The president told his audience that Sierra Leone was very keen to take the driver’s seat of transformation, noting, “We have achieved a lot as a nation but more things need to be done in order to accomplish our prime aim which is development”.

He maintained that the process of transforming the country has started and must be sustained, while urging everyone to grab this “opportunity with strength and efficiency”.

“Though the challenges are huge but they must be surmountable,” Mr. Koroma insisted. “We can see that in the process of development many countries have been like us but now they are [far advanced than us]. Why can’t we do the same? We deserve good roads, infrastructure and education, among others.”

The president expressed optimism that the conference will come out with a clear strategy as to how Sierra Leone will be made less dependent on donors, adding that such a positive trend must be achieved in the next 25 years.

“The journey of the next 50 years has begun,” Mr. Koroma submitted. “We are here to find the way forward. The vision has already been captured and the aspirations are already known to all. Realization of this vision is within our reach; [therefore] we should not allow our country to be divided on partisan basis.”

State House Chief of Staff, Dr. Kaifala Marrah noted that agriculture was one of the “key holders when it comes to the development of the country”, stating that 191 agricultural business centres had been opened across the country and that village banks were also being established.

He opined that the rationale for the conference was to know how the country will look like in terms of development in the next 25 years, and that it will be looking at, among many other issues, how to secure the country’s natural resources in order for it not to be misused by foreigners.

According to the party’s spokesperson, Chernor M. Bah, barely three days into the 64-day registration process of 3.5 million electorates, several problems have been reported by those who have gone through the exercise.  

“We have received reports from those that went to register that some of the machines, web cameras and generators are faulty and not working,” Bah said. “NEC staff lack the necessary capacity to carry out such exercise.”

He added that until technical problems associated with the process are addressed, the biometric voter registration BVR should be suspended.

“The biometric is totally useless,” he said. “We want them to immediately put on hold the process and solve the technical problems that are associated with it.”

He maintained that many of the voter registration staff recruited by NEC were not well trained to deal with such a system and the number of machines imported are not enough to carry out the exercise countrywide.

The NDA spokesperson claimed that NEC had spent huge amount of money to bring ‘faulty’ machines into the country for registration. “Some of the web cameras bought by NEC are not capturing the pictures of some people and we think that should not be the case,” Bah said calling for NEC to disclose details of the BVR machines bought and the procurement procedures used to buy them.

“There are less than 900 machines for a total number of 2, 998 biometric voter registration centres countrywide. Many are ineffective and we don’t want to see a situation wherein not all eligible voters go through the process. The process is extremely slow,” he stated.

Bah urged other political parties to join forces with NDA to set up a committee that would supervise and consult with NEC to find solutions to the technical problems of the BVR system.

In a related development, the main opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party SLPP stated that it has sent two letters to NEC conveying the party’s concerns and observations on the registration process but no response has been received.

In a release yesterday, the SLPP stated that though NEC has prepared rules and regulations for the biometric voter registration and there is no provision in those rules and regulations nor in the Electoral Laws Act or in the national Constitution prohibiting the recording of names of electors by political parties to enable them do a proper review of the provisional register compiled by NEC, the electoral body on January 23 disallowed the recording of the names and addresses of electors by political parties.

“It did this only after receiving a complaint from the All Peoples’ Congress,” the SLPP release stated. “This was confirmed by the Elections Co-ordinator of the APC, Mr. Balogun Koroma on the 24th January 2012 edition of “Good Morning Salone Programme” on Radio Democracy (FM 98.1).  We consider this complaint by the APC totally unnecessary because there is nothing in the electoral law that prevented them doing the same if so minded. This act by NEC also suggests that it is compromising its independence in the conduct and supervision of elections as guaranteed by the national Constitution

The SLPP says NEC’s attempt to interfere with the registration process is unjustified and not supported by any legal instrument.

Attended by President Abdoulie Wade, Mohamad Ould Abdel Aziz, Emest Bai Koroma president of Senegal, and Sierra Leone respectively, former Nigerian President General Olusegun Obasabjo and Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara The Republic of The Gambia, prime ministers of Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Brazil, Ambassadors of United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Ethopia, Foreign Ministers of Taiwan and Algeria all graced the fourth term swearing-in- ceremony of elected President Yahya Ajj Jammeh in the last Nov. 24 Presidential elections.

President Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) sweeps the November 2010 presidential polls with a landslide victory- 72 percent margin against Lawyer Ousainou Darboe United Democratic Party (UDP) and Independent Candidate Hamat NK Bah backed by four political parties PDOIS, GMDP, NRP and NAAD.

The APRC is a political party in The Gambia founded by army officers who staged a coup d’eta to topple a democratic government of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara in 1994 led by Yahya AJJ Jammeh. The turn military- civilian then formed the party in 1996 to contest for the same presidential elections in The Gambia.

The well attended ceremony was held in grand style with the performance of the traditional Jola ceremony to install a king called “ Kalaken Ayyi Awu” meaning in English ‘Install a King’ was done by his Jola tribe men and women, all dressed in red cloths. The president and his entourage arrived slowly with escort of green boys and girls.

