The News Review:

- Sierra Leone’s land ministry sacks suspected corrupt officials
- Sierra Leone cracks down on fake doctors
- Sierra Leone: EU Food Facility to Boost Smallholder Farmers …
- Sierra Leone Eyes Cooperation with China in Hybrid Rice Planting
- Wang Lee Hom bringing music to Sierra Leone
- In Sierra Leone Le 45m Boost for Single Leg Amputee Sports Club

Sierra Leone’s land ministry sacks suspected corrupt officials
AFP
Lands Minister Dennis Sandy told AFP that the officials were suspected of having illegally sold state lands. “The ministry is corrupt and these men have stifled development by selling state lands to unauthorised people backing the transaction with fake documents” he said. A remnant from the colonial system when certain lands were reserved for state use some of Sierra Leone’s strategically placed and most sought after land for agriculture and development is still owned by the state. The lands cannot officially be sold but only given in long-term 99-year lease to businesses and individuals but there is a huge waiting list of people wanting to sign up for such leases.

Sierra Leone cracks down on fake doctors
AFP
“We don’t know the exact number of people faking to be doctors and practising in the country with forged documents but we are determined to put a stop to this menace” Health Minister Sheiku Tejan Koroma said explaining the raids. “We are estimating that since they have established throughout the country particularly in the remote areas there may be about 200 or more engaged in the illegal practice” he told AFP. The minister said that all foreigners claiming to be doctors or health personnel now have to be vetted by Sierra Leone’s Medical and Dental Council to have their credentials verified and be registered to practice. According to health authorities many foreigners never bother with registration or they falsify documents.

Sierra Leone: EU Food Facility to Boost Smallholder Farmers …
AllAfrica.com
4 million donation from the European Union to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). GA_googleFillSlot( “AllAfrica_Story_InsetA” );“This generous donation from the European Union will enable WFP to assist farmers in Bonthe Pujehun Bo Moyamba Port Loko Tonkolili Kenema Kono and Kailahun districts to rehabilitate their swamps for intensive rice cultivation and coffee and cocoa plantations for cash crop cultivation” said WFP Representative Christa Räder. “I am confident that this will help boost the production and income of smallholder farmers who have not been able to benefit from the rising food prices as their production has been limited and they have in fact been dependant on food purchases during large periods of the year” she added. The European Union donation will be used to provide food assistance to 155000 people belonging to 31000 smallholder farm families in return for their work to rehabilitate 5300 hectares of inland valley swamps 6000 hectares of smallholder plantations and 500 kilometres of feeder roads that will help them take their produce to markets.
Related from Recollets: EU farmers protest collapse of milk prices

Sierra Leone Eyes Cooperation with China in Hybrid Rice Planting
CRIENGLISH.com
During his stay in Changsha city provincial capital of Hunan Koroma visited the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center where Father of Hybrid Rice Yuan Longping briefed him on China’s research of hybrid rice. Yuan is the first scientist who successfully altered the self-pollinating characteristic of rice and realized large-scale farming of hybrid rice. This earned him the title Father of Hybrid Rice. Koroma spoke highly of Yuan’s contribution to the food safety of China and the world.

Wang Lee Hom bringing music to Sierra Leone
Channel News Asia
This will be World Vision Taiwan’s 20th participation in this programme and the singer’s maiden trip to the African continent. Living up to his ‘Music-man’ billing Wang who will be accompanied by his brother will bring along close to 60 toy musical instruments as gifts for the kids. They will be staying in the war-torn country for 10 days to understand the plights of the children there. The decision to encompass music into this trip originated from his experiences in Laos.

In Sierra Leone Le 45m Boost for Single Leg Amputee Sports Club
Awareness Times
The handing over is part of the support granted by the German Government and its implementing agency the German Technical Corporation (GTZ) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports to support the famous and successful Sierra Leonean Single Leg Amputee Sports Club (SLASC) on its way to Nova Friburgo in Brazil. fficials of the Governments of Sierra Leone and Germany are convinced that this is not only a good occasion to draw the attention of the world at large to Sierra Leone but also to show that the challenge of difficult circumstances can lead to success if there is a strong will and good team work. From Freetown’s Lumley Beach to Brazil’s Copacabana ” SLASC has been invited by the Brazilian Association of Sport for the Physically Disabled (ABDF) and the World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) to participate in the World Championship that will be held in Nova Friburgo near Rio de Janeiro Brazil from September 5 to September 20 2009. A team of 20 participants will take part in the event and expectations are high. SLASC has played in a number of international tournaments and matches and has always been awarded prestigious awards and prizes. To comply with the expectations and achieve their ambitious aim the finals of the World Championship the German Development Cooperation will also provide a selection of food items for the families of the team members who have to stay behind.