National Elections Watch Chair Marcella Samba resurrects horrific Maada Bio elections criminality U.S Ambassador wants to sweep under the carpet

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His Excellency David Reimer, the  predecessor of U.S Ambassador Bryan Hunt, left him a template to follow — The SLPP government must produce the aggregated polling stations results to demonstrate how President Maada Bio came to be declared winner of Sierra Leone’s Presidential Elections last year.

MARCELLA SAMBA

When he arrived, Bryan Hunt seemed to be hot on the case. But by the time the Tripartite Committee finished its six months of sittings, the U.S Ambassador had been compromised. He was no longer interested in issues surrounding the production of the disaggregated results . Rather, he dictated that the committee go with the 80 recommendations that have to do with electoral reforms.

Countri Bloggers concedes the fact that the ambassador had been sounding the warning that the Tripartite had nothing to do with a rerun. As a matter of fact, even the opposition APC deputy publicity Secretary. Mr.Mohamed Pope Kamara , made it clear this week that when the Tripartite started, a rerun was never part of the package and he said that APC Executive members, who are now being variously accused of selling out and deceiving the grassroots of the party knew that. But they chose to fool their people.

So, we , as a newspaper, do not share the views of other APC  bloggers, journalists and supporters agitating now that there should have been a rerun. POPE was right. The issue of a rerun had been discountanced  and ruled out from the onset.

However, though it was clear that a rerun was never part of the Tripartite, an investigation about what went wrong and punishment of the culprits were definitely part of the bargain. How the U.S. Ambassador is now dismissing that vital component of the tripartite is the most annoying outcome of the process.

Ambassador Hunt negated his responsibility to continue pursuit of the investigation about how President Maada Bio rigged the elections at the last moment for reasons best known to himself. APC bloggers. Journalists and supporters say he was bribed by President Bio.

We have no evidence to substantiate the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Chair of the Sierra Leone Elections Watch , Mrs. Marcella Samba, is once again raising up the issue that angry  Sierra Leoneans believe the Tripartite and Ambassador Hunt wilfully ignored to the detriment of democracy in Sierra Leone —failure of the Elections Commission to release the authentic results of the elections.

A very dangerous precedent has been set in Sierra Leone.

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations dates set for July next year

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The Confederation of African Football has announced that the next Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will occur in July 2025.

The 21-day event will start on July 5 and end on July 26, 2025. This decision comes after a period of uncertainty following the completion of the qualifiers.

The tournament, originally planned for this year in Morocco, has been postponed to the following year. The decision was made at a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee on June 21, 2024.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe expressed his excitement for the growth of women’s football in Africa and hopes for the success of the WAFCON Morocco 2024. He also promised to continue developing African football to become competitive on a global level.

Additionally, CAF expressed gratitude to King Mohamed VI of Morocco and the Moroccan Football Federation for hosting both the AFCON 2025 and WAFCON 2024.

Ghana’s Black Queens, who missed out in 2018, have secured their spot in the upcoming competition.

Banyana Banyana won the last edition in Morocco with a 2-1 victory over the host country at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat in July 2022. Hildah Magaia was the game’s star, scoring two goals to secure South Africa’s win in the final.

The dates of the CAF TotalEnergies WAFCON Morocco 2024 are:

• Opening Match: Saturday 5 July 2025
• Final Match: Saturday 26 July 2025

Banyana Banyana won the last edition in Morocco with a 2-1 victory over the host country. Hildah Magaia was the star of the game, scoring two goals to secure South Africa’s win in the final.

The post Women’s Africa Cup of Nations dates set for July next year appeared first on Football Sierra Leone.

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Abomination in Sierra Leone, as First Lady Fatima Bio and Co. halt church services in Kenema to permit secret society procession today, Pentecost Sunday

By Thaimu Turay 

Church leaders in Sierra Leone have vehemently protested against the action taken by the First Lady of Sierra Leone , Mrs. Fatima Bio and the authorities of Kenema- one of the strongholds of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) —to call off church services today, Pentecost Sunday, to permit a procession by a secret society that requires everybody to be indoors.

According to informed sources , the procession is held every time a leadership decision is about to be taken. The secret society ” Spirit ” has to come out.

Supporters of the ruling SLPP and the Bondo society denied that church services were banned. But many eyewitnesses said it was true—churches along the routes of the procession were banned from opening. Secondly, it was required of everybody to halt all activities and be indoors from 6am to 12pm , so how could church services be held in such circumstances ?

