MAKENI EMBRACES FREE EDUCATION
Parents and guardians of the school going kids in the northern Headquarters City of Makeni have enthusiastically welcomed President Julius Maada Bio’s Free Quality Education initiative.
A team from the ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education headed by the National Coordinator of the Free Quality Education Secretariat, Amara Sowa has successfully distributed thousands free ruled Exercise Books to thousands of school-going kids in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone.
The distribution exercises coincided with the reopening of all Government and Government Assisted Schools across the country yesterday.
Mr. Amara Sowa told newsmen that his presence at one of the distribution centers was to ensure that the targeted beneficiaries get the exercise books.
Mr. Sowa called on school authorities across the country to ensure that the exercise books are distributed to the beneficiaries without any pre-condition.
Mr. Sowa warned that anyone caught selling the free exercise books, “will be arrested and prosecuted in court”.
He called on parents and guardians to ensure that they monitor the distributed exercise books and make sure that only targeted beneficiaries get their supplies of the free exercise books.
Parents and guardians in makeni have expressed delight over the introduction of the Free Quality Education initiative of President Julius Maada Bio and called on him to ensure that the free Education initiative is sustained throughout his tenure of office and even beyond.
GOVERNMENT TO RECRUIT 1,000 NURSES
MINISTER ADVOCATES FOR 15%
The Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Alpha Wurie has called on the ministry of Finance to allocate 15% of the 2019 annual budget to his ministry. He said if ministry of finance allocates the 15% to his ministry, it will help them to deliver medical services effectively and efficiently across the country.
He said they want to make sure that PHUs, Communities Health Centers and other services delivery Posts operate effectively. He said the objective is to reduce millions of United States dollars spent by people on overseas treatment.
Dr. Wurie made the appeal yesterday at the ongoing 2019 budget discussion at the Sierra Leone Bank Complex, kingtom in Freetown.
He disclosed that by November this year, government will recruit one thousand staff and two thousand in 2019.
The minister stressed that the free health care initiative is a good one, noting that since 2011, it has been funded by DFID. He told the audience that in 2018, 2019 and 2020 government is going to finance 10%, 30% and 50% respectively to the free healthcare budget.
Dr. Wurie also maintained that in October this year, 120 ambulances will be ready and will start to roll out its movement.
He said the free healthcare initiative is going to be extended to the disadvantage population including amputees, the blind and disabled. He also revealed that they are going to establish the state of the art cancer unit and major diagnosis center.