Opposition Parties Demand Consultation From Govt

The opposition leaders of the All peoples Congress (APC)National Grand Coalition(NGC)and the Coalition For Change party(C4C) in parliament  has on Friday 23^rd April, 2021 issued a press statement over the humiliation of some leaders of political parties as they delivered a letter to the president of Sierra Leone.

The press statement continued in pinpointing that peaceful events such as the delivery of letters to presidents are regular occurrences in working democracies.

 In furtherance, the parties with representation in parliament urged the ruling SLPP government to inculcate the principle of inclusive dialogue and consultation in its governance strategy.

The release added that the ruling government should always dialogue and engage in consultation with political parties especially on critical issues of immense national interest.

Below is the press statement.

                    

At a Wedding Reception…  

Pres Bio Lauds RCB Managing Director

President Maada Bio has praised the managing director of Rokel Commercial Bank at a matrimonial ceremony of the Deputy Managing Director(DMD) Mr. Emmanuel Sahr Borbor, which was organized at the Bintumani Conference Center in Aberdeen, Freetown.

 The President was conspicuously in attendance to grace the wedding ceremony of a very eager and anxious looking bride and bridesgroom.

The ceremony was very colourful with all the pomp and pageantry one would expect from the carefully planned occasion. It was a beautiful ceremony and graced by elites from around the Country.

It was during the reception ceremony that the President was called upon to make a statement to address the Bride and Groom. Being a man of few words, he wasted no time in admonishing the couple and wishing them a happy married life together.

At this juncture, Mr. President decided to break away from tradition and turn his focus on the Managing Director (MD), Dr.Ekundiyo Walton Gilpin of the Sierra Leone Rokel Commercial Bank.

 His Excellency commended Dr. Gilpin for turning the fortunes of the Bank around from what had become a failing Institution to now a profit making bank in such a short space of time. He acknowledged that the Bank was on the brink of collapse until it was rescued a few years ago by the current MD, Dr. Ekundiyo Walton Gilpin.

He went on to address him personally referring to him by his first name with his gaze firmly fixed on him, as he thanked him and spoke of how very appreciative he was of the work he had done and continues to do unabatedly. He emphasized on his robustness in helping fulfilling his dream and promise to the Nation “for mek Salone beteh”.

He ended by stating how proud he was of the Teamwork the two men had exhibited and hope that they would continue to work together to take the Bank to even greater heights.

He expressed hope that other Institutions would follow in their footsteps to make this Country great again. Few people ever hear these incredibly genuine words “I appreciate you”. Therefore coming from the first gentleman of the Country at such an August event was indeed a testament to the hard work, zest, passion and commitment shown by Dr. Gilpin since he assumed office, which his able and supportive Deputy MD draws inspiration from. “We wish him success, God’s guidance and direction; and implore him to continue to press on and not be distracted by naysayers as your work speaks for itself”. The president entreated.

 

MTHE Bids Farewell to Malaysian Scholarship Awardee

As part of his unwavering commitment to strengthening the country’s human capital, the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie, has, at his Ministry’s Conference Room officially presented traveling tickets and passport to Ellie Joseph Cooper in pursuit of a BSc. Hons. in Business Administration at the Albukhary International University in Malaysia.

This formal presentation was preceded by series of applications received by the Ministry, of which five applicants were fairly nominated, three for BSc. Hons. in Business Administration and two for a degree in Elementary Education. Ellie Joseph Cooper ended up being successfully selected by Albukhary International University.

According to Prof. Wurie, Joseph Cooper is going to Malaysia to serve as an Ambassador for Sierra Leone, and therefore, he encouraged him to make the country proud. The Minister admonished the candidate to be cognizant of the diversified cultural backgrounds of other international students who will as well be pursuing academic programmes in the country, urging him to be in a position to adapt in such situations.

Ellie Joseph Cooper thanked the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education for providing him with such a life-changing platform, noting his full commitment to the course and his dedication to coming back as a Business Administrator to contribute to national development.

Analyzing hate messages on social media and our reactions?

 By Sahr Sewa

Apparently, most of us can’t overstate how profoundly gullible our society has proven itself to be. We find ourselves trapped by the hook of politically-motivated inciting messages. Our minds tend to be passive when much is needed from us, and we only become active in a bid to hide behind the mask of patriotism. We become extremely active when we want to exhibit how quickly we can be tricked into upholding what is detrimental to Sierra Leone’s democratic foundation.

Social media have in recent times been clustered with very unwarranted messages aiming at influencing our responses and reactions to situations in a negative fashion. Consequently, very unfavorable outcomes are what we usually get. We have become so entrenched in ideological shackles to the point of ignoring what binds us together as a country. We often listen and adhere to whatever resonates with us, even if it is at the expense of national peace and stability.

Currently, a good number of our population is in frequent use of social media platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram etc.) Before now, our reliance was mainly on professional media outlets to get updates on current happenings. Now, whatever happens spreads on social media within the quickest time-frame as possible. And only few of our population would imbibe some amount of patience to verify the factuality of those social media contents with professional reporters.

Misinformation and hate messages disseminated on social media have produced unrest in a variety of instances ranging from the attempted prison break at Pademba Road Correctional Centre, the riots both at Tombo and Makeni, to the killing of a woman in Cameroon that was purported to have taken place in Kenema District. In all of these we are left with nothing less than perilous consequences. And we would be the same people to sing our national pledge in a very soft tone as if we truly mean what we normally sing.

Those who spread hate messages on social media should really have a rethink. What we spread on various platforms have the potency to either make and unmake our society. Before sharing anything on social media, be mindful of every potentially-dangerous outcome attributed to it (if there is any, please do not share).We all collectively have our individual responsibilities to do the very little we can with a view to strengthening national growth. Let’s change the face of Sierra Leone. You and I can make that change. We can be that change!!!