Thursday, June 23, 2011

More investigations...

The Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone continues their investigations... this time it's the "free maternal health care for pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five" program. This international donor funded program was first announced in April 2010 and has been plagued by problems. Missing drugs. Hospital and doctor fees. Corruption, corruption, etc. It's sickening... literally.

I feel so badly for those women who've gotten pregnant within the last year... I feel horrible for those children under five... and all children, really. I'm sure they're disappointed... as are the UN and other donors who've contributed millions of dollars to this program.

The President, Ernest Bai Koroma, was so excited... and now I'm sure he's embarrassed and pissed off... it's become a national joke... and an international disgrace.

This is one of the problems with "tick box democracy" dictated by international donors and non-governmental organizations.

Other "tick box democracy" initiatives that've gone down the tubes... the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation. Tick... the box... public broadcaster. Yep. But, what a mess... The Anti-Corruption Commission will soon be knocking on their door.

Other boxes ticked... Child Rights Act. Domestic Violence Act. Ticked but not implemented and not enforced by our beloved and hated SL Police Force - voted the most corrupt organization in Sierra Leone. The Anti-Corruption Commission can't even imagine investigating the police... it's THAT bad.

Oh my... what to do?

Hang in there,
S/

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Stop Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in Sierra Leone

Large-scale land acquisitions by multi-national companies have become commonplace in several regions of Sierra Leone. The report, “Understanding Land Investment Deals in Africa: Sierra Leone”, cites numerous examples of how villages and farmers are being taken advantage of by these large companies. In the report released on June 9, local NGO Green Scenery and international group, the Oakland Institute, urge donors and Government to stop all land negotiations till adequate measures are put in place.

“Land is our heritage,” said Edward Sam, Chair of the Human Rights Commission. “Land is our capital and we should not trade it away for baubles and coins.” Mr. Sam was the keynote speaker and report launcher at Hill Valley Hotel.

Blatant land grabbing is Salone’s “open secret”. “People are aware of what’s going on but refuse to stand up to what these companies call ‘development’ even though it’s detrimental to the people of Sierra Leone,” said Joan Baxter, the report’s primary researcher. She continues, “The Government of Sierra Leone, specifically SLIEPA, are doing everything in their power to attract and protect investors but do nothing to protect the people in the Provinces who rely on small-scale farming to feed their families and communities.”

SLIEPA was established as a project of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. According to the SLIEPA website, “Agricultural labor costs are considerably less than Asia or Latin America. Labor regulation is flexible. Leases on land rand from $5-20 per hectare. There is no charge for water resources. Tax rates are attractive, 0 percent corporate income tax and 0 percent on imported inputs for investors.” Baxter explains, “SLIEPA is telling the world to come and exploit the people, land and resources of this country.”

The report highlights the social, political and economic implications of current land investment trends in Sierra Leone. According to the report, most of the land investment involves commodities to be sold outside Sierra Leone. “These companies are not growing food to feed Sierra Leone,” says Baxter. “They are growing palm oil, sugarcane and other crops for ethanol fuel to maximize their profits.” In early 2011, close to 500,000 ha of farmland had been leased or were under negotiation for lease in Sierra Leone.

Four case studies were examined in the “Understanding Land Investment Deals” report - Addax Bioenergy (Switzerland), Quifel Agribusiness (subsidiary of Quifel Natural Resources, Portugal), Sierra Leone Agriculture (subsidiary CAPARO Renewable Agricultural Developments, UK) and Sepahan Afriquue (Iran). Other companies are involved in large-scale land acquisitions but were not studied in the report.

Several problems are highlighted including the lack of transparency of any land deals going on. Public disclosure of these documents and negotiations is nil. Land leases are negotiated directly with chiefs and landowners who are often not aware of what they’re signing or agreeing to. Foreign investors often employ “agents” to identify available land but the report states these agents take unfair advantage of local traditions and vulnerabilities. Some of these agents are referred to these large companies by SLIEPA.

The Government of Sierra Leone provides a myriad of financial incentives to encourage foreign investment. These include a 10-year tax holiday on agricultural investments in tree crops and rice. Companies won’t pay any tax for ten years or more on the land they occupy. There is no import duty for any of these companies. Sierra Leone allows 100 percent foreign ownership of these companies. And, they allow all profits to be taken out of the country. According to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, quoted in the report, in his 2011 budget speech, “the existing regimes… and other tax exemptions have tended to severely erode our tax base… and the efficiency of the tax system.”

The regulatory framework for the negotiation of land deals is extremely weak. The guidelines developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) contain huge loopholes and appear to be non-binding. There also appears to be a great deal of confusion about the availability of land. No land surveys exist and no allowances for local farmers are acknowledged. There is a lack of environmental protection, says the report, and projects are being implemented without compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency Act (2008).

