The Patriotic Vanguard

Poem in Krio: Wata Na Dak Ples

2010-09-10T01:57:47Z

Wata Na Dak Ples

By Les Rickford, USA.

to mi, na wan gren poem dae na worl
yu go jes dae rayt am normor tae go
tae ning nang

tem dae i go tae yu nor rayt natin
oda tem
eni minit yu fulop pepa
bikos wetin yay si
en yase yeri
somtem dae kin ful mot
pas yu tek blu bik ondastand am

as dem kin aks
na buk mek sens or na sens mek buk?
du ya tel wi no profesoh

dis layf ya so
yu noh go no wetin dae kam mit yu

tidae olting fitin gbet
tumara
da wata wey na foh yu sef sef
go ron lef yu
biliv
den nah ya so sef
if yu noh pay yutiliti bill
di wata wey na foh yu
i noh go ron at ol

tiday yone, na wan blu dog wan trifut mi
wey ah komot na was ose

he he, yu fil sae na lay eh?
na udat noh get pikin na ose normor go dawt di wod

di dog, dem rayt na im sayd, Taylor Swift

eniwe, a balans di blu Topsy
nah im mek ah ebul tinap front una rayt naw
de wondrin....

usai dae wae man get foh go
wen olting skata na im han'
olting los pan am
im abope
wey im shem noh koba egen

na fiaful ples da wan dey oh
leke Pademba Rod kondoh
wey layt noh dae fo si wetin yu dae put na mot
yu noh sabi wetin yu dae it

(to be continued)

Kiamp Mani: Terror in Conakry

Abayomi Charles Roberts, PV General Editor, Edmonton, Canada — 2010-09-10T01:32:58Z

Commentary

September 9, 2010 marks exactly ten years, since Sierra Leoneans in Guinea saw the ugly side of some of their hosts, especially in the capital, Conakry and in towns like Forecariah and Kaliah where the UNHCR had set up major camps for refugees in the heat of the 1990s war in Sierra Leone.

I say ‘some' because I lived in Conakry myself and many other Guineans – especially those who had lived in Sierra Leone in earlier years – either stood by for fear of being branded rebel collaborators, or secretly aided vulnerable Sierra Leoneans in hiding from or escaping the wrath of vigilantes.

On the eve of the Weekend of September 9, 2000, the then President Lansana Conte made a nationwide speech on radio and TV. He addressed Guineans in French, partly blaming refugees for the border skirmishes in some parts of Guinea. Conte, now deceased, alleged that dissident compatriots who sought to invade his country were colluding with rebels from neighbouring countries, notably Sierra Leone and Liberia. All hell broke loose and for obvious demographic reasons Sierra Leoneans bore the brunt of the persecution that ensued. They were more conspicuous, being the bigger population of alien refugees across Guinea. Conte later recanted but by then his reputation as ‘master host' had been dented. The media broadcast; translated in various local languages, unleashed vigilantes who quickly became marauders.

As for the term ‘Kiamp Mani' I need to digress. That was the operational word for the aggressors. It loosely translates as ‘Camp Man'. History has it that around 1787 camps were set up by religious and anti-slavery bodies when they resettled freed slaves in the western peninsular of Sierra Leone which is now the Western Area. They named the camps Freetown. However, the indigenes by then were largely Themneh or Temne people. So they called Freetown ‘ doh Kiamp', their pronunciation of the English word ‘camp'. It is akin to the Mende people calling Freetown, ‘Sa Lon'. Both names have stuck to this day, only that they are far from derogatory in either Mende or Temne culture.

This is not so in Guinea-Conakry, at least not 10 years ago. Kiamp Mani gradually became derogatory and contemptuous as more and more Sierra Leoneans flocked into the neighbouring country in flight from fighting back home. On that day, Saturday September 9, they were attacked in their homes and on the streets; chased, beaten up, imprisoned, their money and personal effects seized and household property looted. The saddest part was that the various security forces took active part in the affair, making mass arrests and detention.

Guinea has quite a number of distinctively uniformed security forces. There are the elite Berets Rouge (Red Berets); the Anti-Gang unit; the paramilitary Gendarmes (much like Sierra Leone's SSD); Etat Major, you name it. Each was autonomous, if not entirely separate from the conventional army or police forces. It was hardly apparent in their respective uniforms. All but the mainstream police had military-style camouflage fatigues and the differences were mainly in the beret colours or the crest on those berets. All of these agencies had their operatives typically armed with rifles and/or handguns. Thus it was not uncommon to hear automatic gunfire in Conakry at anytime. Armed robbery was part of nightlife and security roadblocks and all civilians, citizens and foreigners alike dreaded sudden raids.

In any case that September weekend saw school classrooms being used as makeshift prison cells, crowded with Sierra Leoneans. The Sierra Leone embassy situated in the Belle Vue area was jam-packed and overflowing. I saw one lady lying on a mattress in the embassy compound, looking seriously ill. She told me she had been admitted in hospital before the vigilantes came. She claims they yanked off the IV drip (Intravenous medical aid) when they found out she was Sierra Leonean. Embassy personnel were overwhelmed as ambassador Sheku Saccoh worked overtime. The UNHCR was taken unawares. The private commercial boats did brisk business, hurriedly ferrying those who could afford the fares back to Freetown. Those were the days of boats like KAMTEK, MADAME MONIQUE and AGIOS NIKOLAS.

The irony is that Guinea and Sierra Leone have so much in common culturally that probably only previous colonialism now separates them politically and economically. France colonized Guinea while Sierra Leone was under British rule, roughly concurrently. Pre-colonial migration and settlement makes a mockery of present national boundaries among Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Liberia was a colony of the USA So even though the respective official languages are French; (American) English and UK English, the ethnic distribution in this area clearly defy the national boundaries that go with them. The flags, national anthems and fiscal currencies may be different but the lines on the ground are blurred. Guinea has Francs; Liberia uses Dollars while Sierra Leone deals in Leones. Currently, the three sister countries are working together for regional integration, mainly through the organization Mano River Union (MRU).

Guinea has three major ethnic groups: Maninka (Madingo), Fulani or Peule (called Fullahs in Freetown) and the So-So (Susu). Other minor groups included the Kissi, the, Gollah and the Gbereseh; together they are termed as ‘Forestieres' since they lived in the forested southwest of the country. Each of these groups is also found in the other two MRU countries; some even beyond, as far as Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). Note that the term Kiamp Mani is used largely by the So-So who call Conakry home. Funnily, the So-So call pepper ‘Gbengbeh', the same name in Sierra Leonean Temne. Growing up, I recall, we had ‘Guinea Mango' and soccer players had the makeshift ‘Guinea Goal'. I can go and on.

All said, in the spirit of the Mano River Union and in fairness as a journalist, I must highlight some not too distant history. For example Francophone Guinea has Diallo while Sierra Leone has Jalloh among the Fulani/Fullahs. Taking it across: Turay and Toure; Abdulai/Abdoulaye; Shaw/Sowe; Diabate/Jabati; Traore/Tarawally; Seydou/Saidu; Zenab/Zainab, Fatoumata or Fatou/Fatmata or Fatou, etc. Colonialism also affected accents by speakers of native languages.

There are three sides to a story: theirs, the impartial truth and ours. To Sierra Leoneans, the events of September 9 2000 were blatant persecution borne out of malice, xenophobia and envy fuelled by the flow of US dollars to refugees who had folks in the European and American Diaspora. To Guineans it was self-preservation broadened into patriotism. The border skirmishes were real and Kiamp Mani refugees were really strangers who might have sinister, ulterior motives.

The truth is what goes around comes around. Remember the 1970s when Guineans were forced out of Sierra Leone in truckloads? What about the days when Sierra Leoneans had to change or somehow adapt their names to stay and work in Liberia? Let bygones be bygones.

Viva Mano River Union!

APC-NA: Battle of the Titans Sunday

2010-09-10T00:17:29Z

Sunday September 12 will be a historic day in the political annals of the Washington DC chapter (the largest in North America, according to our information) of the ruling APC party of Sierra Leone. Two major contestants, Yabom Sesay (a professional nurse) and Abdul Bero Kamara (an accountant) will lock horns for the presidency on that day as members vote in a new executive. We wish the two and other contestants all the best. Good Luck!

Announcement

WMC Elections

Sunday September 12, 2010

Time: 1pm-6pm

Venue: NU VERIZON

2121 INDUSTRIAL PARK

SILVER SPRING, MD 20904

Yabom Sesay

Abdul Bero Kamara

'Future of Media' event examines impact of social media, mobile

2010-09-10T00:15:32Z

By Digital Journal Staff,Toronto, Canada.

On Sept. 8, five panelists shared their vision of the future of news with a packed Toronto audience. Discussion flowed from mobile news on your smartphone, to how geolocation will notify you of stories happening in your area. In addition, panelists talked about how news outlets are leveraging Facebook to become more “social” and why journalists should know about SEO and analytics.

These were some of the discussion topics at the Future of Media 2010 panel discussion held in Toronto's Drake Hotel, where a standing room-only crowd crammed into the Underground space to hear what panelists had to say about journalism's prospects. The Future of Media event is hosted by DigitalJournal.com. It's a regular event intended to bring a variety of experts together to discuss changes in the news industry, emerging trends and their impact on the media business.

