Government and politicians - facilitators or toll-booth gatekeepers?
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KONO FOUNDATION
Jul 17, 2008, 11:45:39 AM7/17/08
to Kono Community
Thousands of Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora want to help Sierra
Leone. All we ask is that the government of Sierra Leone facilitate
instead of obstruct our efforts.
For too long, successive governments and politicians, local
authorities and elders have re-invented their positions of authority -
not to act as trustees and custodians on behalf of our people, not to
put themselves last and their people first - but instead to act as as
toll-booth gatekeepers, with all that implies.
The predator-prey mentality is endemic around the world at this time;
with right wing self-interested attitudes overriding humanitarianism,
ecology and community. It is not surprising that Sierra Leone suffers
the same problem that makes humanitarian efforts almost impossible
outside the glare of media attention. The role of government is to
facilitate civil society and stay out of its way.
If you have any articles or comments on the above topic please respond
to this email or use the links below to visit our dicussion forum and
submit your comments there.
Leone. All we ask is that the government of Sierra Leone facilitate
instead of obstruct our efforts.
For too long, successive governments and politicians, local
authorities and elders have re-invented their positions of authority -
not to act as trustees and custodians on behalf of our people, not to
put themselves last and their people first - but instead to act as as
toll-booth gatekeepers, with all that implies.
The predator-prey mentality is endemic around the world at this time;
with right wing self-interested attitudes overriding humanitarianism,
ecology and community. It is not surprising that Sierra Leone suffers
the same problem that makes humanitarian efforts almost impossible
outside the glare of media attention. The role of government is to
facilitate civil society and stay out of its way.
If you have any articles or comments on the above topic please respond
to this email or use the links below to visit our dicussion forum and
submit your comments there.
KONO FOUNDATION
Jul 17, 2008, 11:50:14 AM7/17/08
to Kono Community
Sierra Leone Government Blocks Delivery of Fullah Progressive Union’s
Medical Shipment to Bo and Koidu Government Hospitals
Previously Posted by Alphajoh Cham, Financial Secretary,Fullah
Progressive Union Georgia on Jul 16, 2008, 14:05
As has already been widely reported, the Fullah Progressive Union–
Georgia, in collaboration with MedShare International, the Conflict-
Free Diamond Council and Brilliant Earth shipped two 40-foot
containers of medical supplies and biomedical equipment to Freetown in
December 2007. Their estimated market value is in excess of $500,000.
The donated containers were consigned directly to Bo Government
Hospital and Koidu Government Hospital. These much needed medical
relief supplies were intended to alleviate the deplorable healthcare
delivery system in these hospitals, and hopefully serve as a pilot
project for other government hospitals in the country.
Unfortunately, these containers are still left to waste at the
Freetown port since arrival in January 2008; about seven months now.
All the documents including the Certificate of Donation and the Bill
of Lading were tendered to Ministry of Health to ensure the smooth
clear ance of the containers. The submitted application for Duty Free
Concession by FPU-GA to the NRA/Ministry of Finance was rejected with
no substantive reason. According to the Ministry of Health, the NRA/
Ministry of Finance also rejected twice their request/application for
duty-free concession for the two containers. Every effort within our
sphere of influence, through our Project Coordinator in Freetown, Mr.
Tayyib I. Bah, has been made to bring the issue to the attention of
the Government authorities including the Offices of the President,
Vice President, Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, Minister of
Mines and the Minister of Information. Also an appeal was made to the
Parliamentary Committee on Health to intervene.
We have also been in regular contact with the Sierra Leone Ambassador
to the United States, Dr. Bockarie Stevens, who has with great
interest made several contacts to Government officials in Freetown,
but has been unable to bring the issue to conclusion. What is then
really the issue for the undue delay in releasing the containers duty-
free to the government hospitals, which are in desperate need of them?
Is there a political dimension to the issue? Is it incompetence or
bureaucratic bungling on the part20of the responsible Ministries? By
all indications, it appears as if nobody is in control, and no one
knows how to proceed in resolving the problem. It is a disgrace for
one to go to the level of the Office of the President just to get a
container released for charitable need. Is the responsible Ministry
not competent enough to handle such issue? It would seem to me that
the system is dysfunctional.
This whole matter is indeed an outrage, to say the least, and an
embarrassment to the Government of Sierra Leone, which has not acted
effectively and responsibly in the public interest. However, the
greater burden of this issue rests squarely with the Minister of
Health, Dr. Soccoh Kabia. As a physician himself, he must know the
urgency and delicacy of the issue especially so when it concerns
sensitive medical supplies being stored and held under a harsh
tropical climate. At the same time, Dr. Kabia took a photo-op trip to
the United States at the expense of the Sierra Leone taxpayers to
request for assistance in the areas of medical personnel, medical
supplies and equipments. And yet, inexplicably, he cannot clear and
deliver two containers of medical supplies already at his doorstep to
the people of Bo20and Kono. It leaves one to wonder then how he will
be able to deliver containers from the USA. to Sierra Leone. The
Minister owes the public, and especially the citizenry of Bo and Kono,
an explanation as to why the medical supplies for their hospitals have
been left at the port for over seven months, while the hospitals are
in dire need. This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of
the Minister of Health, and his commitment to deliver healthcare
services to the people of Sierra Leone.
