By Prince Musa
Amid a huge financial challenge, the opposition-controlled Kenema District Council in eastern Sierra Leone has parted ways with seven of its staff if only to cut its coat according to its size.
Council officials told Politico that three of the sacked workers had reached the retirement age, one was being investigated for an alleged theft, while the others were carefully selected because the council could not afford the funds to maintain its current wage bill.
One of the redundant workers, Amara Que, who until now was logistics officer, was laid off because he had passed the retirement age, as were Sahr Nyuma and Richard Coacker, both of whom were cleaners. Foday Sesay, a security guard, was made redundant on the excuse that there was a case of an alleged theft against him.
Mariama Conteh, a finance clerk; Lucy Ansumana, secretary to the Council’s admin officer; and Ibrahim Tejan, Chief Driver, were all relieved simply because of lack of funds.
With a staff base of 21, officials said the Council was overstaffed with the workers owed four months in arrears.
The council depends on its home source funds to retain the auxiliary staff until it receives funds from the central government, according to Bangalie Foday Marrah, Deputy Chief Administrator.
Mustapha Musa, a spokesman for the council blamed the delay in the disbursement of funds on the central government. He said they had only received funds for the first and second quarters which were paid in the third quarter of the year.
He said they barely managed to pay the redundant staff their four months backlog to avoid further embarrassment.
He said the Human Resource office of the Council took time to consult with the European Union Technical Adviser at the Council and the regional labour officer, before implementing the redundancy action.
Musa said the Council had no plans to pay end-of-service benefits owed the sacked redundant workers but that they were considering the possibility of compensating them.
Attention has been on the 2014 Area Mining Development Funds, amounting to Le100million, which the Council recently received from the National Minerals Agency, which is usually meant for development activities in the district. But Musa said that money would be used on the basis of a resolution taken by the councilors, and in line with the council development plan and budget.
He urged the aggrieved workers to exercise patience.
© Politico 26/09/16
