PLAIN TRUTH NEWS

WFP, IOM, TDS and Governments strengthen border management and livelihoods of cattle herders and farmers.

On Thursday 3 November 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Food Programme (WFP), Talking Drum Studio (TDS)  and the Sierra Leonean and Guinean authorities officially unveiled two border posts in Koindukura (Falaba district) and Hérémakono (Faranah prefecture)  and 50 hectares of Inland Valley Swamps (IVS) implemented under the project ‘Building cross border peace and strengthening sustainable livelihoods of cattle herders and crop farmers in Sierra Leone and Guinea.’

The UN Agencies and their Government counterparts in the two countries have been working with civil society entities, communities, and local governments to resolve long-standing conflicts, compounded by climate change, between cattle herders and farmers along Sierra Leone’s northern border with Guinea.

With increasing numbers of cattle herders migrating from Guinea into Sierra Leone, the conflicts, if left unaddressed, could escalate, and destabilize both countries. The project, financed by the UN PeaceBuilding Fund, addresses a critical gap on cross-border peacebuilding between the cattle herders and farmers in this zone.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Christos Christodoulides, Country Director of IOM Sierra Leone said that the posts would address different needs related to border management including monitoring, and data collection on the migration of cattle herders and farmers across the borders as they look for grazing or cultivable land, which could be used for the development of evidence-based policies that aim to reduce tension and sustain peace.

“I am with the conviction that with the implementation of this project, communities in Falaba district and Faranah prefecture will benefit from a good border regulation that promotes peaceful coexistence between the herders and crop farmers,” said David Panda Noah, Minister of Internal Affairs. He added that Government would do its utmost to support this well-thought-out project and for it to be replicated in other areas.

To strengthen the livelihoods of cattle herders and farmers, WFP in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, has assisted over 500 smallholder farming households to develop 50 hectares of irrigation systems in IVS across 10 border lying communities in Sulima and Mongo chiefdoms. A 23.5 Km of fencing was also constructed to protect the crops from the cattle. These swamps will not only ensure year-round cultivation but will save the environment as well.

TDS on the other hand, has to date produced 12 editions of the radio soap opera Cross-border Bush Wahala. The dramatization of the issues in this soap opera has helped not only to raise awareness about the Cattle Settlement Policy to reduce risk of conflicts but to bring it into public discourse.

The project will support 1,000 smallholder households to reclaim inland valley swamps and build irrigation schemes for higher crop yields and continuous food production.

Also, some 300 herder households in Sierra Leone and Guinea will benefit from access to solar water points and improved species of grass to graze their cattle.

Some 60 chiefdom/livestock movement officials and 140 community members will be trained and equipped in managing, mitigating, and resolving conflicts. (A far greater number of people will be reached through radio broadcasts that will inform communities on the Cattle Settlement Policy to reduce risk of conflicts).

Alhaji Kanu is the Youth Wing Leader of  the opposition All Peoples Congress party in constituency 125, who are bent on wrestling power from the incumbent President Maada Bio. Alhaji Kanu also belong to the strongest youth caucus of the APC party led  by Evangelist Samosn. Infact the mayhem that ensure during the August 10 resurrection was hatched and coordinated by this youth wing caucus to which Alhaji Kanu is deputy leader to Evangelist Samson

From time to time Alhaji Kanu had grown up to be a volatile critic of the ruling government, and has been dubbed as one of the fiercest  foot soldiers against the President Maada Bio’s regime. Prelude to the well orchestrated August 10 Resurrection ,Alhaji Kanu has been going out through the streets of Lumley and Aberdeen axis within the Freetown metropolis urging citizens to come out in August 10 enmasse against the repressive regime of the ruling government.  Hence there has been a great animosity between the government and Alhaji Kanu, the sitting government have vowed to clamp down on Alhaji Kanu unpleasant tirades in the Press.

The youth wing of the main opposition APC party had issued a Press Release to all Sierra Leoneans to embark on a peaceful demonstration for three days.  The call for the demonstration was indeed obeyed, the first two days of the demonstration were normal and peaceful as no lives were lost but on the third day – August 10, hell was let loose as the peaceful demonstration turned ugly and violent, ten policemen were killed and several civilians lost their lives.

The ruling SLPP government had therefore issued several warrant of arrest to all the members  of the youth wing of the APC party led by Evangelist Samson and his deputy Alhaji Kanu.  About eighteen members of the Evangelist Samson youth wing leaders were declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police force.  The Sierra Leone Police  instituted a serious manhunt for the Evangelist Samson youth wing caucus. In the ensuring manhunt for Evangelist Samson and his co youth leaders, Evangelist Samson was found  gunned down and killed allegedly by the Sierra Leone Police force and several others sustained serious bodily damage during the ensuing encounter. This prompted the remaining leaders of the youth wing of the APC party to take to their heels because they knew that if they are caught they will be killed. Alhaji Kanu had to escape through the porous Sierra Leone border to Guinea and from there his whereabout could not be ascertained to date. The Sierra Police went after Alhaji Kanu’s family, threatening them to reveal the location of their son, the family house was turned upside down and Alhaji Kanu’s young wife ordered to report to the Police Station every day.

