𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. When Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was sworn-in as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone on 29th March, 1996 he promised to achieve “lasting peace, stability and socio-economic progress in our country”. Throughout his Presidency (1996 to 2007), Kabbah spent every ounce of his energy to achieve lasting peace in Sierra Leone. He was even prepared to give …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. On 16th January, 1996 Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio overthrew Capt. (Rtd) Valentine Strasser and became Chairman of the NPRC (National Provisional Ruling Council) and Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio informed the nation that he was committed to the timetable set by the NPRC to return the country …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. After he retired from office in 2007, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah portrayed himself as an international statesman. Even in retirement, he refused to openly criticize his successor President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma. When President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah died in Freetown in March 2014, President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma described his demise as “an irreparable loss to the …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓”, Niccolo Machiavelli. Before the May 25, 1997 military coup, the SLPP had lost the power to influence public opinion. Several media houses had been set up by opposition supporters to undermine the SLPP government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. The few civil society organizations …

𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐚. I started my Journalism career at the age of 19. At the age of 25, I became the editor of one of the leading newspapers in the country, the “Vision Newspaper” owned by Siaka Massaquoi. Under the APC of Joseph Saidu Momoh, especially after the return to multi-party democracy in 1991, the press (or some sections of …

By Sorie Fofana. Since my arrival in the United Kingdom on Saturday, 26th March, 2022, I have been meeting and talking to hard-pressed families and friends who continue to bemoan the soaring cost-of-living in this country. Some families told me that they now prefer to eat than to heat and light their homes because of the high energy prices. This …

By Sorie Fofana. Allegation of sexual harassment in a job place is a serious matter. When Mrs. Margaret Davies of Rokel Commercial Bank alleged that she was being sexually harassed and intimidated by her boss, the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank, Dr. Walton E. Gilpin, the bank’s Board of Directors appointed a special committee of four non-executive Board members …

By Sorie Fofana. After the SLPP first elected Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio as their Presidential candidate in July 2011 at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown, there was no doubt that Bio was going to choose Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara as his Running Mate. Usu Boie (as he was fondly called) came second in the heavily-fought SLPP flag bearer …

By Sorie Fofana. When President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah returned from exile in Conakry, Guinea in March 1998, he came to the realization that it was time to open the doors of the Party for others to come in. Under pressure from some senior party members not to appoint non-SLPP members to key positions in the government, Kabbah decided …

By Sorie Fofana.                                                                                    Prior to the May 25th, 1997 Military coup that toppled the SLPP led administration, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah had complained bitterly to some of his closest friends that some of his Cabinet Ministers were using the party to engage in corrupt activities. For fear of rocking the proverbial boat, Kabbah reluctantly kept them in Cabinet. When he …