DG SLPHA Yankuba Bio

“Our Records Speak Volume, Don’t Mess Our New Image”-

SLPHA Reacts , Malicious Article,

Abubakar Hashim/Freetown

In a swift reaction to protect its hard-earned corporate image, the management of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority SLPHA, has issued a press released debunking a malicious and false on line article published by “Manchester Evening News” and captioned “ The Enormous Shipment of Cocaine destined for an Industrial Estate in Wigan”.

The said publication alleged “ sometime in August 2022, a grade A consignment of goods (cocaine) , was shipped out of Sierra Leone and 9 suspects, non Sierra Leoneans, were arrested and 7 arraigned before a court in the United Kingdom.

The Facts

1. The SLPHA is a bonafide and existential member of many international ports organisations, so is Sierra Leone, also a member of strings of international crime organisations.

Till date, SLPHA, neither the Transnational Crimes Organisation TICO, nor the National Crime Agency NCA of the UK, have received any information from any international port organisation or any international crime entity, relating to a shipment of the alleged publication.

2. The export reports presented to SLPHA clearly and unambiguously for the period of the alleged export, show that flour, within which the said cocaine was hidden, was not exported from the Poet of Freetown, as falsely claimed by the said publication.

3. To further protect its corporate image, the SLPHA has engaged TOCU and other key security stakeholders to investigate the unfortunate and malicious publication, in order to forestall a repeat in the future.
This is to protect our hard earned reputation, resulting in strings of international awards, including “ The Best Port in Import and Export Traffic Growth in Africa” in the 6th and 7th editions of African Ports Awards held in Luanda, Angola in 2022 and in Lagos, Nigeria in 2023.

We remain a drug free port. We also crave the indulgence of the public and stakeholders within the ports, to continue their business activities as we remain resolute to continue our ports engagements in line with international best practices.