The panel was made up of executives from a variety of companies: Elmer Sotto, head of growth at Facebook Canada; David Skok, Senior Producer of Online Content for Global News; digital marketing and social media strategist Mark Evans; Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polar Mobile; and The Globe and Mail's Managing Editor, Digital, Anjali Kapoor.

The standing-room only event began with a discussion on the challenges facing mainstream media today. Despite the struggle to retain print readership, the digital era is ushering in a new variety of media consumer, the panelists agreed.

While the conversation focused primarily on social media and its influence on news, Evans stated strongly that content is still king, and many panelists agreed. “Content will still be king, not all the bells and whistles that comes with it”, said Kapoor, with Skok nodding in agreement. “Journalists should be great storytellers, no matter what,” Skok noted.

But where content is read is changing and will continue to evolve. Gupta from Polar Mobile says reading news on your smartphone should be the norm, if only media outlets invested more in implementing apps. “The growth in mobile users has blind-sided media companies. [Polar Mobile] has gone from one million to six million users,” he said.

From left to right: DigitalJournal.com Managing Editor, David Silverberg; Anjali Kapoor, Managing Editor, Globe and Mail, Digital; and David Skok, Senior Producer of Online Content for Global News.

Gupta also cited an intriguing statistic regarding content consumption, saying mobile users consume 100 pages of content per month on Time.com's smartphone application compared to only 14 pages on Time.com's website. Evans countered Gupta's statement, saying mobile isn't yet catering to advertisers so its success as a news platform is still up in the air. Gupta responded by saying the mobile ad market is immature in Canada, so all we get now is that tiny banner ad across the screen. “The infrastructure needs to improve,” Gupta said.

Gupta also discussed how payment systems need to be simpler in the future in order for any kind of micropayment process to work effectively. He's unsure when this will occur, but Gupta said he is certain news outlets would benefit from a more mature smartphone market.

The discussion then turned to what Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently said to the Atlantic Monthly: Newspapers will survive the digital revolution but expect news to be delivered on anything but paper.

Kapoor from the Globe & Mail responded by saying she sees print newspapers still appealing to news junkies; compelling content will continue to attract readers, it's just a matter of complementing print stories with online add-ons, she said. Evans agreed, saying the growth of free dailies should demonstrate there is still demand for print.

When the talk turned to Facebook's role in the media industry, Facebook Canada's Sotto and Evans argued about the issue of the social network being a “walled garden.” Evans felt Facebook doesn't offer a variety of ideas since people tend to read within an echo chamber. Sotto replied by saying you never know what you'll find in your Facebook News Feed. He recalled clicking on links from a friend about country news in his feed, even though he never liked the music, “but I felt compelled to learn more about it.”

Kapoor noted the Globe & Mail enjoyed partnering with Facebook recently to bolster the Globe's viewership. Sotto said the Globe saw an 81 percent increase in Facebook referral traffic when it implemented the Facebook "Like" button on the site.

Kapoor also said media outlets should get away from the idea of “we need to build everything ourselves.” She added, “The challenge is that news organizations shouldn't be developing everything, they should be partnering. The online environment is a very different environment, and those skills aren't always translated to traditional newsrooms.”

The panel also touched upon the issue of moderating comments. They wondered if online comments should be moderated in-house or outsourced. Evans believed this service should be outsourced because of cost, but some of the other panelists disagreed.

The panel was then asked about Twitter's potential as a breaking-news source. Look at how the hostage crisis at the Discovery Channel building heaped praise on the micro-blogging service with headlines such as “Twitter breaks hostage story.” What happened to news outlets getting those scoops?

“Twitter is not a content creator,” Evans said. “It allows people to have conversations, to say what they want, but it's not a news outlet. We have to remember that.”

Evans went on to say the difference between journalists and the public tweeting news they come across is storytelling. Laying out the facts and uncovering verifiable sources are skills media organizations still covet.

Speaking of skills, what talents should the next generation of journalists perfect in order to be attractive to news outlets? Kapoor said the Globe looks for journalists who can tell a good story and report effectively. She also said today's journalists should also know more about SEO, analytics and knowing who the audience is, as well as social media and multimedia journalism. “Be bold, experiment, that's what we want to see,” Kapoor said.

Skok echoed her statement but stressed he would still like to see journalists hone the age-old skills of producing quality content. That said, Skok also supports using technology to tell stories in new ways. For example, Skok said his company gave every Global National reporter across Canada a new iPhone 4 with which to shoot video reports in addition to standard coverage.

When it comes to working at Facebook, Sotto likes to see risk-takers try new things. Some of their best ideas, such as photo tagging, came from all-night programming sessions when staff wanted to play around with brainstormed ideas, he said. Sotto also praised the University of Waterloo, where he said Facebook has discovered some of the best interns who went on to become employees.

After the panel discussion, the event moved to a Q&A where panelists took questions from the audience. One self-professed techie asked the panel what it thought about the future of radio and podcasts. Evans admitted he doesn't listen to radio much, saying “podcasts are like the ugly orphan in the corner.”

Skok, on the other hand, thinks audio reports could be part of media's future; during the G20 protests in Toronto, a Global reporter complemented her editorial with a voicemail add-on to a liveblog during a car fire. “She was terrified and you could hear it in her voice. It was the most compelling thing I have heard in years,” he said.

On Twitter, Digital Journal got a question via @annejoyce, who asked about social media's popularity creating positions such as community managers at news outlets. Will these types of job openings continue to flourish or is it a passing fad?

Kapoor said the Globe isn't consistent in how it handles this newly created position, considering how hazy the ROI has become in implementing a social media manager. It can also be difficult in measuring the success of someone involved in social media. “Do you base the qualification on traffic or Twitter mentions or something else?” she asked.

Evans answered Anne's question bluntly. “Today, would you rather be a social media manager or a journalist? I'd go with social media, without a doubt.”

The Future of Media event was hosted by DigitalJournal.com and was sponsored by Suite 66, Queensway Audi and CNW Group. Prize sponsors included Rogers Wireless, Palm, Flip Video and Dell.

Credit: Digital Journal, Toronto.

Eid Greetings from OPWA

2010-09-09T23:44:38Z

To: Our Patrons, the Government and the People of Sierra Leone

Assalaamu'alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

Wishing you a very Happy Eid Mubarak.

May the Mercy & Blessings of the Almighty be with you, your family, and friends during this auspicious Eid Blessings Day and continue to be always. May Allah (swt) accept all our prayers/duas during this blessed month of Ramadan, insha'Allah (God Willing).

May your life continue to be healthy, wealthy, and prosperous. May you have a Joyous and Spirited Eid Mubarak (Blessings) day with all your dear ones, including people of all faiths and humanity, filled with Love, Peace, and Happiness ..... Ameen.

Respectfully, forward in Prayers & Duas always.

Wa alaykum Salaam, wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh,

Amara Omar Kuyateh

President

Old Prince Waleans Association

Washington Metropolitan Chapter

http://www.opwa-usa.org

A GOVERNMENT ENTITY FOUNDED ON THE VIRTUES OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND CIVILITY

PRINCE OF WALES SCHOOL, KINGTOM.

Debunking I.B. Kargbo's Untruths about the Goma Hydro Expansion

2010-09-09T23:19:49Z

Opinion

By Dr. Patrick Kagbeni Muana, USA.

In his bid to continue conjuring achievements for his All People's Congress (APC) government after 36 spectacular months of merely completing projects that had been either nearly complete or fully funded by the former Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) government, Alhaji I.B. Kargbo is busy “rebranding” such infrastructural developments as expansion of the Goma hydroelectric project from 4MW to 6MW as an APC achievement. Such brazen attempts to hoodwink the people of Sierra Leone clearly do not pass muster especially in the face of overwhelming evidence. The Goma Hydroelectric claim sounds like President Koroma re-signing laws that had already been signed by SLPP President Tejan Kabbah.

THE FACTS THAT THE GOMA HYRDO EXPANSION IS AN SLPP ACHIEVEMENT are indisputable:

1. The project was conceptualized and implemented by the SLPP government of President Ahmed Tejan-Kabbah. On June 20, 2003, President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah of THE SLPP ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT that the China National Electric Equipment Corporation had “made field visits and demonstrated considerable interest” in undertaking expansion work on hydroelectric facilities and also develop new ones in Kono.

2. The SLPP government's budget reports between 2003 and 2006 foreground the commitment to expanding the “Dodo mini hydroelectric dam [. . .] with assistance from the Government of China” and once “rehabilitated to extend electricity to towns and villages in and around Bo and Kenema.” This, obviously, is in addition to the installation and commissioning of “a 500 kilowatt generating plant with associated transmission and distribution network” in Pujehun district and additional plans “underway to install and commission a 1 megawatt generating plant to provide electricity for residents in Makeni.”

