ACTNOW-SL partners with Government Ministries, Department and Agencies, INGOs, NGOs, and Development Partners to protect and promote transparency, accountability and service delivery in the use of the development funds, ensuring effective and efficient utilization of public funds allocated to MDAS and Local Councils, adhering to regulations, popularizing financial policies, monitoring the process of Decentralization of State Institutions to the Local Councils most especially the provisions made for community development in the country.
ACTNOW-SL have noted with dismay that the Sewa Ground Market which has been under construction for over TEN years with no definite date of completion and handing over to the donor or investment agency, for the benefit of our traders and the general public who are suffering with no proper and decent place or environment to do business within capital city with conveniency.
We are demanding NASSIT which is the sole financier of this investment to come out and update citizens about the current status of this project which they are implementing in partnership with the Freetown City Council.
As a civil society that is charged with the responsibility of effective and efficient monitoring and utilization of government resources/public funds, we are requesting the immediate actions on the under mention critical issues as stated below:
- We are aware of an investigation that was carried out by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the report has been handed over to NASSIT for immediate action
- Current status of the project highlighting why work has not commenced at the site for the past two to three years since the contractor was stopped from continuing the work?
- How much resources of tax payers and pensioners money have been disbursed to the contractor or spent on this investment?
- When will the contractor complete the work and officially handover the property to NASSIT or government of Sierra Leone
- As a Civil Society which holds Government accountable on Service Delivery, we have noted with great concern the current status of the project, indicating the theft of steel windows and doors, moreover, it is now serving as breeding ground for all criminal activities, some of the zinc on the roof have flow away and the building is leaking, and wall is getting weak as a result of this abandonment by all parties involved.
As an institution, let it be known that Government cannot be seen as striving to uphold the judicious use of government resources of over Two Million Dollars (NLe 28 Billion), and the work is at a standstill; and the structures are in such a dilapidated status and abandoned by those in charge whilst our women and other traders are out there in the cold suffering to get a secured and convenient trading environment in the capital city.
We will end by calling on the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Freetown City Council, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Works and Public Asset and The Regional Minister Western Area to take immediate actions without delay by robustly engaging with all parties including civil society organizations to ensure timely completion of the Sewa Grounds Market for its utilization by the traders.
We hope to meet and work with all parties including the Sierra Leone Traders Union and Government of Sierra Leone in ensuring that this project is speedily completed and handed over to the beneficiaries.
Signed:
Accountability Now-SL, Executive Director,
William BM Sao-Lamin
Civil Society Advocacy Network on Climate Change and the Environment (CAN-SL)
National Coordinator
David J Allieu
Rural Women in Action Group Sierra Leone
Secretary General
Matilda Sonsiama
National Youths Advocacy Network –Sierra Leone (NAYANET)
National Coordinator
Ibrahim Bangura