Chief Imam Shiek Kutubu Konneh, in his sermon for the day, called on all pilgrims to be agents of peace and ambassadors of nation-building by practising the good deeds they have experienced from the holy land of Mecca.

He also encouraged them to support the government’s agenda of “feed Salone”, adding that that would be very beneficial for the country and would ensure food sufficiency.

Head of the Hajj Presidential taskforce, Alhaji Murtada Sesay, expressed gratitude to His Excellency the President for his support, adding that his government had been very supportive in ensuring that the pilgrims had a very successful pilgrimage.

He went on to thank other government institutions like the Ministry of Finance, Immigration Department, the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and the Airport Authority for helping throughout the process.

He reported that out of 640 pilgrims who went to the holy land of Mecca, the delegation registered only one death, which unfortunately reduced the number of returnees to 639.

In his brief address to the pilgrims, President Julius Maada Bio expressed gratitude to the task force in charge of the pilgrimage for putting everything in place to ensure a successful Hajj.

He went on to use the occasion to admonish the pilgrims to be agents of peace in their different localities, adding that the new law prohibiting child marriage was already being implemented and urged them to join in to popularise the law.

“I want to encourage you all to continue to pray for Sierra Leone and its leaders for Allah to continue to keep us in peace,” he concluded.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.

HE President Kais Saied of the sisterly Republic of Tunisia has received the credentials of HE Zayed bin Saeed Al Kumait Al Khayarin as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Tunisia.

HE the Ambassador conveyed the greetings of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al- Thani to HE the President of the Republic of Tunisia, and His Highness’ wishes of good health and happiness to His Excellency, and to the government and people of the Republic of Tunisia continued progress and prosperity.

For his part, HE the President of the Republic of Tunisia, entrusted HE the Ambassador to convey his greetings to HH the Amir, wishing His Highness good health and happiness, and the State of Qatar continued progress and development. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.

The Chiefs and people of the Nchumuru and Nawuri Traditional Areas in the Kpandai District have hailed the vision and proposed policies being touted by NPP flag bearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, saying his contribution to the design and implementation of transformational initiatives such as the Free SHS, Agenda 111 One District One Factory is evidence of a good leader.

They have therefore urged him to market his vision to Ghanaians, pledging to show him “in due course” their appreciation of his desire to ensure a rapid and holistic development of the country leveraging on the brains and skills of Ghanaians.

The sons and daughters of Kpandai pledged their support to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in a joint address read on behalf of all the ethnic groups in Kpandai District by Nana Bayimgne II and Nana Abuga-Aba l, Paramount chiefs of Nchumuru and Nawuri Traditional Areas respectively on Thursday July 12, 2024 when the NPP flag bearer engaged key stakeholders in the Kpandai constituency on the third day of his constituency-focused nationwide campaign.

“Your Excellency, the people of Kpandai are proud of you for the role you played as Vice President in helping His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo through policies implemented by your government that addressed inequalities in the country.

“Your administration has demonstrated to the people of Kpandai that equity is a hallmark to you. Your mandate as a Vice President brought significant development in the district,” the Chiefs noted.

Extolling the admirable character traits of Dr Bawumia, the chiefs encouraged the NPP flag bearer to “Continue to be whom we know you to be. Your humility will send you far. Concentrate on your seventy-point vision for the country.

“Dr Digitalization, once again we wish to assure you that we as a people will in due course demonstrate that Breaking the 8 is possible.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency, Republic of Ghana.

Seychelles participated in the 26th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO) on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, held from 11 to 12 July 2024 in Lusaka, Zambia.

Ambassador Claude Morel, based in South Africa and serving as the Permanent Representative to SADC, led the Seychelles delegation. He was accompanied by Ms. Trisha Hoareau, Third Secretary at the Foreign Affairs Department.

The discussions during the meeting primarily focused on peace and security, as critical factors in fostering a conducive environment for regional cooperation and integration.

Seychelles informed the MCO that it had nominated Ambassador Joseph Nourrice, former Deputy Executive Secretary of SADC, as its representative to the SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC).

Furthermore, the Government of Seychelles requested support for the candidacy of Mr. Vincent Meriton, former Vice-President of the Republic of Seychelles, for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission for the period of 2025-2029. The candidacy received the endorsement of the SADC region and member states were requested to support it during the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in February 2025 in Addis Ababa.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tourism – Foreign Affairs Department, Republic of Seychelles.