Roads/Streets and Recreational Centres that require billions of Leones to refurbish. The FCC Chief Administrator cited the Allen Town Primary Healthcare Unit as one of the projects the Council is presently undertaking, but that they are held aback by the unavailability of funding. In addition to the Allen Town Primary Healthcare Unit Renovation Project, he said, they’ve been hoping to undertake the marking of roads and streets within Freetown Municipality. He lamented over how the unavailability of enough revenue is handicapping FCC to undertake relevant projects, especially the critical Ebola Virus Disease that has surfaced in Freetown and its immediate surroundings. Talking on how the Council is coping with the threats from EVD, Chief Administrator Amadu Conteh revealed how they are working according to directives the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) gave City Councils when the EVD started claiming lives in the provinces. MoFED, he said, had written all City Councils mandating them to reprogram their 2014 Activity Plans to incorporate training of District Health Medical Team Staff and intensification of sensitization campaigns on EVD in schools, markets, religious places and other public gatherings. Amid meagre revenue, the FCC had adopted some measures to combat the spread of EVD among people living within Freetown, he said, adding that one such measure is the promotion of sanitation within the Freetown Municipality by regulating the timing of traders at Municipality Markets and on prohibited streets. According to him, selling beyond 6:00 p.m. poses serious threat to Anti-Ebola Crusade within Freetown. Above and beyond the littering of Municipality Markets and Streets and congestion, he said, a possibility exists for traders to sell contaminated stocks which could not be detected when night falls. To avert this possible occurrence which could expose buyers and sellers to EVD he disclosed that FCC plans to ban all trading at these localities after 6:00 p.m. soonest. As Ebola Screening intensify at Checkpoints… Security Officers harass Passengers By SaiduDumbuya Leaks from the two quarantined districts of Kailahun and Kenema indicate security officers detailed at the various checkpoints along the highways to screen for the Ebola disease in that part of the country are engaged in extortionate habit for which they subdue passengers to harassment. Though the sole aim of erecting those checkpoints is to restrict movement of suspected Ebola infected persons in a bid to prevent them from spreading the disease to healthy people, the security officers are said have turned the barriers into treasure-troves. Since Kailahun and Kenema Districts are localities viable for business activities because of appreciable agricultural and mineral productions, the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has not scared away business people from their chores within these areas. Sources say business people and other class of passengers are forced by security officers to pay exorbitant fees at each checkpoint along Kenema-Kailahun Highway, adding that business people, who could not endure delay for fear of their goods perishing, are forced to pay bribes to be allowed quick access. Meanwhile, the state of affair is causing passengers to disembark vehicles few kilometres approaching the checkpoints, use bush paths to bypass the barriers. The passengers would then re-embark the vehicles later after leaving the drivers to grease palms of the security officers. According to the sources, this situation could worsen the spread of Ebola viral disease if allowed to go unabated. SLPA/FCC takes giant strides against Ebola By SaiduDumbuya In a bid to help eradicate the deadly Ebola virus across the country, the Management of Sierra Leone Ports Authority (SLPA), in collaboration with the Freetown City Council (FCC), has set up Ebola screening centres at the Ferry Terminals at Kissy and Tagrine respectively. At a the launching of the screening centres at the Kissy Ferry Terminal on Monday 22nd August, 2014, Member of Parliament for Constituency 102, Hon. AlieKalokoh, welcomed the attendees and thanked them for leaving their businesses to honour their invitation. Chairman of the programme, Mr. Abu Bakarr Bangura, who is General Manager of Sierra Leone Ports Authority, stated that they have a responsibility of safeguarding health of the public using the ports, a reason he said, Ports Management saw it wise to set up screening centres at the strategic terminals. According to Mr. Bangura, prior to the setting up the screening centres, they had series of consultative meetings with key stakeholders who unanimously agreed upon the provision and use of thermometers at all entry and exit points of Ferry Terminals, among other key actions. Passengers using Ferries will also be tested for abnormal temperature before tickets are issued to them, as drums of chlorinated water would be placed at all entry points of the Terminals and various boats landing sites. The number of landing sites for local boats should be reduced and life jackets of all passengers on board local boats be disinfected after every trip. While safety kits will be provided and boats operators trained on Ebola prevention, security