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| Official electricity blackout across Freetown to start this week as government fails to pay Turkish electricity provider |
 Speaking yesterday Monday in Nice, France, at the 2025 High-level UN Ocean Conference, President Bio deliberately oblivious to the emergency he left behind in Freetown, said that he joined global leaders to advocate for urgent action to protect the oceans and marine resources while advancing SDG 14.
“I announced three bold national commitments: expanding marine protected areas, restoring mangrove forests, and reducing plastic pollution,” he declared, whiles the people of the capital of Sierra Leone – Freetown brace themselves for a shocking blackout that awaits the city, starting this Thursday, if the government does not come up with the $50 million unpaid electricity bills it owes the Turkish electricity provider – Karpowership. Freetown, indeed, the whole of Sierra Leone is no stranger to intermittent electricity power cuts. Freetown city tours Off-grid power solutions Since the 1970s, successive governments have failed not only to prioritise the supply of electricity across the capital but shown acute incompetence, indifference and bad governance, driven largely by corruption. Monies meant for paying electricity providers are siphoned into the personal bank accounts of those in power, while sick babies die in hospital due to blackouts. Dr Kandeh Yumkella, the government’s spokesman – cum presidential aspirant, confirmed on national television yesterday, that the government had received a disconnection notice from Karpowership on May 28; and that talks with the company to extend supplies for another year had collapsed. The company said it will switch off most of its power supply to the city at midnight on June 12 but will continue to maintain six megawatts of electricity to support hospitals and other essential services. Off-grid power solutions Yumkella said that all measures are being taken by his government to mitigate the risks of the all-out black out that will hit Freetown in two days. Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, said she is “very concerned about the impact the power cuts will have on Freetown’s families & businesses. Keeping the lights and lifts on at City Hall will require 1500 litres of fuel at NLe41,100 a day – money that should have gone towards delivering services to Freetonians.” |
| The Sierra Leone Telegraph |
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President Barrow receives special envoy from Nigeria The Summit will foster dialogue among African leaders to discuss issues relating to harnessing intra-regional trade and investment, policies around regional integration, peace and security, and tackle challenges such as poverty and unemployment across West African region.President Barrow conveyed his gratitude to President Tinubu for sending a Special Envoy. He further commended Nigeria’s leadership in the sub-region and the initiative to host the first West Africa Economic Summit. He |
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World Bank cuts global growth forecast to 2.3% for 2025 If current projections hold, average global growth in the first seven years of the 2020s would be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.The post World Bank cuts global growth forecast to 2.3% for 2025 appeared first on Premium Times |
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Stock Market Resume on Profit-taking Note, Drops by N377.9bn Kayode Tokede  The Nigerian stock market resumed after the Sallah holiday on a downward trend, dropping by N377.9 billion on investors profit-taking in MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and 24 |
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Gambia launches $25M SWEDD+ project to empower women, girls Signed in 2020, the five-year agreement between the government of The Gambia and the World Bank seeks to improve access to reproductive, maternal, and child health services, reduce early marriage and pregnancy; and promote women’s education and economic autonomy. At its core, the project also supports adolescent development through safe spaces, small grants, and community-based behavioral change strategies.World Bank Country Representative Franklin Mutahakana described the launch as part |
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Air Senegal scandal: 5 planes grounded, Ousmane Sonko steps in At the center of the controversy: five L410NG aircraft, manufactured by the Czech company Omnipol. These 19-seat planes, little known on the international air market, were acquired under the regime of former President Macky Sall, then sold to Air Senegal for a symbolic franc. The operation, which featured a lavish official reception—in the presence of former Prime Minister Sidiki Kaba, among others—has now proven to be a financial waste with no operational value.According |
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‘Criminalising insults against only president, public officials, discriminatory’ By Tabora Bojang Human rights and good governance activist group the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice EFSCR, has expressed concern and reservations about a provision in the Criminal Offences Act which criminalises insults against senior government officials with a jail term of between 1 to 6 months. The law was contained in |