February 8, 2016 By Alpha Amadu Bah
The people of Kailahun District, alongside their paramount chiefs, civil society and human rights activists, non-governmental organisations and government officials, have met at a one-day conference in Kailahun town to discuss their inclusive ‘District Peace and Development Committee’ mandate with the aim of fostering development in the eastern district.
The meeting was to bridge the gap between development partners in the district to ensure community participation in development in collaboration with the district council to enhance development.
The one-day forum was organised by Fambul Tok International Sierra Leone on Monday February 1 and hosted at the Luawa Conference Hall in the Kailahun township.
The conference was a follow up to the one held in July last year to review the ‘People’s Plan’ document developed by the Kissi Teng Chiefdom.
Paramount chiefs from the 11 chiefdoms and their representatives expressed their commitment at the meeting that as partners in development they would be at the forefront to articulate and push forward the development needs of their respective chiefdoms.
Paramount Chief of Yawei Chiefdom, Kailahun District, PC Francis Amara Korvaya Gbondo III, noted that the conference came at the right time as there was the urgent need to discuss issues affecting the development of the district, as well as to set up a committee that will work out a roadmap for an inclusive district peace and development committee to foster development in their various communities and the district in general.
Director of Fambul Tok International Sierra Leone, John Caulker, reiterated that the conference was a follow up to the one held in July last year in Kailahun town, informing the meeting that the people of Koinadugu and Moyamba districts have set up their district peace and development committees to promote development in their areas.
According to Mr. Caulker, Moyamba and Koinadugu districts have come out with their various committee mandates to ensure transparency, accountability and information sharing that will bring about peace and development in the two districts.
The holding of committee meetings in Moyamba and Koinadugu districts came as a result of the people’s plan documents that aim at facilitating the inclusion and active participation of all to promote development in the districts.