By Mabinty M. Kamara
A violent encounter occurred between rival factions in the up-coming chieftaincy race in Barrie chiefdom Pujehun District on Tuesday 2nd February. According reliable sources properties were destroyed and people suffered injuries after local tax verification and assessment process was disrupted.
Speaking to Politico, Mustapha Wai of the Wai clan said he was attacked by an irate group, and alleged that the group was organised by the Regent Chief of the area.
He added that their compound was later attacked and the house and some other makeshift structures and a motorbike were set ablaze. “So I had to flee the scene and jump into my vehicle. As I drove off, they started pelting stones at my vehicle. They went to our compound and burn the house and all the other structures in the compound. And 12 solar lights and also looted the store where other valuable items were kept,” he said.
He added: “They said it’s the regent Chief that sent them to disrupt the process. I called him but he didn’t pick up but later I got him on phone. I explained the incident to him but he said he had no idea and denied that he sent them so I told him I was coming to his place for us to discuss the issue but before I could reach his place there were already dozens of youth in his compound. They also attacked me and the OSD officers who accompanied me.”
The Regent Chief, Vandy Sani Rogers dismissed the allegation and told Politico that some aspirants and other stakeholders raised an alarm over the number of tax payers in a particular place for which he said they were putting modalities in place to have people understand the process.
He said: “I later understood that some people went and disrupted the process. How, I don’t know. So I decided to go on the ground when I met with two guys who told me not to proceed to the town for security reasons. I joined them to go to the police station to make report.”
The Regent Chief said he was there when he got a call from Mr. Mustapha Wai who told him that it has been alleged that he (the Regent Chief) sent people to disrupt the process but that he told him it can’t be me.
Ibrahim Swaray, leader of the Civil Society Coalition in Pujehun district expressed concern over the situation and called for the intervention of the government and other stakeholders to restore sanity in the community which he said has affected many other activities including schools.
The District Security Committee meeting organized on Wednesday 4th February to address the impasse could not hold because of disagreements.
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