personnel will further be deployed at Kissy Terminal to aid the medical personnel on Ebola preventive measures. The Mayor of Freetown City Council, Sam Franklyn Bode-Gibson, said that the denials about the existence of Ebola are many, and admonished the public not to treat the Ebola outbreak with pettiness. He also warned all and sundry to desist from politicising the issue of Ebola in any way because, according to him, the disease knows no bound irrespective of social status, tribal, regional and political affiliations. Mayor Bode-Gibson disclosed how they have two weeks ago mounted a checkpoint at Newton Village, which he said, is doing a marvellous job in cutting down the spread of the virus. He opined that any government that does not care for the welfare of its people is not a responsible government, and described Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma’s Government as a responsible one that cares for its people. He called on all and sundry to be watchdogs in society and to constantly call the 117 hotline when suspicious of any Ebola case anywhere. A medical personnel representing the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Dr. Samba, said Ebola is not the first disease to hit the country, but that the Ministry overcame all through the help of the citizens. According to him, the setting up screening centres at Terminals is vital because the spread of Ebola is mounting in the Port Loko District, which neighbours the Western Area. Other eminent personalities that made meaningful contributions included the Local Unit Commander of Habour Police Division, Mr. Samuel Sanie Sesay. The ceremony was climaxed by the screening of passengers on board the MV Mahera Ferry and its crew. During the course of screening however, three people, who were identified with high temperature, were asked to stand apart for further screenings. Minister presents Bye-Laws to Paramount Chiefs By Kamal M. Barrie in Kenema The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mrs. Finda Diana Konomanyi-Kabba, has handed the instituted Ebola Bye-Laws over to the Paramount Chiefs of Kenema District, Local Council officials including Councilors, and other district stakeholders. The Minister said she was in that part of the country to launch and present the prepared Bye-Laws to the mentioned stakeholders in the district and the communities, as well as, a guiding document in the fight against the Ebola Virus and any other disease that may have public threat. On behalf of the President and her Ministry, Mrs. Konomanyi-Kabba extended profound condolence to the bereaved families of all those who have lost their lives to the Ebola outbreak. She also made known about the large quantity of assorted food stuffs and other essential commodities brought with her as a special package on behalf of the President and the Ministry for foreign health workers, Sierra Leonean nurses and doctors and the Ebola victims and their relatives. “This gift is to console those that have lost their dear ones to the Ebola Viral Disease and to motivate doctors and nurses”, she maintained. While Minister Konomanyi-Kabba informed that over 500 copies of the bye-laws were prepared and advised all and sundry to obey such laws, she promised Paramount Chiefs of doing her best in supporting them to ensure the bye-laws are functional in their chiefdoms. She maintained that the bye-laws were prepared by the respective chiefs through her and approved by Parliament in a bid to ensure more concrete and a stable condition in the fight against the Ebola outbreak, as well as other diseases in our country. Giving update on Ebola nationwide, the Minister said while cases of Ebola are decreasing in Kailahun and Kenema, it is sadly increasing in Bo, Port Loko and Bombali. On behalf of the Kenema City Council, Mayor Joseph Samba Keifala lavished praises on the Resident Minister East, Maya Kaikai, who he said has been working with them assiduously in unison. The Mayor said since they have been longing for somebody like the late Resident Minister, William Juana Smith, he thanked President Koroma for appointing Maya Kaikai. He also thanked Minister Diana Konomanyi-Kabba for the gift and the presentation of Bye-Laws he described as wonderful. The Mayor promised of liaising with all to make sure these laws are obeyed and Ebola is eradicated out of the country. Chairman of the Kenema District Council, Dr. Senesie Mansaray, in his speech pleaded with the Minister to help pass the Ebola sensitization to all chiefdoms in order to curtail the infection since there are now standard Bye-Laws. The Resident Minister East, Maya Kaikai, and the Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, PC Vangahun made similar speeches by thanking the Minister for the gift, as well as, preparing standard Bye-Laws in the fight against Ebola Virus. Hon. PC Pewah representing Kenema District Paramount Chiefs in Parliament gave the vote of thanks in which he congratulated President Ernest Bai Koroma on his decision to ensure all Paramount Chiefs receive salaries and thanked Minister Finda Diana Konomanyi-Kabba for her role in the fight against Ebola.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 14:29:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015