At the end of October 2024, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) issued a final demand notice to Marampa Mines Limited for the payment of US$5.7 Million as freight levies for the shipments of iron ore from Sierra Leone. In a letter dated 27th September, 2024 and addressed to the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, MML clarified that, …

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night”. Haj Fawaz of Fawaz Building Materials and Randlyn Holdings SL Limited did not achieve success through blackmail or smear campaign. He worked very hard to set up a chain of business that turns out …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. The APC leadership have made a song and dance about President Julius Maada Bio’s public address in Bo City last week in which he said that, those who want to use force to overthrow his government would receive force in return. That is reciprocal justice! The APC must appreciate President Bio for publicly ruling himself out of …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐤𝐡 𝐌 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐨𝐡. Last week’s publication by the leading Sierra Leonean Think Tank, the Institute of Governance Reform which highlighted amongst other issues people’s perception of what they thought might have motivated the recent coup makes an insightful reading. In the IGR study titled: Violence Entrepreneurs- Understanding the Actors and the Incentives behind the November 26 failed Coup”, five …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. The American diplomat, statesman and philosopher Thomas Jefferson, in a newspaper a rticle said, “Let us unite with one heart and one mind”. He was addressing the American people. He served as the third President of the United States of America between 1801 and 1809. In the aftermath of the Sunday, 26th November, 2023 attempted coup, His …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. On 10th August, 2022 a group of civilians (mainly opposition members and supporters) took part in demonstrations in some parts of the country calling for the democratically elected President Dr. Julius Maada Bio to resign and hand-over power to them. Six Police officers were brutally murdered by the protesters and several civilians killed. In the early hours …

Kingho Mining Company Limited have the biggest Iron Ore mining concession in this country. They have not even utilised a quarter of the Iron Ore mining concession that they control in the Tonkolili district. According to industry experts, all their concession areas have high grade deposits of Iron Ore. In 2021, the Government of Sierra Leone leased the Pepel Railway …

The Pepel Railway and Port was refurbished by African Minerals Limited with loans provided by China Exim Bank and Standard Bank of South Africa. The rehabilitation of the former Marampa mining railway and port cost a staggering US$1.2 Billion. The project was done on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. After twenty years of operation, the assets were finally …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. 1. He is intelligent and smart J J Saffa has vast knowledge of many aspects of society and he is a public policy guru with deep knowledge of development issues. He understands governance processes and procedures and knows how to navigate his way within any system. 2. He is pragmatic and a problem solver. J J Saffa …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. The main opposition APC party have decided not to work with the new government that has emerged after the June 24 multi-tier elections results were announced by the ECSL. They have argued that, the elections were flawed and their outcomes unacceptable. Their defeated Presidential candidate, Dr Samura Kamara, has refused to concede defeat and congratulate President Dr …