The Council of Heads of Technical and Vocational Institutions (CHTVI) have on Friday 8th April 2022, held a press conference calling on government officials and the ministry of education to conduct a free and fair election.
The press conference took place at No.1 King Harman Road, Freetown.
Chairperson Abdulai Bangura speaking on the conference said they are representing all institutions all over the county and their motive is to send a very strong message to the public of Sierra Leone that there is conflict among members of the councils of heads of technical and vocational institutions in Sierra Leone.
He noted that they will not seat by and watch the conflict escalate because the current president must resign as they will be robust in the institution.
National Secretary General Osman Turay speaking during the press conference thanked the professional Heads, Directors and principals of the technical and vocational institutions in Sierra Leone.
He said it was agreed that the group of these professionals be called the council of Heads of technical and vocational institutions in Sierra Leone (CHTV-SL) as the organization has been in existence for over 20 years.
He noted that as prescribed in the council’s constitution adopted at the last delegates conference in 2017, the National Executive Committee (NEC) shall have the full control of the business of the council and have the powers to do anything that is not inconsistent with the council’s constitution (Article 6,p paragraph 2)
He continued that the council does not have instructor teachers as it members but only heads of institutions as the name clearly indicates and as enshrined in the council’s constitution.
The Secretary General said their executive was duly elected in our last delegate’s conference held at hotel five ten, on the 7-8 July, 2017 for a three years mandate that’s 2017-2020.
“Mrs Sallay S.S Lawson was elected president, Mrs Grace Kamanda as Vice President, Mr. Osman Turay as Secretary General and 14 Other’s” he said.
However, there has been a rift between the elected national president Mrs Sallay S.S Lawson and others national elected executive officers which is to the full knowledge of the ministry of Technical and higher education, the technical and higher education committee in parliament, the teaching service commission (TSC), the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Sierra Leone Teachers Union and all of the above stated institutions in one way or the other have intervened to help resolve the impasse but to no avail.
Osman Turay stated that issues raised against Mrs. Sallay S.S Lawson by members of the executive are as follows.
He stated that the president Mrs Sallay S.S Lawson used the Council’s official email address to write to the World Bank in relation to project funds instructing them to address or copy all documents and correspondences to Tamba Prince David Sam as the Secretary General, thereby usurping the office of the elected National Secretary General.
Similar correspondence was sent to the TVET Coalition Sierra Leone. The said Tamba prince David Sam happens to be the Biological Son of the Mrs Sallay S.S Lawson and he is not a member of the Council.
Secretary General continues that Mrs Sallay S S Lawson replaced/Changed the signatories to the council’s Account without reference to the national executive committee.
Article 9, paragraph 3 of the councils constitution says that the three signatories to the council’s account shall be the National President, National Secretary General and the Treasurer but as it stated there is an unknown account operated by Mrs. S.S Sallay Lawson and few others which doesn’t have the consent of the elected national executive committee (NEC).
He furthered that all financial transactions of the council are presently handled by Mrs Sallay Lawson leaving out the offices of the elected National financial Secretary and the Treasurer dormant and that Mrs Sallay Lawson has also failed to account to NEC about monies she has been receiving for and on behalf of the council.
Secretary General stated that subject to the above allegations against Mrs Sallay S.S Lawson we wish to state their position as members of the elected national executive of 2017.
