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Published online by
Sylvia Blyden Dot Com
17 Garrison
Street,
Freetown,
Sierra Leone.
Tel: +232-77-772001
Tel: +232-88-321000
Tel: +232-76-350077
Tel: +232-30-321001
Email:
editor@news.sl
Website:
www.awarenesstimes.com |
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YOU ARE CURRENTLY AT THE WEBSITE OF SIERRA LEONE'S FASTEST SELLING, HIGHEST SELLING AND MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER.
Source of above information: Sierra Leone News Vendors Association
EDITORIALS
National Judiciary Deserves to be Heard
This writer has been subjected to sustained calumny from that local tabloid which seems to be determined to bring down the image of the Judiciary by any means; fair or foul. My only crime has been to own a newspaper that has publicised the Judiciary’s own side of some serious allegations that were being levied against our Judiciary only to be later proven as unfounded. It appears as if some people do not only wish to destroy the Judiciary but also intend to intimidate colleague journalists who dare to give air to the Judiciary’s own side. Thankfully, some of us are not only independent-minded but we are also thick-skinned enough to take the insults being thrown. No-one will intimidate us from defending the right of the Judiciary to be heard.
Aug 26, 2010, 17:10
EDITORIALS
We Do Not “Negotiate” for Space with Anyone!
The lead article of yesterday’s edition of a certain local tabloid alleged that one Ghanaian United Nations diplomat caught in a messy love situation was seen at the Awareness Times offices "negotiating for space" in our newspaper so he could air his own side of some unfortunate allegations published in that local tabloid. The implication of the use of the word ‘negotiating’ implies that this newspaper was involved in some sort of monetary dealings with the said Ghanaian to sell space to him.
Aug 25, 2010, 17:08
EDITORIALS
Belated Happy Birthday@ 5!!! Awareness Times is a successful Project
In Sierra Leone, when a baby lives up to five years, there is a strong belief that that child will live for long except otherwise by some unforeseen circumstances. This is all because the country has a bad name for high infant mortality which has dragged the country to being bottom of the UNDP Human Development Index for several years now. This scenario is applicable to the press in the country. A press house that survives for five years in perpetuity is sure to live even longer irrespective of the challenges and adversities it faces in the media world of this country. On the whole, the Awareness Times has lived through the thick and thin and for five years has survived the storm. I doff my hat to the Publisher, Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, for her resilience, commitment and determination. To the entire staff, it’s simply, keep it up! As a founding editor, I am impressed.
Aug 20, 2010, 17:08
EDITORIALS
So ‘Kamajors’ are Now Illegal in Sierra Leone?
Some two years ago during President Koroma’s first visit to the Southern Province as Father of the Nation, his loyal Resident Minister for the South, Hon. Musa Tarawally "unveiled" thousands of kamajors who openly pledged their loyalty to President Koroma. I distinctly recall Mr. J.J. Saffa, the main opposition SLPP’s Scribe, protesting that the kamajor combatant movement had been born out of a need to fight against RUF rebels and defend the southeastern villages and that no such need existed anymore and so no more kamajors combatants existed as a body. But Musa Tarawally was adamant back then that kamajors were legal and supported President Koroma. The President even made a cash donation of $10,000 to his supposed kamajor supporters. All well and good!
Jun 23, 2010, 17:18
EDITORIALS
Media Landscape Change
There was a time in this country when the views of certain newspapers and commentators held sway in the public domain but to paraphrase Emmerson Bockarie, THOSE DAYS ARE GONE! Today it would do certain people well to really find out who has the greatest influence over public opinion when they fool themselves that published articles in their favour are having any impact in the public realm.
Apr 9, 2010, 17:24
EDITORIALS
Anti-Corruption and MIK Baryoh
MIK Baryoh is owner of Global Times editted by Sorie Fofana. He has a case at Anti Corruption Commission that is still open. Now, MIK Baryoh wants to intimidate us on behalf of ACC. Oh what ‘integrity’ flows out of ACC these days... But we will talk and talk and write and write and write without fear. This is what is expected of journalists. Serious journalists take up issues affecting the national polity like mal-procured classroom blackboards and do not manufacture trash against personalities.
Apr 1, 2010, 17:20
EDITORIALS
Foreign Office Spokesman’s Action Discredits Koroma’s Apology
We did not think Ernest Koroma’s apology was genuine as it made no mention of the recent horrendous mal-treatment of women in Sierra Leone that occurred at the SLPP Party Headquarters on 16th March 2009. Even the impugned Bankole Thompson Rape Commission Report could not hide the fact that defenceless Sierra Leonean female victims were "each subjected to physical mistreatment amounting to outrages upon their personal dignity or other inhumane conduct in violation of their human rights protection" by President Koroma’s bodyguards and others. SLPP Women were violated for no other reason than them exercising their constitutional right to belong to the opposition SLPP.