3. H. E. Mr. Cheng Wenju, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, speaking at the symposium to mark the 35th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone on July 28, 2006 CORROBORATES THE FACT THAT THE SLPP GOVERNMENT INITIATED AND ACTUALIZED THE EXPANSION OF THE GOMA HYDROELECTRIC DAM from 4MW to 6MW. On page 13 of the transcript of his speech, he states: “Concretely speaking, China has decided to take the following steps: the first step is to accomplish the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Dodo Hydroelectric Station with good quality and no delay to make it possible to provide more electricity to the eastern and southern provinces. Now relevant equipments are under manufacturing, and other preparation work goes on well. CNEEC promises that they will guarantee to generate power by the next rainy season on condition that the government of Sierra Leone seriously carries out the contract. By then, the capacity of Dodo Hydroelectric Station will rise from 4000kw to 6000kw, which will greatly ease the severe shortage of power in the two provinces, and definitely help the development of processing industry.”

4. The China National Electric Corporation (CNEEC) which undertook the rehabilitation and expansion work to the Goma hydroelectric dam during the tenure of the SLPP government states the following on its web site – http://www.cneec.com.cn/Achievement...

“The installed capacity was 4X1MW [. . .]. In December of 2005, CNEEC took cjarge of the enhancement of this plant after which the installed capacity could be raised to 4X1.5MW. . .The enhancement was completed in July 2007. The President of Sierra Leone and the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone appeared at the completion ceremony.”

5. Academic publications record the expansion of the Goma Hydroeletric dam as an SLPP project and achievement in collaboration with the government of China and undertaken by the CNEEC. For example, recent work by T. Alphaeus Koroma and Wang Rongcheng in the Journal of Economics and International Finance Vol 1 (7), pp 158-171 and Deborah Brautigam's The Dragon's Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa by Demorah Brautigam (OUP 2010), page 144 speak about this expansion of the Goma Hydroelectric Dam under the SLPP government from 4MW to 6MW with a further funded initiative to expand it to 12MW.

The evidence is therefore indisputable. The expansion and commissioning of the CAPACITY OF THE GOMA HYDROELECTRIC DAM TOOK PLACE DURING THE TENURE OF THE SLPP GOVERNMENT.

When will the APC government and its chief spokesman therefore stop hoodwinking Sierra Leoneans by telling bold-faced untruths about the achievements of the current APC government while denigrating the tremendous achievements of the SLPP government – 1996-2007?

Rampant Land Grabbing in Koya

2010-09-09T02:42:41Z

By Alpha Rashid Jalloh, Freetown.

After years of marginalization and underdevelopment, Koya Rural District which is part of the Western Area, is on the verge of plunging into chaos as the residents have vowed to stoutly resist the current rampant land grabbing and seizure which is sometimes done in the name of government.

Abu Bangura inherited a large portion of land from his parents but was surprised when World Hope International, an NGO , produced documents that parliament had granted them his land for development after they had failed to pay the price he requested them to pay earlier.

Another woman called Mamie at Six Mile village was surprised when one day the MP for Koya Rural led a group of white men who went to survey her land. She demanded to know on what grounds only to be told that her land is “government land” even though all lands in Koya Rural District are Free Hold land. Even community land in the rural areas could only be acquired by lease, according to the laws of Sierra Leone. People are now surprised as to why the minister should be involved in confiscating private lands and claiming that they are government land when there is nothing like state land in Koya Rural District

Koya Rural District residents are poor and many are illiterate . There are not more than ten graduates who hail from that area. Many of those who hail from there are marginalized in public offices and in political circles , could not be employed in public offices and those who are employed are never given promotions. There had been a spread of hate over the years against those who hail from there because the area is believed to be infested with people who practice herbalism or "black magic".

This recent grabbing of land in the name of government has created panic among residents. They fear that sooner rather than later all lands in koya would be confiscated especially since they are illiterate and poor. Elites in the area have met and have decided to intervene through legal action and by other means to halt the land grabbing and confiscations.

They expressed the hope that president Ernest Bai Korma will halt the land confiscations as many of those who do it sometimes claim that they have his backing. “We know it's a lie. How can government order confiscation of private land when they know it is illegal ? ” asks Abu Bangura.

World Hope International is reported to have produced document that Abu Bangura's land was given to them by the lands minister Dr. Dennis Sandy (photo).

The people of Koya have been urged to use all their herbal knowledge to fight those who grab their lands and they too have vowed to put up resistance . From all indications trouble is looming in Koya Rural District . The sooner President Koroma investigates and make those who have embarked on the nefarious projects to accept that all lands in koya are private lands, the better.

The misunderstanding many have is that because it is called “Koya Rural” it is part of the provinces. The word “rural” was used in colonial days to refer to areas outside the colony of Freetown which were by then known as Sierra Leone, excluding the provincial areas which later became known as the protectorate.

Land grabbing was one of the contributing factors to the eleven-year war that ravaged Sierra Leone.

International airport, factory, hospital for Koya

2010-09-09T00:58:44Z

Commentary

By Arolyn I. Koroma, Washington D.C.- USA.

The much anticipated August 28, 2010 meeting of Koya descendants has come and gone. The ninety-seven degrees scorching heat did not deter the determined Koya Progressive Association (KPA) members from different parts of the United States to congregate in the Commonwealth of Virginia (at Edsall Road) in Alexandria city. The meeting began two and half hours late, an African unbearable traditional timing (AUTT).

Among the dignitaries was the keynote speaker the Sierra Leone Ambassador H.E. Bockarie K. Stevens, who is commonly known as the People's Ambassador as a result of his untiring effort to mingle with his people regardless of his busy official schedule. He was introduced by the organization's current president Mr. Mohamed H. Bangura (Koya).

In his short speech the ambassador thanked the Koya Progressive Association (KPA) president and the entire membership for inviting him, and most importantly for staying committed to the home base Koya Chiefdom.

'KPA is among many organizations in operation in the Diaspora. It is among the very few that command respect and its activities are worth emulating by other organizations," he said.

He admonished unity among its members and advised that they should stay the cause of looking out for for the chiefdom which he said is experiencing quite significant development. Ambassador Stevens updated attendees regarding the Peace Corp's return to Sierra Leone. Forty-five (45) are presently on the ground and fifty (50) more to join their counterparts in a few months.

He also mentioned the five million dollars (US$5 M) anonymous donation to rebuild the Bunce Island slave holding port. At its completion it will attract tourists from every part of the globe to that once forgotten enclave of Sierra Leone. The donation was attained through the indefatigable efforts of two Professors: Joseph Opala and Arthur Abraham. They turned the jungle cave to a Palace-Home (the slave chains and rut from centuries was undisturbed) during their research and they were labeled terrorists and members of Al-Qaida organization by a few Sierra Leonean journalists.

"In these writers' efforts to destroy the reputations of the professors, they are in essence destroying their own reputations and especially their nation's image," the ambassador concluded.

Ambassador Bockarie Stevens

He emphasized that people should embrace President Koroma's agenda for attitudinal change.

"It is the right thing to do, and it is the right time so that we can leave a positive and lasting legacy for our children. "

The Chairlady of the event, Mrs. Mariama Lowe-Bangura is the wife of a prominent Sierra Leonean businessman (Health services) Mr. Mohamed Bangura in Virginia. She impressed the crowd with her breathtaking African attire which placed her in the African professional models category. She was able to keep the audience entranced in the jam-packed recreation hall and mesmerized them with a long list of current developments taking place in the Koya region. She stressed the awareness among the populace regarding effective land use.

Mrs. M. Lowe-Bangura's peace, unity, land acquisition and utilization lecture was educative and well noted by members present. Also, she reminded the attendees regarding another burning issue to Koya people which is the 2007 General Election government's decision to remove from Koya Chiefdom Rokel, Matenneh and Mawomah sections to increase the political demography of the Marampa Chiefdom constituency which reduces both the political and socio-economic advancement of Koya Chiefdom.

"This quite unsettling," she said.

"The move is a political travesty at its best as it socially, politically and economically affects the smooth running of the affairs of the Koya chiefdom. The people of Koya in collaboration can only bring these sections back to Koya chiefdom through unity and action with Koya descendants in the Diaspora," Mrs. Mariama Lowe-Bangura concluded.

Ms. Kalyca Thomas, a Member of Friends of Sierra Leone (FOSL) and a teacher in the New York Public School system and Chairwoman of the FOSL educational wing was also present. She is interested in improving the standard of education of the teachers, the elementary and secondary school students. She was equally given a platform to report FOSL's endeavors in Sierra Leone. In 2009, her commitment in playing a role in her own little way spurred her to co-facilitate a Teachers Workshop for both Primary and Secondary Schools at Bo town in the Southern Province.

The visiting guest speaker the District Outreach Officer Pa Komrabai Mohamed S.D Kargbo (Paramount Chief's Adviser), updated the Koya Diaspora on the development of the Koya chiefdom. His presentation was quite impressive and educative. It was much-needed information to the Koya descendants in the United States.

He methodically journeyed his excited audience from agricultural developments including environmental, capacity building - micro-finance for women, feeder roads, secret societies to the weekly Lumars, which is a rendezvous for local traders. He added that there are 112 Primary schools, approximately five secondary schools (upper Koya), a Solar Electricity Training establishment and Health Centers (Preferred Health Units in the area.

