August 16, 2021
BY PROBLYN JOHN ALPHA
The National Elders Council of the Kono Students Union has presented at least Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Leones (Le 8,500,000) to the aforementioned Union’s Executive for the running of this year’s KONSU Summer School in Koidu city.
Presenting the money at a ceremony held at the UMC Boys Primary School Pimbi lane in Koidu city, the Deputy Secretary General of the National Elders Council, Kono Students Union, Alex Christian Mani said, the presentation of the aforesaid money is part of their fundamental responsibilities as past executive members of the Union in order to support the present executive members of the union with regards the successful implementation of developmental activities of the Union for the overall growth of the union and education in the district.
Mr. Mani further maintained that the running of the summer school is an activity which KONSU undertakes yearly on free of charge basis, noting that their intervention is as a result of a budget sent to them in order to cushion some of the challenges the union is faced with in the running of the said summer school in as much as it is done on free of charge basis.
He said twelve million Leones was initially budgeted for the running of this year’s summer school but owing to the present financial constraint in the country, they were able to present eight million five hundred thousand Leones Le 8,500,000) through contributions among the membership of the National Elders Council of the Kono Students Union.
“As nothing is small in terms of expressing gesture, I expect the committee that is running this year’s KONSU summer school to use part of the money presented to give allowance to the teachers and also solve other challenges in the running of the said summer school” Alex Christian Mani observed.
Tamba Moitenga is the Financial Secretary of the Kono Students Union, when receiving the money, he foremost thanked the National Elders Council of the Union for the provision of the money which he said will no doubt cushion some of their challenges in running the summer school as it is done on pro-bono basis in order to give back to the community in which they were schooled.
He assured their benefactors that the money presented will be judiciously used. Similar sentiments were also expressed by one of the teachers of the said summer school Mohamed Sahid Tarawally including at least two pupils. The Mayor of Koidu New Sembehun City Council Ambassador Komba Mathew Sam who also doubles as a member of the National elders Council of the Kono Students Union while making a statement underscored the initiative for contributing as members in order to put this year’s KONSU Summer School on a sound footing as for the previous year such gesture was only evident with the intervention of politicians which he said does not tell well as it has the potential of mortgaging the reputation of the union.
He urged colleague members of the elder’s council not to relent in supporting the Union as it is the union that has contributed to what they are today.