APC Plans Big Ahead of Convention

Pursuant to a court ruling, dated 9th August, 2021, a twenty-one-man committee of the 3^rdDefendant has been formed by the APC and inaugurated by the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC). The inauguration took place on Friday 13th August, 2021, at the PPRC headquarters at Tower Hill, Freetown.

The move is to in ensure the full compliance of the orders of the court and to achieve this objective, a standing committee, has started the work of putting together the necessary structures and policies that would ensure the smooth conduct of the adoption of the APC constitution at the convention scheduled for the 17th -19^thSeptember, 2021.

Meanwhile, for the past days, according to the committee, the social media has been proliferated with misinformation on the outcome ol the meetings of the committee. This has given social media abusers, misinformation propagandists and their sponsors the opportunity to hurl invectives at imagined opponents and some of the most respected members in the Technical Committee.

A press release states that “the committee considers the spread of falsehood about its activities and the targeting of committee members over such falsehoods the most irresponsible of acts.” It added that “those behind these irresponsible actions have no purpose other than undermining the efforts at promoting cohesion and moving the APC party forward.”

“We condemn the irresponsible spread of information and making of certain committee members victims of abusive behaviour. We appeal to those who are plotting these shameful actions to adopt a spirit of tolerance. The folly of making anyone an object of abuse over the silliest of reasons demands that the perpetrators redirect their energies into something that will promote peaceful co-existence in the partywhile we continue to do our very best as a committee to ensure that a more democratic constitution for the APC is adopted. We wish to implore allcomrades to trust the membership of the committee and think positively about their task. Rather than representing factions, our task as a committee is to work cooperatively towards the implementation of the task for which we are brought together,” the press release added.

It went further to state that “Moreover, in order to avoid misinformation on the social and other media outlets, the committee through its secretariat and the media team shall be giving updates to the public about its planned activities and resolutions.”

Wilfred Sam-King Lectures Njala University Students

The Guest Speaker CEO and Founder Sam King Services hansing over a cheque of five million Leone to the University

Njala University on Wednesday,18^thAugust 2021 played host to Sierra Leonean businessman and entrepreneur, Mr.Wilfred Sam-King, Chief Executive and Founder of Sam King Services in a Guest Lecture at the University Auditorium, Njala Campus on the topic ‘’Entrepreneurial Perspective to Modern Education Featuring Njala University.’’

The guest lecture is the third series organized courtesy of the Strategic Partnership for Higher Education, Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) under the Assuring Quality in Higher Education Project, Sierra Leone (AQHED-SL) in collaboration with the Agri-Business Management Department in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

Acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Andrew Baimba told the students that he was at the session to add value to what the SPHEIR/AQHED and the Department of Agri-Business at the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences were doing to empower students.

He disclosed that University education was not only about the conventional form of teaching and learning but was also about listening to the experiences of experts and professionals in various fields and encouraged them to pay attention to the Entrepreneurial journeying of the Guest Speaker, Mr. Sam-King, and learn from his experiences.

The Guest Speaker, Mr. Sam-King started his lecture by likening his entrepreneurial journey to Njala University an institution which according to him had contributed immensely over the decades in the areas of research in rice farming, agronomy, animal husbandry, poultry farming, agricultural economics management, and engineering attracting the best of brains in the sub-region.

The CEO and founder of Sam-King Services continued that Njala University was a hub for agricultural research and science and noted that the West African Institute for Oil Palm (WAIFOR) was hosted at Njala University and the knowledge gained from the research was exported overseas to Malaysia and other Indo-Pacific regions.

Mr. Sam-King further told the staff and students that Njala University was the global leader in conducting research into how palm oil can be grown on an industrial scale but that it took the entrepreneurship minds of the Malaysian Government to operationalize the production of palm oil on an industrial scale. This according to him is now raising an average net of US$ 16 billion per annum for the Malaysian economy.

The Guest Speaker cited Dr. Amadu Maturi, Professor Aiah Gbakima, Dr. Monty Jones, Joseph Loius Boboh, Professor Nathaniel Kuyembah, Dr. Rashid Noah for immensely contributing to the development of sectors such as animal husbandry, onchocerciasis, New rice for Africa (NERICA) rice, botany, and engineering putting Njala University at the center of research, science, and engineering

Mr. Sam King noted that amidst this enviable history and academic prowess in the last four decades, Njala University is currently challenged in terms of sustaining these gains and this is as a result of a combination of factors ranging from bad political governance, economic, technological, institutional degradation, the civil war, brain drain, corruption, and other complex variables.

He recommended a curriculum review to integrate creative problem-solving effective communication skills, project management, people management skills, leadership skills amongst several others.

Mr. Sam King concluded by emphasizing that rejuvenating Njala University would require the preparation of a compelling Business Plan, strengthening a strong sense of integrity to regain public trust, engaging in transformational research and partnerships, and establishing a Strategic Planning and Development Steering Committee.

Mr. Sam–King was accompanied by Mr. Amara Sowa, Coordinator for President Bio’s Education Flagship Project, and Morlai Buya Kamara a Project Management Expert.

The Free Quality Education Coordinator lauded Mr. Sam-King and Njala University for integrating Entrepreneurship into the curriculumof Higher Education and reported that Free Quality Education has increased access to Basic Education since 2018.

This according to him would correspondingly increase access to higher education numbers and graduates in the next coming years who will be challenged with securing jobs and hence the trajectory to move towards entrepreneurship is the way to go.

The session ended with a question and answer session in which students asked for clarifications and also made meaningful contributions.

Mercury Pays Over Le3.5B to Football Betting Winners

The opening weekend of the 2021/22 top European football league season sighted a dazzling moment for sports betting customers as Sierra Leone’s leading Sports Betting and Lottery Company, on Monday made a massive pay-out, totalling Three Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million, Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Five Leones (Le 3,568,257,465) in football betting, leaving a total of Twelve Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven (12,587) customers in a euphoric mood.

The weekend’s Mega List Set 21425 on Sunday, produced the biggest win of the weekend with a total of Two Billion, Fifty-Nine Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand, One Hundred and Three Leones (Le 2,059,560,103), whiles Saturday’s Long List Set 16531 followed with a massive Five Hundred and Fifty-Three Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, Five Hundred and Seven Leones (Le 553,721,507).

Sunday’s Long List Set 16533 also produced another big millions of Leones winning, with a total pay-out of Two Hundred and Fifty-Two Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighteen Leones (Le 252,877,718).

Aside from the massive pay-out in football betting, the customers cheery also continued in the 5/90 Lottery arena, where a total sum of One Hundred and Ten Million, Nine Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Leones (Le 110,917,750) was made.

Friday’s 50% Lottery bonus saw a total payment of Five Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, One Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy-Five Thousand Leones (Le 575,117,375) on winning with the Mercury Daily Special draw edition 757 producing One Hundred and Seven Million, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Five Hundred Leones (Le 107,713,500).

Public Relations Manager, Alhaji Komba said: “This win sends a message to our customers, noting that the Bonus King, Mercury International is here for them. This is an exciting way for our customers to start the football league season, as we made an increased number of millionaires throughout our different products.” He said: “This winning came just few days after the company introduce, what we refer to as the ‘Exclusive Bonus’ which is the biggest football bonus a betting company can offer. It gives customers the chance to win more on any of our Long List & Mega List fixtures from 5% to 100%.”