By Ragan M Conteh 

Member of Parliament, Abdul Karim Bangura, says two dead in an illicit ongoing mining activity at Tambaka Village in Karene distinct.

Hon. Bangura who stood under Standing Order (SO) 23 informed the well that when Forest Guards raided the illegal mining site in the said district two people reportedly dead and are still unburied.

Hon. Bangura called on the House of Parliament to set up a committee to swiftly look into the death of the two people in District.

Responding to his concern, the Speaker Dr. Chenor Abass Bundu, instructed Hon. Bangura to write a letter and addressed it to three committees namely agriculture, mines and environment committees for appropriate action to be taken.

The leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC), Hon. Abdul Kargbo, assured fellow MPs that they would join Hon Bangura to prepare the letter which is to be endorsed by Hon. Bangura from Karene district.

Politician Femi Claudius-Cole calls for protection of journalists’ rights & press freedom

A famous and fearless politician in Sierra Leone, Femi Claudius-Cole makes fervent call for the protection of journalists’ constitutional freedom of speech in the country by the government.

Femi is leader and former presidential candidate of the Unity Political Party in Sierra Leone.

Her plea comes in the wake of the troubling incarceration of a popular media proprietor Emmanuel Thorlli.

Mr Thorli is the esteemed Managing Editor of Nightwatch newspaper in Sierra Leone, and he, renowned for his fearless journalism attribute and his unwavering commitment to holding government accountable through his press.

Emmanuel Thorlli’s ordeal began on Friday, February 23, 2024 as he was detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown after his arrest by the police at his office at Rawdon Street in Freetown.

His arrest stemmed out from a recent publication by his newspaper which drew the attention of police authorities to send for the proprietor’s warrant of arrest.

Mr Thorli’s arrest had sparked widespread concerns pointing to unfettered press freedom and an attempt to silent critical voices in Sierra Leone.

As Sierra Leone grapples with this troubling episode, many critics have said, the spotlight is firmly on the government’s commitment to upholding democratic principles and respecting the rights of its citizens.

The incarceration of  Emmanuel Thorlli is serving as a stark reminder of the challenges still facing journalists in their pursuit of discovering truth and by holding government officials accountable for their misdeeds in office.

In the face of mounting pressure, Minister Chernor Bah, faces a crucial test of leadership as he weighs his response to Femi Claudius-Cole’s impassionate plea.

The eyes of the nation and the international community are fixed on Sierra Leone and on the government to know it is still committed to taking decisive action to safeguarding the constitutional freedoms that form the bedrock of democracy.

Though arrested and detained, Emmanuel Thorli, Nightwatch newspaper proprietor, including about four others (reporters, a radio manager) were released from CID cells on Tuesday 27, February 2024.