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COMMENTS & OPINIONS
As Ugandan Court Scraps Seditious Libel Laws but maintains Criminal Libel Laws... Seditious Libel versus Criminal Defamation
The Constitutional Court in Uganda has ruled that Uganda’s Seditious Libel Laws are in variance with the democratic constitution of that country but it is very important to note that the Courts, made up of five Judges sitting on a Panel, did not rule against the validity of Uganda’s Criminal Defamatory Libel Laws. This effectively means that whilst the Constitutional Court in Uganda recognised the rights of citizens to freely criticise the Government and Government functionaries, it also recognised the right of private Ugandan citizens to have a means of having a deterrent that protects them from criminally-minded journalists impinging on their reputations with published falsehoods.
Sep 2, 2010, 17:28
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Sierra Leone’s Useless Internet Service
I see some excitement with Minister I.B. Kargbo making some sounds of pride over the so-called first position that Sierra Leone scores in some questionable Poll conducted by some obscure entity who have probably never had to suffer the pains of trying to access the Internet from within Sierra Leone. I really do not know what people are being gleeful over. We are living in the Dark Ages in this country as far as Internet Access is concerned and the Communications Minister should actually be hanging his head in shame than showcasing what he believes is a source of pride!
Aug 26, 2010, 17:14
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
As Three Years Anniversary Looms... ‘Matorma’ Resumes
In less than four weeks time, H.E. President Koroma will clock three years in office. It will be three years since 17 September 2007 when he promised, on taking oath as President, that he would turn the country around within three years. Soonest he took over office, he proceeded to embark upon a campaign of sacking and abruptly removing Government functionaries from their appointed positions. So many people were removed and in such an abrupt fashion, that soon a popular refrain was coined that a ‘Matorma Devil’ was striking at perceived opponents of the President’s Agenda to turn Sierra Leone around in three years.
Aug 25, 2010, 17:18
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
African Minerals Agreement: Deal Or No Deal?
There is a popular Television programme in the United Kingdom known as ‘DEAL OR NO DEAL?’ It basically is a Game Show hosted with participants who are given a Gambling Scenario similar to that referenced in the English phrase of A Bird in The Hand is Worth Two in the Bush. The participants are given an option of a lower sum of money they are assured they will definitely go home with or an option of gambling for a higher amount but with no assurance that you go home with anything.
Aug 24, 2010, 17:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
ACC Honours Dr. Alfred Sallia Fawundu
Chairman, ACC Advisory Board (2008 – 2010)"From dust we came and to dust we shall return" Today we are here not only to mourn the loss of an illustrious son of this great nation Dr. Alfred Sallia Fawundu, who was appointed Chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission Advisory Board in 2008, but to thank God for the gift of a well accomplished African, a man whose life transcends the mean horizons of ethnic, religious, racial and gender sentiments.
Aug 24, 2010, 17:02
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
The Price and Implications of Our Democracy: Reminding President Ernest Koroma
Well, let’s face it. Before the Sierra Leone Presidential and General Election in 2007, I recall, Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma, now our President Ernest Koroma promised change, a positive attitudinal change that got the whole country singing the tune. The people fell for it, and voted for it or did they? The questionable result of that election still hovers around our village farm yards, schools, colleges, restaurants, streets, markets etc.
Aug 23, 2010, 12:02
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Keeping ‘Honour’ Within the National Fountain of Honour : Popularly Reproduced
One of my school teachers recently told me that I should learn to ignore the detractors who manufacture up nonsense against me in their news outlets as their nonsense was not having any effect in turning people’s minds against me and what I am doing in Sierra Leone today. In response, I pointed out to him that I usually ignore most of my detractors but when the Government Spokesman, the Presidential Press Secretary and the Foreign Office Spokesman see me as such a formidable force that they have to go to the extent of manufacturing up lies against me right from the seat of power, I will be a fool to keep my mouth shut and not deny the allegations.
Aug 23, 2010, 12:00
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Keep Honour Within the Fountain
One of my school teachers recently told me that I should learn to ignore the detractors who manufacture up nonsense against me in their news outlets as their nonsense was not having any effect in turning people’s minds against me and what I am doing in Sierra Leone today. In response, I pointed out to him that I usually ignore most of my detractors but when the Government Spokesman, the Presidential Press Secretary and the Foreign Office Spokesman see me as such a formidable force that they have to go to the extent of manufacturing up lies against me right from the seat of power, I will be a fool to keep my mouth shut and not deny the allegations.
Aug 20, 2010, 17:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Unless the Attorney-General Wants to say Something?
This Writer, following many appeals from numerous quarters, has decided to cease my pen on the ongoing series about Dictatorial tendencies of the sitting President. I believe my point has been made and in the strongest possible terms that we are living in a democratic, free State with a multi-party National Constitution and enacted Laws, whose contents, we must all work hard to uphold in whatever sphere we might be in.
Aug 18, 2010, 23:52
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
APC Newspaper’s Reaction to Dr. Sylvia Blyden
In yesterday’s edition of the Awareness Times Newspaper, the publisher gave prominent publicity of an anticipated article in today’s edition of the We Yone which challenges her assertions that President Koroma’s re-appointment of Dr. Christiana Thorpe was not in any form or shape dictatorial. CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR APC NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Aug 17, 2010, 17:13
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
The Dictator & The Journalist (Part 1)
As promised last week, I would be taking a look at the APC newspaper’s article (SEE PAGE 2) on why they believe that President Koroma is not acting in a dictatorial manner contrary to my published assertions that he is doing just that. As a Journalist working within my obligations as stated under Section 11 of the National Constitution, I am up against the task of telling a President that his actions are ultra-vires the National Constitution and hence are Dictatorial!
