All feet led to the Days Inn Banquet Hall on Friday May 9, 2014 as the Sierra Leone Association of Artists and Musicians (SLAAM) held their 2nd Annual Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award event.  An event that had caused an uproar in the Sierra Leone community worldwide over the past two months as an intense online voting process took place involving all aspects of the Sierra Leone entertainment industry. An exquisite black-tie event with the members dressed in a uniform and classic black and gold; the event took off with a rendition of the Sierra Leone national anthem sang by founder – gospel singer – Giileh Scholz and the USA anthem sang by talented Singer/Pianist, beauty queen, and actress Janet Lagah-Bona now only 14 years old, – who also received one of the three President’s Choice Awards for community service that night.

The entertainment started with two of Sierra Leone’s newest artist’s, Amstelina Decker who only a week ago had released her version of Krio Reggae Hymns – Part 1; followed by Stofresh, all the way from Arizona with “Bless Me.”

It was a solemn moment when the spouse of late Yulisa Amadu Pat Maddy gave a speech in honor of her husband flanked by her children, before the night resumed with a grand performance by Lifetime Achievement Award winner for Gospel all the way from Sierra Leone, Evang Hannah Williams as she wowed the audience with her song “Why You Lek Me So.”

The night continued with the results of the voting polls that left some speechless. As Festus George-Sawyerr (in London) took home the Book Author of the Year Award; with touching moments like when the Promoter of the Year Award was received by “Self-Made” as the wife of Fullah Boy burst into tears.  Proceeded by the elegant Clavenda Boxx Konteh who received the award of Lifetime Achievement for Promoter on behalf of her husband Boxx Konteh.

The MacCormack family once again reigned supreme in the entertainment industry as the younger brother of Bunny Mack (SLAAM Lifetime Achiever 2012- music) – Aki MacCormack received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Disc Jockey.

On April 15, 2014 in New York , the Permanent  Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, Ambasador Vandi Chidi Minah  and the Permanent Representative of Lithuania , Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite,  signed a Joint Communique   on the establishment of formal  diplomatic relations between the two friendly countries.  (Photo: The two ambassadors signing the communique)

Sierra Leone and Lithuania pledged to promote and further strengthen  mutual cooperation between the two nations in a wide range of  areas ,  including  the political, economic, and cultural spheres .

Sierra Leone’s delegation to the signing ceremony included the Deputy Permanent Representative ( Political ), Ambassador Amadu Koroma.

 After months of disputes it appears football in Sierra Leone is set for calmer times following an agreement among the main protagonists to co-operate.

Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) President Isha Johansen, former Sierra Leone captain Mohamed Kallon and Rodney Michael have committed to work together to develop the sport in the country.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2014 – The Nigerian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Mrs. Gladys Modupe Quist-Adebiyi, has said that it is in the interest of her Embassy and indeed all Sierra Leoneans to see that the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and journalism generally develop in the country.  (photo: Nigerian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Mrs. Gladys Modupe Quist-Adebiyi)

The Nigerian diplomat, who was addressing the SLAJ Executive during a courtesy call on her at her High Commission office, Hill Station in Freetown on Friday February 21, pledged her support to SLAJ in its quest to raise the professional level of their membership.

Sierra Leone has discovered a diamond worth $6.2 million, declaring it one of the most precious finds of the past decade.

The stone, dug up in the eastern district of Kono, was measured at 153 carats, making it significantly bigger than the largest find of 2013, a 125-carat diamond. It was graded as D on the D-to-Z diamond color scale, meaning that it has almost no yellow tint caused by nitrogen impurities. The National Minerals Agency said it “could only be matched or surpassed by fancy diamonds such as blue or pink in terms of price.”

Sierra Leone remains one of the world’s poorest countries after a brutal 11-year-long civil war that ended in 2002 — a conflict that left the world with images of feared rebel leaders armed from the sale of “blood diamonds” recruiting drugged-up child soldiers and hacking the limbs off thousands of civilians.