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Acta Salone, Freetown (2026)

09/06/2026

Speaker warns MPs to remove abandoned vehicles

The Speaker of Sierra Leone Parliament has warned members of Parliament to remove their abandoned vehicles from its premises, noting that even 'strangers' bring in their vehicles.

Speaker Thomas made this announcement after he said he was informed that vehicles of MPs are parked all over the compound.

"If you know you don't need your vehicle, make sure you carry them away," he warned.

He further threatened that if the vehicles are not moved, he would ask the Sierra Leone Road Authority to take them, warning that they have only two weeks.

"If SLRA carries the vehicles away, you would have to pay to get it back...or we will have to auction them," he threatened.

08/06/2026

Traders at Hill Station Tennis Court Decry Demolition, Call for Government Intervention

8th June, 2026 —Traders at Hill Station Tennis Court have expressed concern about the demolition of their make-shift structures, describing it as 'unfair' treatment by the land owner, Christian Paul Farma.

They confirmed that the demolition was carried out by the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA) and police officers on Tuesday afternoon, 2nd June, 2026, saying that they were given only four days' notice [to evacuate the place].

The community Chairlady, Fatmata Kamara, who is also a trader at the market told Truth Media that they had been trading at the place since 2017 without any issue until 2022 when Farma, the land owner in question, showed up and claimed ownership of the place.

Kamara alleged that in 2023, Farma began threatening them to evacuate the land and even took them to the Deputy Minister of Land, Phylis Kormoh.

“The Minister visited the place and told us she would find us another place. But at the time, she had told us that our being there does not affect anyone, as she had heard that we mended the roads,” she claimed.

Despite having no legal document to show ownership of the place, she said both the Deputy Minister of Lands, Phylis Kormoh and Minister of Works, Denis Sandy had assured them to sell there [the place], as the site is not owned by a private individual but the government. Truth Media is yet to verify this claim.

For Fatmata and other traders, they believe their livelihood is being threatened. Fatmata, a mother of three children who are in the university, emotionally expressed concern about how she could feed the home and equally train her children in the university.

Like Fatmata, other traders shared similar sentiment, but said their only hope is for authorities to come to their aid.

Adama Mansaray, another trader, expressed that she is the breadwinner of her home and that the issue will affect not only her but her household.

Christian Paul Farma’s land is a few walks to the market. In his response, he said the presence of the make-shift has been affecting trucks bearing building materials access to his land where there is ongoing construction.

Farma said that since 2023, he had engaged the traders to evacuate the place, but they had been reluctant, claiming that the traders had sought political influence to intervene on their behalf.

“In a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Lands, the Minister had told them that [the] road is not for market but [for] access. The Minister also told them that she had visited the place two years ago, warning them to move out and that she was surprised they have not left the place,” he alleged, while responding to the claim the traders made about the Deputy Minister of Lands assuring them to occupy the place.

At one time, he explained, he had paid a 40ft container to transport sand for five days but, he said, because the road was small, the truck got stuck, making him lose money and delay his construction, photo that he tendered to Truth Media.

This action, according to him, warranted him to formally write SLRA, dated 29th August, 2025, stating encroachment issues due to the make-shift structures by the traders.

He claimed the letter was acknowledged by SLRA in which the Director General, Alfred Jalil Momodu, appended his signature and stamped it.

In the same month of August, he said, SLRA issued a notice to the traders, directing them to leave the place.

Farma said he and other land owners in the area will compensate them, so they could start up somewhere, an approach he said he has been doing since 2022.

The traders are calling on authorities concerned to intervene in what they referred to as “disadvantage”.

This is a developing story.

05/06/2026

Parliament approves Deputy Minister of Fisheries and four others

Freetown, 5TH June, 2026 – The parliament of Sierra Leone has approved six presidential nominees including the new Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ahmed Saybom Kanu.

Other nominees include Chairman Advisory Committee Sierra Leone Arms and Ammunition Commission, former IG Michael Ambrose Sovula, Chairman Professional Social Work Regulatory Council, Ibrahim Abubakarr; Director of National Council for Technical and Vocational Education (NCTVE) and members into the council, NCTVE.
The nominees underwent scrutiny before the parliamentary committee of Appointment which recommended for the Well to approve them to serve in their respective positions.

