By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Authorities in Kenema have expressed concern over the security situation of the district following a chieftaincy row in Tissor Village. The Provincial Security Coordinating Committee (PROSEC) in the Eastern Region said the situation must be solved as soon as possible to avoid an escalation.
The concerns come after the Town Speaker of the village, Lahai Lamin, was removed by the Paramount Chief of Nongowa Chiefdom, Mohamed Sidique Kapuwa. PC Kapuwa is alleged to have installed Bockarie Salamy as the caretaker chief without consulting elders of the village, according to reports.
Salamy, who is a former Member of Parliament, was installed seven days after the of the village chief, Mustapha Samai, passed away last month, much to the condemnation of the villagers.
The Provincial Secretary of the region, Mohamed Sheik Kargbo, told journalists in a press conference: "PC instructed Nongowa Chiefdom Speaker, Frank Daniel Neka, to announce the caretaker chief and suspend town speaker of Tissor. Tissor elders accused the caretaker chief of removing all land vendors that were accredited by the community and he recruited people who are selling lands that have been sold previously."
Kargbo expressed worry that the situation could descend into chaos if it is not addressed immediately.
"The 2011 Chieftaincy Act states that care taker chief can only be appointed at the forty-day ceremony of a deceased chief, not on the seven day funeral,” he stated to journalists.
Much of the contention has been on the action of Salamy since he took over. He has been accused of seizing and reselling land in the village and cutting out land vendors in the process.
Politico could not reach Salamy for comment.
The issue threatens to spark a much bigger row involving two of the most senior officials in the region: PC Kapuwa and the Resident Minister, Andrew Ansu Fatorma.
A meeting that was held by PROSEC resolved to implement a number of recommendations, one of which is to install Lahai as the Town Speaker and to make sure Salamy halts what he is doing with the lands and handover the necessary paper work to the Chiefdom Speaker until the situation is resolved.
But Kapuwa insisted that PROSEC doesn’t have the mandate to address the issue and he accused the Resident Minister of interfering with his authority.
"The issue of town speaker is not a matter to go up at PROSEC. If the resident minister is working for his salary, let him continue working for it, but I will not reverse my decision and this matter can't be resolved," he said.
Kapuwa said he will not attend any PROSEC meeting on the issue and will end up instructing his officials not to attend.
The Resident Minister was not present during the press conference and has since not responded to the allegations.
Police in the area have already stifled a violent unrest when two rival youth groups clashed after allegations that thugs were hired to clear the quarry in the village.
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