July 9, 2021
Athletes have called on the President Maada Bio and the first lady Fatima Bio to come to urge the Ministry Of Finance to release their per-diems after winning two gold, two silver and four bronze medals respectively at the ECOWAS Regional Athletics Championship in Kaduna, Nigeria.
Team Captain, Alie Kamara told this medium that the medals are of no important because the Ministry Of Sports Ibrahim Nyelenkeh and the Executive Director of National Sports Authority (NSA) Dr. Kenneth Brima are yet to host them at their respective offices.
He said at Kaduna, Burkina Faso, Ghana and host Nigeria athletes were treated as good ambassadors but for us we were abandoned by our government officials because nobody travelled with the team.
“Upon our return nobody welcome us, so these medals are of no use to us, the association and the country. We want the President and the first lady to plead on our behalf so the Ministry of Finance to release our per-diem because the athletes are suffering and we are in desperate need of this money, adding that the Leone Stars team that qualified for the AFCON was given special treatment,” he said.
He said the Minister of Sports was on AYV TV whiles stressing that the money will be available last week but to no avail.
“We are tired with this hide and seek game” he said.
He continued that they are Sierra Leoneans and they deserve better treatment. Recently, a colleague, Hasting Spaine was at 98.1 FM called on respective authorities to speed up their demands, but till date all promises are fruitless.
He called on government to do the needful so athletes will return to training.