By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Residents of Faama, Nomo chiefdom Kenema district have called on the interventions of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate one councillor Salamatu Sheriff of ward 38 in Nomo chiefdom and the Monitoring and Evaluation officer of Gola Rainforest Fomba Amara Kanneh who doubles as the Country Coordinator of Edukids Sierra Leone over alleged misappropriation of project funds meant for the community.
Kanneh is said to have received the sum of fifty million Leones from the founder of Edukids-SL, one Anika an expert who came to do some research at Gola rainforest but decided to establish a community based organization to support vulnerable children in the community.
The fund is said to be for the development of swamp farming that will support parents but that the project was allegedly swept under the carpet by councillor Salamatu and Kanneh.
In an interview with Politico, Lansana Kajue a beneficiary of the Edukids program said fifteen children were targeted to benefit from education support from the organization.
‘’We are struggling to support our children but we are not aware of any money given to councilor for swamp project to support us,’’ he said.
However, he said they once received Le 400,000 from the councilor who serves as the chiefdom coordinator to buy school materials for the 15 beneficiary children but that it’s been long time since they last got such support which he said has affected the schooling of many children on the scheme. He therefore called on the ACC to intervene to investigate the matter.
Aminata Mansaray another beneficiary told Politico that it’s been two years since they last got support from the organization.
”I have not received any money or support from Edukids Sierra Leone for the past two years as a student’’.
Paramount chief of Nomo chiefdom Patrick Kanneh Kabba, told Politico that he has no idea of Edukids activities in his chiefdom as only parents of the beneficiaries are involved, stating that he was told that councilor gave out money to beneficiary parents for swamp work. “I want to get the bottom of this matter because it has become topical issue for my people,’’ he said.
Speaking to Politico, the former coordinator of Edukids program at Nomo, Edison Kanneh confirmed that Le 15,000,000 was given to Kanneh whom he alleged took about 70 percent of the fund for himself and use the rest for the swamp project a decision he said he objected to and later resigned in 2017.
He also alleged money was issued to Kanneh for office space that people can access and to train over a hundred children in computer skills but said the office space was not acquired nor was there any computer training for the children.
“I decided to resign because Fomba Kanneh is not transparent and accountable and he blocked everyone from getting in touch with Aneka for any information on Edukids,’’ he said.
When contacted, Councilor Salamatu denied having received any funds for swamp work for Edukids group. She said the money that was given to the group members for swamp project was from her personal account and that if any issues were connected to that, they should ask Kanneh as she only took over in 2019.
‘’Nobody gave me any money for swamp work for Edukids,” she said.
She added that because the group was not actively participating in the swamp project, another organization called Development Initiative Program (DIP) was implementing a similar project, and decided to merge with Edukids to do one swamp project.
However, the field supervisor for DIP Kenema, Philip James Kamanda said, DIP is implementing Inland Valley Swamp project and that the project is implemented in Taninahun in the Nomo chiefdom with some members from Faama which is the headquarter of Nomo chiefdom. He denied partnership with edukids swamp project.
“We are not in partnership with any organization call edukids Sierra Leone for our project work as DIP organization,’’ he said.
He warned against associating his organization wrongly in any fraudulent partnership.
In response to the allegations, Fomba Amara Kanneh denied knowledge of the Edukids partnership with any organaisation and that he has never allocated any funds to the councillor for parents of Edukids or for swamp cultivation and he that had never received any money from Anika for any susponsorship or work for the organization.
He also denied receiving fifteen million Leones for any project or taken 70% of the said fund. He said all coordinators from different chiefdoms do send proposals directly to Aneka without his knowledge.
‘’I accept that any money given to chiefdom coordinators comes through me as country coordinator and a lot of funds have been sent to me for different activities,’’ he said.
Copyright © Politico Online 15/10/21
