By Ruth Yeabu Sesay
Kono Chief Sahr Holando Gbekie congratulated President Julius Maada Bio on his re-election and commended his government for supporting tribal heads in the country.
Gbekie expressed gratitude to the president that for the first time, the Council of Tribal Heads has an office in the Freetown Municipality, located at the Freetown City Council building.
He stated that as tribal heads, they are happy at the strides taken by the government including being put on a payroll of 1000 (one thousand) New Leones every month as compared to the stipend of 160 (one hundred and sixty) New Leones they received in the past.
President Bio expressed satisfaction at the role local heads played in ensuring peaceful elections, which helped place Sierra Leone as the most peaceful nation in West Africa and third in Africa.
Bio assured the tribal heads that as a government, they are ready to work for the people of Sierra Leone.
He stated that he made a deliberate effort to see how the ordinary Sierra Leonean survives, during his campaign period, in order to know the areas that needed development so that when the development plan is being drawn the places with the most urgent needs will be given due consideration.
Bio said even though we speak different languages and have various customs, we are one people and we should not allow ourselves to be divided by tribal sentiments.
He stated that the past five years are the most difficult in and out of the country because of the economic challenges in the world.
“Our mandate is not just to win elections but to work for our beloved land; that is why we are happy to be a member of the UN Security Council,” he said.
He expressed his disappointment over the Tombo incident in which electricity poles were destroyed.
He commended the Minister of Internal Affairs David Panda Noah for his commitment to ensuring that the tribal heads get their benefits.
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