The Honorable Member of constituency 013 who also doubles as the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Parliament Hon. Alusine Kanneh has on Thursday the 17th of February 2022, intimated A-Z News that he is not in any way involved in the over USD 80,000 Nomo Chiefdom Hospital project scam. He unearthed that the Constituency Chairman Ibrahim Swarray is the real devil incarnate towards the hospital project in Nomo Faama Chiefdom.
Hon. Alusine Kanneh explained the genesis of the entire project which has been in limbo under the current constituency Chairman Ibrahim Swarray. He said Ibrahim Swarray is now the current contractor for the project. The Deputy Chief Whip disclosed that upon his election as Member of Parliament, he did a feasibility study as to how he could remedy the horrendous health system in such deprived chiefdom. He added that due to his good relationship with the Norwegian people, he appealed to the Norwegian Humanitarian Group Herald SplassDiacon to support the chiefdom with the construction of a standard healthcare facility.
Hon. Kanneh continued that the Norwegian people heeded his appeal which precipitated the construction of about 34 beds hospital in the poorest chiefdom in Sierra Leone. The Deputy Chief Whip intimated that the project also caters to the construction of one hospital quarter and another quarter for the only secondary school in the chiefdom. He disclosed that the first contractor of the project Edden Jalloh finished the construction of the hospital.
The Deputy Chief Whip further explained that the initial contractor for the project Edden Jalloh shortly died just after completing the construction of the hospital. He added that another contractor Ibrahim Swarray who is now the constituency Chairman was hired to do the two quarters at the cost of over USD 80,000 which is now in shambles. Away from the USD 80,000 as of project cost for the quarters, Hon. Kanneh also disclosed that Ibrahim Swarray was paid USD 1000 monthly.
Unfortunately for the people of Nomo Faama Chiefdom, Hon. Kanneh Said their own son of the soul Ibrahim Swarray did not do justice to the project but rather stuck the project. He added that Ibrahim Swarray has converted the money into building a mighty house for himself in Kenema. Recently, he said Ibrahim Swarray made another request to the Norwegian People to maintain the solar panel which provides uninterrupted energy for the hospital. Hon. Kanneh intimated that the Norwegian people sent additional USD 1000 dollars to Ibrahim Swarray but the said money was used for his campaign during the Sierra Leone People’s Party Primary elections.
“After the death of the first contractor Edden Jalloh, I thought Ibrahim Swarray was the best choice to complete the project since he is a native of the chiefdom. Realizing that Nomo Faama was the worst chiefdom in terms of healthcare delivery, I personally lobbied the Norwegian people to support the Chiefdom with such a massive project. That hospital project is the best across all Chiefdoms in Kenema. I would have decided to take it to my home town but because Nomo had the worst healthcare service at that time, touched my heart to take the project Nomo Faama Chiefdom”, he said.
The Member of Parliament also informed that he has not been in receipt of monies sent for the project. He added that all transactions were done directly between the Norwegian People and Ibrahim Swarray. Hon. Kanneh also disclosed that Ibrahim Swarray is now on the run having converted the project sum to build his personal house in Kenema. He said he has personally taken the matter to the Anti-Corruption Commission for further investigation. He concluded that a joint team from the Anti-Corruption Commission and will soon visit the project site for an in-depth evaluation of the project.
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
