Favoritism Claims Spark Outcry at Pujehun Census Training After Trainee Collapses
Alhaji Mashalat Sheriff Serious concerns over transparency, fairness, and administrative integrity have emerged at the Youth Council Hall in Pujehun Town following the alleged confiscation and reassignment of a census statistics tablet from a trainee who had already completed nearly a week of intensive preparation.
According to eyewitness accounts and information gathered at the venue, the incident occurred at approximately 10:00 a.m.
The District Census Officer, accompanied by the Pujehun District Council representative for the Southern Region, reportedly entered the training hall and retrieved an official statistics tablet from a participant identified as Ma Musu Feika, a resident of Sorogbema Chiefdom.
Eyewitnesses state that the device was handed over on the spot to another woman who had just arrived at the venue that morning, despite the existing cohort having already undergone five to six days of comprehensive instruction. Sources close to the exercise indicate that the newly arrived replacement was recommended by the Chairman of the Pujehun District Council.
The abrupt decision triggered a heated confrontation inside the hall, during which Feika reportedly collapsed from distress. She was subsequently moved to the conference room of the Youth Council Hall to recover.
The confrontation has also brought broader administrative irregularities in the local recruitment process to light. Information available to this publication indicates that the disputed training slot was originally registered under the name Fatmata Lucy Mansaray. Feika had reportedly assumed the position following Mansaray’s initial absence, participating in the sessions until today’s sudden intervention.
The combination of a late-stage replacement, alleged political recommendations, and the abrupt removal of a participant who had already invested days into the training has cast a shadow over the credibility of the census recruitment process in Pujehun District.
As a national exercise of critical importance, the success of the census relies heavily on public trust, adherence to established procedures, and merit-based selection.
Critics and local observers in the district are now calling on national census authorities to investigate the incident and ensure that public opportunities are governed by clear guidelines rather than personal or political connections, warning that leaving allegations of favoritism unaddressed risks undermining the integrity of the entire exercise.