By Binta Jaiteh
Kassim Fadera, a local human rights activist at MansakonkoRegion has accused the chairman of Mansakonko Area Council, Landing B Sanneh, lobbying with the general council members to approve a document proposing to buy a vehicle worth D5 million.
Speaking in an interview with this medium, Kassim Faderaaffirmed that some of the councilors are in support while others are not, noting that at the moment the situation in MansakonkoArea Council is tense as there is a disagreement among representatives of the wards.
He stated that the people of the Lower River Region are not happy about the chairman’s request to buy a vehicle at such a cost from taxpayers’ money for himself.
According to him, none of the 12 wards in LRR benefits from a project of D500.000.00 funded by the Mansakonko Area Council, from the council’s resources since 2018.
He noted that when the chairman was installed as the chairman of the region after the election he said street lights Solar Power and borehole projects were donated by NGOs to MansakonkoArea Council.
He said the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry disclosed that solar power and the borehole project funds were corruptly managed by the Council’s former CEO Seedy Touray, in the testimony of a witness called Mam Pa Sambou and others.
He alleged that Chairman Landing B Sanneh and the former CEO of Mansakonko Area Council, Seedy Touray paid their university fees from the Mansakonko Area Council’s fund, and added that the evidence was disclosed through the Local Government Commission of Inquiry 2023/2024.
“Hundreds of poor children sent applications for scholarships to the council but none of them benefited from the Council’s Fund”, he alleged.
However, he said as of now his request is yet to be approved by the general council because right now, it is a written request to the general council for approval.
The Representative of the Jaduma ward Nfamara Jero Saidykhansaid the issue was not disclosed to the finance committee or at the general council meeting as they speak.
“I am a member of the finance committee and am not aware of the matter”, he confirmed to this medium.
He stated that if the finance committee approved the request it should be signed by the Finance sub-committee chairperson “which happens to be me. However, the minutes plus the loan form are different.”
So, “I declined to sign the document because I am not convinced about the issue,” he frowned.
Notwithstanding, “I summoned a meeting and disclosed the matter in which CEO Mustapha Bathilly apologized that the issue didn’t go in the right procedure”, he explained.
However, for clarification, The Voice has called and sent text messages to the Chairman of Mansakonko Landing B Sannehfor clarity by giving us his view but Chairman Landing B Sanneh refused to pick up the calls and as well refused to return the calls or reply to The Voice text messages to him.