Addressing the nation, Jammeh thanked Almighty Allah and praise Him (Allah) for all the favours and blessing bestowed upon Gambians, particularly for the peace, tranquility and progress that Gambians gratefully enjoy and for jealously guard for many years.

He said also take the singular privilege and profound pleasure, on behalf of the government and peoples of The Gambia to welcome all dignitaries’. Today’s ceremony, Jammeh stated is a special reflection and enduring relationship as well as the solidarity and friendship that exist between The Gambia and other countries.

“We count on your continue friendship, solidarity and cooperation for the mutual benefit of our respective countries and people, he told his audience.”

He further saluted Gambians for voting massively for him during the Nov. presidential elections, he says “I convey to you (Gambians), without reservation, my infinite appreciation and sincere gratitude for electing me for a fourth term of office.”

His victory, Jammeh said is not for him or his party, but victory for patriotic, progressive, development-oriented good people of the country. “It is a victory for solidarity, peace, security, progress and socio-economic development,” stated Jammeh.

He strongly told Gambians that his tenure of office will continue to eclipse and neutralize all forms of sectarianism and will be marked by the full participation of all patriotic and progressive Gambians for the attainment of sacred aspirations as a nation under his leadership.

Focusing his speech on the theme “Gambians United to Build an Economic Superpower”, in own words, Jammeh said with the values of people who are proud of being what they are politically, socially, morally, psychologically and above all, economically independent and able to live by principles, sustained by resources and setting their own standards and looking up to only the Almighty Allah, The Gambia will be a superpower nation.

“If we unite under one supreme umbrella, and work together diligently, honestly and in the best interest of everyone of us, we will achieve our desire goals,” he said.

The beginning of his term in office, Jammeh said will commence with the implantation of phrase one of the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment acronym PAGE.

PAGE, said spelled out governments out plan from 2012-2015 and is a guiding tool for the attainment of Vision 2020.

The hallmark of PAGE, Gambian leader said is to transform The Gambia into a highly developed country, with highest living standards for the citizenry.

To attain and sustain all the envisioned outcomes, he pointed out that PAGE also focuses prominently on intense human capital development for employability, with corresponding and carefully targeted health service interventions crafted to nuture a healthy populace.

All these, he noted will be interfaced with strengthening and reinforcing the existing governance system, structures and procedures, whilst stamping out corruption and other evil practices that undermine development endeavours in the country.

New Clerk of Parliament, Ibrahim Sesay
meeting with development partners at the Parliament Conference Hall in Freetown.
Addressing partners, the new Clerk of Parliament, Ibrahim Sesay said Parliament is an institution that cannot move by itself, and added that when given the opportunity and capacity it can even enable MPs to come up with Private Member Motions and not solely depend on the Executive to always come up will theirs.
He noted that Parliament as a Commission has lots of challenges that boils down on structure and finance. The Clerk commended the fact that the motion moved by President Koroma when he was in Opposition to enable Parliament become independent in handling it finances, is now been implemented.
?We want to have a close link between my office and development partners. My office is always open to development partners that have Parliament at heart,? Mr. Sesay said, and added that even though they have employed professional staffs to boost Parliament Operations, they are still encountering the problem of employing Directors of Finance and Human Resources. These he recognized as key positions that require a huge amount of finance.
The Clerk admonished partners to be visiting Parliament from time to time to see some of their supported programs.
He informed the meeting that Parliament will be dissolved in September 2012 for the elections. ?We have new Members of Parliament coming in. they need capacity building and other support that will improve on their capacity in the House,? says the Clerk, and further reiterated the fact that they want to equip the new Members of Parliament on their oversight responsibilities and enable them develop constituency outreach programs.
Representatives from International Organizations like UNAIDS, IOM, EU, DfID, UNFPA and UNICEF gave updates on their past and present supported development programs in Parliament. They were able to identify key resolutions, such as training programs should not be based on Members of Parliament alone but also other members of staff. Also, development partners should be looking at the Parliament calendar of activities so as to avoid duplication of programs. A representative from DfID pointed out that Parliament should not solely depend on development partners for support, but that they must tap on the increase national revenue to upkeep their operations.
The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Mohamed Lebbie.

According to the Public Relations Officer of FCC Cyril Mattia, the acting Administrator called a general staff meeting to brainstorm on the development of the city and it was after that meeting that he said the idea came up for council  to establish officers in those areas.

Mr. Mattia went on to say that  they have been viewing with great concern the  huge traffic congestion in central Freetown. “We want to ease the cost of transportation for Freetonians, instead of them coming to the City centre only to pay their taxes they would pay at those branches,” he said.

He pointed out that the  central office will  be meant to administrate and also act as a check and balance in the other offices. He added that the two offices will be fully equipped to meet the  needs of tax payers.

Mr. Mattia also disclosed that the Freetown Waste Management Company has now been transferred to the Local Government Ministry. “All  backlog salaries have been paid . Now strategies have been put in place to clean the city,” he said.