Governance Processes in Sierra Leone 1799-2014


Book Description

Governance Processes in Sierra Leone from 1799-2014 is one of the governance series, which has been put together over the years to help not only postgraduate students at various universities in Sierra Leone but also people who are interested in knowing about the decentralisation process. It critically examines important issues in local government in Sierra Leone, starting from the colonial period and covering the post-independence era, the process of decentralisation of local governance in 2004, and the present. The book starts with the concept of good governance because of its importance in decentralisation and the various features that characterise it. It is followed by a literature review on decentralisation in the developing countries. What should be the proper role of the parliament of Sierra Leone, as the supreme organ of the state, has been given much prominence in this book. Parliament's role to ensure that its activities are primarily focused on legislating pro-poor policies and that the creation of a solid foundation for socio-economic and political development through coalition building is highlighted. The book also contains the reintroduction of district officers into the decentralisation architecture in Sierra Leone. The significance of decentralisation, its achievements so far, its challenges, and the way forward is extensively examined.




Kosonike


Book Description

This biography skillfully captures the life and times of one of the illustrious Sierra Leoneans, emeritus professor Kosonike Koso-Thomas. Kosonike is a visionary, a philanthropist, and one of the most successful civil engineers in the West African subregion. Koso-Thomas is also a prolific writer. Among his fortes are autobiographies, biographies, and sentimental and aesthetic free-verse poetry. He has successful painting exhibitions to his credit in the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone. The book delves bravely into uncharted waters and reveals some contentious issues raised by conspirators during his tenure of office as the principal of Fourah Bay College and vice chancellor of the University of Sierra Leone. These revelations are for the edification of posterity. On top of that, the facts surrounding the issues are worth revealing. They will aid the solution of the challenges associated with the trying times that face the education sector in Sierra Leone and most of the African continent. The success stories of one of Sierra Leones finest minds are worth telling for the inspiration and enhancing of the recovery projects that have been undertaken, especially in the tertiary sector. The countrys development partners will find some of the recommendations made in this book extremely helpful. Articulated meticulously, they will rejuvenate the hitherto gold standard of education for which Sierra Leone was renowned in its heyday. Generally speaking, the recommendations are the prototypes required for the alleviation of the chronic funding challenges faced by higher education in Africa. Beautifully woven in modern creative-writing style, this biography is coated in rich language sustained by appropriate concepts that befit the genre. It whets the appetites of social planners, academicians, policy makers, and legislators. Above all, it tickles as well as inspires the thinkers of our times.




Governance and the Three Arms of Government in Sierra Leone


Book Description

This book titled Governance and the Three Arms of Government in Sierra Leone seeks to critically analyse the three arms of government in Sierra Leone in terms of their adherence to democratic principles and best international practices since independence. The challenges governance institution have been facing are discussed and recommendation made . The book also emphasized that despite the fact that the three arms of government inherited by the state of Sierra Leone at independence, it could be argued that the state of Sierra Leone has enormous tasks to perform in all the facets of the body politic; especially in the area of putting the necessary structures and institutions not only to complement the three organs but to promote better governance of the state of Sierra Leone. . Perhaps any government of Sierra Leone cannot only rely on the fact that it was democratically elected but has to deliver services efficiently and effectively to the public. It is argued therefore that for this all important reason it is not only incumbent on government to put in place the necessary institutions and structures but also the formulation of policies that will help facilitate the governance process. These institutions and structures when established and policies implemented against the backdrop of adequate resources will contribute positively to laying down the foundation of democratic good governance in the country. It contains three main chapters on legislative, executive and judicial arms of government and a conclusion.




Making Politics Work for Development


Book Description

Governments fail to provide the public goods needed for development when its leaders knowingly and deliberately ignore sound technical advice or are unable to follow it, despite the best of intentions, because of political constraints. This report focuses on two forces—citizen engagement and transparency—that hold the key to solving government failures by shaping how political markets function. Citizens are not only queueing at voting booths, but are also taking to the streets and using diverse media to pressure, sanction and select the leaders who wield power within government, including by entering as contenders for leadership. This political engagement can function in highly nuanced ways within the same formal institutional context and across the political spectrum, from autocracies to democracies. Unhealthy political engagement, when leaders are selected and sanctioned on the basis of their provision of private benefits rather than public goods, gives rise to government failures. The solutions to these failures lie in fostering healthy political engagement within any institutional context, and not in circumventing or suppressing it. Transparency, which is citizen access to publicly available information about the actions of those in government, and the consequences of these actions, can play a crucial role by nourishing political engagement.




Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 6)


Book Description

Infectious diseases are the leading cause of death globally, particularly among children and young adults. The spread of new pathogens and the threat of antimicrobial resistance pose particular challenges in combating these diseases. Major Infectious Diseases identifies feasible, cost-effective packages of interventions and strategies across delivery platforms to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis, malaria, adult febrile illness, viral hepatitis, and neglected tropical diseases. The volume emphasizes the need to effectively address emerging antimicrobial resistance, strengthen health systems, and increase access to care. The attainable goals are to reduce incidence, develop innovative approaches, and optimize existing tools in resource-constrained settings.




China's Second Continent


Book Description

A New York Times Notable Book Chinese immigrants of the recent past and unfolding twenty-first century are in search of the African dream. So explains indefatigable traveler Howard W. French, prize-winning investigative journalist and former New York Times bureau chief in Africa and China, in the definitive account of this seismic geopolitical development. China’s burgeoning presence in Africa is already shaping, and reshaping, the future of millions of people. From Liberia to Senegal to Mozambique, in creaky trucks and by back roads, French introduces us to the characters who make up China’s dogged emigrant population: entrepreneurs singlehandedly reshaping African infrastructure, and less-lucky migrants barely scraping by but still convinced of Africa’s opportunities. French’s acute observations offer illuminating insight into the most pressing unknowns of modern Sino-African relations: Why China is making these cultural and economic incursions into the continent; what Africa’s role is in this equation; and what the ramifications for both parties and their people—and the watching world—will be in the foreseeable future. One of the Best Books of the Year at • The Economist • The Guardian • Foreign Affairs




The Changing Wealth of Nations 2018


Book Description

Countries regularly track gross domestic product (GDP) as an indicator of their economic progress, but not wealth—the assets such as infrastructure, forests, minerals, and human capital that produce GDP. In contrast, corporations routinely report on both their income and assets to assess their economic health and prospects for the future. Wealth accounts allow countries to take stock of their assets to monitor the sustainability of development, an urgent concern today for all countries. The Changing Wealth of Nations 2018: Building a Sustainable Future covers national wealth for 141 countries over 20 years (1995†“2014) as the sum of produced capital, 19 types of natural capital, net foreign assets, and human capital overall as well as by gender and type of employment. Great progress has been made in estimating wealth since the fi rst volume, Where Is the Wealth of Nations? Measuring Capital for the 21st Century, was published in 2006. New data substantially improve estimates of natural capital, and, for the fi rst time, human capital is measured by using household surveys to estimate lifetime earnings. The Changing Wealth of Nations 2018 begins with a review of global and regional trends in wealth over the past two decades and provides examples of how wealth accounts can be used for the analysis of development patterns. Several chapters discuss the new work on human capital and its application in development policy. The book then tackles elements of natural capital that are not yet fully incorporated in the wealth accounts: air pollution, marine fi sheries, and ecosystems. This book targets policy makers but will engage anyone committed to building a sustainable future for the planet.







Great Divergence and Great Convergence


Book Description

This new monograph provides a stimulating new take on hotly contested topics in world modernization and the globalizing economy. It begins by situating what is called the Great Divergence--the social/technological revolution that led European nations to outpace the early dominance of Asia--in historical context over centuries. This is contrasted with an equally powerful Great Convergence, the recent economic and technological expansion taking place in Third World nations and characterized by narrowing inequity among nations. They are seen here as two phases of an inevitable global process, centuries in the making, with the potential for both positive and negative results. This sophisticated presentation examines: Why the developing world is growing more rapidly than the developed world. How this development began occurring under the Western world's radar. How former colonies of major powers grew to drive the world's economy. Why so many Western economists have been slow to recognize the Great Convergence. The increasing risk of geopolitical instability. Why the world is likely to find itself without an absolute leader after the end of the American hegemony A work of rare scope, Great Divergence and Great Convergence gives sociologists, global economists, demographers, and global historians a deeper understanding of the broader movement of social and economic history, combined with a long view of history as it is currently being made; it also offers some thrilling forecasts for global development in the forthcoming decades.




Judicial Review Systems in West Africa: a Comparative Analysis


Book Description

This book compares the constitutional justice institutions in 16 West African states and analyses the diverse ways in which these institutions render justice and promote democratic development. There is no single best approach: different legal traditions tend to produce different design options. It also seeks to facilitate mutual learning and understanding among countries in the region, especially those with different legal systems, in efforts to frame a common West African system. The authors analyse a broad spectrum of issues related to constitutional justice institutions in West Africa. While navigating technical issues such as competence, composition, access, the status of judges, the authoritative power of these institutions and their relationship with other institutions, they also take a novel look at analogous institutions in pre-colonial Africa with similar functions, as well as the often-taboo subject of the control and accountability of these institutions.