Oumar Farouk Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 20 July 2026: For centuries, rulers have sought protection from the consequences of their failures by shifting blame onto those around them. Under monarchies, the king was often regarded as divinely appointed and therefore beyond error. When mistakes were made, courtiers, servants, advisers, or convenient scapegoats were made to suffer instead. In some royal traditions, even a “whipping boy” could be punished for a prince’s misconduct. The message was unmistakable: the ruler must remain innocent, even when wrongdoing occurs under his authority. That instinct did not disappear with the monarchy. It survives in modern republics, including Sierra Leone, where presidents are often shielded from criticism by ministers, party officials, security commanders, and political loyalists who are prepared to absorb public anger on their behalf. Whenever citizens are killed, injured, detained, or denied justice, a familiar defence is quickly assembled: the president did not know;...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 July 2026: Ernest Bai Koroma, the former president of Sierra Leone this morning returned to Freetown, after spending over two years in political exile in Abuja, Nigeria, under the auspices of President Tinubu. His return has sparked questions as to whether he is now a free man to stay in his native home Sierra Leone permanently, after treason charges were brought by President Bio’s government, following allegations of coup plot to overthrow the government in November 2023. The former Head of State this morning received a red carpet welcome by his family and senior officials of his opposition All People’s Congress party (APC) at the Lungi International airport in Freetown. (Photo: Former president Koroma warmly embraced by his grand daughter). But there were no State officials in the welcoming party, as his return bears all the hallmarks of an ECOWAS – Economic Community of West African...

Lawrence Williams: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 09 July 2026: Few political questions generate as much public debate in Sierra Leone today as the future of former president Ernest Bai Koroma. Since leaving the country to receive “medical treatment” abroad, Koroma has remained at the centre of national political discourse. His absence has fuelled endless speculation in recent times, especially following the passing of the APC chairman. The question many supporters and critics continue to ask is weather Ernest Bai Koroma will ever return home. The answer not so simple. Koroma remains one of the most influential political figures. Having served as president from 2007 to 2018, many believe he still commands loyalty within sections of the opposition and remains an important symbol for many APC supporters. Praised by supporters for infrastructure development and criticised by opponents over governance issues, Koroma continues to shape national debate. His absence from the country has...

Lawrence Williams: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 09 July 2026: The Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced a temporary suspension of the $25 Airport Security Fee charged at the Freetown International Airport. The suspension takes effect on July 6. In a public notice issued on Friday, the ministry said the suspension follows a ministerial directive and will remain in place “until further notice.” The $25 fee, collected from all traveling passengers, has been a source of public debate since its introduction. It said the suspension will pave way for a comprehensive review of the current contract framework and the completion of an ongoing independent special audit by Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL). According to the notice, the government is using the suspension period to evaluate “a more seamless, integrated collection system that eliminates public inconvenience for traveling passengers.” Further, the ministry was quick to clarify that the directive does not terminate the...

Lawrence Williams: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 09 July 2026: In 2021, ECOWAS adopted a maximum sulphur content of 50 parts per million (ppm) in fuel as the regional benchmark, requiring member states to transition to cleaner fuel standards aimed at reducing emissions and improving air quality. The global standard is 10ppm. The National Petroleum Regulation Authority (NPRA) pricing formula aligns with the global benchmark of 10ppm. However, consumers are not getting the premium quality fuel they are paying for as stated in the pricing formula. NPRA Chairman Baluwa Koroma noted that because consumers are paying for premium-quality fuel, then suppliers must provide fuel that genuinely meets those standards. “The pricing formula is based on 10 ppm, which represents the highest fuel quality globally,” Baluwa told lawmakers. What is Sulphur? Sulphur content is one of the most important indicators of fuel quality. Lower sulphur fuel burns more cleanly, produces fewer harmful emissions...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 July 2026: A 26-year-old white British man who was yesterday arrested on suspicion of killing 78 year-old former British MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe, has been released by police after questioning. Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said yesterday that the 26-year-old suspect was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot but has now been released. Police have also today released an important piece of information about the circumstances of her death. According to Devon and Cornwall police statement, Ann Widdecombe was killed at least twenty-four hours before she was  found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday with serious head injuries. Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said that the case was “not being treated as terrorism” and there was “no information” at this time to suggest it was a “politically motivated crime”. He said: “This...

Oumar Farouk Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 July 2026: The APC–SLPP rivalry has become more than a contest for political power. Over time, it has hardened into a national habit of thought – a lens through which many citizens interpret public events, defend government decisions, assign blame, and even determine what they are prepared to accept as truth. In a healthy democracy, political parties compete on ideas, records, priorities, and visions for the future. Citizens may disagree fiercely while remaining united by a common standard: public decisions must ultimately be judged by whether they serve the country. But in Sierra Leone, partisan loyalty too often takes precedence over public reasoning. The identity of the actor begins to matter more than the quality of the action. A policy praised under one party may be condemned under another. A failure denounced in opposition may be defended in government. Principles become flexible, outrage...

Yankuba Gbassa Kai-Samba: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 July 2026: John Oponjo Benjamin (JOB) is best equipped to succeed President Bio and ensure he enjoys a peaceful retirement. No other aspirant has the backbone to do that. Leadership is not just about having a job. It is about courage and purpose — the ability to navigate complex political minefields with clarity and conviction, to neutralize potential conflicts, and to deliver results for the collective good of the people and the country. John has those qualities. The SLPP and Sierra Leone cannot afford to gamble in 2028. John Oponjo Benjamin is the “devil you know” and in this case, that is a strength. Tested in Power and in Crisis   JOB is the only presidential aspirant of the SLPP party who served as National Chairman and Leader, and Minister of Finance in the immediate post-war government, and was Senior Presidential Adviser in every...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 July 2026: The World Bank approved today a new project in Burkina Faso to expand economic opportunities for vulnerable populations, foster social cohesion, and strengthen the country’s social protection system. This marks a renewed partnership between the World Bank Group and the Government of Burkina Faso in the social protection sector. The project will be implemented over five years and financed through an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $100 million and a $20 million grant from the Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program. The new operation builds on the strong results of the Burkina Naong Sa Ya (“Ending Poverty”) Social Safety Nets Project, implemented from 2014 to 2024, which reached more than one million beneficiaries with social assistance and helped establish a national social registry of vulnerable households, providing a critical platform for the expansion and targeting of social protection programs across the country. The Burkina...

Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 July 2026: Each year WHO and UNICEF release global and national routine immunisation coverage estimates (WUENIC). Immunisation in the lowest-income countries is supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – a partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children, and includes WHO and UNICEF as core members. Below, Gavi analyses what the 2025 WUENIC data says about the state of immunisation in the 57 low- and lower-middle income countries it supports. Continued progress in lower-income countries 2025 was a record-setting year for the number of children protected: Lower-income countries immunised 73 million children with Gavi-supported vaccines – more than any other year in history. Importantly, protection with a critical first vaccine has recovered to pre-pandemic levels: Average coverage with the first dose of a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP1) increased 1 percentage point to 88% in 2025, the same level as 2019. For the majority of countries,...