Mr. M.S.D Kargbo did a fantastic job by using power point presentation. While it was appreciated, it also raises many questions among many as respectively stated by Mohamed Buya Tarawaly from Maryland, Mohamed Bundu Sankoh from Washington, DC, and Mr. Ahmed Kanu from Ohio, who noted that Koya is the second largest chiefdom in the Port Loko District. It has an Upper Koya and Lower Koya. But looking at the power point presentation and listening to the update from the District Outreach Officer (DOO) Mr. Mohamed Kargbo, the above mentioned members wanted to know why the ongoing developments are concentrated only in the Upper Koya (Masiaka) region. They believed the developments are not proportional.

The DOO answered that developments (contracts) are bidded for by NGOs who represent government and other outside funding agencies. He further stated that the authorities sometimes travel to sites in order to appraise the underlying needs of the area prior to a certain program or development's committment to a specific locale.

In their follow up comments, they argued that that there are biases in the decision making of DOO's office because the NGO officials go through national authorities and foreign representatives who only travel to places suggested or recommended to them by the Koya officials. In this case, the DOO's office, it seems, does not serve the interest of the entire Koya chiefdom. As a result, Lower Koya is being left out of the equation by the DOO's office. For example Songo Town, which is neglected and marginalized, is still the capital of the chiefdom since its inception, Mr. Ahmed Kanu and others respectively concluded.

For the record 3/4 of the attendees at the meeting are from Lower Koya and the above assertions are believed to have been upheld by the majority. The newly formed International Committee for the Economic and Political Advancement of Koya Chiefdom (ICEPAK) was introduced at the meeting by one of its officials,Mr. Mohamed Bah, who explained the relevance of the newly formed organization. Most of the attendees at the meeting were left with no clear understanding of the need and purpose of the formation of the International Committee for the Economic and Political Advancement of Koya Chiefdom (ICEPAK). Koya Progressive Association (KPA) is an apolitical organization; it is seen as piggy-backing ICEPAK which is perceived by several members as having the semblance of a political entity.

In another development, the Dr. Ernest B. Koroma administration is working in tandem with an Italian airport construction company to build an international airport at Koya. The airport, when completed, will be a state of the art outfit with all airport amenities including a nearby Government Hospital. The contracted company is currently soliciting European Union (EU) funding.

Another Italian company is also interested in developing a fruit plantation and a fruit processing factory. This was confirmed by Sierra Leone ambassador to Germany, H. E. Jengo Stevens, who also oversees both the Italian and the Austrian missions.

The agenda of the meeting was to unite all descendants and to formulate a joint approach to dealing with the outstanding socio-political and developmental concerns affecting the sub-region with the prospects for development initiatives both large and small. The agenda also includes acceleration in urban expansion and related challenges such as land acquisition and to establish among many things a platform for responsible intervention and quality international, parliamentary, local representation and advocacy that the region has lacked for far too long.

The meeting's agenda was quite ambitious; while not totally attainable it was none the less very informative and educational. And the experience will act as a guide for future undertakings.

The founders of the Koya Progressive Association (KPA) saw a need to promote unity, peace, love and progress in the region. Also to fight the ills of a land called home (USA) away from home (SL). The organization gives out assistance to members on a need basis, which ranges from immigration problems, health to social issues. But KPA experienced a seismic change during and after the rebel war which devastated much of Koya region. As a result, after the rebel war KPA shifted its focus to the current burning issue of returning students into the classrooms. Under the able leadership of Mr. Mohamed H. Bangura (Koya) as president (1998- present), the organization has reconstructed the Tomlinson Secondary School at Songo and built a District Council School at MaMowa.

Additionally, immediately after the rebel war's catastrophe that changed the lives of our people, the KPA shipped containers of clothes, foodstuffs, medical equipments and school supplies to the region. Today the Koya Progressive Association (KPA) has an office to run the affairs of the Koya Progressive Association in Sierra Leone. The 2010 Executive in Sierra Leone includes Abdul Karim Conteh, Lamin Bundu, Mohamed Bah,M. Komkanda Bangura, Mamusu Konteh-Bangura, Alhaji Andrew Kamara, Nana Sesay, Abdulai Kargbo, Dauda Bunduka and Mabinty Kamara.

The Koya Progressive Association members and the people of Koya chiefdom proudly embrace President Ernest B. Koroma's agenda for attitudinal change. Like many organizations with internal conflicts, Koya Progressive Association is no exception. At the end of the convention-like meeting there was a trajectory for hope for equitable Koya development, peace and unity in the organization.

The KPA is one of the most progressive and industrious African organizations of the 21st century in the United States. (Next on Koya – An up-close look at the Chieftaincy and the Chiefdom).

Human Rights are women's rights

2010-09-08T23:56:30Z

Commentary

By Nanette Thomas, APC Dallas President.

'Human Rights Are Womens Rights using political strategies; women are gaining power around the world"----Peggy Curlin.

Peggy Curlin is President of the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), a woman-focused nonprofit international organization founded in 1975. Its mission is to empower women at all levels of society to be full partners in development.

This past decade has brought about a quiet revolution in what women think about themselves and in many respects what society thinks about them. Since the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), which I was privileged to attend women have gained a new perspective from their traditional roles as caregivers for children and the elderly — they have found a new voice to express the need for more economic and political independence.

We have to look no further than our own political process to see that "women's issues" (i.e. education and healthcare) are high on the agendas of political parties all over the world. Has their lower status, their poverty and their overwhelming burden of hard work and disease kept women silent and passive? The answer is an overwhelming, "No!"

At the 1995 UN World Conference on Women, participants included high-level representatives of member states, among them First Lady Hillary Clinton, and 50,000 non-governmental women observers.

In June 2000, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) met in a Special Session of the UN General Assembly in New York to measure the progress governments have made toward fulfilling the Beijing Platform for Action. The Platform calls for a human rights-based approach to women's development, recognizing that gender discrimination deters the achievement of women's rights.

Mrs. Clinton said it best in her speech to the non-governmental women when she declared: "human rights are women's rights." While no country except Afghanistan has gone backward, few countries have lived up to the promises they made to women in Beijing. Women around the world know that to wait for governments to act is to wait too long. They have, as women always do, taken matters into their own hands. The real story comes from them — their success in using political strategies that addressed barriers and stimulated the action agenda for women, resulting in recognition by power brokers.

Women have taken risks, reached out to the poorest and neediest in their countries, and learned many lessons along the often torturous road to becoming full partners in development.

In the quest for women's rights, the lessons learned are important to national development and to geopolitical issues. They also serve as milestones to women's march for equality. Women have learned to use political strategies to negotiate culture. Female Genital Cutting (FGC) for example is a traditional cultural practice, not a religious one, as some believe. This harmful method of altering and damaging female genitalia is believed culturally to assure that a woman can be controlled and passed safely through adolescence into marriage without dishonoring her family.

Nigerian women felt powerful enough to challenge this tradition, and I am extremely happy that Sierra Leone women also have taken up the challenge. They convinced traditional chiefs, powerful allies on issues of cultural norms, to outlaw FGC in one of the states where the practice was most prevalent. In Senegal and the Gambia, two NGOs realized that while outlawing FGC was important, they must win the hearts and minds of villagers who supported the practice. Through painstaking discussions at community meetings, and most importantly the leadership of the cutters and the Islamic clergy, this practice and the law have changed. In Egypt, where a staggering 97 percent of women are said to have had some form of FGC, getting the small percentage of parents who have decided not to circumcise their daughters to speak to community groups about their decision has had real and, we hope, lasting effects on parents at the community level. I want to implore every Sierra Leonean woman to stand up and say NO to the FGC.

In the political arena women must claim their rights, not wait until they are given. Women have learned that while serving the basic needs of women and children is vital, lasting change from a welfare approach to a rights-based approach must take place in the political arena. In South Africa, a women's rights group has made inroads to a woman's rights to inherit and own land in her own name. With seed capital from the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), the group has garnered the support of the South African government and other funders to expand the program. Inheritance rights are essential to alleviating poverty. When women can own the land they cultivate, they can reap the benefits of the crops they grow. These funds also result in improved access to health services and education for women and their children.

In Sierra Leone the 50/50 group is a very powerful women's group and they are doing extremely well in making their voices heard. I salute all the members and say continue to make the loudest noise until your voices are heard in a very significant way.

Women's health depends on how women are valued. The rate of infant death worldwide has been reduced by 50 percent over the past 20 years while health of women as measured by their maternal mortality and morbidity has not improved. More than 600,000 women die in childbirth each year, and 99 percent of these deaths occur in developing countries. Most of these deaths are preventable with basic pre- and post-natal care. All too often however, a mother-to-be is not given the resources or attention she needs to deliver a healthy baby.

Again, let me congratulate His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma for introducing the free health program for children and lactating mothers in Sierra Leone. I am absolutely sure this program will help reduce the number of women who die in childbirth each year.

Political Backlash: As women turn to the political arena to achieve their human rights, the barriers that are challenging their leadership often come from unexpected sources. This year, the U.S. House of Representatives traded the Administrations payment of UN dues for a global gag rule that prevents groups like those described from expressing an opinion on the abortion laws in their countries. This limitation on overseas groups receiving U.S. assistance for family planning services is bound up with U.S. domestic politics. Since 1973, groups receiving U.S. population assistance have not provided abortion services or referred clients to abortion providers as a requirement for receiving US foreign assistance.

