A document seen by Nightwatch has shown that Madam Sallay Lawson is no longer President of Councils of Heads of Technical and Vocational Institutions (CHTVI) in Sierra Leone.
The document says Madam Lawson’s mandate has expired since July this year, and her 17-man committee must equally be dissolved to pave way for another election.
The election will usher in another committee that will man CHTVI affairs in coming years.
The revised CHTVI Constitution frowns at the existence of the committee as one of its fundamental provisions provides for a three-year term mandate for any executive.
Calls have come from different quarters including Parliament for Madam Lawson to step down noting that she has ridden into the sunset since her presidential mandate has expired.
“Dissolution of the Council of Council of Heads of Technical and Vocational Institutions with effect from 10th September, 2020 since their mandate has expired in July, 2020 [is necessary] as interim committee has been set up…,” the document reads in part.
Elections, the document says, should be conducted in three months, precisely 10th December this year, after the dissolution of the committee.
The move for the dissolution of Madam Lawson’s executive was ordered by parliament following the outbreak of a conflict within her executive.
The conflict, no doubt, is weakening the pillars of unity and cooperation within CHTVI whose viability has been put to the greatest test in the world of trade unionism.
The conflict had to do with what aggrieved members referred to as a “dictatorial exercise of power by the CNTVI’s National President.”
The CHTVI Secretary-General leads other aggrieved members in the battle with the National President.
Another document also seen by this medium shows that CHTVI’s parent body, Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union received a formal complaint from aggrieved members for a peaceful resolution between them and the president.
In a spirit of brotherhood, peace and unity, SLTU officials were constituted into a mediation committee headed by the Deputy Secretary-General, Mr Allieu Deen Conteh to amicably resolve the stand-off.
In a clear attempt to restore the much-desired peace, SLTU held two separate meetings to know the cause of the grievance and conflict.
The first meeting was held with the National Secretary-General and his group while the second was meant for the National President and her team.
In the day’s deliberations presided over by SLTU officials, key issues came up which constituted serious allegations against Madam Lawson.
The President was accused of illegally replacing elected national and regional executive officers with unelected members who, most, are mere teachers and heads of their institutions.
Madam Lawson was also accused of marginalising the National Secretary-General of CHTVI whose functions she allegedly unjustifiably usurped.
Alteration CHTVI’s official letterhead, single-handedly handling of all financial transactions, naked disrespect for the organisation’s rules and regulations, submission of wrong data base to the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and dictatorial style of leadership are key allegations Madam Lawson grapples with.
A second meeting was also held by SLTU officials with Madam Lawson and her group thus creating an ideal platform for her to respond to the allegations.
In her own side of the allegation, she informed the mediating committee that the Secretary-General and some executive officers undermined her administration, and others abandoned their offices without any just cause.
The Secretary-General and Financial Secretary were the ones identified to have taken a French leave from their offices.
“Since they abandoned their offices, I had to replace them as the council had to move forward,” Madam Lawson told the SLTU mediating committee.
Lack of probity in the handling of CHTVI finances as well as an absence of cooperation in executive members among others were some of the factors, Lawson said, caused and fuelled the acrimony.
The document also indicates that despite painstaking move embarked upon by SLTU to resolve the impasse, Madam Lawson seems not ready for peace.
“The committee has made several attempts to bring both parties together to resolve the conflict. The aggrieved executive members headed by the National Secretary-General, Mr Osman Turay are always ready for such a meeting, but the National President, Mrs Sallay Lawson is uncooperative and not willing for such a meeting. She seems satisfied with the status quo,” the document reads in part.
The parent body, SLTU also indicates that the National President was absent in most of the meetings making it difficult for the conclusion of the matter.
The union however submitted a comprehensive report of the mediation committee to the Minister of Technical and Higher Education on 22nd January, this year making recommendations on ways to resolve the matter.
The possibility of the Ministry convening a meeting of all relevant parties to bring the matter to a close was never ruled out by the report.
The Minister however neither acknowledged effort of SLTU nor accepted request for a meeting with him on the matter.
Madam Lawson was made CHTVI National President and Mr Osman Turay, national Secretary-General in a 50-man delegates’ conference convened at the SLTU Hotel 5: 10 on 7th and 8th June, 2017.
The conference was successful as it culminated into the election of the current 17-member National Executive Committee including the National President and the National Secretary-General.
Technical and financial support was provided by the parent body, the SLTU.
By CHTVI’s constitution, their mandate lasts for three years.
The teachers’ union helped in the development of a revised CHTVI constitution, and conducted free and fair elections as acclaimed by all delegates and observers present in the conference.
The developments, SLTU says, paves the way for a continued participation of their representatives in the National Executive Committee of SLTU.
Pursuant to Article-5(1)(v) of the SLTU Constitution, CHTVI is a sub-association under the parent body of teachers-the SLTU just as the Conference of Principals, the National Council of
Head Teachers and the Nursery Schools Association.
By virtue of the provision, presidents of the sub-groups or associations are automatic members of the SLTU NEC.
In March, this year some CHTVI members directed a letter at the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) opting for a disaffiliation of CHTVI members from the SLTU.
By the expressed intention of withdrawal of membership it also means a cessation of dues to the SLTU account with effect from March, this year.
However, the CHTVI letter did not enjoy the consent of the entire membership prompting the Council to respond to the TSC.
In a letter dated 10th March, 2020, CHTVI addressed a letter to the TSC condemning the intended act of withdrawal from SLTU.
“As a council, we are dissociating ourselves from this as it does not have the mandate of either the entire membership or the elected NEC of CHTVI in Sierra Leone,” the letter reads.
The constitution, the letter says, establishes NCTVI as entity that is not restrained to do anything in the interest of the organisation.
“As prescribed in the council’s constitution adopted at the last Triennial Delegates Conference in 2017, the National Executive Committee shall have full control of the business of the council, and have powers to do anything not inconsistent with this constitution,” the document also reads.
In all these instances cited, Whether Madam Lawson would accept peace is a wait-and-See fair although, by the constitution, she no longer possesses presidential power.