Presenting the nominees, Deputy Leader of the Majority in Parliament, Hon. Bashiru Silikie said all the nominees sent by the President, Julius Maada Bio met all criteria ranging from academic qualifications to experience in their respective offices.

In total of seven nominees were sent to parliament, two were absent, making Hon. Silikie moved a motion, seconded by Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay for the amendment of eight report.

Members of Parliament from both benches urged the nominees to work diligently in the interest of Sierra Leone, calling on them to bring about changes in their respective positions.

The Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Sengepoh Solomon Thomas urged them to help ‘mama salone’, saying has suffered for a while and that their service would impact development.

28/05/2026

Tourism Ministry Disassociates from FATA, recognizes the proposed NTF

The Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs has disassociated itself from the Federation of Allied Tourism Association(FATA), saying it recognizes only the proposed National Tourism Federation which is currently undergoing the process of becoming the official umbrella body stakeholders in the tourism sector.

Speaking during a press conference at the Ministry Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Director of Communication, Mohamed Jalloh said they were ‘shocked’ to see letters on social media showing that FATA is the official umbrella body of all the players in the sector, noting that they are almost in the process of completing the establishment of the National Tourism Association(NTA) when the new organization popped up.

“Other bodies that even the ministry recognizes in the federation have even disassociated themselves from FATA,” Jalloh cleared.

FATA, which the ministry denies the faces behind it, is a supposed umbrella body that brings together all the players in the tourism sector.

As a ministry, he said, they have to set the record straight: “the only body we recognize is the National Tourism Association”.

Jalloh declared that they have been working to ensure that they complete all the processes for NTA to become an official umbrella body for all stakeholders in the tourism sector which will be an advocacy body in the interests of its members.

The private sector, he said, are key stakeholders which, according to him, is the main reason they are pushing for them to have an umbrella body, noting NTA is working on having a constitution and trying to get records of its membership.

General Manager National Tourist Board, Fatmata Mida Carew said that the NTB is a liaison between the government and players in sector, saying that they are working to ensure the NTF has all member associations to promote inclusivity.

Currently, she said, there is an interim transition body that will lead, after the official formation, NTF to an election which will form the executive of the federation.

20/05/2026

Beating Addiction

Freetown, 20th May 2026 – When his heart began to race like a drumbeat, Aiah John Mondeh once a heavy Kush smoker felt his life flash before his eyes.

“Each puff felt like a sword piercing my heart,” he said.

Mondeh first tasted Kush in 2022, shortly after sitting for his WASSCE. What began as a single puff spiraled into compulsive addiction. He moved from smoking one wrap a day to three or four packs daily.

To fund his habit, he turned to petty crimes and odd jobs, laundering clothes, fetching water, and collecting garbage. “I used to earn NLe20 to NLe30 after long hours of filling drums,” he recalled. “I would just rush to the ghetto to buy a few wraps of Kush.”

The chemicals in Kush, nitazenes, fentanyl, and synthetic cannabinoids, Q are dangerously addictive. A 2025 study by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime confirmed their devastating impact on both mind and body.

As Mondeh’s addiction deepened, his life unraveled. “Before I started smoking Kush, I was a shy young man who had never stolen,” he said. “But when I became an addict, I stole everything my hands laid on.”

Like many others, he faced stigma and isolation. “Everywhere I went, people cursed or pushed me away,” he said. His appearance and odor repelled even family members. “Lucky for me, I did not incur sores,” he added, noting that others suffer swollen feet and deep wounds.

On July 7, 2024, Mondeh made a life-changing decision: he quit Kush cold turkey. “It was the most trying moment of my life,” he admitted. One evening, after puffing twice, a voice inside warned him: “If I don’t stop, I will die.”

His father took him to Hastings Rehabilitation Center, but it was full. Left to recover at home, Mondeh endured sleepless nights, shivering, and fatigue. He drank water, ate fruits, exercised, and leaned on spiritual strength. “Each time I felt the urge, I read my Bible—and the desire disappeared.”

After a month of resisting temptation, Mondeh emerged clean.

But not every addict is as fortunate. Sierra Leone has only one functional government-owned rehab center, with another planned in Gondama, Bo. Of the 2,150 addicts registered for rehabilitation, only about 400 have completed the process.

“We call them ‘Ambassadors of Positive Change,’” said Ansumana Konneh, Director of Mental Health and Psychological Support Services. “But that’s a drop in the ocean.”