Aug 17, 2010, 17:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Is the APC Changing for the Better?
One thing that has persistently turned many right-thinking people off the ruling All People’s Congress party is their violent intolerance of the views of others. In contrast, I find the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party to be tolerant of criticisms, even whilst in governance. SLPP Scribe, J.J. Saffa, will politely chat to find a common ground if I expose SLPP’s ignorance of constitutional provisions BUT APC will let loose educated but ill-bred thugs to write the vilest possible made-up stories against me if I expose their own ignorance of issues.
Aug 13, 2010, 17:08
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
THE PROBLEM WITH “OKADAS”
I am one of the relatively small percentage of Sierra Leoneans who happen to own a private car, so I do not have to rely on public transport, namely, taxis, poda-podas, and more recently, “OKADAS” but I do have a lot of friends, relatives, staff, neighbours and clients, who rely on such public transport on a daily basis, and over the past week or so, many of them have complained to me that the Police have virtually stopped OKADAS from operating within the City of Freetown, thereby causing transport problems and inconvenience for those who prefer to travel by Okada, and also causing serious loss of income to the Okada Owners and Riders who operate them.
Aug 12, 2010, 17:02
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
The State versus Haja Afsatu Kabba in Sierra Leone : Lawyer Yada Williams Exposes that the Anti Corruption Commission’s Sixth Prosecution Witness has Propensity to Lie
In the matter of the State versus Haja Afsatu Kabba currently awaiting Judgment at the High Court, the Prosecution, in their Closing Arguments, had alleged a theory that their Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6 “had absolutely nothing to gain by cooperating with the other witnesses in wrongly implicating the Accused” as according to them, PW6 “was not part of the Ministry and was actually owed money by the Ministry”. It will be recalled that PW6 was presented to the Courts by Prosecutors of the Anti Corruption Commission as a Computer Engineer who was owed money from doing legitimate business with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources but however, the Prosecution did not tender a single piece of evidence to substantiate that PW6 was indeed a Computer businessman conducting legitimate business with the Ministry.
Aug 9, 2010, 12:20
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Three Cheers for Commissioner Christo Johnson!
There are many living legends in Sierra Leone today and whilst it is usual to pay homage to the dead, sometimes, it is good to laud our living heroes whilst they are still alive. In Sierra Leone today, there is a veteran international journalist working for Reuters International News who is named Christo Johnson. He is also a Commissioner of the Independent Media Commission. This is a man who keeps a low profile and rarely speaks in public gatherings but who commands a huge amount of respect in this country; respect which cuts across all shades of opinion in this country.
Aug 9, 2010, 12:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
The Act of Apologising; The Art of Forgiving
The Holy Bible calls on Christians to forgive the sins committed against us by others even as we call on God to forgive our own sins committed everyday. The Holy Koran makes a similar call on Muslims to practise the art of forgiveness. The Act of apologising and begging for forgiveness from someone we offend is one of the surest ways in which we acknowledge our human frailties. To err is human. We all make mistakes. However, acknowledging those mistakes and calling for forgiveness with an Apology is an act that should be done genuinely.
Aug 6, 2010, 17:10
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
A National Disgrace as Sierra Leone President violates Constitution!
Whilst the country is faced with the unsavoury situation of the “independent” Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) developing a mysterious “technical glitch” that makes it “impossible” for them to locate where the recording of last Saturday’s Inside the Media programme disappeared to, we are reproducing, from our archives, an article that was originally published in the first edition of Awareness Times that followed the Sept. 17, 2007 Elections Victory of President Koroma. It is obvious that we had hoped back then, that Dr. Christiana Thorpe and President Koroma would have read in between the lines and worked towards reconciling this country.
Aug 2, 2010, 13:18
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR ALLEGED OVER-VOTING? WHO STUFFED THOSE BALLOT BOXES?
Citizens who voted at 477 Polling Stations across Sierra Leone were disenfranchised of their right to freely elect the President of their choice because someone allegedly placed extra ballot papers in the ballot boxes at these 477 Stations. 438 of the invalidated stations were located within well recognised SLPP strongholds such as Lumley Grassfield in the Western Urban Area; an indisputable Berewa stronghold which is one of only 5 polling stations disqualified in Western Area.
Aug 2, 2010, 13:10
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
Lampooning us for Raising An Alarm?
Over the years past, especially during Siaka Stevens days, Sierra Leone did not go downhill for no reason. We went downhill from a Nation of high moral values, fine academic and intellectual thinkers with good ethics, to become a Nation where citizens turned into brutes who hacked off limbs of fellow Sierra Leoneans because we had Actors endorsing the illicit and shameful actions of the ruler(s) of the day and even proceeded to sell their conscience and lampoon others who raised alarms when things started to go wrong.
Jul 30, 2010, 17:12
COMMENTS & OPINIONS
As National Executive embarrasses itself… : Where are SLPP’s Lawyers?
Before the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) issues Press Statements, it is advisable for them to get proper legal advice. Yesterday’s Press Statement marks the second time this year that the SLPP, an otherwise matured political party, is issuing Press Statements on Legal Issues that have left a few eyebrows raised at the ignorance of the Law being exhibited by the crafters of those Press Statements.
Jul 29, 2010, 17:24
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