By Bampia James Bundu
Executive Director, Heal Sierra Leone, Joseph Sannoh, has threatened to drag the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to court over allegations of breach of contract. The organization is seeking Le 1 Billion in damages which it believes it was deprived of by the action of the national broadcaster.
Heal Sierra Leone is a local non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion of education in Sierra Leone. As part of its intervention in the education sector following the prolonged closure of school as a result of the Ebola epidemic, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2014 with SLBC for the airing of a television programme under the School Emergency Teaching Programme. However, the program was “unilaterally” cancelled by SLBC about half way through.
According to Heal Sierra Leone, the programme was only aired for one month before it was abruptly pulled off air.
Speaking to Politico, Sannoh expressed disappointment over the issue. He said the agreement entails that the programme was to have been aired for four months.
A statement obtained by Politico from the Heal Sierra Leone boss indicates the total payment cost for the programme was Le112, 000, 000. The organization said it had already deposited the sum of Le20Million with SLBC when the programme was stopped.
“Owing to the stopping of the programme by SLBC, my company has already lost Le1, 467, 060, 000, which was the total cost for the Teaching and Learning Programme and the SLBC must refund our money for going against our agreement,” Sannoh stated.
He added that beside financial loss, the effect on the learning process has also been affected by the development.
He revealed that his lawyers had already written to the SLBC which had failed to respond to their letter. He said the lawyers had already served a second letter to that effect. Sannoh said he would not hesitate to drag the corporation to court should it fail to respond to the second letter in a week’s time.
“This is our last letter we are sending on this matter,” a letter written by Abdulai and Associates, Solicitors for Joseph Sannoh, warned.
Failure to reply, it adds, “we shall have no alternative but to carry out our preemptory instructions to institute action against your institution for the said claim, plus interest and costs of the action.”
SLBC’s legal officer, Joseph Kapuwa, confirmed that his institution indeed signed an MOU with Heal Sierra Leone for the airing of a TV teaching and learning programme, but he told Politico that the programme was suspended due to a disclaimer from the ministry of Education.
Kapuwa however refuted claims by Sannoh that they signed any contracts, adding that the SLBC only signed an MOU with the organization, which, he stressed, had no legal binding on the corporation.
The SLBC attorney explained further that they had to suspend the programme because of a disagreement that ensued between the Ministry of Education and Heal S/L. He noted that the agreement states ‘Heal Sierra Leone in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education.’
“Should any of the two parties opt out of the agreement, we had to suspend the programme until the ministry and company had sort out their differences,” said Kapuwa.
He added that they would never stop the programme had it been indicated in the MOU that the programme was solely owned by Sannoh.
“What we did was in the best interest of the two parties and if the matter is taken to court we will appear.”
© Politico 28/01/15
