WADR

Mid-night inspection catches deserting doctors, nurses unawares

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:58:52+0000

By Mohamed Konneh/WADR Correspondent Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health and Sanitation has taken doctors and nurses at public hospitals by surprise by conducting mid-night inspection of conditions at the facilities.

Sierra Leone: US$40m in private pockets due to procurement flaws

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:55:48+0000

Studies show that appropriate procurement reforms could save Sierra Leone’s government an estimated US$40m a year, money which allegedly ends up in private pockets due to improper procurement procedures.

Fuel subsidy crisis triggers higher inflation rate in Nigeria

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:28:33+0000

Inflation is on the rise in Nigeria. Since December, inflation in the country has jumped from 10.3% to 12.6%, according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Obasanjo in Senegal to ‘‘prevent what is preventable’’

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:33:50+0000

With tensions mounting and concerns of serious threat to Senegal’s long political stability looming, former Nigerian President Olasegun Obasanjo has arrived in the capital, Dakar as a Special envoy of the African Union and ECOWAS to observe Sunday’s presidential polls and what he called ''prevent what is preventable.''

CPJ says world’s media 'under siege,censorship widens'

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:17:20+0000

A yearly survey conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) shows that local censorship has gone global and the world’s media are under siege, with the watchdog role of a free press being publicly tarnished and critical reporting deemed anti-patriotic.

Liberia oil firm optimistic of ‘’potentially significant discovery’’

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:00:49+0000

Liberia has said a ‘’potentially large accumulation of oil deposit’’ has been discovered off the country’s coast. “This news is good news for Liberia, and we are cautiously optimistic. We do not yet really know how much is down there. But we know, according to African Petroleum, that this discovery is of very good to excellent quality oil,’’ said Dr. Randolph McClain, President of the state-owned National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCOL).

Huge influx from Mali fighting worsens hunger in Niger

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:25:52+0000

Plan International has said ‘’aid efforts to fight hunger in Niger ‘’is being complicated’’ by the large influx of refugees fleeing fighting in northern Mali, with cases of malnutrition already appearing in the western region of Tillaberi hosting over 20,000 refugees.

Liberia rights commission to begin implementing TRC report

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:53:05+0000

The Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) in Liberia has said it would soon begin implementing recommendations of the defunct Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Pre-election fireworks from Ghana main opposition NPP

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:36:52+0000

Ahead of December's elections in Ghana, the campaign atmosphere is heating up with the two most dominant political parties---the ruling National Democratic Congress, NDC and the main opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP, going at each other’s throat.

Sierra Leone loses US$30m from illegal fishing

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:20:48+0000

Illegal fishing in Sierra Leone’s territorial waters is costing the country US$30 million in lost revenues annually. The country has a coastline of 120 sq kilometers.

Senegal soldiers, police vote ahead of polls, AU mediator arrives

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:34:55+0000

Senegalese military and para-military forces are voting for the second and final day on Sunday, ahead of civilians in the February 26 presidential election.

Guinea criminal court opens with 70 cases on docket

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:31:37+0000

Guinea’s Criminal court opened at the weekend in the capital, Conakry, with some 70 cases on its docket to rule on.

Mali war creates 44,000 refugees,‘’worst rights crisis in 20 yrs’’

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:03:25+0000

Amnesty International has described the ongoing fighting in northern Mali as the worst human rights crisis there for 20 years.

UN assures ECOWAS it’ll help fend off threats to stability

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:13:39+0000

Hours after Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara’s election as the new Chairman of the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for West Africa, Mr. Said Djinnit has ‘’reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to support the efforts of ECOWAS in addressing emerging threats to the stability of the sub-region.’’

More violent street protest in Senegal, over a week to polls

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:03:03+0000

There has been another day of violent street protest in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, ten days to presidential election. Clashes between riot police and protesters from the M23 Movement, a coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups continued into Friday evening in certain parts of the city.

No let up in attacks against Sierra Leone’s Journalists

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:02:13+0000

This year, 2012 is a critical year for Sierra Leone as the country holds presidential, parliamentary and local elections in November. With political tensions rising in the run up to the polls, the environment is getting more hostile for Journalists.

Ouattara to build 25,000 new schools, recruit 3,000 teachers

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:40:37+0000

The Alassane Ouattara government in the Ivory Coast has laid out an ambitious plan to construct about 25,000 new schools and recruit some 3,000 teachers by 2015 in the war torn nation.

UN warns: Sahel food crisis could be disaster in 3 months if…

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:10:42+0000

With 12 million people threatened by serious food crisis in the Sahel, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO has said urgent action must be taken to avoid disaster. The UN Humanitarian Affairs office said the severe food shortages are said to be largely due to drought, poverty and staple food price hike.

Constraints to sub-regional integration in West Africa

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:33:17+0000

The head of a new Non-Governmental Organization set up to promote migration and development has said that the lack of capacity and coordination among stakeholders are constraints to sub-regional integration in West Africa.

Bamako residents urge police to crack down on armed robbery

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:18:11+0000

There is an upsurge in armed robbery in the Malian capital, Bamako, with gangs carrying out their operations both at night and in broad daylight, as residents urge the police to crack down on them.