SIERRA LEONE PRINT MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS- THURSDAY 20TH MARCH, 2014 AWOKO University of Sierra Leone explores alternative sources of income The Minister of Education, Science and Technology on 19th March 2014 urged the University of Sierra Leone to consider itself as a business entity by offering its learning and research facilities for sale to the public at competitive prices. The paper informs that the Minister made the statement at the two-day conference organised for stakeholders to deliberate on alternative sources of revenue generation for the University of Sierra Leone to become independent of Government that has shifted its policy from subvention to the University to fee subsidy for students. Concord Times reports that the Minister disclosed that from 2008 to present, Government has provided funding to public universities through annual subventions, as well as paid tuition fees for selected students, through the Grants-in-Aid, amounting to over Le419 billion. MPs mandate cable news provider to charge in local currency The Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communications on 19th March 2014 urged the Head of the Transnational Direct Satellite Television Company, Mr Adonis Abode to charge customers in the local currency, the Leone instead of the dollar using black-market rate in place of the official rate for the dollar. According to the paper, Members of the Committee also asserted that this has resulted to most Sierra Leoneans unable to pay for the service. However, the paper quotes Mr Adonis Abode as enlightening that the policy of pricing for their services is in dollars worldwide. FAO to develop national food control system The UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Sierra Leoneon 19th March 2014 organised a day’s workshop on Standard Trade Development Facility and the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau to access the National Food Control System in Sierra Leone at the China Friendship House in Freetown. The paper informs that the project is to develop Sierra Leone’s national food control system and provide strategies for state-of-the-art approaches for the entire food chain. In a related development, the paper also informs that the Food and Agriculture Organisation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security and other stakeholders, will join the rest of the world to observe this year’s International Year of Family Farming. The paper informs that the day is to acknowledge the contributions that families and smallholder farmers are playing in the world’s effort to eradicate hunger and poverty as well as provide food security and nutrition. EU supports Constitutional Review Process The Head of Delegation of the European Union in Sierra Leone, Mr Peter Versteeg has disclosed that the EU “stability instruments” for Sierra Leone to support the Constitutional Review Process is aimed at ensuring sustainable peace, security and the consolidation of democracy in the country. According to the paper, Mr Peter Versteeg also revealed that the EU is using the “stability instruments” to support peace training that is vital to guarantee peace and security in the country. Ministry of Energy launches Service Charter The Ministry of Energy on 19th March 2014 held its Service Charter Validation Workshop that deals with standards, sustainability, measurement of performance, accountability, transparency, value for money and the responsibilities of staff. The paper ends that the Service Charter also informs the public about the services provided by Government institutions and the cost, all in an effort to minimise corruption. CONCORD TIMES Health Ministry holds validation meeting The Integrated Health Project Administration Unit of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation on 19th March 2014 organised a day’s Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting of Financial Management at the Shangri La Complex at Lumley Beach in Freetown. The meeting was aimed at ensuring the effective functioning of the Integrated Health Project Administration Unit that is linked with existing structures in the Ministry as well as to review and validate the draft for onward dissemination to stakeholders in the health sector for retention and utilisation. Stakeholders’ validate Anti-Corruption Strategy To ensure that the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2014-2018 reflects the views of Sierra Leoneans, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other stakeholders on 17th March 2014 ended a validation exercise at the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union Hall in Makeni, Bombali District. Some of the papers add that the strategy is the road map for the development of the country as the document encompasses the views of the people on how to fight graft. INDEPENDENT OBSERVER UN Representative bids farewell to President Koroma Several dailies report that the Executive Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Sierra Leone, Mr Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzenon 19th March 2014 had a farewell meeting with President Ernest Koroma at State House in Freetown to mark the end of his nearly two-year term in the country. The papers went on to quote the President as asserting that Sierra Leone’s transition from war to peace and now the on-going transformation of the country could not have been possible without the support of the UN. According to the papers, Mr Toyberg-Frandzen disclosed that he had a very productive tenure and enjoyed the cooperation of all