Today I will touch on a topic for which two sayings are particularly relevant. The first is the saying that goes: "Failing to plan is planning to fail," by Benjamin Franklin. The second is "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there," by Lewis Carrol. 

It is on the pillars of the above quotations that I wish to draw attention to the ongoing engagements on the Medium-Term National Development plan.

The Sierra Leone Medium Term National Development Plan 2019 - 2023 themed 'Education for Development'  aims to promote a new direction for improving People's Lives through Education, Inclusive Growth, and Building a Resilient Economy.

This week (August 7 - 14, 2020) is World Mask Week. A week set aside as part of a global move to inspire people to wear face coverings to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

Fellow Country men and women, we are in the middle of a pandemic that is caused by a disease for which we have no available drug or vaccine. Our available tools for prevention remain basic. The health experts place an onus on us to be individually and collectively responsible. Hand hygiene (washing of hands with soap and water or using hand sanitizers), social distancing, and mask-wearing are our frontline tools for now. While none of these is 100% protective, face covering has become increasingly important as lockdowns are eased and people seek a full return to public life.

When Maria Brewer Ambassador Nominee to the Republic of Sierra Leone appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on July 26, 2017  her opening remarks recognised her husband Mark and eight-year-old daughter, Arina thanking them for their constant love and support.

Three years on Mark and Arina stood with her as His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio conferred and presented the Commander of the Order of the Republic of Sierra Leone Award for "her role in solidifying the bond of history, culture, and friendship between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the United States of America."

Today, I will attempt to discuss the emerging global problem of disinformation or 'fake news' that confront societies in general, and journalism in particular. A particular danger is that this information is usually free, easily accessible on our favourite social networks, social messaging and digital platforms. It's our easy to reach source of information as we wake up in the morning and get on the go!

These digital platforms and networks have become the primary source for news consumption and shaping our political identities. Consequently, it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that social media now greatly influences and manipulate the traditional news media.  As such , the rise of fake news that intentionally mislead readers has become an increasing problem for the proper functioning of society.

Last week His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio launched the first insurance scheme for Health workers. Under the Group Life Insurance Scheme, all eleven thousand frontline health workers who are engaged in the fight against COVID-19 will benefit. This is very good news!

During disease outbreaks, health workers are  at particularly high risk  of infection which sometimes lead to their loss of lives. We recall that during the Ebola outbreak, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea lost as many as 500 front line workers.