To borrow the words of my friend and brother, @Keketoma_Sandi, this government could be setting another record as the FIRST since Independence to have President Bio's Chief Minister, @dsengeh, and his wife, @FirstLadyBio openly throwing jibes at each other on social media, sometimes while in the same private jet with @PresidentBio as he watches on. From Kono, MCC, Star Link, and now Radical Inclusion, the exchanges are becoming very visible to the extent that some staff and even supporters of both of them are now getting involved. I have a friend who always reminds us of how our politicians don't take us seriously, and they're displaying that at a time when those who look up to them are suffering to either get a job or even have enough to feed themselves and their families. Dear Mr. President, if you're not embarrassed, we are embarrassed as a people and one of the promises you made in 2018 was to instill discipline in the country, and some people very close to you need that now, sir. May you have the strength and wisdom to handle this as soon as possible before they start telling us about who is more loyal to you. There are more pressing issues for people in power to take care of and not trying to distract us with who is going to be the first to talk to Elon Musk to bring his Tesla Electric Truck to Sierra Leone when we are still grappling with electricity supply to our homes. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

The Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association has ended their Press Conference at the Connaught Hospital today and confirmed that they will go ahead with their sit-down strike action on Wednesday, 23rd October 2024, over conditions of service, including fuel allocation to doctors. Their 21-day notice to the government, which they said wasn't countenance by the Ministry of Health, elapsed tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd October 2024. However, the Minister of Health, Dr. @DembyAustin told @UmaruFofana that they have provided fuel for the first and second quarters and are finalizing plans to release their third quarter this week. The Minister said they have met their side despite the competing financial needs of the state but the doctors said it would be more sustainable if they could receive their 45-liter fuel allocation with their monthly salary. Meanwhile, @PresidentBio, who recently returned to the country from a trip to the United Kingdom and the U.S is expected to have arrived in Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and he is also scheduled to attend a World Food Prize Foundation Event in Iowa, the United States of America from the 28th October to 2nd November 2024. Indeed, our government has competing financial needs, and one important one is to ensure that money is always available for the President to fly with a private jet to some meetings where his Foreign Minister can ably represent him to reduce costs. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Earlier today, I moderated what I refer to as #ThePowerPanel at the Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Conference, where we had @AlexiousButler, the @USAID Director, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, who spoke about their programs in Sierra Leone and how people can get involved in influencing U.S policies and programs that directly benefit #SierraLeone. @DanielKoroma, a Sierra Leonean American, knows where the resources are and how Sierra Leoneans in Montgomery County, in nonprofits and small businesses, can get support. @VickieRemoe spoke about accessing the right information and supporting and amplifying the success stories of Sierra Leonean businesses in the Diaspora. It has been an insightful private sector-led engagement with very informed and experienced speakers and panelists. My takeaway is that the Sierra Leonean Diaspora Community can collaborate and accomplish a lot where they reside and invest back home. #SLDIC2024

On Saturday, October 19th, 2024, I will be moderating a panel at the second annual Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment Conference. The Panel will be looking at Diaspora Engagement and Economic Growth, the opportunities for the Sierra Leonean Diaspora Community. Join us at the Double Tree by Hilton in Gaithersburg, Maryland. You can still register at

Air Sierra Leone, a new private airline carrier that is scheduled to commence operations on December 2nd, 2024, with a direct six hours from the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, to Gatwick Airport, London, was unveiled today in Freetown by the Minister of Transport and Aviation, @FANDAYTURAY. Chief Executive Officer of Air Sierra Leone, Nigerian businessman Emmanuel Iza, said they plan to operate a thrice-weekly flight with a return air ticket from Freetown to Gatwick costing around US$999 and sales will commence on 18th October 2024 for the maiden flight. You are assured that your favorite Cassava Leaves will be served on board while you comfortably talk Krio with the Cabin Crew. Long may this last. May we not remember Fanday, as we always remember Logus with Fly Salone airline that still owes some people. This is an October to Remember. The Freetown Cable Car Feasibility Study Report launched, and a new private carrier with Green, White, and Blue is coming. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Areej Zayid, a female science student at Naiahacom High School, is the best-performing student of the 2024 WASSCE. She sat 8 subjects and obtained 6A1s and 2 B3s and she was closely followed by Alpha Ibrahim Bah of the St. Edwards Secondary School, who sat 9 subjects and obtained 6A1s, 2 B2s, and a C4 according to the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) Conrad Sackey who announced the results today on National Television. The best-performing school is Dele-Peddle International High School, which obtained 100% pass of all its 17 candidates, obtaining a credit or better in 5 subjects, including English and Mathematics. They all obtained the requirements for direct entry into a university undergraduate degree program. The results for 36 private schools, with a total entry of 10,562 candidates owing WAEC, were not in the list sent to the MBSSE while the results of 27,097 candidates were withheld. Congratulations to Areej; 52.1% of the students who sat the examination were female. The women are leading the men. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Sierra Leone's Minister of Works and Public Assets, Dr. Dennis Sandy, has been accused of rape and sexual harassment by his step-daughters. Dr. Sandy hasn't made any public statements or denied the allegations of even an audio recording allegedly with his voice that has gone viral. As with everyone that needs to be heard, I respectfully reached out to him to get his side of the story and he replied without denying the allegations. Here is his response to my SMS. "hello sir, kikikiki kikiki check d news around en u will get d answer right away. I remember again how u misfired about me regarding d Toll Gate review in May this year. I hope u won't go down that path again. But let me ask u now a question - y are u most times interested in bad or ugly news about govt officers than d good news they generate from their jobs? Is that what ur own journalism is all about?" You can see that he avoided my question on the allegations against him and was trying to even intimidate me. Morally, @PresidentBio, who prides himself as a defender of women and girls, should not allow Dr. Sandy, who has failed to come out to defend himself from allegations of rape and sexual harassment, to continue to serve in his government and sit with him in Cabinet. He needs to be relieved of his duties until the outcome of an investigation into the very serious allegations against him. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

