By Septimus Senessie in Kono.
A prominent women's leader in the Fiama Chiefdom of the eastern district of Kono has called on Local Government Minister, Diana Finda Konomayi to build the boarding school facilities she promised the chiefdom during her campaign for the bye-election in 2012 to become District Council Chairman.
Speaking during the Kono District Council's monthly meeting held for the first time at the Njagbwema Town Court Barry, the Deputy Mammy Queen of the Town, Finda Gborie told councillors to remind the minister of "her long-standing promise" to promote the education of girls in the five sister chiefdoms in that part of the district.
The 80-year-old woman said two years after winning the election and later becoming a minister, the women in Gbaneh-Kandor, Mafindor, Soa, Toli, Lei and Fiama were still waiting for the structure to be built. "We are disappointed because we gave her our votes in exchange for the boarding facilities but since she won the election in 2012, we are still waiting" she said.
The women's leader said the proposed building would have contained all the necessary facilities with trained and qualified teachers, adding: "with such facilities in this place, we will be able to retain more girls in school to give them quality education in these chiefdoms so they don't travel to Koidu town to attend schools where they get early pregnancy and drop out".
In an interview with Politico after the meeting, Gborie said "all our girl children have dropped out of school through early pregnancy and only those below age 10 years are now attending school and risk following the footsteps of their elders" whom she said had dropped out of education.
The chairman of the Kono District Council, Aiah Abdurahman Koninga assured the women of Fiama that he would take their messages to the minister.
(C) Politico 21/08/14
