By Prince J. Musa in Kenema
The National Security Council Coordinating Group (NSCCG) sub-committee under the Office of the President has settled dispute chiefdom authorities at Gorahun Tunkia chiefdom in the Kenema district.
Addressing the chiefdom authorities the chairman of the event who is also head of NSCCG, Francis Laguba Kallie disclosed that the sub-committee was mandated by government to probe into the conflict between the chiefdom speaker and other chiefdom stakeholders, which has posed serious threat to national security. He said the committee does not favour anybody and will look into the impasse that has led to tension in the chiefdom. He stated that the committee was only responsible to President Julius Maada Bio and warned the law will fall heavily on anyone who would want to disturb the peace.
He called for all relevant parties to the dispute to engage with the authorities including the Police leadership in the East.
The Resident Minister East ,Andrew Ansu Fatorma expressed dismay over the confrontation and disrespect displayed in their presence as government officers by a small number of people from Tunkia.
He urged the people to demonstrate maturity and allow the committee to probe into the cause of the conflict and cautioned all parties to show restraint.
The minister said instability will disrupt development projects in the chiefdom and told the paramount chief, speaker and town chiefs to know their limitations in terms of chiefdom administration.
He said members of the local leadership hierarchy must show respect for one another, with due consideration to seniority and disapproved any act that will prevent someone from residing in any community, as long as the person has no criminality issue to deal with.
Chairman Council of Paramount Chiefs Kenema district, PC Foday Steven Kpakira Fabba of Dodo chiefdom called on his colleague paramount chief to cooperate with the committee saying paramount chiefs will only enjoy their position when there is peace.
PC Fabba called on the educated people from Tunkia to help broker peace but not to be troublemakers by taking sides in minor matters that ought to be settled among the people.
The dispute surrounds the alleged decision by the chief of Ngegbama town Haja Nancy Feika to deny Chiefdom Speaker Mohamed Mustapha Mansaray from residing in the town.
Mansaray told the gathering that his rejection by Madam Feika was because he had refused to support the second term bid of the sitting Member of Parliament representing their locality, Alusine Kanneh. He said the MP had wrongly accused him before, and he had in turn reported the matter to Madam Feika whom he accused of failing to resolve the problem that he said had gone on for years.
Meanwhile PC Sama as head of the entire chiefdom told the committee he had never sacked Mansaray and that he was still speaker.The committee in the end recommended that no one should reject others from living in any community and that the paramount chief should be respected by other chiefdom authorities. It was also recommended that nobody should do the work of chiefdom speaker illegally. Another recommendation was that the parliamentarian should consider everybody as his subjects and avoid petty political malice.
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