The gag rule requires a certification process where international family planning groups must promise they will not use non-U.S. dollars — raised from their local communities, national governments, and private donors — for expressing an opinion about the abortion laws in their own countries. A total of $15 million has been allowed for all groups refusing to sign, and many organizations feel that their voices are being silenced by this arbitrary trade-off. They feel that signing away the right to express their opinions about the effects unsafe abortions have on women's health is likely to increase, not deter, abortion-related deaths.

A more fundamental question arises from efforts such as the international gag rule to silence women. In the 21st century, do women need the control and guidance of male policymakers, or are they capable of using their newly-found voices to segue to a more just and equitable world? We must not question the responsible behavior of women farmers in Africa who produce 70 percent of the food, build the schools and health clinics, pay the school fees for the children, and haul clean drinking water for miles. What they need are their rights and the resources to claim them.

The Beijing plus Five Review will illustrate an increasing political trend: women know that their future depends on elections, not handouts. From Washington to Sierra Leone elected officials should remember that women are an increasingly vocal force in shaping their own futures. Through the power of the ballot box, women can have the last word.

Tonkolili is nobody's colony!

Ahmed Ojulla Bangura, PV Special Correspondent, London, UK. — 2010-09-08T23:20:27Z

Opinion

To many readers the news item captioned, ‘Tonkolili in billion-dollar project', published in this newspaper a few days ago about a huge mining project signifies a U-turn in the long isolation of the district, a step in the right direction for economic growth and the President's agenda for change, and the cleansing of the blood of the great sons of Tonkolili district slaughtered some decades ago.

Perhaps, this is nothing but a parody. Over the years, Tonkolili has been subjected to a deadly political isolation approach that has succeeded in surrendering the district to manipulative political syndromes of all kinds. The district's nomenclature has been configured as a COLONY that should get sympathy from the master. But is Tonkolili really a COLONY? The answer is NO!!!

I need to remind readers that Magburaka or Tonkolili is not a COLONY of the Makeni or Bombali axis. Magburaka, the district headquarters, in particular and Tonkolili in general must be independent. The district has to be considered responsibly as a key partner and not as a second class or second rate partner. The district needs no sympathy. It needs its own recognition.

Tonkolili, the epicentre of Western education in the Northern Province, is bordered by six districts; a major river (Rokel) flowing along it borders, a national hydro-electric dam, and a sugar manufacturing factory. It is known for producing men and women of character and intellectual prowess worthy of emulation. This makes the district unique and enviable in the eyes of many who hate men of valour. The bravery of sons and daughters of the district has always invited reproach and mayhem from those who see the future of the district as a threat. For many years, the district has been left politically crippled, socially cursed, and economically dormant. Her sons were killed and for many years, the pain and fear of another unequivocal calamity rings in the minds of many people of this noble district. But today, a new generation is born and is ready to bounce back. This generation would not accept terminological headlines and theoretical deceptions. Tonkolili district needs real change and recognition. It will be a leader and not a follower.

The anti-Tonkolili agents orchestrated the ‘dark ages' for the district. Unlike the command of the Almighty to bring light to the world, the enemies of the district replaced light with darkness. They took away the only source (the generator) of electric power from Magburaka and deposited it elsewhere. They decreed that darkness shall be the portion of Tonkolili district. That was the beginning of rapid retrogression in the district. What would you expect of darkness? The whole environment and minds of the people went dark; decisions became ‘blank', and the district that hosts the ‘Oxford' of the North (Government secondary school for Boys- “Boys school”, the Super Power”) lost her glory. The district was tortured psychologically and left with broken institutions like the walls of Jericho.

Geo-politics has taken its course and Tonkolili district is left to survive on its own. The electricity from Bumbuna is enjoyed in Freetown while Tonkolili ‘enjoys' darkness. Not a single electric power pole has been erected in the district headquarter town. The sugar warehouse was ‘air lifted' across the River Rokel and dropped in Makeni. The children of Tonkolili asked, ‘WHY US'?

Many years ago, the Training College was removed from the contour lines of Magburaka and taken to Makeni. Now, Makeni has got a University again. During the senseless rebel war that had a ‘resource curse' ingredient, the military would normally come to the aid of Magburaka after the rebels had finished playing their game. It was just pathetic that no one considered the importance of the people in the district. Thanks to Yele and Yonibana which had formidable civil militia groups (the Kapras and the Gbethis respectively) that the rebels and ‘sobels' were afraid of. The security of those people was in their own hands.

Tonkolili suffers from a ‘Political Osmosis'. Makeni absorbs any good thing from Tonkolili. What is wrong with adding to the infrastructure in Tonkolili district? What is wrong with making the children of Tonkolili feel proud like others? Should the district continue to be a subordinate? Is it for security reasons that every iota of blessing from Tonkolili is kidnapped by others? If so, are the people in the district not more important than the sugar? Remember, you need their votes.

Now, the whole world is reading the headline of the billion-dollar project in Tonkolili. Readers are invited to visit the district that has so much to offer to Sierra Leone. They will be shocked at the level of backwardness. They will see that the main hydro electric poles by-passed Magburaka; the railway under construction by-passes Magburaka; and remotely, the only University in the North is named as the ‘University of Makeni'. Every effort is being done by non-Tonkolilians to suppress and taint the district as backward and incapable of taking responsibilities in the course of national development. Interestingly, one of the things Tonkolili can be proud of is the free ‘powder' or dust in the streets of towns and villages that cover the houses, vehicles, and is inhaled by the people.

There should be no clandestine hegemony to subdue the rights of the district. You need Tonkolili as Tonkolili needs you. Makeni should not develop at the expense of Tonkolili. It should not be a ‘Zero-Sum' game. Tonkolili wants to be free and have equal rights. It fell and it is bouncing back.

Editor's note: Ahmed Ojulla Bangura is a PhD candidate in the department of Geography, Exeter University, UK.

Sierra Leonean Professors and Academics to mark Auradicals' Essay Competition on ACC

2010-09-08T03:35:25Z

Press Release

The Auradicals Foundation has enlisted high achieving Sierra Leoneans to serve as Assessors for its essay competition on the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The group of Assessors which includes a Professor, Assistant Professor, writer/journalist, academic doctors and an analytical chemistwill assess all the essays to be submitted to the Auradicals Foundation. The group will recommend to the Auradicals Foundation three essays in the senior secondary schools category and three essays in the tertiary educational institutions category to win millions of Leones.

The Assessors are: Dr. Patrick K. Muana who is currently an assistant professor of English at Texas A&M University, USA. His research, teaching, and publications focus on Black British and African Literature. As an ancillary interest, he has also written about counterinsurgency in the Sierra Leone civil war. He served as the first Director of the Africana Studies programme at Texas A&M University. He is a member of numerous professional associations such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), African Literature Association (ALA), and ISOLA. Dr. Muana graduated from FBC, University of Sierra Leone, with a BA with Honours in English and then obtained an MA and PhD at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

Lango Deen writes for various publications ranging from US Black Engineer & Information Technology to Science Spectrum and edited Women of Color. Her commentaries and articles have also appeared in many print and online publications, including Mano Vision, Cocorioko, and the Patriotic Vanguard. Lango is part of a United States-based educational foundation that promotes equity and excellence in science, technology, engineering and math fields from K through 20. She has lived in China and UK. She made a career change from teaching to journalism.

Dr Sheikh Umarr Kamarah (see photo at the top) is Professor of English and Linguistics at Virginia State University in the US. Professor Kamarah has served as a lecturer, assistant professor and professor at FBC (USL), University of Wisconsin, Shaw University and Virginia State University in the USA. He has written extensively and his works have been published in books, chapters in edited books, academic and peer review journals. Professor Kamarah is a Consultant on Language Analysis for the Federal Department of Immigration, Switzerland and for De Taalstudio, a language analysis institution in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is an External Examiner in Linguistics, University of Sierra Leone. He is a member of numerous professional organizations including Linguistic Society of America, Association of Forensic Linguists, International Language and Law Association and African Literature Association. He also serves as a member on the editorial board of the Africana Bulletin, Journal of the University of Sierra Leone and on the editorial board of the Sierra Leone Writers Series (for Literature and Linguistics). Professor Kamarah too graduated from FBC with a BA Honours in English and holds an MA from the University of Leeds, UK and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.

Dr. Kayode Robbin-Coker is a partner in a Cambridge (UK)-based education and training consultancy which provides curriculum design, teacher training and capacity-building support for a wide range of clients including International Schools in Eastern Europe and South America. An English Language and Literature graduate of the Universities of Sierra Leone, Oxford and Cambridge, Dr Robbin-Coker is also the Commissioning Editor for a publishing house specialising in education management titles and a founder member of the Leonenet @ TAMU email discussion listserv for Sierra Leonean issues.

Dr. John M. Kabia works for a UK-based Peace Foundation called the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace in Warrington, Cheshire. He was previously an Associate Research Fellow at the Africa Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Bradford. Dr Kabia graduated with a PhD in International Politics and Security Studies from the University of Bradford in 2006. He is the author and co-author of a number of books and book chapters on West African Peace and Security interventions including Humanitarian Intervention and Conflict Resolution in West Africa: From ECOMOG to ECOMIL (Ashgate, 2009); Dangers of Co-deployment: UN Cooperative Peacekeeping in Africa (co-authored with David Francis, Mohamed Faal and Alex Ramsbotham, Ashgate, 2005); and UNAMSIL Peacekeeping and Peace support Operations in Sierra Leone (with Andreau Sola-Martin, Bradford, 2007).

