SOUTH AFRICA: National assembly approves controversial information bill
Reporters Without Borders is very disappointed by the South African national assembly’s adoption of the new version of the Protection of State Information Bill (POSIB) yesterday with 190 votes for, 73 against and one abstention.
1st National WASH Conference: Position Statement from the Children and Youth Forum
Family Kingdom, 22nd May 2013: We, the members of the Youth and Children’s Forum, representing children and youth across Sierra Leone, participating at the 1st National WASH Conference, we say a very big thank you to whosoever has been part of this planning process and more specifically to UNICEF, WaterAid, Adam Smith and WASH-Net for making our presence felt as young people.
The Freetown Court No.3 on May 6, 2013, charged Kasho Cole and Ibrahim Samura, Managing Editor and editor respectively of privately-owned Prime Newspaper, on eight counts of offences including criminal defamation for allegedly publishing an article about Lawyer Adekule King, an employee of the National Petroleum Directorate.
National security is a crucial element in sustaining good governance. A nation that effectively sustains her national security stands the chances of making gains in terms of socio-economic development. For instance, when you have dozens of foreign and national investment opportunities, it is only when national security is guaranteed that such investments can flourish. Countries like China, Japan and even the world power, the United States, have all tend to reach their apex of development due to a number of reasons, amongst them their ability to maintain their internal security. But sustaining and maintaining state security involves the collective role of citizens. And it is only when we respect the law by abiding to what law enforcement agencies say that we can achieve what we wish to. I would prefer a country without a participatory form of democracy that one with a force police.
Freedom of Expression monitors from the 15 ECOWAS member States are convening in Accra from May 22-24, 2013 for a training workshop on the methodology to be used in rating freedom of expression (FoE) conditions in their respective countries.
"Sierra Leone is owned by all of us" -- President Koroma tells Fullah Community
STATE HOUSE, Freetown, 22nd May, 2013/--- His Excellency Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has said that Sierra Leone belongs every citizen. He made this statement during a courtesy call on him by a cross section of the Fullah community in the country.
The courtesy call came in the wake of the recent conferment of the award of the Order of the Rokel on Alhaji Borbor Bah, by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone during this year’s Insignia and Awards and Reception ceremony, in recognition of his singular efforts in actualizing government’s aspirations in promoting the private sector.
On 12 May 2013 the Panamax vessel, MV ALAM PESONA, left Freetown Harbour carrying over 83,000 tonnes of London Mining’s iron ore concentrate, the largest quantity ever to have been loaded in the harbour, vindicating the decision by the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (SLPA) to authorize additional draft at the port. Sailing at a tide of 3.60 metres and a draft of 14 metres, the vessel exceeded the SLPA’s previously recognised draft at the harbour by nearly 10%.
