By Amadu Daramy in Maryland, USA
Credible sources from Lower Bambara Chiefdom in the Kenema District indicate that the chiefdom authorities are not patriotic and having the chiefdom at heart.
The Member of Parliament for Constituency 015, Mrs. Rugiatu Tarawalie Mussafa, recently complained that Paramount Chief Alimamy Farma is always out of Panguma, the chiefdom headquarter town as if he has been relocated to Kenema, in addition to the fact that both of them are not seeing eye-to-eye, one of the factors that has contributed to the underdevelopment of the chiefdom not to talk of adding value to it.
Mrs. Rugiatu Tarawalie Mussafa went on to reveal that they have excluded her from the Chiefdom Development Committee and other Committees in both Nyawa and Bonya Sections.
She went on to inform this medium that most of the time, the Paramount Chief is out of the chiefdom as he has relocated himself to Kenema City where he spends most of his time and not working in the interest of his subjects, in addition to the fact that nothing is working in Panguma, the chiefdom headquarter town.
The MP also accused the chiefdom administration of establishing a parallel kangaroo court that extorts money from the poor masses; and that the money is shared among corrupt court officials including the Paramount Chief.
In an interview with Paramount Chief Alimamy Farma, he informed this medium that the Member of Parliament disrespects himself and the chiefdom authorities, that she is arrogant and always boasts of her political connections with the First Lady, Dr. Fatima Bio; and therefore can do whatever she likes with impunity.
He continued that Lower Bambara Chiefdom has been referred to as a Class A Chiefdom, that rumors circulating indicate that the Chiefdom may be upgraded/transformed to a District but doubt how can such be possible when it is underdeveloped.
Another burning issue with the tendency to tear the chiefdom apart is the pending lower level elections in the Chiefdom for various positions for the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). The two front-runners for the position of Chairman of the SLPP in Constituency 015 are Sheku Farma and Mohamed Mustapha.
According to the MP, Mrs. Rugiatu Tarawalie Mussafa, with the backing of Hawa Foray, the SLPP National Women’s Leader, she is solidly supporting Mr. Mohamed Mustapha while the Paramount Chief is supporting his brother, Sheku Farma, who is the current SLPP chairman for Constituency 015 and has the support of the youths and some elders.
Mohamed Mustapha on the other hand has the support of the MP Rugiatu Tarawalily Mussafa, Hawa Foray, the SLPP National Women’s Leader, the former MP, Med Lans; another former MP, Francis Konuwa; and some chiefdom elders, but a reliable source asserted that Sheku Farma is the strong favorite.
The election is too close to call and confirmed sources in the area intimate that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Alhaji Timothy Kabba, has taken a neutral stance.
Another problem in the chiefdom is the fact that the former MP, Francis Konuwa, is supporting Mohamed Mustapha; and as one acting chief asserted, Francis Konuwa served two terms without any tangible development in the area, and that he had many unresolved issues with the Paramount Chief, Alimamy Farma, and the Chiefdom Speaker, Amara Lansana Gando, who is unwell at the moment.
The chairman of the Lower Bambara Diaspora Development Association, Mohamed Plato Koroma informed this medium that the only way out of the current impasse is for the chiefdom to organize a peace and reconciliation meeting before December this year to be chaired by the Foreign Minister for all stakeholders to come together and chart the way forward; otherwise, the development of the chiefdom would be a far-fetched dream.
Residents of Lower Bambara Chiefdom have lamented that the road network in the chiefdom, including bridges, are deplorable; and that all the surface rents paid to the chiefdom by mining companies are squandered and unaccounted for by the authorities who share them among themselves, not to mention the Chiefdom Development Fund, especially now that the Sierra Diamond Company has collapsed and the workers going for over eight months without pay.
The people also complained about the absence of a Police Station in Panguma, but a post with only five old officers due for retirement, an assertion that was confirmed by the Member of Parliament who appealed for more young officers to be deployed in the area as the Local Unit Commander in the area is a 70-year-old man named Razor.
The people further cataloged the number of indigenes from the chiefdom who are holding high positions in government but are unable to resolve the long-standing impasse within the chiefdom to advance it, mentioning Mrs. Claire Calton Hanciles of the Legal Aid Board, Ambassador Sullay Daramy, Archie Fofanah, Hon. Musa Timothy Kabba- Foreign Minister, Dr. Julius Sandy- High Commissioner to Nigeria, former Hon. Bernadette Lahai, Yusuf Keketoma Sandy- Press Secretary at State House, Ambassador Mohamed Yongawa, among others, and suggested that a Commission of Inquiry be set up to probe the Chiefdom’s Development Committee and former Members of Parliament for not advancing the chiefdom.
Lower Bambara Chiefdom is divided into two constituencies: 015 comprising of two sections: Bonya and Nyawa, and 016 comprising of five sections including Malegohun Chiefdom.
Latest reports from the area indicate that work on the road network between Mano Junction to Panguma and Panguma Junction through Tongo to Bumpeh has still not commenced as at the time of going to press as was disclosed by the Chairman of the Lower Bambara Descendants Association, Mr. Fyston Bockarie.
He also informed that equipment such as tractors, caterpillars are being mobilized, quoting the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority.
Another burning issue affecting the people is the uncompleted public toilets in Tongo that lack water supply, which according to the people, is long overdue. The project is being undertaken by the MP, Hon. Rigato Tarawalie Mussafa.
The people are kindly appealing to the MP and the Paramount Chief to reconcile their differences and work together for the development of their people, especially when the MP has a very close relationship with the First Lady, Dr. Fatima Maada Bio.
Indigenes of Lower Bambara Chiefdom who are holding top government positions are not championing the cause of their people, as the indigenes cited as example the First Lady who is championing the cause of the Kono people.
A businessman in Kenema, Mr. Borbor Bell Konuwa, when interviewed, disclosed that the deaths of the former chairman of Constituency 015, Alphonso Komeh, and the former Minister of Development and Economic Planning, and later Commissioner for Trade for the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) based in Abuja- Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed B. Daramy, are major setbacks to the advancement of the chiefdom.
He further underscored that if the two gentlemen were alive today they would have contributed immensely to the development of Lower Bambara Chiefdom, especially on the road network, as they both had very close relationships with President Julius Maada Bio, reiterating that the two indigenes of the chiefdom played pivotal roles to the election of the President.