Ahmed Koroma is a senior analytical chemist at Pharmavite, a global leader in the dietary supplement industry. He also worked as a Staff Research Associate at the Department of Chemistry at UCLA, where he helped develop analytical methods to separate and characterize potential drug candidates after complex organic syntheses. Koroma also worked in the biotech industry, involved in peptide synthesis and purification, DNA extraction and quantitation, and the development, optimization and validation of analytical methods for drug analysis. Koroma's interest and contribution to the literary world include publishing a short story in WEST AFRICA magazine (1990), publishing his poetry work on the internet (listserv and internet forums geared towards Sierra Leonean ‘interest'), a published article and poem in the African Literature Association (ALA) bulletin and most recently, the prologue of the book, “Sierra Leone Beyond the Lome Peace Accord”, edited by Marda Mustapha and Joseph Bangura. His work has been extensively reviewed and critiqued, most notably in the published work, “Knowledge is More Than Mere Words”, edited by Eustace James Palmer and Abioseh Michael Porter”. Ahmed Koroma graduated from FBC with a BSc Honours in Chemistry and holds an MS degree in Chemistry from the California State University at Northridge, California, USA.

The Assessors are volunteers who hope, in this way, to contribute to enhancing the writing skills of Sierra Leonean pupils and students and to contribute to the wider discourse on role of the Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission.

The deadline for the submission of essays was previously set for 10 September but this has now been extended to Monday, 1 November 2010. Participants are therefore encouraged to submit their essays at submissionessaycompetition@auradicals.com. The winners will be announced the winners on Friday, 3 December 2010 and presented with prizes in a venue (to be announced) in Freetown on Friday, 17 December 2010. The prizes for secondary schools will be 1st prize: Le500,000 + plaque; 2nd prize: Le300,000 + plaque; and 3rd prize: Le150,000 + plaque and for tertiary institutions, 1st prize: Le1,000,000 + plaque; 2nd prize: Le500,000 + plaque; and 3rd prize: Le300,000 + plaque.

Details of the essay were first published in July / August in the following Premier Newspaper (Freetown), Awoko Newspaper (Freetown), Cocorioko (http://www.cocorioko.net/?p=950), and Patriotic Vanguard (http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com...) and on the Auradicals website at http://auradicals.com/.

Sierra Leone government to review citizenship law

Gibril Koroma — 2010-09-08T03:01:42Z

The Lebanese community in Sierra Leone usually try very hard to stay out of the news headlines but an old citizenship law has recently forced one of them to speak out:

Indeed the archaic and colonial citizenship law of Sierra Leone is about to be overhauled following a strident campaign by Nasser Ayoub, a resident of Lebanese ancestry born in the east of country. He threatened to go on a hunger strike if he is not granted full citizenship and the government in Freetown represented by its Information Minister has met with members of the Lebanese community to look into the issue.

Nasser, a successful businessman, said he could have bribed somebody to get full citizenship and a Sierra Leonean passport, but he preferred to to do it the legal way, through the appropriate government channels.

Successive Sierra Leonean governments had battled against foreigners acquiring the country's passports through dubious means and President Koroma announced a couple of months ago that he will fire any anybody caught in any passport scandal.

But Ayoub (seen in the photo with his family) says he is a bonafide citizen of Sierra Leone whose grandfather and father were born in Sierra Leone. He is only having problems because he is not black. "That's racial discrimination, he said."

Many Lebanese born and bred in Africa are not considered real citizens even though Lebanese had lived and worked in the continent hundreds of years. Extremely good at business, they usually control (unofficially) most of the economies of African states.

Many Africans think they are arrogant and racist as well, refusing inter-marriage between their daughters and black men. Marriage between a Lebanese man and a black woman are however common. Many Africans also complain about the the way black people are treated in Lebanon where Africans are usually found in menial jobs, usually working as domestic servants.

Africans born in Lebanon cannot be citizens as citizenship by birth is not recognized in that country. In Sierra Leone, citizenship by birth is recognized but only if one or both parents of the individual are black. Dual citizenship is now recognized in Sierra Leone after an intense campaign by Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora.

Ayoub's campaign has gained wide support among Sierra Leoneans both black and non-black at home and abroad and this may be one of the reasons the government is about to have another look at the citizenship law.

However, Sierra Leoneans who oppose granting citizenship to people of Lebanese ancestry mainly fear that they (Sierra Leoneans of Lebanese ancestry) will take over the politics of the country since they already control the economy. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world and some politicians are known to buy votes from indigent voters.

Having a president or national leader of Lebanese ancestry terrifies many Sierra Leoneans, according to a survey by telephone I did recently. They would prefer Lebanese-Sierra Leoneans to stay in business and not venture into politics. But if the 1961 citizenship law is amended that will dramatically change things in this West African country of six million people.

At his inauguration in 2007 (video), President Ernest Bai Koroma promised to maintain and nurture democracy, equality and justice for all Sierra Leoneans.

Sierra Leone's neighbours, Liberia and Guinea-Conakry, do not confer citizensip by birth.

Nairobi: Deputy Consul hosts students

Emmanuel Turay, PV East Africa Bureau Chief, Nairobi, Kenya — 2010-09-08T02:41:11Z

Sierra Leone's Deputy Consul General and Permanent Representative to UNEP in Kenya has over the weekend reaffirmed government's total commitment and continued support through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to Sierra Leonean students in the Diaspora on government grants and scholarships.

Mr. Abdul Kargbo made this disclosure during a snap transit visit last Friday at his Nairobi residence by 23 Sierra Leonean students enroute to China for further studies.

Kargbo expressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' concern in addressing the plight of Sierra Leone students abroad in regards to their well being, security, and basic facilities to facilitate their study noting that part of their responsibility is arranging student exchange programs.

The Deputy Consul General appealed to the student delegation on transit to China to conduct themselves well as ambassadors of their country and to return home after the completion of their studies to empower and assist compatriots in developing the country.

"The country (Sierra Leone) relies on your various expertise after your study," the Deputy Consul added.

Responding on behalf of fellow students admitted to study in China with Chinese government scholarships, the head of delegation Austin Allan Thomas thanked the deputy consul and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for according them such an hospitable reception in Nairobi noting that they are hopeful that such a good gesture and concern about their welfare will continue even as they arrive in their respective universities in China.

Thomas assured the deputy consul and the government about their intention of returning to serve and assist in nation building. He thanked the Chinese government in awarding them the scholarships and prayed for sustainability.

The 23 students were drawn from various areas of study and specializations for undergraduate and graduate including PhD programmes. Some of the fields of study are Clinical Medicine, Journalism, Economics, International Relations, Engineering and Public Finance.

Photo: Composite photo of students and Leone Stars (also present in Nairobi).

"Leone Stars' performance not surprising," Algasimu Jah

Emmanuel Turay, PV East Africa Bureau Chief, Nairobi, Kenya — 2010-09-08T00:47:16Z

The Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports has expressed his utmost satisfaction over the performance of the Leone Stars national football team last Sunday against Africa's number one football nation Egypt in their 2012 AFCON qualifiers. It was a hectic draw.

Speaking to PV on transit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Dr. Algasimu Jah said he was optimistic that with such fantastic display of talents he described as the ‘Dream Team', the future is bright for Sierra Leone football or soccer.

"I believe if they continue with this team spirit they'll go places not only in Africa but at a global level," he said.

"My Ministry" he added, "has been very supportive in promoting sports and football in particular for young talents in the country and has provided 65% of the total funding to motivate the national team. My presence with the team has also created a lot of motivation for our our players though there were some hiccups about the team's captainship but we were able to overcome them all in the spirit of sportsmanship and for the love of our beloved country."

The Deputy Minister pledged his ministry's total support in promoting not only football but also other sporting activities including athletics at institutional level including schools, colleges and universities. This, he explained, will engage the youth in exhibiting their God-given talents and putting their country on the global map in the area of sports.

Sierra Leone's Deputy Consul General in Kenya Mr. Abdul Kargbo who played host to the national team during the few hours' transit in Nairobi expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Leone Stars team noting that their efforts and performance have brought the country to the global football map for being such great opponents to the Egyptian side.

"Most people," he said, "looked down on our national team as an underdog facing Egypt; but we have proved our detractors wrong."

Kargbo also thanked the team's management and the technical team for taking Leone Stars to such a height noting that Sierra Leone is now one of the countries in the world that has proved that local coaches can make it without any foreign intervention.

The Deputy Consul finally admonished the Leone Stars to continue with their team work devoid of personal challenges in the interests of the country and as patriots.

Photo: Dr. Algasimu Jah, left, and Deputy Consul Abdul Kargbo.

My thoughts on constitutional protections of the Sierra Leone Constitution

2010-09-08T00:29:31Z

By M Alieu Iscandari, USA.

