November 16, 2016 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara from Eastern Region
The National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) has completed a six-day tour to their various projects sites in the Eastern Region to evaluate the schemes and make recommendations to development partners.
The visit, according to NaCSA’s Eastern regional coordinator, Usman Turay, was part of their end of year stock-take that gives opportunity to the press to meet with the commission’s field staff, monitor outstanding projects implementations and verify records, especially on procurement documents maintained at district level on projects implemented.
The commission is undertaking several projects, including Labour Intensive Public Work (LIPW), Social Safety Net (SSN) and infrastructural development projects in the region.
The team visited projects sites in Kenema, Kailahun and Kono, where stakeholders and officials of the commission briefed journalists on the status of NaCSA Projects in their respective districts.
The Chairman of Kenema district council, Dr. Senesi Mansaray, conceded that there were visible projects in progress within the district, but stressed that there were major lapses in the implementation of the Gietrenk projects in Lower Bambara chiefdom.
He noted that the council has a cordial relationship with NaCSA and observed that the regional office was grossly understaffed.
“NaCSA office is like a ghost town these days. Most times when I visit the office, I either meet one person or none. And that is a regional office but doesn’t resembles one,” Dr. Senesi charged.
Human Resource Officer in the Kailahun District Council, Michael Vandi, expressed similar sentiment but noted that there were challenges with regards the hiring of contractors, stating that the commission often hired engineers from the head office, which he said was a major cause in the delay of the road projects.
He said the council was finding it extremely difficult to monitor the many projects implemented by NaCSA , since they were not recognised by some of the contractors hired by the commission.
He referenced ward 15 in Kissy Tongi chiefdom, where community people interrupted road work and destroyed newly constructed culvert.
He expressed concerns about council’s lack of fund to maintenance the many projects implemented by NaCSA.
“There is that synergy between the council and NaCSA. They sometimes involve our councilors in some minor projects but the council is always sideline in awarding bigger contracts,” he said.
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in Kailahun district Council, Donald M. Koroma said there was need for council to make recommendations and present assessment report on the various projects for quality performance, but stressed that such could only be done if they were closely involved in the process.
“The best practice is to always construct by-pass before building culverts on roads, but that has not been done and the council has nothing to do because we are not recognised by the engineers hired by NaCSA,” he said.
In his brief statement at the council’s conference room on Saturday, November 22, 2016, chairman, Kono District Council, Richard A. Koninga, expressed dissatisfaction over NaCSA’s relationship with the council.
He noted that NaCSA was implementing the Pro-Poor Growth for Peace consolidation (GPC) in chiefdoms around the Guinean boarder.
He lauded the GPC projects and urged the commission to speed up work since the road work was stalled last year as a result of the rains.
With regards the SSN, the chairman said they were not furnished with the details after the implementation of the project.
But the District Coordinator of NaCSA, Moriba Foday said they were not given the details after the implementation of the said project since the transfer of cash was done to the beneficiaries directly from the head quarter office in Freetown.
However, the Regional Coordinator has agreed to forward the details of the beneficiaries of the SSN project to the council.