Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 August 2019:
Today’s news headlines in Sierra Leone’s newspapers concentrate on a wide variety of issues, ranging from the economy to the government’s response to the environmental crisis and humanitarian disaster now facing the country after heavy rainfall and reckless deforestation to make way for housing construction in Freetown.
Some newspapers are blaming the finance minister, the financial secretary and the governor of the bank of Sierra Leone for the increasing economic hardship in the country; while others are comparing Sierra Leone’s economic crisis to that of Zimbabwe.
The arrest and continuing detention of 22 opposition APC officials and supporters at the Pademba Road Prison is also in the news, as they make their second appearance at the High Court today, after they were refused bail early this week.
The decision of the minister of mines to review the contracts of mining companies also made headlines. One newspaper reports that there were 4,499 road accidents last year – 2018. Road accident is the largest single cause of death in Sierra Leone.
This is what the papers say today:
Sahr Yajah, I support what you said, you are a wise man.
Honestly, this has nothing to do with political issues. What people are saying, is about the dwindling economy which serves as a bone of contention to every Sierra Leonean home and abroad.
When it comes to the economy, journalists are good at analyzing the symptoms of the problems. But when it comes to pointing out the causes of the problems or proffering solutions to the problems, more often than not, their arguments lack any basis in economic theory. Correspondingly, It is foolhardy to expect a lawyer to give a medical diagnosis.
Let’s leave the economy in the hands of the trained economists. Jacob Jusu Saffa and Dr. Kelfala Kallon are competent economists. They will get the job done.
Good afternoon All, if people and some newspapers are insinuating for the Minister of Finance, J.J Saffa, Sahr Jusu, Finanacial Secretary, and the bank Governor, Professor Keifala should be sacked from office, please I would like them to also suggest to the public the names of those that they think can handle the aforementioned positions very well, than the present people that are serving in these positions. Oh Sierra Leone today, everything is politics and hatred for people that you don`t even know by any means.
Many people have come to Freetown today in the name of idling and leaving their places; then they are blaming government for their poverty status when they do not even have a skill for any work in the city. Please Mr. Thomas, I would like you to write on this and tell them to go back and do some positive work in their villages, so all of us can help develop the country.
Why blame the people for not having work skills before moving to Freetown. What is it that the Governments have done to ensure that the youths of this Nation have some skills to enable them to function?