Dauda Manasaray is a young man who has come out openly to declare his sexual orientation and not only that to promote the practice of homosexuality in Sierra Leone. Dauda Manasaray and his friends with the same sexual orientation had formed a gay organization group called “NA SO WI BORN”-(NSWB). The group had continued to receive several death threats from the general public for the immoral practice which is regarded as a ‘taboo’ to African culture.  Moreso the government of the day are also against homosexuality and they believe it is alien to the culture of Africans, in fact anybody caught engaging in this practice is deemed to have violated the law of the country and may serve minimum of fifteen years in jail.    Dauda Mansaray has been using several media institutions to enlighten the general public that people are born like that not to have feelings for the opposite sex.  In early April, 2019 Dauda Mansaray organized a symposium at the CITY HALL tagged “Gay Rights” to enlighten the general public that Gay Practice is normal. At the end of the symposium many hoodlums had lay siege on the venue of the symposium, hell broke loose as the hoodlums armed with sharp knives and machetes attacked members of the gay sect . Several gay men were butchered and maimed for life, two lives were lost.  Dauda Mansaray managed to escape from the scene of the heinous crime against humanity, he ran to a nearby town for temporal safety. The Sierra Leone Police issued a Press Release to declare DAUDA MANSARAY and his  friends WANTED, the whereabouts of DAUDA MANSARAY cannot be ascertained to date

Reports being monitored by this medium indicates that Mr. Ibrahim Sama Banya  has been declared a wanted man by the SLPP party government whose agents are reportedly searching for him all over the country. A family member who spoke to this reporter on the condition that his name should not be mentioned, explained that Ibrahim‘ s uncle, Mr. Mohamed Banya  who is a journalist, businessman and political figure of the NDA party was a fierce critic of the previous government when it was in power 2007 to 2017.

During that period Mr. Ibrahim Sama Banya  was an assistant secretary working for his uncle and Mr. Ibrahim Sama was strongly in support of his uncle against the APC and SLPP. The young man further stated towards the end of 2017 to 2018, they arrested Mr. Ibrahim Sama Banya  who  was allegedly accused of  being involved in subversive activities and plotting with others to destabilize the country and overthrow the government.  Mr. Ibrahim Banya was actually part of the NDA party that use to criticize the government on the deterioration of the educational sector, corruption and failure to unite the political parties in maintaining peace and order in the country.

 The current government  has now declared Ibrahim Sama Banya  a wanted man and promised to pay a huge sum of money to anyone who will give them information that will lead to his capture. The Sierra Leone Police had gone to the family home of Ibrahim Sama Banya and his father has been arrested for questioning and to reveal the whereabouts of his son.  His father had been locked up for almost forty days and was only set free when he developed a strange skin disease.  He lived for only three days after being released from detention, when an autopsy was carried out it was revealed he had died of multiple wounds from torture to reveal his son-Ibrahim Sama Banya whereabouts.

On April 30, 2020 , a violent protest took place in Lunsar, Northern district of Sierra Leone which left millions of properties destroyed and many lives lost will continue to linger on in the mind of many people with memories of gory tales which took everybody by surprise. The riot which was due to the revocation of the mining agreement of government with the Sierra Mining company who have been mining in that area for almost a decade. The youth of the community felt that the revocation of the license of the Sierra Mining Company will cause unemployment within the community and the country as a whole. The Paramount Chief PC Koblo Queen was found to be supporting the government over the issue of revocation of the mining license of SIERRA MINING COMPANY. Alhaji Sesay happens to be the leader of the youth wing of the ALL PEOPLE CONGRESS party and Lunsar being one of the stronghold of the opposition ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS party

Most people in the Lunsar township are of the view that the chief was not working in the interest of the community. They accused him of self- aggrandizement, and this accusation was at the totem pole of the frustrations against the chief. Things came to a tipping point when rumors were making the rounds that the chief was planning to allow a phone company to install a 5G pole in a village close to Lunsar. Rumors were disseminated amongst the youths that 5G is a carrier of COVID-19 and other cyber sickness. To this end, two of the self-ascribed youth leaders,Mr. Kabba and his deputy, Alhaji Sesay , sent a threatening audio to the chief promising to burn his house if the 5G pole were installed. The Chief went to the police station and lodged a complaint. The two leaders were later arrested and detained by the police.
The incarceration of Mr. Kabba and Alhaji Sesay angered the youths, so they stormed the police and forcefully freed the two youth leaders. After a prolonged and wild uproar and confusion, a riot broke out which later culminated to the senseless loss of lives and the wanton destruction of properties, including the chief’s house and the burning of his expensive vehicles.

