By Septimus Senessie in Kono
Member of Parliament for Constituency 025 in the eastern Kono District, Tom Issic Tucker, last week presented a cheque of Le60m for the two chiefdoms – Nimiyama and Gorama Kono - which make up his constituency.
The money presented at the Sewafeh Town Court Barray in Nimiyama Chiefdom is meant to undertake community development projects allocated MPs annually by the central government for their constituencies.
This is in fact the first time in the history of politics in Kono District that a member of parliament has presented the CDF to his constituency, according to local authorities.
It comes weeks after a civil society organisation criticised Sierra Leone MPs for not giving a proper account of their Community Development Fund (CDF) which it says amounted to Le120 billion within the last five years.
According to Tucker, the money will be used for the rehabilitation of four schools and two ‘Barrays’ with leaking roofs and other damage.
It will also be used for the construction of school toilet facilities and 10 teachers will benefit from grants to pursue teacher training courses in college. Tucker said the fund was allocated to those projects based on the priorities presented to him by the Chiefdom Development Councils (CDC) of the two chiefdoms in Constituency 025.
Mr. Tucker told his audience at the ceremony that he was quite aware that the allocated fund was not enough to complete the highlighted projects, adding that he was optimistic that he would secure additional funds for their completion.
Tucker is a businessman who worked for the defunct London Mining Company as Director for Government and Community Relations. He contested for the seat under the ruling All People’s Congress in the controversial by-election in December 2015 when he defeated his opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party opponent, Sahr Francis Gbondo. That election was occasioned by the demise of Augustine Torto.
Asked whether the presentation of the cheque to his constituency was as a result of the pressure pilled on them by Campaign for Human Rights and Development International to account for the previous CDF, Tucker responded: “This move I have taken has no bearing on that. I am somebody who loves to see development in my community and that is what we are doing together with my people”.
Receiving the cheque, the Paramount Chief of Nimiyama Chiefdom, PC George Bockarie Torto (III) thanked Tucker and said the MP had surprised them as chiefdom authorities with the highest display of “transparent and honest leadership.” He said Tucker was the first MP in the political history of his chiefdom to present to them the CDF for development. He said they were hearing about the fund but never knew it was meant for development purposes. PC Torto promised to utilize the funds for its intended purpose.
© Politico 26/09/16
