By Mohamed Foday Conteh
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) and its staff have donated over 500 million Leones to the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) as support in helping victims of 5 November fuel tanker fire at PMB Junction, Wellington in Freetown.
Director-General of NASSIT, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh presented the two cheques to Retired Lieutenant-General Brima Sesay, Director-General of NDMA on Tuesday 16th November this year at Aberdeen in Freetown.
The first cheque of Le 55,720,000 (fifty-five million, seven hundred and twenty thousand Leones), which was a donation made by individual members of staff of NASSIT, was presented to NDMA.
Another cheque of 500 million Leones as donation from NASSIT as an institution was also presented to the Agency.
The Director-General of NASSIT said they were impressed at NDMA’s efforts in responding to the disaster. He said one of the reasons they intervened as a social security entity was because some of the fire victims may be contributors or potential contributors. He also pointed out that some victims were dependents of contributors.
He said the disaster has also affected his institution because there is an increase in potential liability claims and payments for invalidity and survivors’ benefits. He also believed there might be attempts by some persons to make fraudulent claims.
Daboh said that NASSIT has been supporting the nation over the years and mentioned the support they rendered to the government during the Ebola epidemic and the 2017 Mudslide at Regent Village.
He said that they have made constant visits to hospitals where victims of the inferno were admitted and appealed to other organisations and individuals to help the nation in this trying time.
The NDMA boss in response expressed appreciation for the donation made by NASSIT and spoke about Daboh’s show of concern for victims through phone calls from the onset of the disaster.He said that the donation is timely since their agency is a young one established in November last year.
Sesay went further to describe the seriousness of the disaster and the carnage it caused. He said as of the 15th November, the total number of affected persons stood at 304.He affirmed corpses from the inferno were given dignified burial.
According to Sesay, of the 146 deceased, 84 were pronounced dead on arrival whilst 62 died at the hospital.
He said 9 of those currently admitted are in critical condition.
The NDMA Director-General stated that 22 vehicles, 48 motorbikes, three tricycles and two residences were destroyed.
He disclosed support by foreign embassies in the country and the presence of medical teams from Senegal, Liberia, Italy and the US to help the health system in treating victims of the tragedy.
Copyright © Politico Online 17/11/21