READ THE LETTER OF PROTEST BY THE CHURCH :

BODY OF CHRIST KENEMA

Subject: Complaint about a plan resurgence of the “Kayndu” tradition and the Procession on Sunday 19th May, 2024 (PENTECOST SUNDAY).

We, the undersigned representatives of the Body of Christ in Kenema, which includes KCPC, PFSL, KCC, Wailing-Women, Praying Women, Emerging Women, EPFK, and The Inter Religious Council, write to you with deep concern regarding the planned resurgence of the “Kayndu” traditional procession in Kenema city. This practice was banned from processing on Sundays by the late Paramount chief PC Alhaji Amara Vangahun and the Women’s Leader late Haja Massah Kaisamba in the presence of the church leaders in Kenema.

Historically, the “Kayndu” tradition has imposed severe restrictions on township activities, including a complete halt to all movement from 6: am – 12: pm. It is being alleged that the first lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone is behind this planned Sunday procession.

This restriction poses a direct threat to our constitutionally guaranteed rights, notably our freedom of movement and our freedom to practice our religion without interference.

As a city that holds Sunday as a sacred day for worship, any obstruction to our ability to congregate and perform our religious practices is unacceptable. We wish to remind the authorities that:

Freedom of Worship: According to the Constitution of Sierra Leone, every citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This includes the right to manifest and practice one’s religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice, and observance.

Freedom of Movement: The constitution also guarantees the freedom of movement, allowing citizens to move freely throughout the country and to reside in any part thereof.

Freedom of Association: Citizens have the right to freely associate and assemble, which is integral to our communal worship practices.

We, therefore, firmly oppose the reintroduction of the “Kayndu” tradition on Sundays especially this Sunday 19th May 2024 is very important as is one of the most important Christian date in our Christian calendar disregarding this annual commemoration of the descent of the holy spirit is the total disregard and disrespect of our Christian faith and it infringes upon these fundamental rights. We kindly appeal to the authorities to reconsider and halt any plans that would prevent us from exercising our religious freedoms and disrupt our regular Sunday worship.

We appeal to your office and all concerned authorities to recognize and respect our rights.

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Yours faithfully,

…………………………………….

Rev David S. Coomber

PFSL Regional Chairman

+23276 – 534088

……………………………………..

Rev. Francis S.M. Kamanda

KCPC President

+23273 – 612088

…………………………………..

Rev. Patrick Kpaka

EFSL Regional Coordinator

+23276 – 079787

……………………………………

Apostle Ezikel K. Amara

EPFK President

+23276 – 757443

……………………………………

Alhaji Sheku Kamara

Chairman inter religious council

Eastern Region

+23276 – 643376

Cc:

– Interreligious Council

– Pentecostal Fellowship of Sierra Leone (PFSL)

– Peace Commission

– Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone (EFSL)

– Intercessors for Sierra Leones (IFSL)

– Council of Churches Sierra Leone (CCSL)

– Legal link Sierra Leone

– Inspector General of Police Sierra Leone

– Sierra Leone broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC)

Canada: 107 receive this year's B.I.G Black Ideas Grant

 By: Thaimu Turay

On May 14th, FFBC rewrote the story of Black self-determination, celebrating solutions, and building a future where every Black voice is heard, and every Black community thrives. The 107 recipients of the B.I.G Black Ideas Grant are a testament to this.

FFBC congratulates this year's recipients of the Black Ideas Grant. With this funding, FFBC is confident they will continue to make a profound impact on Black communities across Canada combatting anti-Black racism and improving outcomes for Black communities.

We'd like to thank Minister Kamal Khera (centre in photo), Minister Hon. Marci Ien, Minister Ahmed Hussen, and Member of Parliament Julie Dzerowicz for being alongside community members, as FFBC announced recipients of the B.I.G. Black Ideas Grant, a pivotal investment geared towards propelling solution-oriented initiatives led by Canada's Black communities!

Credit: Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC)

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Freetown City Council responds to the arrival of early rainy season havoc

FCC Comms: Countri Bloggers: 23 April 2024:

The rains have come early and jumped ahead of our flood mitigation plans. FCC flood mitigation activities started at Juba Bridge on 3rd April.

After about five days we moved onto the canal at Lumley which had also become an illegal dumpsite last year. From there work began and is still ongoing at Kroo Bay.

The heavy rains in the early hours of this morning were accompanied by the return of an unfortunate habit – some Freetonians emptying their garbage into gutters and waterways during the rain.