At this point, the Chief had to run for his life. Security reinforcement came from Freetown to doused the ensuing protest and for two days the situation was brought to normalcy. The Sierra Police therefore declared Mr. Kabba and Alhaji Sesay wanted for incitement leading to the riot which had led to many destruction of lives and properties and to date Alhaji Sesay is yet to be found

A Birmingham crown court in the United Kingdom on Friday sentenced Michael Oluronbi, a Nigerian pastor, to 34 years in prison.
Oluronbi was convicted of raping some children for a period of 20 years. He was said to have committed the act during religious bathing rituals he claimed would wash their sins away and cleanse them from evil spirits.
Oluronbi, who was arrested at Birmingham airport while reportedly attempting to abscond to Nigeria, was charged with 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.
During his trial, the convict was said to have blamed the devil for his misdeeds. His victims included six women and a man; five of them were members of his church, whom he started abusing since they were children.
Oluronbi, who is also a pharmacist, would rape the victims and abort the pregnancies with the help of his wife.
While testifying in court, one the victims said the convict made her question if her life was worth living.
Delivering the ruling, Sarah Buckingham, the presiding judge, said the matter was “one of the worst cases of sexual abuse of multiple children to come before the courts”.
She described Oluronbi as an arrogant, selfish and vain man, as the religious bath was meant to satisfy his sexual urge.
“The children feared you and this enabled you to continue your grip,” the judge said.
“Your offending has had an extreme and severe impact on all of your complainants. Any attempt to suggest otherwise would be without foundation.
“You abused your position of trust – they trusted you like God.”
Juliana, Oluronbi’s wife, was  convicted for aiding and abetting rape, helping with abortions of the victims, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
A court statement said some of the victims were raped repeatedly, which resulted into pregnancies that were terminated.
The convict, who was said to have cultivated the habit of laughing in court while giving evidence, admitted to the court that he was “revered and feared by his victims, kept a vice-like grip on many of them and continued to abuse them well into adulthood.”

Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, MP for Constituency 062 – Samu Chiefdom, joined global energy leaders at a virtual high-level summit to take stock of the impact of the coronavirus disease on the Africa’s energy, oil, and gas sectors. The Africa Ministerial Roundtable – COVID-19 Impact on Africa’s Energy Sector: Challenges and Opportunities was co-hosted by the Senegalese Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the International Energy Agency. In his special concluding remarks to African ministers and heads of international organizations and representatives of Governments from the UK, Japan, Italy, and the Netherlands present – including the AU and EU, Yumkella noted that this new decade must be Africa’s. “We must ensure that the gains in energy access and transition are safeguarded even in the middle of a pandemic. It is important, therefore, that African finance ministers support their colleague energy ministers,” Yumkella said. Encouraged by the enthusiasm of the remarks by the 10 ministers present, Yumkella further called on Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) including the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) among others “to walk the talk and keep energy central to the recovery plans” as they are helping African countries develop recovery plans. Dr. Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and  Mr. Mouhamadou Makhtar Cisse, minister of petroleum and energy of Senegal, co-chairs of the summit, focused their discussion on policies and investments needed to best support Africa’s response to the coronavirus disease and the global economic recession. “ The pandemic has forced Africa to face three challenges; a slowing down of the progress made in energy access especially the off-grid development, energy investment trend is dropping even further and a downturn in revenue in the oil and gas industry,” Fatih Birol said. To achieve sustainable and inclusive transitions in Africa’s energy future, participants including Mr. Samson Gwede Mantashe – minister of mineral resources and energy of South Africa and current holder of the African Union presidency, underscored the need for international support, coordination, and solidarity. They also called for clear and effective government policies and investments that not only support economies but help develop resilient and sustainable energy systems. Previously, Dr. Yumkella also took part in IEA’s fifth annual conference on energy efficiency. As a member of the Global Commission on Energy Efficiency Conference chaired by Prime Minister Leo Varadkar of Ireland – he was among global thought leaders, CEOs, 40 ministers and heads of international organizations. In his remarks, Yumkella spoke about the importance of advocacy and engagement at all levels to accelerate energy efficiency progress. Recognizing that energy efficiency has the potential to create large number of jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the potential to boost economic activity, the committee called for higher ambition and faster action by governments to accelerate improvements in energy efficiency. Hon. Yumkella also joined the World Bank and IMF Virtual Parliamentary Briefing on Pandemics with a special focus on COVID-19. At this briefing, legislators from across the globe discussed how to take rapid, coordinated action to mitigate the negative human and economic effects of COVID-19 and future pandemics. On Wednesday, Hon. Yumkella joined eminent personalities at the EU-Africa High-Level Group – an initiative jointly launched by Friends of Europe, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, and the One Campaign. The esteemed group will explore mutually beneficial ways both continents can work together effectively across core policy areas, including development cooperation, trade, investments, entrepreneurship, digital, migration flows, security, and climate change.