March 18, 2021
By: John Abass Koroma (Port Loko)
The Port Loko District Chairman for Persons Living with disabilities, Abdulai Kamara has cried out loudly but his voice has not been heard. He is claiming marginalization by contractors of a European Union funded project, D & S Associate in Lungi.
D & S Associate is presently rehabilitating the Bullum Amhadiyya Junior Secondary School at Masoila in Lungi with funds from the EU but has failed to adopt section 24 of the Disability Act of 2011 which requires that persons living with disability should have access to a range of public buildings in Sierra Leone.
According to Mr. Abdulai Kamara, the Chairman for Sierra Leone Union of Disability Issues (SLUDI), a 20 years experienced teacher at the Bullum Ahmadiyya Junior Secondary School, the rehabilitation process has no provision for the free movement of physically challenged persons in the school.
He said the school corridors are high with no ramp constructed and all classroom and office doors do not go with the required standards that will encourage his free movement as a teacher as well as other physically challenged pupils in the school.
He produced to A-Z Newspaper few documents including complaint letters filed against D & S Associate to the National Authorization Office in Freetown among others. He lamented that his complaint has hit the wall of official insensitivity..
Mr. Kamara claimed that he has tendered series of complaint to the administration of the Port Loko District Council but nothing has changed and the rehabilitation process is almost in completion.
He was explaining outside the building under the hot burning sun earlier this week in a visibly exasperated mood.
He said he feels axed and marginalized in the only profession he has served for so long. “I have been taken out of job, I cannot access any parts of the building without people coming to usher me in and out,” he cried out.
He said he has had lots of confrontation with the Contractor representative demanding the Bill of Quotation (BOQ) which he said no one has ever seen, not even the school authority.
This week a team of WASH monitors comprising Budget Advocacy Network, Members of Parliament and this reporter visited the said school where the issue came up. The team through the instruction of the MPs, were able to obtain the BOQ for later examination and actions by concern authorities to look into the project.
At the Port Loko District Council, A-Z Reporter inquired from the Chief Administrator, Alhaji Bangura whether the claims made by Mr. Kamara about the disable unfriendly nature of the school building are of concern.
The Chief Administrator acknowledged receiving verbal complaint from Mr. Abdulai Kamara but noted that the European Union Projects in the district are implemented without reference to the Port Loko District Council.
He said this is against the Local government Act which stipulates that every development coming to the district has to reference the district council. He noted that the council is aware of 25 schools rehabilitation projects funded by the EU with three schools in Kafu bullum and Lokomasama chiefdoms but do not have any official coordination and that the council cannot not interrupt the process.
The Chief Administrator continued that should the council attempt to caution contractors, some members of the public as well as the pupils beneficiary will bounce back misunderstanding that the council is opposed to development. He however noted that after the project completion, the council will try to do the needful assessment report.
Alicious Baimba is the representative of D & S Associate in the ongoing project, in responding to this medium said they are simply implementing what is found in the BOQ and could not alter anything for any reason. He could not provide further information saying his bosses could not permit that.