Mar 31, 2010, 14:14
EDITORIALS
Better For Ink to Flow in Sierra Leone now than for Blood to Flow Later
Factually, the deaths of Taqi, Forna, Sam Bangura and others contributed to the vicious nature of the RUF war. And this is why this Pen’s Ink will continue to write and write and write about the gross injustice of powerful persons using the ACC as a witch-hunting tool; we will write and write to systematically expose and expose and name and shame all those who need to be named and shamed in any shameful conspiracy of injustices. We will name and shame you regardless of who you are, as long as, in our view, you deserve to be named and shamed as a conspirator! CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR FULL ARTICLE
Mar 30, 2010, 17:17
EDITORIALS
Counts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 10 &11 against Afsatu viz-a-viz some Facts
Anti Corruption Commission has yesterday March 15th 2010 filed seventeen counts against Hon. Afsatu Kabba but insist they were not ready to proceed & needed 8 weeks adjournment. ACC’s allegations in which Counts 1 & 2 are identical in nature to Counts 9 and 10 does NOT involve corruption of Government money. What Afsatu Kabba has been charged with involves allegedly using her office to give a messenger job to a poor APC supporter.
Mar 16, 2010, 08:10
EDITORIALS
ACC & Afsatu Kabba: From Sublimely Ridiculous to Psychotic!
This newspaper has continued to report on the questionable antics of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) agents. The latest reaching this press indicates ACC agents yesterday March 11th 2010 seemingly strong-armed the Permanent Secretary (P.S.) of the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Paul Sandy for having spoken to this newspaper about the intimidation he was being subjected to in what is suspected to be blackmailing tactics to get him to falsely indict the Fisheries Minister Afsatu Kabba.
Mar 12, 2010, 17:30
EDITORIALS
Commending Mr. President!
President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma is the current Head of State of Sierra Leone with supreme executive authority and a tremendous amount of constitutional powers. Thus, many people fear to tell him unpleasant truths about his leadership style... except a few like us, the team at Awareness Times who recently blasted Mr. President as “unkind” for failing to commend his lieutenants when they deserve it but not hesitating to publicly put them down, criticise them and subject them to mockery even when they are working so hard to please him.
Mar 9, 2010, 17:20
EDITORIALS
Ex-Combatants Should Not Misuse Second Chances!!
This writer, like H.E. President Koroma, sees nothing wrong in giving second chances to former combatants from civil war years. Ex-combatants, if left to their own devices, could get up to nation-wrecking mischief or become pliant tools at hands of malcontents in society but if they are gainfully engaged & properly counseled, their skills at deploying violence would be channelled not into negativity but transformed into productive national service.
Feb 9, 2010, 17:18
EDITORIALS
Sierra Leone's Anti Corruption Commission Should Clear the Air!
We believe such serious and grave allegations, especially the ones concerning the Deputy Commissioner Morlai Buya Kamara, must be immediately addressed by ACC if that entity is to maintain its public credibility. The visible public relations exercise by Mr. Morlai Buya Kamara since the publication hit has not been enough to address the issue. We respect Mr. Kamara’s integrity otherwise he might not have passed parliamentary scrutiny but we believe the issue calls for more than the sudden placement of his face all over newspapers as he lectures ‘corrupt’ school principals. Publishing his photos is not enough. What Sierra Leoneans will like to know is whether the Deputy Commissioner indeed has such a sordid corruption legacy haunting him. And if so, what the heck is he doing at our Anti Corruption Commission?
Feb 5, 2010, 17:18
EDITORIALS
Our NRA Commissioner-General Alieu Sesay
One of Sierra Leone's brilliant, patriotic sons is Commissioner-General of the National Revenue Authority, Hon. Alieu Sesay who so far has no reason not to be proud of himself. In-depth investigations of many allegations levied against the 39 years old Sierra Leonean Tax Guru by this medium reveal that he has every reason to continue to "sleep like a baby" insofar as DFID funds are concerned
Jan 27, 2010, 17:20
EDITORIALS
How Soon “Government” Conveniently Forgot
We are now learning that "Government" has "forgiven" our Publisher but we just wonder how soon "Government" forgets. Let us recall... It was September 2008 and Sierra Leone was subjected to the publication of a particularly vicious article the likes of which this country had never seen before. It was published by two Sierra Leoneans; a male and a female. In 2007, they had both merged their newspapers with the one incorporating the other following which a pictorial release had stated that the two persons were now the co-publishers of that tabloid.
Jan 18, 2010, 14:39
EDITORIALS
How Soon “Government” Conveniently Forgot
We are now learning that "Government" has "forgiven" our Publisher but we just wonder how soon "Government" forgets. Let us recall... It was September 2008 and Sierra Leone was subjected to the publication of a particularly vicious article the likes of which this country had never seen before. It was published by two Sierra Leoneans; a male and a female. In 2007, they had both merged their newspapers with the one incorporating the other following which a pictorial release had stated that the two persons were now the co-publishers of that tabloid.
Jan 11, 2010, 17:38
EDITORIALS
A Hopeful 2010 as Sierra Leone bids farewell to a Frustrating 2009
Here in Sierra Leone, the year 2009 was very challenging for the citizenry. Although we were able to surmount some of these challenges, the fact remains that the reality of hardship, youth unemployment, declining educational standards, abysmal health services, alarming health indices, total disrespect for journalists, lawlessness, political intolerance, armed robberies, sexual violence and gang-raping of our womenfolk which were all shamelessly recorded as part of the 2009 Events of Sierra Leone, was nothing to write home about.
Jan 4, 2010, 14:14
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