Over the past six weeks or so, Forum newspaper has been following developments at the FCC, especially on issues regarding the rancour surrounding the reported behaviour of the Chief Administrator towards Her Worship Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyer.

Last month, precisely on 9 July, about forty councillors issued a protest letter calling for the transfer of the FCC Chief Administrator to another council or municipality for sanity, respite and good progress to be restored at the apex city council of Freetown.

That protest letter, which called for the removal or transfer of the Council’s Chief Administrator, Festus Kallay, highlighted several issues that could be ascribed as tantamount to insubordination wherein the Chief Administrator (CA) is alleged or said, among other accusations, to have been refusing to speak with the Mayor for about eight weeks running, which is hitting into the smooth sail of the activities and operations of the FCC.

Shortly after that letter, another letter on the same issue was issued in response to the manner in which the higher governing authorities in government responded to the matter.

As if that was not enough, we have seen another elaborate letter or report of complaints coming from the horse’s mouth or the Mayor herself, stating categorically and explicitly almost all that have been transpiring at the FCC, particularly between Her Worship the Mayor and her subordinate the Chief Administrator.

And from the reading in the Mayor’s latest letter, we are sensing something fishy in this whole affair more likely a wind of sabotage taking place at the FCC.

The Mayor’s latest letter dated 3rd August 2021 is more of a complaint and letting the cat out of the bag for not only the government authorities and the President to know but for also the people of Sierra Leone to be aware of what is happening at the FCC regarding the behaviour of the CA towards the Mayor and for the people of Sierra Leone to serve as witness and judge in the matter.

For the records, excerpts of the letter of the Mayor state: “The most significant challenge that has persisted in respect of the administrative functioning of FCC, and about which I wrote to the Minister of Local Government on 12th November 2018 with the Chairman Local Government Service Commission in copy is the practice of the CA to not speak to me, not answer my telephone calls and to not attend meetings that I convene for protracted period of time. In my letter of 12th November 2018, I wrote ‘May I use this opportunity to inform you that the Chief Administrator has not communicated with me at all whether in person, by email or by phone since his return to the country on 21st October 2018. As you can imagine, this situation has a detrimental impact on FFC’s ability to deliver services’.

”In spite of numerous attempts at mediation and resolution over the past 3 years, the CA has continued this practice and on four other occasions, the CA has chosen not to speak to me, not to answer my phone calls and to not attend meetings I convene for periods of between 3 to 12 weeks (in June to July 2020; in November 2020; in February to March 2021; from May 21 to date). These episodes of malice and avoidance are done in full view of all FCC staff, creating tension and division within the institution and negatively impacting on effective service delivery and staff welfare.

“I have highlighted this practice and the resultant negative impact of it in letters written to the Ministry of Local Government and/or the Local Government Service Commission dated 12th November 2018, 1st April 2019 and 2nd July 2020 but did not receive responses to those letters. In an attempt to ensure that the operations of FCC do not grind to a complete halt because of this practice, I have over the years actively participated in mediation undertaken by stakeholders (FCC councilors, staff, members of the MDU [Mayor’s Delivery Unit] and external parties) on several occasions. I have continued to seek the collaboration and cooperation of the CA and I have repeatedly reinforced my willingness to work with the CA.”

Going through the letter of the Mayor, one can only be rendered perturbed at the understanding that the feud at the FCC has been going on for over three years without redress from the powers that be or the higher authorities of the land!

At this juncture, it seems the Mayor is yearning for public interest into the matter as the whole affair is derailing work and the provision of social services to the people of Freetown. It is therefore essential that constructive interventions into the matter are done by the Ministry of Local Government, the President of the land and even the people of Sierra Leone.

Forum wants peace, sanity and progress to prevail at the Freetown City Council for the good of the capital city and the nation.