Jaluahun, Kailahun District receives Presidential Development Fund
The world over, governments among other things have certain responsibilities of ensuring that they provide equal and better opportunities for all and sundry.
These are things that bring about development especially for underdeveloped and developing countries. In Sierra Leone, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission did make certain recommendations that are in line with the discourse of this narrative. Recommendation 495 of the TRC stated that ‘the Commission recommends that skills training programmes should be provided for amputees, other war-wounded, victims of sexual violence, and war widows, youth. On the successful completion of these programmes, a business management course for running a small business should be run for the beneficiaries. Where feasible and appropriate, micro-credit or micro-projects should be provided to those who successfully complete all programmes.’ It is on such a trajectory that His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio, Sierra Leone’s President on Monday 23rd November, in Segbwema, Kailahun District, Eastern Province, presented a cheque of over 9 Billion Leones to the Skills Development Fund, which stands to benefit over 1,600 citizens in Kenema and Kailahun Districts.
Paramount Chief of Njaluahun Chiefdom, James Sheriff Coker-Jajua, expressed joy for receiving the President, but most importantly for the launch of the skills development fund in his chiefdom that would support middle-level manpower through technical education. “I am humbled to welcome you all to Njaluahun Chiefdom and to tell you that the Free Quality Education has really helped the poor people of this country,” he stated.
Member of Parliament for Constituency 008, Honorable Wuyata Bernadette Songa, thanked the President for the opportunity given to her people to host the launch for the Skills Development Fund in Njaluahun Chiefdom. She noted that such an initiative would go a long way to strengthen and deepen the foundation of the Free Quality Education. Sierra Leone’s Tertiary and Higher Education Minister, Professor AiahGbakima, said that the project is in partnership with the World Bank, and that it would cater for those students that couldn’t get requirements to enter universities and colleges. He said that with skills training centres like carpentry, tailoring, mechanics and others, the development fund would have targeted about 8,000 beneficiaries by 2023. Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, told the gathering that it was a Government of Sierra Leone owned project, but partnered with the World Bank to implement the first phase in the East of the country.
In his statement, His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio said that he was happy to be in Njaluahun, particularly in Segbewema, where the people were always very excited to welcome him as one of their own.“My visit here today is to launch the Skills Development Fund and to show that my Government values education. Education should be treated seriously because it is the only means to lasting development,” he said.He continued that the Fund would incorporate those who could not make it to universities and colleges, thereby making them very useful for nation-building. He admonished the youth of the district to take their education seriously because he believes that education is a universal key that would unlock every door.
It could be argued that Sierra Leone still has a long way to go. Development is needed in most if not all parts of the country. This is why the relevant TRC recommendations should be treated with the utmost seriousness that they deserve. Such things have the proclivity to better the lives and well beings of compatriots. This article is produced with support from MRCG through the ATJLF project on: "Engaging the media to change the narrative on Transitional Justice (TJ) issues in Sierra Leone."