Between September 2024 and February 2025, no funding was allocated to rehab centers. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency also lacks resources, despite President Maada Bio declaring Kush a national health emergency.

Citizens are calling for urgent government action. Without expanded rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and medical care, the future of Sierra Leone’s youth hangs in the balance between hope and extinction.

19/05/2026

This is a story a colleague and I did. Walking into such an atmosphere to unearth such a story came with mix feelings – expection and shyness, which I thought someone may see me talking with them and conclude that ‘r go fen raray girl.😂

Understand this: true journalism has gone beyond the normal and episodic reporting. It is more about telling stories that are rarely reported or categorized as ‘morally incorrect’ yet important to our social fabric of society.

You can read the full story via this link: https://truthmedia.sl/commercial-sex-workers-record-low-client-turnout-in-2026/

Truth Media
Amadu Lamrana Bah

13/05/2026

APC Boycott Ends as Citizens Question Impact of Their Absence in Parliament

By Kelfala Kargbo

Some citizens in Freetown applaud the return of APC MPs to parliament, calling it a step towards good governance and “true” representation of the people, despite some saying their return was “long overdue”.

Nasurulai Barrie, a trader at Dovecote, said the return of APC would ensure a balanced debate in lawmaking, noting that the debate had been “one-sided”.

A student at Fourah Bay College, Foday Kanneh, argued that their absence in parliament had given the ruling party, Sierra Leone People’s Party, the leverage to pass laws that could have been debated against, citing the “National Security and Central Intelligence Bill 2025”.

*APC’s return to parliament*

The All People’s Congress Members of Parliament have on the 30th April occupied their seats after many weeks of boycott, while the Speaker, Hon. Sengehpo Solomon Thomas, commended them for their return.

In the well, APC MPs added their voices to the debate on national affairs, as their return could be felt among other MPs on the other side.

The Speaker warmly welcomed their return, saying they have a national duty to the people that elected them.

He urged them to use their voices as a tool in addressing the concerns of their people.

In response, Leader of the Opposition, Abdul Kargbo, also commended the leadership role of the Speaker in ensuring their return, adding that he held several engagements with them appealing to them to return and represent their people.

Hon. Kargbo called on the Speaker for the laying of the Agreement for National Unity in parliament, urging for the setting up of the Oversight Committee charged with overseeing the activities of the nation’s Electoral Management Body.

Speaker Hon. Thomas committed to address their concerns when the leadership of the Sierra Leone People’s Party returns to parliament.

The return of APC MPs in parliament hinges on call for electoral reforms and continued dialogue, as they hope for fulfillment of the eight resolutions in the Agreement for National Unity (ANU).

DISCLAIMER: This story
was produced as part of an
academic practical
assignment in partial
fulfillment of the
requirements for the Online
Journalism course taught
by Tanu Jalloh, Lecturer in
Charge. The publication is
intended for educational
purposes to demonstrate
digital reporting, sourcing,
and online news writing
skills. Jalloh

12/05/2026

Happy birthday to the First Gentleman of the republic, HE President Julius Maada Bio. As we celebrate him, state one thing you’d wish him do as the president.

05/05/2026

Almost two months of boycott, the main opposition All People’s Congress(APC) returns to parliament today. Their presence, strongly felt in the well, received commendation from the speaker, who was highly proud of their return.

The Speaker, Hon. Sengehpo Solomon Thomas told them that they have a national duty to the people who voted them, adding with their voice, they can amplify concerns of their people.

In response, Minority Leader, Hon. Abdul Kargbo commended the Speaker’s leadership role in constantly engaging them, appealing for their return.

Kargbo however called for the consideration of the laying of the Agreement for National Unity and also the establishment of an oversight committee that will oversee the operations of the electoral management body.

Hon. Thomas assured that there will be necessary engagement shortly after the return of Majority Leaders who are now on official state assignment.

03/05/2026

More than ever, the press has birthed a new citizenry – informed and enlightened.

For a society like ours that is highly polarized along political lines, the press has an unequivocal responsibility to not only report the truth but also consolidate peace and promote development.

In any free society, dissenting voices – I mean constructive – should not be stifled, muscled or incarcerate.

As the world observes Press Freedom Day, we continue to beckon the government’s commitment to press freedom, while calling for safeguarding dissenting voices.

PC: United Nations

Acta Salone

09/06/2026

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05/06/2026

28/05/2026

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19/05/2026

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