It looks like the Freetown Cable Car Project will become a reality before the Lungi Bridge. 😎 Meanwhile, a friend who just returned to Freetown from a long vacation in London is telling me how mosquitoes are biting him endlessly.

Some 8 years ago, @ebklegacy announced austerity measures just after returning from the UN General Assembly in New York, where some of his Ministers and supporters were dancing "Send Am Go Dong," provoking those who were calling them out to spend taxpayers' money prudently. Sierra Leoneans have gone through a lot at the hands of our politicians and we will continue to call them out. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

It looks like there is some serious disagreement in the government on who should take credit for the signing of the US$480 million @MCCgov (MCC) Compact Program. @PresidentBio, at a Cocktail I attended in Washington DC, thanked @VP_Jalloh, whom he said chased every indicator of the MCC Scorecard and worked with Ndeye Koroma and her team to achieve the compact program. His wife, @FirstLadyBio, also on her Facebook page, thanked the Vice President for leading with 'no noise' and delivering with a bang. While we thought we were done with the MCC thanksgiving, then came the Chief Minister, @dsengeh, who told us yesterday that the Congressional hold on the MCC Compact was only lifted after his one-hour one-on-one meeting with a Congressional staff in Washington DC. "I went to Congress last week to meet with a staffer who had held our MCC Compact on hold. For one hour, we had a one on one which led him to lift the hold that allowed us to sign eventually. All he needed was to meet with me. Yes, we deserved it. Yes, we worked for the metrics. But it was that hard dialogue that got us over the line," - Dr. Sengeh on the MCC Compact Program signing. Well, the agreement is expected to go through Cabinet today and later to Parliament for ratification before an eighteen-month preparatory stage for the five-year program that will focus on transforming electricity transmission challenges in the country. Hopefully, we will not have these same disagreements during the implementation stage 'pan pipul money.' #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Just so we are clear, @PresidentBio, traveling with a private plane to lecture students at Harvard, speaking at a symposium at Oxford, receiving an award in Brussels, or attending a Clean Cooking Conference isn't the reason for the signing of the United States of America Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Program. At the cocktail on Friday, the President reminded everyone that his government was able to sign the agreement because of the hard work of @VP_Jalloh to get things done and a professional like Ndeye Koroma, who worked with the team in Sierra Leone to deliver on their responsibilities. Also, as we celebrate, we shouldn't forget that the US$480 million grants from U.S. taxpayers and many other financial support is why the U.S. government has the right to tell us to conduct a free and fair election to better our democracy. Congratulations to the government and the people of Sierra Leone. Next time when a U.S. Ambassador tells us to do things better, don't tell them that you're a sovereign state and they should mind their business; ours is their business too. They are putting their mouth where their money is, and we shouldn't forget that either. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

A weekend with #Frappuccino #Snickers and Prison Break on #Netflix There's nothing to expect from a club like @ManUtd with an average coach like Eric. No depth, and no winning mentality from a club that used to make our weekend enjoyable. I am now in talks with @IpswichTown for a season-long loan from Manchester United. #NotTheUnitedWeUsedToKnow