In this piece, I will argue that it is unconstitutional to deprive an indigent citizen of Sierra leone of his liberty without the Assistance of Counsel and if a defendant in a criminal Felony matter cannot afford counsel, the government is constitutionally mandated to provide that person with counsel. My conclusions thus would be that every person who was convicted and is serving a jail term in Sierra Leone, and whose was conviction was obtained without the assistance of counsel should bring an action in the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone for violation of their constitutional rights against arbitrary deprivation of their liberty.

I will further argue that the failure of the government to provide legal counsel to indigent defendants violates section of 27 of the constitution and that said section 27, is in itself inadequate in its description of the basis for discrimination in that it fails to mention the single most used form of discrimination which is economic status. I will further Posit, a solution which I will strongly suggest that this Government must look into. more specifically I will be focusing my attention on paragraph 17 of the constitution and section 1, subsections [a],[b],[f], section 2 , subsections [a],[b], section 3, subsection [b] and section 4. I will post these sections for this piece.

Sit tight folks this is going to be a long trip and I am driving.

Paragraph 17 of the 1991 constitution of sierra Leone provides as follows:

Protection from arbitrary arrest or detention.

17. (1) No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except as may be authorised by law in any of the following cases, that is to say — a. in consequence of his unfitness to plead to a criminal charge; or b. in the execution of a sentence or order of a Court whether in Sierra Leone or elsewhere in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted; or c. in the execution of an order of the High Court or the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court or such other f. upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or of being about to commit a criminal offence; or

(2) Any person who—

a. is arrested or detained shall be informed in writing or in a language that he understands at the time of his arrest, and in any event not later than twenty-four hours, of the facts and grounds for his arrest or detention; b. is arrested or detained shall be informed immediately at the time of his arrest of his right of access to a legal practitioner or any person of his choice, and shall be permitted at his own expense to instruct without delay a legal practitioner of his own choice and to communicate with him confidentially.

(3) Any person who is arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in paragraph (e) or (f) of subsection (1) and who is not released shall be brought before a court of law—

b. within seventy-two hours of his arrest in case of other offences; and if any person arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in the said paragraph (f) is not tried within the periods specified in paragraph (a) or

(b) of this section, as the case may be, then without prejudice to any further proceedings which may be brought against him he shall be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions, including in particular, such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears at a later date for trial or proceedings preliminary to trial.

(4) Any person who is unlawfully arrested or detained by any other person shall be entitled to compensation therefor from that other person.

Protection from discrimination.

27. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (4), (5), and (7), no law shall make provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsections (6), (7), and (8), no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.

(3) In this section the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, tribe, sex, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject, or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.

The afore quoted portions of the constitution of Sierra leone, provide the basis of my arguments thus. Paragraph 27 section 3 of the constitution of Sierra leone is inadequate in its definition of the term discrimination because it fails to mention class discrimination which mostly is based on economic power as a basis of discrimination. Thus an amendment to the constitution which would include class as a basis for discrimination should be considered particularly in light of the fact that at least 80% of our population is poor, subsists on just about the equivalent of one dollar a day. This class is sizeable to be cognizable as a class subject to discrimination. Another basis that should be considered is the level of literacy as a possible basis for discrimination. The same argument can be made that the population of sierra leone is almost 70% illiterate and thus becomes a cognizable class subject to discrimination particularly by a legal system that is alien to them, communicates in a language not their own and one that could be considered esoteric at best.

Assuming in arguendo that the both of these heretofore congnizable classes are incorporated into the general definition of the term Discriminatory" in Paragraph 27 subsection 3, then I will argue that the right to counsel is a constitutional right in the absence of which any conviction should be thrown out. It is well known in sierra leone that the two most affected classes of people who almost never get any justice are the poor and the illiterate. It has been my experience that when a poor person is arrested for crimes particularly of the felonious type, and they are tried in the absence of counsel to protect their constitutional rights, they are more likely than not to be convicted than a rich person is, who has the best brains to protect them.

It is in the interest of government to see that every citizen does have access to the justice system and if a citizen facing a conviction and a possible jail time, does not have a lawyer to represent him or her in court, can they then be seen to have the same unfettered access to the justice system enough to protect their rights? The answer to this rhetoric is an unequivocal no. How then can this situation be remedied.

The remedy for this situation is that the Parliament should legislate that all legal practitioners in the country should be mandated as part of their license to practice law, (which is a privilege and not a right), to take a certain number of Pro Bono cases each year and offer representation to these indigent clients. This can be fashioned into some sort of a National legal service and should be made mandatory. As time goes on, all students in the Law school should be appointed a mentor in the legal community who would prepare these students to make pro bono representations of indigent criminal defendants with the assistance of their mentors who should always be present in court to guide their mentees through the system. many of the students in the Law school are sponsored by the government at a great expense to the government for their education. what do they give back to the country? Nothing. almost invariably many of them enter practice and the relevant question here is what has the government gotten in return for educating them? The truth of the matter is that their is and there shouldn't be any free lunches. Students who have their college fees paid for by the government MUST be willing to give something back to the people whose taxes are used to educated them. Tertiary education is not a right it is a PRIVILEGE and one for which there must be some degree of reciprocation by those who have been provided this privilege and that reciprocation is NATIONAL SERVICE.

Section 17 subsection 2 states as follows:

2) Any person who— a. is arrested or detained shall be informed in writing or in a language that he understands at the time of his arrest, and in any event not later than twenty-four hours, of the facts and grounds for his arrest or detention;

Would a failure to inform someone in a writing or in a language that he understands violate the constitution and create grounds for the dismissal of their case? If so then at least 75% of the people incarcerated in the jails in freetown particularly the Police jails at Central Police station Ross Road and congo Cross are eligible to have their cases thrown out of court. I have personal knowledge of situations where people are arrested and locked up in police jails for weeks at a time without being told what their crimes were. I have personal knowledge of persons who were thrown in jail because they had a disagreement with someone who has more money than they do, and that someone has bribed police officers to place this person in jail. I have personally interceded in at least two matters at the Lumley and Central police station when these matters have been brought to my attention by family members of the aggrieved. As a matter of fact one Mr Fadika who was and still is an SLPP supporter who did not know me from Adam, once threatened to have me thrown in jail because I blocked his vehicle from passing me in a traffic jam. Such is the state of affaires in Sierra leone that we must do every thing we can to straighten up. A police officer should only take someone to jail if a crime has occurred in his presence or in the alternative there are witnesses to a crime and in these later situations, a police officer is empowered to effectuate a citizens arrest of an accused person if at least one citizen witness to the crime seeks that help. In all other cases an investigation must be undertaken and the decision must be reached that there was a high probability that a crime had been committed before an arrest should be made. In one situation that I had to intervene in, someone who owed the other some money, a purely civil matter and small claims for that matter was arrested by a police officer who was bribed to do so. In these circumstances do the police have any liability for wrongful arrest and violation of that persons constitutional rights? They should. Do the Police have Immunity from violations of a citizens constitutional rights? Should that immunity if it exists at all be transactional or limted in scope?

Subsection b states as follows:

b. is arrested or detained shall be informed immediately at the time of his arrest of his right of access to a legal practitioner or any person of his choice, and shall be permitted at his own expense to instruct without delay a legal practitioner of his own choice and to communicate with him confidentially.

The right to have confidential communications with a lawyer is constitutional. How about the right to have one if you cannot afford one. I posit that this right should also be a constitutional right in order to properly effectuate the right to protect against arbitrary and capricious and invidious discrimination based on economic status and literacy. It is wrong for a government to deprive its poor citizens of equal access to the justice system on the grounds that they are poor and cannot afford a lawyer. The right to counsel for an indigent defendant is grounded in the Principles of a civilized society. The sixth amendment to the US constitution recognizes that the accused shall enjoy the right to counsel for his defense in ALL criminal prosecutions.

The seminal case in the development in the right to counsel in US Jurisprudence is Gideon v. Wainwright. In this seminal case, the court reasoned as follows:

"[I]n our adversary system of criminal justice, any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for him. This seems to us to be an obvious truth. Governments, both state and federal, quite properly spend vast sums of money to establish machinery to try defendants accused of crime. Lawyers to prosecute are everywhere deemed essential to protect the public's interest in an orderly society. Similarly, there are few defendants charged with crime, few indeed, who fail to hire the best lawyers they can get to prepare and present their defenses. That government hires lawyers to prosecute and defendants who have the money hire lawyers to defend are the strongest indications of the widespread belief that lawyers in criminal courts are necessities, not luxuries.

The right of one charged with crime to counsel may not be deemed fundamental and essential to fair trials in some countries, but it is in ours. From the very beginning, our state and national constitutions and laws have laid great emphasis on procedural and substantive safeguards designed to assure fair trials before impartial tribunals in which every defendant stands equal before the law. This noble ideal cannot be realized if the poor man charged with crime has to face his accusers without a lawyer to assist him."

We in Sierra leone are in a race to rebuild our society and recast ourselves as the athens of West Africa and the foot stool of the emerging African Civilization of the 21st century. We must create the proper paradigms that generations would follow and the process to create this paradigm of unfettered access to justice is now. WHO AMONGST YOU WILL STAND BY ME AND SEEK JUSTICE FOR THE POOR AND THE OPPRESSED?

