September 6, 2021
BY PROBLYN JOHN ALPHA
At least fifty two (52) disgruntled students pursuing Teachers Certificate (TC) and Higher Teachers Certificate (HTC) in Kono District have called on authorities concerned and education stakeholders in the district and country as a whole to promptly intervene in addressing the ongoing reported World Vision Scholarship scheme saga.
According to some of the discouraged students, two years ago they came in contact with Emmanuel Bonga who was reportedly coordinating the said World Vision Scholarship for teachers in Kono District and told them to buy entry forms for them to gain admission into the Eastern Polytechnic Woama Campus under the much talked about World Vision Scholarship scheme. After purchasing the forms for themselves, the students said, they went through the interview process with Emmanuel Bonga present at the interview panel who collected their admission forms and money and later reportedly handed them over to the head of the college.
“After several verifications on our legal admission into the college under the aforementioned world vision scholarship on various occasions in the past two years by the Eastern Polytechnic Administration which in the process confirmed our admission to be legitimate, we were totally surprised seeing the Dean of campus, Mr Babonjo asking us out of the exams hall with the pretext that, the much talked about scholarship is not genuine and that we are to pay our fees before they allow us to take our semester exams the disgruntled students said”, he students asserted.
Although some authorities including constituency 027 member of parliament, Honourable Francis Bendu in Kono District, the Deputy Director of Education, Alimamy Kamara and the Chiefdom Speaker, Sandor prevailed on the college administration through the Dean of campus Mr. Babonjo and the registrar, Mr. John Juana to allow the students to take the exams and pay the fees later, but their plead was not granted.
Frantic efforts made by A-Z to get the sides of the Eastern Polytechnic and World Vision Administration via text messages, phone calls and visitation proved futile as those contacted by the aforementioned channels on behalf of the said institutions refused talking to our Kono District Correspondent.
Meanwhile, local gossips maintained that in refusal to talk to the press on the unfortunate situation cannot be unconnected with their apparent conspired syndicate with the alleged fraudster, Emmanuel Bonga who has been reportedly coordinating the alleged fake scholarship scheme.
They have therefore called on the relevant key players in the district and country as a whole, including the Anti-Corruption commission for their prompt interventions to amicably address the said appalling situation before it gets out of hands.
Meanwhile, the alleged fraudster, Emmanuel Bonga is reportedly to be on the run, while police at the Tankoro Division currently investigating the said matter.
The Secretary General of the main Opposition All People’s Congress (APC) twenty one (21) men committee, Mohamed Sheridan Kamara has revealed to this medium that, the party’s ongoing nationwide delegate elections have nothing to do with the APC’s flagbearership process in the party.
Mohamed Shendan Kamara made the pronouncement in an online interview with A-Z on updating the delegates on the nationwide elections.
It could be recalled that pursuant to the court order dated 9th August, 2021, the committee of a 21 man completed the conduct of delegate elections covering all the regions across the country for which the 21 man committee secretary, Mr. Kamara said they are very grateful to all those who participated in making the said elections successful.
Mohamed Shendan Kamara however disclosed that the committee is not oblivious of the challenges in other constituencies including constituencies 061 in Kambia, 081, 079 and 087 in Bo and constituencies 025, 026, 027 and 028 in Kono District, which made it impossible to conduct the aforesaid elections.
He continued that they are mindful of the task of conducting delegate elections in a transparent and peaceful atmosphere.
Mr Sheridan said the committee suspended the process of conducting those elections to prevent what he referred to as an escalation of the rising tension in the aforementioned constituencies.
The APC 21 men committee scribe, Mohamed Shendan Kamara however said, in cognizant of the importance of having delegates to represent the aforementioned constituencies, the committee would meet with the political party’s registration commission (PPRC) which has the mandate to look into the root causes of those challenges and set benchmarks that will prevent the reoccurrence of the said ugly situation.
Therefore a date for the re-run of election for those constituencies will be announced shortly. He said.
Meanwhile, the committee according to Mr Kamara has conducted elections for delegates from the APC National youth league and will conduct the elections of delegates for women’s congress.
Meanwhile, the outcome of the said election in Kono District will be heard in our subsequent news publication.