Sewa News Stream

  In this archive photo , Sierra Leone's First Lady, Fatima Bio, is seen speaking as president of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development to promote their mission for women and children across Africa. Clearly, Mrs. Bio takes her role as a political spouse seriously. She also understands that her support—or lack of support—for various interest groups can spark debate and create challenges, especially during party conventions, where she was recently confronted by her opponents for endorsing her preferred candidates. However, she believes that being mocked, harassed, and humiliated in Parliament just moments before her husband, President Maada Bio, was scheduled to deliver his speech at the State Opening went too far. Her protest against the unprecedented disrespect shown to a first lady has received sympathy from some parts of the Sierra Leonean public. While members of parliament and her political rivals have been quick to mock her, many people acknowledge the chall...

There’s an old legend about a mayor of Freetown who paid a visit to Gambia to meet with the mayor of Banjul. Two days into his stay, Freetown’s mayor thought that most people in Banjul knew somebody's name in his city 500 miles away. Everywhere he went, he ran into someone who had family or friends in Freetown. Historical, trade, and cultural ties go back centuries between the two African countries. So it came as a bit of a shock when the Gambia announced in April that all flights from Sierra Leone (as well as Guinea and Liberia) to Banjul had been cancelled to prevent the spread of Ebola. The decision left passengers, mainly traders travelling to Banjul, stranded, while Sierra Leone’s government was still in talks with Banjul. “Given the severity of the Ebola virus disease, I support the decision,” said Felice Oluremi Lawrence. They were “safety measures taken by the government of Gambia to prevent the virus from entering its borders,” she said. Sierra Leonean born Felic...