Achieving justice and accountability for violence related to the 2023 electoral cycle, including the full and expeditious implementation of the Agreement for National Unity and the joint recommendations of the Tripartite Committee, will remain key requirements for the implementation of the US$480 million @MCCgov Compact Program with Sierra Leone according to a press release from @USEmbFreetown The agreement, which was signed yesterday in Washington DC, is expected to go through Cabinet on Wednesday and Parliament for ratification when they resume in October 2024. At a cocktail event yesterday after the signing ceremony, @PresidentBio thanked his Vice President, @VP_Jalloh for leading the process to pass the indicators since 2018 and also Ndeye Koroma, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Sierra Leone Compact Development Unit who has worked under two Presidents whom he described as a professional who has worked hard to get the Compact Program. The government of Sierra Leone will provide US$14.2 million as their contribution to the five-year program, which is expected to transform and address the energy transmission challenges in the country. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Minister of Finance Sheku Fantamadi Bangura and @MCC_CEO have today, in Washington DC, signed the US$480 million Compact Program for #SierraLeone. @PresidentBio, who returned to Washington DC from New York earlier today, will also be doing a symbolic signing later in the day. Sierra Leone will now have access to this United States government grant that is expected to support the country's electricity sector with a special agency to be set to manage the funds. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Nothing suspicious was found by the @PoliceLeone after a thorough search on the fourteen-seater aircraft that was flying from Liberia to Mexico, which landed at the Freetown International Airport on Friday, 20th September, without a landing permit, according to @MoiceComm. They said preliminary investigation revealed that the aircraft was flying under a fake registration number, the crew lied that they had radio failure, and the flight captain revealed that he was paid US$20,000 for the trip from #Liberia to #Mexico. Four foreign nationals, three Mexicans, one with a Spanish passport, and two Sierra Leoneans who are air traffic controllers are in police custody while the aircraft is in the custody of the Office of National Security. Drug trafficking and money laundering remain prevalent in Sierra Leone, with the country being used as a transshipment point from South America/Asia to Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Sierra Leone's Chief Minister, @dsengeh, and other senior government officials are expected to hold meetings with some Congressional staff today in Washington DC as part of ongoing lobbying efforts to get approval from the U.S. Congress on the @MCCgov (MCC) Compact Program for Sierra Leone. Since July, when they were notified, there has been a hold on approval from the U.S. Congress for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board to go ahead and sign the Compact Program, which is a US$480 million grant to support Sierra Leone's energy sector. According to sources, the government of Sierra Leone has indicated to their U.S counterparts that they want to sign the Compact Program with the MCC this September and they have shown commitment to implement the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee Report, which was supported by the U.S government and other international partners for electoral reforms ahead of the 2028 elections. The MCC Program with Sierra Leone has been delayed following the outcome of the June 2023 multi-tier elections which the U.S Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Bryan Hunt in his recent remarks on World Democracy Day said has highlighted the deeply entrenched challenges in the country’s electoral system with malfeasance that cast a long shadow of doubt on the credibility of the process irrespective of one's view of the announced results. Recently, the government, through @MoiceComm, hired U.S.-based public relations firm Weintraub Communications, which the Minister, @Cee_Bah, says will not cost the country any amount. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

The death toll at the collapsed seven-storey building has gone up to nine; a four-month-old baby was recovered from the debris today, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Two of the seven survivors who are in critical condition have been transferred to the Choitram Hospital while the others, including a rescue worker, are admitted at the Rokupa Government Hospital. @VP_Jalloh, who visited the scene today to evaluate the situation, said the search and rescue mission will continue and assured that the government will set up an investigation to determine the cause of the collapse. Late yesterday evening, @PresidentBio, who is in the United Kingdom, also announced that a full-scale inquiry will be launched by the government. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Only forty-four of the fifty 'Waka Fine' buses have been in service in Freetown. Five buses are still parked at Cockerill with damaged windscreens, and the remaining one has still not arrived from India over six months since the Chief Minister, @dsengeh launched the bus service in Freetown. New windscreens are expected to be shipped from India with the remaining bus, but there's no specific date, according to Hindolo Shiaka, the Director of the Transport Infrastructure and Development Unit at the Ministry of Transport. The buses are a component of the US$50 million grant from the World Bank for the Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP) to improve public transportation services in Freetown. Last month, the Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Taslima Jah, informed officials of the Ministry of Transport that the World Bank is concerned about the delay in the completion of the project, and it is unlikely that the project timeline will be extended according to a report by @awokonewspaper. > There has been some controversy over the management of the buses between the Metro Transport Company, which was established as a private entity to manage the buses, including ticketing and revenue as part of the project, and the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority, the regulators who still have control over the operations and revenue of the buses. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

Eight people, including two under-five girls and a boy, have been confirmed dead by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) following the collapse of a seven-storey building today at Kissy, east of the capital, Freetown. Six survivors have been rescued while more people are still trapped in the debris, according to NDMA. The cause of the collapsed building, which is used for residential and business, hasn't been confirmed while rescue efforts are still ongoing. #FreetownStories #TruthTellers

RT @USEmbFreetown: It’s International Day of Democracy! Watch Ambassador Bryan Hunt’s remarks commemorating the day. Watch till the end htt…