January 14, 2021
By Jariatu S. Jusu & Kelvin Morgan
Due to the absence of the Auditor General of the Audit Service Sierra Leone (Lara Taylor-Pearce), the Public Account Committee (PAC), yesterday could not hold its investigations on the conclusions made by auditors on the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Center (NARCOVERC).
According to the Chairman of the Committee who doubles as Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepor Solomon Thomas, they knew that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have explanations about some of the conclusions made in the report, but that should be done in the presence of the Auditor General.
He said the committee couldn’t continue with hearing in the absence of the Auditor General.
ISHM: January 7 - January 14, 2021
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Key Takeaways:
U.S. Sanctions Senior Militia Figures; Deadly Clashes Erupt During Nasiriyah Protests; New Kurdish Faction Formed In Parliament – On January 8, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Popular Mobilization Committee Chairman Falih al-Fayyadh over human rights violations. Then on January 13, the U.S. State Department added Kataib Hezbollah commander Abdulaziz al-Mohammedawi (aka Abu Fadak) to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. On January 8, Demonstrators gathered at Haboubi Square in Nasiriyah to demand the release of detained civil society activists. Subsequent clashes killed one police officer and injured 111 people, amid reports that Army soldiers intervened to defend the protesters. Moqtada al-Sadr blamed protesters and sympathetic Army personnel for the violence. On January 9, the Iraqi Parliament finished the first reading of the draft budget bill for 2021. On January 11, a group of 15 Kurdish members
Flash flooding destroy homes in Mbeya Region
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ONGOING rains across large parts in Mbeya Region
have been destroyed and vital infrastructure damaged due to flashfloods after heavy rains.
This paper at the weekend witnessed many houses at Uyole, Nzovwe and Kalobe in Mbeya City have been surrounded by floods. Other affected areain include Mbalizi township in Mbeya Rural District.
Several houses in Songambele area in Utengule-Usongwe Ward in Mbalizi township have collapsed due to water seeping up from the ground.
Chibhili Mtafya, a resident of the area said the floods happened on Friday and caused big havoc to residents and neighbouring villages.
There is an out cry from the people of the North who feel cheated by President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and his MCP government for bringing back quota system of selecting students to secondary schools after the DPP government abolished prior to elections in 2019.
Chakwera in his manifesto promised the people of the north that once voted into power he will abolish quota system of selecting students to secondary schools and university.
“I don’t want quota to end but I want it to be dead as well”, said Chakwera in his rhetoric whenever he visited northern region during campaign period.
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The Ghana Railway Company Limited has congratulated veteran politician, Mr Joe Ghartey on his fifth consecutive election as Member of Parliament for the Essikado-Ketan Constituency in the Western Region.
Mr Ghartey out of 52,392 votes cast, polled 24,701 to win the race. His closest contender, the National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate, Grace Ayensu-Danquah polled 24,527 votes while the candidate of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) polled 629 votes.
In a statement signed by its Acting Managing Director, John Essel, the Ghana Railway Company Limited said it was proud of the accomplishments and contributions of Mr Ghartey who is the Minister of Railways Development.
“We know you’ve worked hard to reach this point and we are so happy that you’ve been recognized by your constituents for your accomplishments. It is well deserved,” the statement said.