August 2, 2021
By: KAMAL M BARRIE (KENEMA)
A group of disgruntled Youths who are Plumbers in Kenema were left with no option but to physically attack and flog the Kenema station Manager of the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) Mr. Yayah Sesay.
Speaking to the groups National Coordinator Issachar Sannoh, he claimed that in 2019 the African Development Bank ADB sponsored SALWACO to incorporate youths in the Water Company of the three cities of Makeni, Kenema and Bo respectively and an advertisement was published through the National Youth Commission-NAYCOM. Sannoh further revealed that thousands of them applied and about 300 were shortlisted and interviewed. At the end of the interview only 120 youths were fortunate to be shortlisted with a 40 quota per region.
A National Youth Plumbers Coordinator claimed that in the memorandum of association ( M. O. U) the following activities were to be carried out by SALWACO and NAYCOM: To rent Office Space for each youth group, Start up Business Account for each group, License and register various business groups and to make sure documents are handed over to them, Start Up Kits (Tool Box) to be given to them (yet to be given), Training Certificate yet to be given and Youth Plumbers should run all the Water Points for sales.
Issachar Sannoh further maintained that they wrote a complain letter on the 3rd December 2020 and distributed those copies to all stakeholders who raised concerns against SALWACO Management.
“We underwent a basic training jointly organized by SALWACO and NAYCOM that was to result in forming Small Business Units. NAYCOM has already opened the various accounts for the various groups as stipulated in the Memorandum of understanding but it is left with SALWACO to adhere to theirs”.
Based on the above points, we would like to inform that nothing has happened since November 9th 2018 onto date and we have been rendering services to SALWACO for which we have not received any financial benefit as a group. We have decided to inform you for the attention of the managing Director of the Sierra Leone Water Company for them to see reasons to settle our problems as future leaders of this country”, quoted the tentative National Youth Plumbers Coordinator.
He further threatened that if their problems are not addressed immediately they will make situation very difficult for SALWACO and they will not only attack the regional offices but will go to Freetown and mount a demonstration against the Ministry. The distressed youth Plumbers accused SALWACO of not even constructing the exact number of public water kiosks. They therefore applaud the Anti-Corruption Commission to intervene into the issue of the three town water project in which huge sums of money was given to SALWACO.
Speaking to the then Station Manager via Mobile Phone interview, Mr. John Forewa said in the 3 town’s water project, ADB sponsored a Project to recruit and train youth Plumbers.
When asked why the management of the public water pumps is not given to the youths and other conditions in the M. O. U we not equally looked into, he said the public water pumps management is not part of the agreement but they have fulfilled most of the conditions.
“What remains is the employment of these youths as a result; as NAYCOM has not yet submitted the business certificates of these youths”, Mr. Forewa explained.
“If today we as management received those certificates we will employ them. The public water pumps management has nothing to do with the 120 Youth Plumbers. Yes, ADB provided such a support to the youths so that they can be trained and employed to help build their capacity as the project called for. We have trained the 120 Youth Plumbers across the country. Some were trained at the Eastern Polytechnic now turned into a university, others at the OIC in Bo and Makeni. We did this but it`s now left with the responsibility of NAYCOM to carry out with other responsibilities. SALWACO is only responsible to train the Youth Plumbers. These said Youth Plumbers were supposed to form business enterprises and register them so that they will work with NAYCOM”, Mr. John Forewa shifted the blame to NAYCOM. He ended by saying it’s not the business of the Youth Plumbers to know either SALWACO owes Eastern Polytechnic a 40% fund for their training.
“All what they should be asking is their certificates”, he stated
Speaking to Mr. Mohamed Sesay, NAYCOM Regional Coordinator East he said the youth Plumbers have right to show their grievances as SALWACO did not play their own part. He promised to visit the SALWACO office to know what causes the delay of discharging their responsibilities and also promised of talking to his bosses in Freetown since the media is now in receipt of this unfortunate event. Since then Mr. Sesay has not been speaking to the press as promised till the time of coming to press.
Speaking to Mr. Yayah Sesay after he has been given a merciless beating by disgruntled Youth Plumbers in his SALWACO Office, the Manager said the issue has been resolved because most of the issues raised by the youths are genuine concerns and the resident Minister east Mr. Andrew Ansu Fatorma has handled the issue and SALWACO in collaboration with concern Stakeholders will hold a meeting in Freetown to look into these issues especially the issue of their training certificate which certain percentage is yet to be given to the College.
He said he cannot actually tell who has not yet fulfilled his own assignment either the donor or SALWACO Management. When asked how was the fracas between himself and the Youth Plumbers he declined from not saying anything because the Resident Minister has encourage him to sum up which he has accepted but promised that the youth Plumbers’ concerns will be laid to rest.
Although the frustrated Youth Plumbers Coordinator Issachar Sannoh revealed to this medium that they will make everything difficult for SALWACO if their conditions are not resolved immediately. “We will demonstrate against SALWACO so that President Bio will know that SALWACO lied to him to say 120 Youth Plumbers have been employed. The Speech Writers for the President too are not correct to have included our employment which has not yet happened. We have not yet been employed and nothing pertaining to what the donor said for our future has been done. The beaten of Mr. Yayah Sesay is just a beginning. We will do more than that pretty soon”, Sannoh threatens.