The report also calls into question several ties to the Government of Sierra Leone. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Franklyn Kargbo, appointed in December 2010, represented landowners in the Addax land deal and represented Quifel in their land deal in Port Loko District. At the time of the negotiations, Mr. Kargbo was an advisor in the Strategy and Policy Unit in the Office of the President.

Many international policies are questioned as well. The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) support the agribusiness investment strategy but their own Performance Standards are often ignored.

Sierra Leone is not alone. The issue of land grabbing is occurring across Africa. Along with the country report from Sierra Leone, other reports are being complied including Mali, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.

The comprehensive report ends with a dire warning if things continue. Recent conflicts are noted in areas such as Lungi Acre (Addax) Loko Massama Chiefdom (Quifel) and Madina (Sepahan Afrique) pitting the people in the community against themselves and against these large agribusinesses. Conflicts and disputes over land issues could escalate… and no one wants to see more violence in Sierra Leone.

Still trying to understand,
S/

Stories in production...

Part of my "mission" or job here is to work with journalists on stories... features, mainly. And, I have to say, this is one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects to being a Knight Fellow.

Stories currently in production...

The implications of teen pregnancy - death, poverty, social ruin, illiteracy, and so on. It's scary what could happen to a young girl who gets pregnant.

Road safety for children - a very interesting radio piece by a very smart, talented journalist. There are no street signs, no crosswalks, no traffic signals... and thousands of children are hurt in accidents on the roads.

Computer school upgrades - another fearless and dedicated journalist is working on comparing computer schools... some are scams and some are legit but the field is totally unregulated. Some offer "degrees" while others offer "certificates". Most of these are useless and unrecognized by any educational institute or by employers. But, the key to getting a job or getting ahead here is computer knowledge, which makes this a lucrative scam or good business.

Land Grabbing in Sierra Leone. This issue is huge and affects almost every country in Africa. Large, international companies and hedge funds are leasing up the land... to the detriment of the small farmers, villages and communities. It's scary how Sierra Leone is selling itself off. Investment incentives by the Gov include no tax for ten years, 0 duty on imports, no requirements for schools, social responsibility or health services, no labour regulations, etc. etc. Sierra Leone is "open" for abuse. Scary.

More stories are in the works and I'll try to keep things updated. This is a journalists heaven and hell... so many stories... so many nightmares. And, it's incredibly difficult to get the facts. No one's talking about these things... and it's high time they started.

More later,
S/

Looking for Light at the End of the Tunnel

Longing for electricity and an Internet connection

Living without power – light, refrigeration, Internet, fans, TV, etc. means adapting to a simpler way of life… and a more difficult existence. I go to bed early and wake when the sun comes up. I eat canned meat and canned vegetables because there’s no power for the small fridge in my apartment. I eat by candlelight or kerosene lanterns. I drink my Nescafe coffee with powdered milk in water heated over a kerosene camp cooker. I inhale countless amounts of carbon monoxide fumes from spewing generators. I beg for time to charge my phone from small shops hosting miniature generators. (1000Le or about .25 per charge). I read by the light of a small, battery-powered headlamp.

At night, Freetown is a dark city. There are no streetlights. Shops are dark. There are no twinkling lights on the horizon from buildings in the city core. Flames from burning garbage at the local dump are sometimes the only visible light. A couple of hotels or bars dot the night with light from noisy generators that compete with loud, electronic music. The hum of distant generators, especially up the hill where the President lives, accompany the slow sweeps of car headlights in the night.

And, I relish the few stolen moments of power whether they’re at SLBC via generator or at a local hotel that usually sparks up their generator during the early morning and later evenings. Electricity is a scarce commodity in Sierra Leone despite the millions of dollars donors have poured into the Bumbuna Hydro-Electric dam and power generation sites. The promise of power is yet to be realized… and it’s a fact of life that no one seems to question – or more accurately, people have lost hope in.

SLBC suffers – along with listeners and viewers – when the electricity from the National Power Authority runs short. (N.P.A., re-named on the street “No Power Altogether” or in Krio, “Na Powa Avva”) Sometimes, because of the shortage of petrol or because the SLBC generator is broken, the airwaves and TV transmission towers fall silent. Static takes over the programming schedule. The voice of the national public broadcaster is quiet… Listeners tune their battery-powered radios to other stations with more reliable supplies of petrol or electricity generation.

To many, this is an appalling situation. And I’d agree except for the fact that this has been a perpetual problem in Sierra Leone – especially since the end of the ten-year civil war. Power was promised by a succession of governments. Donors have supported the idea for almost thirty years. Yet… we continue to exist without reliable power supplies. I can’t help wonder how this country will ever emerge from the dark without massive changes in government, infrastructure, economy, laws, and so on.

I’ve asked myself this question many times, “Is there light at the end of the tunnel?” I believe in the power of the people… I just wish the people had the power.

Hanging in here,
S/