The case for the enfranchisement of Sierra Leoneans abroad

Patrick Hassan Morlai, PV Special Correspondent, London, UK — 2010-09-08T00:14:49Z

This is not a policy statement. It is however an invitation. It calls on fellow Sierra Leoneans to engage in constructive dialogue with the government of President Ernest Bai Koroma to consider the possibility of extending the franchise to Sierra Leoneans living, working or studying abroad. As will be discussed further below, this opinion will highlight some benefits as well as logistical requirements of such a government policy.

In 2012, the electorates in Sierra Leone will exercise their right to participate in presidential and parliamentary elections. The 2012 elections will be the fourth multiparty general elections after the collapse of the one-party state, caused by the military junta overthrow of President Joseph Saidu Momoh's All Peoples Congress (APC) government on 29 April 1992. Thereafter, the first multiparty general elections were held in 1996 which were followed by those held in 2002 and 2007.

Sierra Leone is building up a credible reputation in Sub-Saharan Africa and even in the developing world as a country capable of organising successful and largely violence-free public elections. This is indeed an enviable achievement which all Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad should be very proud of.

In parliamentary elections, Sierra Leone is divided into numerous constituencies but the whole of Sierra Leone is one constituency for the presidential elections. In all of this, there is one more constituency of potential Sierra Leonean voters who are yet to participate directly in any public election or referendum in Sierra Leone. This is the constituency of Sierra Leoneans living, studying or working abroad.

There is evidence that Sierra Leoneans abroad have been participating indirectly in elections in Sierra Leone through financial donations to political parties in Sierra Leone and holding individual membership of those political parties. Sierra Leoneans abroad also participate indirectly in Sierra Leone's elections by hosting chapters and branches of their respective political parties in their countries of residence. These forms of indirect participation do not necessarily provide a cast-iron justification to extend the franchise to Sierra Leoneans abroad. However, these undoubtedly indicate that Sierra Leoneans abroad are increasing demonstrating interest in the political development of their county. This is positive. This is something the government of Sierra Leone should harness for the betterment of Sierra Leone.

President Ernest Bai Koroma's government would like to know that the Constitution of Sierra Leone contains provisions that could provide justification to extend the franchise to Sierra Leoneans abroad or to enact legislation to achieve this objective. Section 31 of Act No. 6 of 1991 (the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991) provides as follows: “Every citizen of Sierra Leone being eighteen years of age and above and of sound mind shall have the right to vote, and accordingly shall be entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda.” This is the only section in the Constitution of Sierra Leone that provides every Sierra Leonean ‘the right to vote' in public elections and referenda. It is short but clear in its requirements. Therefore the government of Sierra Leone will be acting lawfully and constitutionally to enable any Sierra Leonean who meets the requirements of Section 31 to exercise her/his franchise.

There may currently not be a legal instrument enacted under the authority of the Constitution of Sierra Leone that expressly provides for the right of Sierra Leoneans abroad to vote in public elections held in Sierra Leone. As far as this writer is aware, there is equally no Sierra Leonean legal instrument that expressly outlaws overseas voting for elections held in Sierra Leone. In the circumstances, Section 31 serves as a fundamental enabling provision that empowers the government of Sierra Leone to extend the franchise to its citizens abroad.

Section 31 does not specify any geographic or territorial limit to its application. It is therefore open to the government of Sierra Leone to use this provision to enable its citizens abroad to take part in public elections and referenda in Sierra Leone. Section 4(1) of the Electoral Laws Act 2002 (Supplement to the Sierra Leone Gazette Vol. CXXXIII, No. 6 dated 7th February 2002) however contains geographic limitation to the exercise of the right to vote. A qualifying person must be ‘ordinarily resident in a ward' to be registered as an elector. Nonetheless, Section 4(3) of the Electoral Laws Act 2002 is considered as providing express powers to the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone to register electors in other places outside wards: “… the Electoral Commission may, by order made by statutory instrument, specify places, other than the areas referred to in those subsections, for the purposes of registration, voting or transfer of the votes of such electors as may be specified in such order.” This provision is therefore sufficient to enable Sierra Leoneans abroad to vote in public elections or at least the presidential elections.

There is already a precedent when a class of Sierra Leoneans outside Sierra Leone was given the right to vote. Section 6 of the Electoral Laws Act 2002 is therefore important in informing all stakeholders about the mechanisms used to extend the votes to Sierra Leoneans outside Sierra Leone: "6. (1) Without prejudice to section 4, the Electoral Commission may— [a.] register outside the country any Sierra Leonean citizen registered by the approved authority as a refugee either in the Republic of Guinea, Liberia or any other lawfully established Refugee Camp during the period of the rebel war commencing 1991 and ending 2002 who— (i.) is qualified to be registered as an elector under section 31 of the Constitution; (ii.) presents himself to the Registration Officer or field registrar; (iii.) possesses the appropriate identification document issued by the approved authority; or (iv.) is on the register or official list of the approved authority; [b.] make provision for the registration outside the country of any non-resident citizens of Sierra Leone who may wish to be registered as electors. This is an invaluable precedent to build upon to extend the franchise to all qualifying Sierra Leoneans abroad.

Sierra Leone is not going to be the first country to extend the right to vote to its citizens abroad. There is a long list of countries that allow its citizens abroad to vote in their elections. These countries include the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. South Africa is an important case to study. The right to vote for its citizens abroad was granted (declared) following a constitutional / legal challenge made on 26 January 2009 by Willem Stephanus Richter, a South African teacher working in the United Kingdom. Both the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria (judgement on 9 February 2009) and the Constitutional Court of South Africa (judgment on 12 March 2009) considered this matter. The High Court ordered the Electoral Commission to do all things necessary to ensure that all categories of citizens absent from the Republic of South Africa who are registered as voters will be entitled in terms of the Electoral Act, to vote by means of special votes.

The government of Sierra Leone would like to consider the views expressed by the courts in South Africa on the issue of logistical difficulties about voting abroad: ‘The High Court noted that the only explanation tendered on behalf of the respondents to justify the provisions related to the need to protect the integrity of the polling process and the financial and logistical strains that permitting a broader class of absentee voters to vote would entail. However, the Court reasoned that given that those on government service would be permitted to vote at embassies, high commissions and consulates, the only additional cost would be the ferrying of additional ballot papers to and from these places. This, the Court decided, would not constitute an undue burden on the state's resources. The Court therefore concluded that the provisions constituted unfair discrimination and had to be declared inconsistent with the Constitution.” (Willem Stephanus Richter v The Minister of Home Affairs, The Electoral Commission and The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Case CCT 09/09 [2009] ZACC 3, paragraph 44).

Sierra Leone has considered and adopted other countries' institutions and models of development. For example, Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission was established in year 2000 and it is based on the models found in Botswana and Hong Kong. On this point, see http://www.defenceagainstcorruption... . There is therefore no justifiable criticism if the government of Sierra Leone closely studies or adopts the electoral model used in South Africa to extend the franchise to its citizens abroad.

There are benefits to Sierra Leone and its citizens if the franchise is extended abroad. The logistical difficulties and the likelihood of unscrupulous individuals exploiting the extended franchise should not be reasons to fail to consider this as a viable and achievable policy. Even in Sierra Leone, there are always logistical difficulties and there are those who attempt to exploit the electoral process. There are mechanisms to guard and protect against unscrupulous electoral thieves and a study of the South African (or any other) model should consider such mechanisms.

For now, let us briefly consider some benefits of the extended overseas franchise. Sierra Leone has clearly made political progress and has had three successful presidential and parliamentary elections. The elections in 2012 will be the fourth. The expansion of the right to vote to Sierra Leoneans abroad is therefore a necessary consequence of our current democratic and political development. The expansion of the vote will also mean that overseas-based Sierra Leoneans will be given the opportunity to actively and directly participate in choosing the country's political leaders (especially the president) for the first time. With this form of involvement, it is possible that a stronger bond will be created or re-established between those Sierra Leoneans who hitherto the expansion of the franchise had little or no contact with the country or its embassies / high commissions in their countries of residence. The expanded franchise will also enhance a sense of national pride and patriotism in every Sierra Leonean having the right to vote abroad.

If the current framework on voter registration in Sierra Leone is linked to local taxation or other forms of taxation, the extended franchise may also want to consider this as part of its requirements. If so, it is possible for the tax authorities in Sierra Leone to raise or collect funds as a consequence of the extended franchise. However, caution must be exercised to avoid double taxation on the same income, profit, capital gain, inheritance and other taxable sources of Sierra Leoneans abroad who already pay such taxes. As a developing country, Sierra Leone may not have many (bilateral) tax treaties with other countries and this may affect its ability to raise such fund without falling foul of double taxation. (For more information on this point, see Christians, Allison (April 2005). "Tax Treaties for Investment and Aid to Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study", Northwestern Public Law Research Paper No. 05-10; Northwestern Law & Econ Research Paper No. 05-15 available at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... . In any case, the link between taxation and the right to vote should be considered carefully.

This is my case for the government of Sierra Leone to consider extending the franchise to its citizens living, working and studying oversea. A rejoinder will be most welcome to this discourse.

Editor's note: Patrick Hassan-Morlai is a part-time law lecturer at the University of East London.

— Gibril Koroma www.thepatrioticvanguard.com www.africanmag.ca Phone: 604-308-6087