stakeholders including Government, political parties, civil society organisations and Paramount Chiefs. In another development, the Owl reports that the Deputy UN Secretary-General, Mr Jan Eliasson gave Sierra Leone and Timor-Leste as examples of countries where peace building operations had prevented relapse into violence and facilitated their post-conflict development. AWARENESS TIMES Call for street to be named after ex-President Kabbah The paper quotes some Sierra Leoneans as appealing to Government to name a major street in Freetown after former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah who died on 13th March 2014. The paper adds that this is to recognise his invaluable contributions to peace and development in the country. Politico quotes family and opposition sources as revealing that Government turned down an offer for the former President to be buried at the forecourt of Parliament Building in Freetown on the grounds that the Chinese will construct a mausoleum for the burial of all former Presidents. GLOBAL TIMES Former SLPP Leader declares for flag bearer position The former Leader/Chairman of the SLPP, Mr John Benjamin is campaigning in his home town of Kailahun District, East of the country, for the position of flag bearer of the party in the next elections. The paper also informs that Mr John Benjamin has at a meeting with a group of women in the township declared his intention to contest for the flag bearer ship of the SLPP in the 2018 elections that he appealed for support and vowed to defeat Mr Julius Maada Bio, the party’s 2007 presidential candidate, at the National Delegates’ Conference. POLITICO Extractives Industry Bill under scrutiny The National Advocacy Coalition on Extractives (NACE) has summoned civil society organisations nationwide to securitise the Sierra Leone Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative Bill at the Hill Valley Hotel in Freetown. The meeting was for participants to effectively examine the bill that will soon be tabled in Parliament enlightening that the bill provides a legal framework to enhance transparency and accountability in relation to receipts and payments in the natural resources sector to promote good and accountable governance. THE NATIONALIST Deputy Minister’s rape case commences The paper reports that the media was on 19th March 2014 prevented from covering the alleged rape case involving the former Deputy Minister of Education, Mr Mamoud Tarawalie at Freetown High Court No.2. Other dailies inform that the victim, a university student, explained her ordeal with the Deputy Minister in camera. THE SPECTATOR Paper rates performance of Ministries The paper has rated the performance of the Ministries of Trade and Foreign Affairs as 55% and 51% for Finance and Defense respectively. According to the paper, other Ministries that performed satisfactorily are Works 50% and Local Government 45% with the Ministry of Labor scoring the least with 5%. THE NEW CITIZEN Anti-Trafficking Committee setup A Special Anti-Trafficking Sub-Committee has been setup to protect migrant workers against human trafficking. The paper informs that the work of the Committee is to check for indicators of trafficking each time a duly-registered company approved by the Ministry of Labor is to commence a recruitment process for foreign workers, adding that the Committee is made up of various stakeholders including the police and the International Organisation for Migration. CSOs concern over “incomplete Cabinet” Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have criticized President Ernest Koroma for administering the country with “an incomplete Cabinet” citing the Ministries of Works and Education that do not have a Minister and Deputy respectively. The paper reports that the President is yet to replace dismissed Ministers underlining that this will affect the implementation of Government’s Agenda for Prosperity and concludes that some Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are also without substantive heads. Stakeholders examine 2014 ICPD Report The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on 18th March 2014 organised a presentation ceremony to mark the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) beyond 2014 at the Bintumani Hotel in Freetown. The paper explains that the forum was for stakeholders to examine the current status of the world’s population, analyse the UN Secretary General’s report on ICPD and the impact on the country as well as discuss the progress and challenges in the report and proffer solutions. SIERRA EXPRESS MEDIA PPRC dialogues with Guild of Editors The Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) on 19th March 2014 held discussions with the Guild of Editors at its Tower Hill headquarters in Freetown to update the Guild on its mandate and activities as well as for members to clarify issues related to its work. The paper went on to quote the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Maitland Tolla-Thompson, as revealing that the Commission’s primary focus this year is political education for political parties that is key to the country’s democratic process. The papers reviewed today are: Politico, The Owl, Independent Observer, Sierra Express Media, The Nationalist, Premier News, The New Citizen, Global Times, Awareness Times, Awoko, Concord Times and New Vision. The above summary of news reports reflects the views of the papers reviewed today not that of the United Nations.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:10:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015