Sierra Leone News: Kono District still to step out from War

Sierra Leoneans used to stand tall in defending the name of Kono ‘the great diamondiferous district’ especially when it was the country’s main source of income not until the rebels attacked and vandalized houses worth millions of Leone, claiming thousands of lives.
Fourteen years has gone by since the end of the war was declared and all the children born immediately after that pronouncement are now grown-ups, able enough to fetch water for their parents and relatives in a typical Africa setting.
If Kono district was a baby born by then maybe it was born blind, dumb and even crippled absolutely unable to do anything for itself not to talk of it parents some of whom are rich but cannot in anyway assist the situation as a result of greed or selfishness while those that wanted to help can’t afford to.

Kono district is like a hard working child that was giving out to be raised by an extended family where all the odd jobs are done by him whilst some of his parents are well to do men and women in position of trust who in one way or the other are turning blind eyes on him allowed to languish in the hands of other families.
14 years have gone since the end of the rebel war but there is nothing positive that had occurred in terms of infrastructural development compared to other districts the same war ravaged through with same imprints. Sons and daughters of Kono have been treating the district like a step-child with impunity with no pure drinking water, poor road network, among many.

The post war period really hits the district as indicated by the UNDP reports, indicating that 96.6 percent of destruction took place there despite that other districts like Tonkolili, Bombali and Port Loko were able to quickly recover because their parents are responsible.
Forty-five year old Komba Yamba, former diamond dealer now farmer, told press that the way things are happening in the district there is absolutely no prospect for development in their district, pointing out that those they considered as stakeholders of the district seem not to have a ‘stake’ because, according to him, all they think of is enriching themselves.
The first gentleman of Kono Township, Mayor Sahr Emerson Lamina, in an exclusive interview, said that the poor situation of the district was as a result of the 2004 census which was not in their favour, hence their annual development allocation budget is far lesser than their needs, explaining that his council is receiving the second least budget from Government which, according to him, is pillar two of the Agenda for Prosperity which is not in their favour.

The Mayor said the only source of revenue for the district is from the OCTEA Mining Company which, according to him, had failed to pay their property tax which has amounted to over millions if not billions of Leones. He said section 132 to 142 of the Mines Act is not fully implemented in their case despite the fact that they had engaged the Ministry on several occasions on it, a demonstration of the central government not reaching out to Kono district to benefit directly.

Source: Awoko