As we went to press yesterday evening, we received news of the sudden death of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Victor Chukuma Johnson, CRSL, who also was the Deputy Leader and Chairman of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) and Member of Parliament for Waterloo in the Western Area. He has served in Parliament for a period of over twelve years now.

Hon Johnson fell ill in Makeni yesterday July 15th 2012 whilst attending the funeral of the late mother of the President. He was rushed to the Holy Spirit Hospital where all efforts to save his life were fruitless and he passed away shortly after arrival.

Meanwhile, at the same Holy Spirit Hospital were hospitalised staff members of the Awareness Times newspaper who suffered a gruesome accident on the way to cover the funeral. Whilst none of the staff members suffered life-threatening injuries, senior reporter Augustine Samba was badly injured.

The jeep they were travelling in was mangled.