As a consequence, we saw an overflow of a number of key drains and gutters across the city, including at Portee. This unfortunate practice is most often done by but is not limited to residents living in hillside communities that cannot be accessed by sanitation vehicles.

Speaking about the Council’s efforts, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said: “the Deputy Mayor, the Chief Administrator, the FCC team, and I were out on the streets until way after dark to ensure that we effectively addressed the situation at Portee and elsewhere. All roads were cleared, and residents were sensitized in the process.

“FCC flood mitigation activities will continue for the next few weeks. We are confident that within a few days, the positive impact of the recently expanded public space cleaning and the continued flood mitigation activities will yield positive results.

“Additionally FCC is in the process of strengthening our sanitation bylaws; we are hopeful that parliamentary approval for that will be granted soon.

“In the meantime, a reminder to us all that garbage on the streets doesn’t fall from the skies. Freetonians please don’t throw your garbage in the streets, gutters and waterways and please do not use “Clean Salone”!! Please only use FCC approved waste service providers who operate with tricycles or vehicles. Thank you!”

#TransformFreetown
#KeepFreetownClean

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 President Bio seeking attention after world slams door 

In the realm of global politics, a leader’s reputation is both a shield and a sword. For President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, it seems his international escapades have only served to tarnish his image and isolate his nation further. With countless trips abroad, spending almost two years of his tenure away from Sierra Leone, President Bio’s quest for attention has become a desperate spectacle, marred by controversy and devoid of substance.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the exorbitant costs incurred during these frequent globetrotting episodes. While the President gallivants across the globe, the people of Sierra Leone are left to grapple with the grim realities of underdevelopment and poverty.

One cannot help but question the wisdom of these frivolous expenditures, especially when they yield nothing substantial in return for the nation’s progress.

In a bid to salvage his waning credibility, President Bio has resorted to hosting international conferences in Freetown. However, these gatherings only serve as a smokescreen to mask his erosion of democratic principles. The arbitrary removal of opposition members of parliament and the installation of Dr. Abass Bundu, a figure synonymous with democratic erosion, highlight President Bio’s disdain for the rule of law.

The recent ousting of the Auditor General and her deputy further underscores the President’s authoritarian tendencies. Their crime? Exposing discrepancies in receipts provided by the President’s office, a move that evidently bruised his ego.

It is clear that President Bio’s rule is characterized by impunity and a blatant disregard for accountability.

Furthermore, President Bio’s penchant for international grandstanding has yielded little diplomatic capital. Serious visitors from other nations are conspicuously absent in Sierra Leone, a testament to the lack of confidence in his leadership. Even fellow ECOWAS leaders have felt compelled to caution him against his obsession with former President Ernest Bai Koroma, a distraction from the pressing issues plaguing the nation.

Instead of utilising modern communication technologies such as Zoom or even phone calls, President Bio opts for ostentatious displays of sympathy, chartering flights to attend funerals abroad. This behavior only reinforces the perception of him as an unserious leader, out of touch with the priorities of his own people.

Moreover, President Bio’s uninvited jaunts to foreign nations, including Rwanda, Kenya, and Algeria, reflect his desperation for validation on the global stage. Yet, his absence of substantive achievements renders him little more than a pathetic narcissist, driven solely by the need to feed his ego at the expense of his nation’s welfare.

President Julius Maada Bio’s relentless pursuit of attention on the international stage has only served to exacerbate Sierra Leone’s isolation and deepen its woes.

It’s high time President Bio redirects his focus towards addressing the pressing needs of his nation, lest history remembers him as a leader who squandered his mandate in pursuit of fleeting fame.

Six arrested over Kaizer Chiefs’ Luke Fleurs killing

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of South African soccer player Luke Fleurs, who was shot and killed during a carjacking at a petrol station in Johannesburg last week.

Fleurs, who was 24 years old and had previously played for SuperSport United, passed away on April 3rd, 2024. He had also represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics.

The police have stated that the suspects were apprehended in Soweto on Wednesday morning, and they believe that they are part of a syndicate responsible for car hijackings in Gauteng province.

The authorities are still actively searching for additional suspects. The officers recovered the footballer’s car, which had been stripped, on Monday. 

Mr Fleurs, a football player for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, was fatally shot in an attack while waiting at a petrol station. The suspects have been arrested and will appear in court soon.

The South African football community is mourning the loss of Luke Fleurs, a promising talent who was fatally shot during a car hijacking in Johannesburg, leaving the nation in shock and grief.