Councilor Sheku A.G.Turay,
By. Richard Kemoh
Since the inception of the New Direction, the fight against corruption has played a pivotal role in Sierra Leone. On becoming President Bio in April, 2018, he declared every first Saturday of a month as national cleaning day.
Government has also supported the respective Local Councils in the country, including the Freetown City Council, with substantial amount of money to facilitate the cleaning exercise.
On the 5th August, 2018, the Ministry of Finance released Le1 billion to the Freetown City Council to facilitate cleaning in the city. The money was to help in the provision of chemical protective gears, tools, fuel and food for work for 100 youths respectively.
Councilor Sheku A.G.Turay, representing Ward 408 from Rokupa, told the nightwatch that things are no longer the same at the Freetown City Council (FCC) because their lives, as councilors,are under threat. He called on the central government to put adequate security measures in place to protect them
Mr. Turay disclosed that they were supposed, as planned, to employ 100 youths per ward for every Saturday cleaning exercise, which is a labor cost for an incentive of one hundred thousand leones (Le100, 000) per person. He explained that, after they have done the selection process of the youths, they were shocked to be later informed by the Finance Officer of the FCC that the number has been reduced to sixteen (16) youths per ward. The number was even reduced to twelve youths.
He explained that, after the cleaning exercise of Saturday 4th August 2018, they approached the Finance Officer, Mr. Madina Bah, who is in charge of disbursing payments after every Saturday cleaning exercise.
Councilor Unisa Kamara of Ward 445 from Grassfield, Lumley and an eyewitness, confirmed that, after the cleaning Saturday on 4th August 2018, a team of Councilors went to the Finance Officer at the Administrative building of the Freetown City Council to request for the payment of 12 youths. He also wanted to know why the money for each ward was slashed. Unfortunately, to their surprise, they met Lemon Koroma who is the Acting Secretary General of the SLPP at the office of the Finance Administrative Building, that stood in front of the entrance of Mr. Madina Bah’s office and lock the office in front of the councilors and refused that none of them should be allowed to enter the office of Mr. Bah.
He said that Mr.Lesmod rushed out and ran to the SLPP party office and called some of their young guys at the party office, like Arata, Shaker and more. They suddenly came out and attacked the councilors.
As a result, Councilor Sheku A.G.Turay was beaten by the boys and his phone was snatched away from him. He was wounded on his feet and his hand. He reported the matter to the Police Headquarters where he made statement and was given a police medical paper to seek medical attention while already given 14 stitches.