March 14, 2019
Ibrahim Jaffa Condeh
PC Ruth Songa: Your people are accusing you of negligence
Residents of Molendeh Quarry Community in the Gbo Chiefdom, Bo District, have expressed grave concern over what they alleged as ‘neglect’ by their current Paramount Chief, claiming that she has not undertaken any development in the chiefdom since she was elected into office.
Speaking to Concord Times in an exclusive interview, one of the aggrieved residents,Lansana Koroma, claimed that PC Ruth T.F Songa ‘doesn’t care about us and she has no respect for the tradition and culture of the land. She always disrespects elders and ordinary people in the Chiefdom.”
He alleged that the paramount was not resident in the chiefdom, but rather stays in Bo town from where she administers the affairs of the chiefdom.
He claimed that the paramount chief has personalised a portion of land allocated for agricultural development, as well as the technical vocational centre that was established to train residents in gara tie-dying, tailoring, soap making, among other skills.
“The chiefdom lacks clean and safe-drinking water facility. There are no public toilets. Instead of lobbying for these facilities to be brought to the chiefdom, she has instead decided to neglect her responsibility,” he claimed.
Koroma also alleged that PC Songa has deleted certain names of Chiefdom councilors and replaced them with those she favours, a development he charged constitutes a serious concern to them as chiefdom residents.
He further claimed that, “Our paramount chief connived with the management of Uplink Construction Company, currently operating in the Molendeh quarry in the chiefdom, to terminate the contracts of Patrick P. Tommy and David E. Fefegula, thereby depriving them of being employed,” he claimed.
He again claimed that most of the issues they have been grappling with have not been addressed due to the attitude of their paramount chief, thus calling on the authorities concern to come to their aid.
Meanwhile, one of the dismissed employees of Uplink Construction Company, Patrick P. Tommy, narrated that he was sacked for no just course.
“My dismissal was ordered by P.C Ruth T.F Songa and I am now jobless. This paramount chief hates progressive men and women of this chiefdom. We have been very critical about her neglect of the chiefdom and she doesn’t like us,” he claimed.
Umu Gbandi, a businesswoman in the chiefdom also expressed similar concern and noted that the negligence of P.C Ruth T.F Songa has prevented development from taking place in the chiefdom.
“Our chiefdom has been deprived of several development projects that were meant for the people of the Chiefdom. As a custodian of the chiefdom, we were expecting her to first of all reside here and woo the government to transform the chiefdom,” she said.
However, when contacted by this medium, PC Ruth T.F Songa noted that people did not want to regard her authority in the chiefdom.
“They just want to disrespect their Paramount Chief. I have brought several development projects which have been beneficial to them. They just want to smear my hard-won reputation,” she said.