Vitabu Books

Alphonso Lisk-Carew (1883–1969) extensively photographed the City Hotel during his career as a candid photographer.  On social media platforms, expatriates and residents have recalled the City Hotel as the location where British novelist Graham Greene wrote part of The Heart of the Matter .  Memories include Flash, the head waiter; Uncle Freddie (Ferrari), the Italian-Swiss hotelier; Aunty Fatu, his Sierra Leonean wife; a ceiling fan that cooled the restaurant; and waiters dressed in crisp white uniforms.  One individual recalled accompanying her father, a medical doctor, on a professional visit to the hotel.  Another user reported possessing an original sketch of the City Hotel by the prominent Sierra Leonean artist Hassan Bangura.  Another user recounted exchanging British pound sterling at the City Hotel in the late 1970s, receiving a rate of two leones per pound at a location behind the Ministry of Finance building.  By the time the City Hotel was demol...

  A presidential candidate who some might say has little chance of winning hopes his vision for 2028 will soon reach every part of Sierra Leone. He also wants those who defend the protection of a convicted Dutch drug baron in Sierra Leone to find themselves isolated. Alpha Grace, a natural medicine consultant, knows his chances in the election are slim, but as leader of the People Alliance Movement, he is determined to try. Grace understands that the real power struggles are not on the ballot but hidden from view. These forces do not use chains; they rely on debt, dependency, and silence. Breaking free begins with awareness, and more Sierra Leoneans are starting to see this. Grace believes the biggest threat to Sierra Leone is not internal conflict, but outside influence disguised as help. A country rich in resources but poor in citizens is not simply unlucky; it is being managed for others’ benefit. It is time to ask who gains from this. Foreign interests always look out for thems...