Sierra Leone News: PC Saquee Denounces ‘Monologue’ Programme

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Paramount Chief Paul Garba Saquee of Tankoro Chiefdom in Kono District has stoutly denounced last Wednesday’s ‘Monologue’ programme on Citizen Radio FM 103.7 which unfairly suggested that he PC Saquee requested for the installation of solar light poles in his compound. The Paramount Chief stated emphatically that at no given time did he request or ordered the installation of solar light poles in his compound. He said he has fluorescent flood lights in his compound that provide adequate light throughout the night which he said, even made the solar poles very much irrelevant to him. “I did not request for the solar lights; in fact I was not even in Koidu when the installation was made. When I heard about it, I was concerned because I had been informed that nowhere in my chiefdom headquarter have the solar poles been erected,” the Chief maintained. Mayor of Koidu City, Emerson Lamina revealed to this medium that the installations were not made in the compounds of PC Saquee and Madam Knonomanyi only, but that Council’s Committee on Energy and Power had taken the decision to make “a few installations” in the compounds of a few of the district authorities including the Vice President, the First Lady, PC Kamachendeh and a few schools among others. “I was briefed by the Committee that it was a gesture of respect to the authorities and because of that, I also consented,” Mayor Lamina revealed, adding that none of the authorities made any formal request for the solar lights. Chief Saquee told this medium that had used a council meeting held on Wednesday, 26th June instant, to ask the Energy and Power Committee to go and remove the solar installations in his compound on the grounds that he cannot be enjoying such a facility while his people are walking out there in darkness. “I asked the Committee to remove the lights from my compound and I thanked them for the respect they showed me. I told them the people must benefit first, as it is meant for the general good,” PC Garba Saquee stated. Mayor Emerson Lamina however noted that senior citizens should be given respect in their communities and that people should be able to understand within the context of customs and traditions. Chief Saquee charged that for David Tam Mbayo, the Presenter of the ‘Monologue’ programme to single him and Madam Diana out “for his spurious comments” is “unfair and is a reflection of a political fight someone wants to take to us”, he stated, otherwise, he maintained, Tam Mbayo should have properly investigated his story before coming on air only to “castigate us unnecessarily”. “The ‘Monologue’ broadcast leaves several journalistic inadequacies characterized by unfairness and abject bias. Why did he not talk about the nine solar poles in VP Sumana’s compound? Why didn’t he talk about the installations in the compound of the First Lady? Rather, he found delight to smear our hard-earned reputations because of want to score cheap political goals at me,” the Chief asserted. By Sayoh Kamara July 22, 2013

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