The man who is credited with transforming the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) to meet international standards has hung up his brains. Dr Bert Williams, director of IPAM, confirmed yesterday to Awoko that he had tendered his letter of resignation to the university’s vice chancellor and principal, Professor Albert Aiah Gbakima. Dr Williams was lured by the university’s vice chancellor from the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank to take over as director at IPAM in November 2005.

In a bid to curtail the cutting down of the National Power Authority electric cables, the ministry of Trade slammed a ban on the exportation of scrap metals exportation. The ban has the force even from the presidency but sad to say the smuggling of copper which was why the ban was introduced is still going on. NPA is still having complaints of the company’s copper wires still being cut down; according to the NPA public relations officer, Victor Wilson Clarke.

Ishmael Ansumana, Assistant Chief Superintendent attached at the Kissy Police ‘D’ Division station, has testified at the Freetown Magistrate Court No 3 in a matter involving 28 accused persons facing 11 counts charges. Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Inspector Dunia, the witness told the court that on 8 February he was on night  duty at around 6:30am when a phone call was made to the operations officer  Sergeant Sheriff about  a car with no registration number stealing fuel from a tanker at the Kissy  oil refinery.

The Network Movement for Justice and Development, in collaboration with the Campaign for Just Mining (CJM), yesterday launched an impact audit study on the diamond area Community Development Fund (DACDF) at the CCSL Conference Centre, Brookfields, in Freetown. The launching was chaired by John Monrovia of the National Revenue Authority who explained the significance of the report, which highlights the identification of communities where diamond mining is operational.

Njala University over the weekend certificated another batch of her undergraduates and postgraduates in its history of little over two years as an autonomous university. The university has prepared and sent to the nation a well trained and skilled man power of over three thousand in its nearly two years of establishment. And this year alone, a total of 1221 both undergraduates and post graduates graduated but with a total of 401 in person. In the address of the Pro-Chancellor, Dr Sandi A Bockarie said the day was the second most memorable in the lives of the proud class of 2008, with their matriculation day being the first.  He said the university was “like a baby making frantic efforts to let Njala be.”

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has noted comments made by the National Elections Watch (NEW) in its press release issued on 19 February 2008 regarding the ongoing ward delimitation process for the forthcoming local council elections. NEC press release notes that the commission works in close collaboration with the ministry of Local Government and other relevant ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders for the conduct of elections.

Until very recently, Okada riders in and around the capital’s city centre were plying all routes regardless of traffic regulations but the recent stance of the police to ban ‘Okadas’ from dominating the city centre to ease traffic flow has been objected to by the chairman of Okada riders at Berry Street, Alusine Dumbuya. He blamed traffic congestion in the city on cart pushers, ‘Omolankay’ and wheel-barrow riders.

The long awaited forum by the ministry of Lands, Country Planning and the Environment for the final validation, geared towards elaborating a plan of action to combat desertification and land degradation in Sierra Leone, will start today at the Miatta Conference hall in Freetown. According to Samba Keita of the Lands ministry, the forum is part of the elaboration process which started in 2005, following series of researches at regional and district levels for a diagnostic analysis of land degradation institutional and legal frame works for the socio-economic impacts on Natural Resource Management in Sierra Leone.