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The Five-Man Committee representing unpaid beneficiaries of the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) Programme in Makeni has called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other relevant authorities to conclude ongoing investigations into unpaid beneficiary payments fairly and promptly.
In an official statement signed by Abass Kamara, Leader of the Five-Man Committee, the group said it respects the ACC’s mandate to conduct a fair, transparent and independent investigation into issues surrounding the beneficiary payment process.
However, the committee raised concerns over what it described as inconsistencies in the application of administrative requirements during the payment process.
According to the committee, issues relating to attendance records, orientation, application procedures and account-opening processes were not consistently raised or applied as conditions for withholding payments from other beneficiaries during the initial phase of the programme.
The committee therefore appealed to the authorities not to use what it described as administrative lapses or shortcomings by implementing institutions as grounds for unnecessarily delaying or denying payments to legitimate beneficiaries who participated in the programme and met the requirements communicated to them.
The group also clarified that it does not have the authority to prevent individual beneficiaries from exercising their constitutional and legal rights to peaceful protest, petition or seek redress through appropriate institutions.
While encouraging beneficiaries to remain calm and pursue peaceful and lawful engagement, the committee said individuals who believe they are legitimately owed payments remain entitled to seek accountability and redress through legal channels.
The committee said it would continue documenting and communicating concerns through written statements, evidence-based reports and other lawful public awareness platforms.
“Our intention is not to undermine any institution or investigation,” the statement said, emphasizing that its objective is to promote transparency and accountability in a programme designed to benefit young people.
The committee also called on development partners, including the World Bank, and other stakeholders to ensure they receive accurate information concerning the implementation, management and impact of funds allocated to youth development programmes in Sierra Leone.
It specifically urged the ACC, National Youth Commission (NAYCOM), National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the investigation is concluded fairly and without undue delay.
The committee maintained that legitimate beneficiaries should not be made to suffer financial consequences because of administrative failures that were beyond their control.
There are 252 beneficiaries remaining please papa government help us to receive this grants, it was three months back since the payment started and up till now we have not receive anything
These are some of the institution that are pulling down the effort of the president.
After World bank gave Grand to Youth of Sierra Leone. When it comes to the Northern part of Sierra Leone set of individual decided to emblezle fund that’s expecting to be giving to the Youth of Makeni.
Few concerns raised up
Are we not Sierra Leonean?
Staying in the north is a crime
Staying in the Strong hold of APC is a crime now in Sierra Leone?
We’re is anti corruption?
President Bio what you lunch in Makeni is it based on selective bases or party bases factor?
Please Youth of Makeni are calling on the president of Sierra Leone and the World Bank to investigate NAYCOM, NACSA.
Please give what is meant for the Youth in Makeni
It is disheartening to see some institutions especially NACSA and NYCOM working against the progress the President is trying to achieve.
The World Bank provided a Youth Empowerment Grant to support young people across Sierra Leone. However, we have heard reports that in the Northern Region, funds meant for the youth of Makeni were mismanaged by a few individuals and sent to their families leaving the legal beneficiary that went through training and shortlisted
This leaves many of us with painful questions:
Are we not all Sierra Leoneans?
Is it now a crime to live in the north?
Is it a crime to come from an APC stronghold?
We are also asking: Where is the Anti-Corruption Commission in all of this?
Your Excellency President Bio, was the Makeni launch meant for everyone, or was it based on party lines?
The youth of Makeni deserve better. We are only asking for fairness.
Yes the National Youth Commission Office in Freetown through the Youth Commissioner invited the five man committee,all of them did thorough verification of the 252 names of beneficiaries that are left and they were confirmed legal beneficiaries. They (the Youth Commission Office confirmed from their master sheet that they’ve already paid 1200 beneficiaries and a remaining of 300 that are yet to be paid. The office also claimed on that very engagement that 37 beneficiaries from our list have already been paid from the first and second payments they did and that the said beneficiaries should go their respective banks and withdraw their moneys,so therefore the five man committee should consider the remaining 215 beneficiaries who they will pay very shortly. Even the 37 names they claim payments,only 6 received moneys and all others accounts are empty. They promised us faithfully that this past Thursday and Friday we will receive alerts and collect our moneys and to our greatest surprise on that very Friday, the Youth Commission told the five man Committee that someone from the Service Providers sent a list of 450 unpaid beneficiaries to the World Bank for payments and ignoring our list we sent to the very Youth Commission himself and this has brought a standstill for the payments because the World Bank is refusing to pay the said number. So this is how the Youth Commission Office, NAYCOM and NaCSA Offices are maltreat and misusing us. So our questions to the Youth Commissioner and his Office, the National Youth Commission (NAYCOM) and the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) Offices is that, upon that engagement with the five man committee in Freetown, your office claimed that you’ve paid all the the 1500 youths, but with thorough verification and confirmation with serious arguments from our representatives, the number your office paid is 1200 and a remaining of 300 beneficiaries.
1: So how comes the 450 names again which we don’t know and aware of?
2: From the total 1500 Youth beneficiaries of this project,from your Offices, what is your total calculation from the 1200 Youth beneficiaries you’ve already paid and that of the remaining 450 your service providers claimed are the ones that are yet to be paid?.
This is certainly a matter worth looking into. While the training component appears to have been successfully implemented, the concerns of the beneficiaries awaiting their financial support should not be overlooked. If about 252 youths in Makeni are still waiting, the relevant authorities should provide clarity and, where possible, expedite the process. These young people are counting on this support to turn their skills into sustainable livelihoods. Thank you.