Our patience has long since been exhausted. We are completely out of
time. A much longer delay under a harsh weather condition will affect
the quality and effectiveness of the medical supplies and equipment.
Our project sponsors are very much concerned with the state of affairs
with the donated containers, and hope for a speedy conclusion before
any damage is done to the medical supplies and biomedical equipments.
A failed attempt now will make it unlikely for further shipment to
Sierra Leone in the future. MedShare has successfully shipped at least
nine containers of medical supplies and equipment to Sierra Leone in
the last three years.
We will definitely hold the Minister of Health, Dr. Soccoh Kabia, and
his Ministry fully responsible for the safety and security of those
containers. We expect the containers to be released immediately and
delivered to the designated hospitals under the supervision of the
Fullah Progressive Union – Georgia. Besides, we would want a
convincing explanation from the Commissioner of NRA/Ministry of
Finance for rejecting our application for duty-free concession. Every
citizen of Bo and Kono should be outraged, and demand prompt action
from their parliamentarians.
The Fullah Progressive Union – Georgia is a non-profit and non-
partisan organization, and therefore does not endorse any political
party or ideology. However, we will not sit back and allow
incompetence on the part of the government to derail our humanitarian
projects for the people of Sierra Leone. The least we expect from the
government is for it to act as facilitator by creating a conducive
working environment for N GOs to operate, and not act as a stumbling
block to progress and development.
About MedShare International: www.medshare.org.
MedShare International, a 501-(c)-3 non-profit organization, provides
vital medical supplies and equipment to economically developing
countries by recycling unneeded surplus from U.S. manufacturers,
distributors and healthcare systems. MedShare recovers and delivers
medical goods that are valuable and needed, but which would be
discarded due to procedural excess, regulatory requirements or
production overage. Shipments go to qualified healthcare facilities in
developing countries and are customized by direct product orders from
MedShare's stock by the recipient institutions. MedShare offers U.S.
healthcare providers and suppliers an environmentally and socially
responsible alternative to throwing away medical materials.
About Brilliant Earth: www.brilliantearth.com.
Based in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth was created by two socially
minded entrepreneurs as an alternative to current diamond industry
practices. Co-founders Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg formed
Brilliant Earth
based on a passion for fine jewelry and a common belief that socially
and environmentally responsible buying choices should be freely
available to the consumer.
About The Conflict Free Diamond Council: www.conflictfreediamonds.org.
The Conflict Free Diamond Council raises awareness of conflict and
conflict-free diamonds to help consumers make informed purchases, and
works with the international community to create safer and more
socially responsible business practices in the diamond industry. The
CFDC believe that a strong consumer demand for certified conflict-free
diamonds will pressure international governments, businesses, and
organizations to push through necessary reforms to reshape the diamond
industry.
Disclosure: This is the official position of the Fullah Progressive
Union – Georgia, USA. Any inquiries should be directed to the author,
Alphajoh Cham at 678-592-7814 or alphaj...@yahoo.com. Website:
www.fpugeorgia.org
Medical Shipment to Bo and Koidu Government Hospitals
Previously Posted by Alphajoh Cham, Financial Secretary,Fullah
Progressive Union Georgia on Jul 16, 2008, 14:05
As has already been widely reported, the Fullah Progressive Union–
Georgia, in collaboration with MedShare International, the Conflict-
Free Diamond Council and Brilliant Earth shipped two 40-foot
containers of medical supplies and biomedical equipment to Freetown in
December 2007. Their estimated market value is in excess of $500,000.
The donated containers were consigned directly to Bo Government
Hospital and Koidu Government Hospital. These much needed medical
relief supplies were intended to alleviate the deplorable healthcare
delivery system in these hospitals, and hopefully serve as a pilot
project for other government hospitals in the country.
Unfortunately, these containers are still left to waste at the
Freetown port since arrival in January 2008; about seven months now.
All the documents including the Certificate of Donation and the Bill
of Lading were tendered to Ministry of Health to ensure the smooth
clear ance of the containers. The submitted application for Duty Free
Concession by FPU-GA to the NRA/Ministry of Finance was rejected with
no substantive reason. According to the Ministry of Health, the NRA/
Ministry of Finance also rejected twice their request/application for
duty-free concession for the two containers. Every effort within our
sphere of influence, through our Project Coordinator in Freetown, Mr.
Tayyib I. Bah, has been made to bring the issue to the attention of
the Government authorities including the Offices of the President,
Vice President, Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, Minister of
Mines and the Minister of Information. Also an appeal was made to the
Parliamentary Committee on Health to intervene.
We have also been in regular contact with the Sierra Leone Ambassador
to the United States, Dr. Bockarie Stevens, who has with great
interest made several contacts to Government officials in Freetown,
but has been unable to bring the issue to conclusion. What is then
really the issue for the undue delay in releasing the containers duty-
free to the government hospitals, which are in desperate need of them?
Is there a political dimension to the issue? Is it incompetence or
bureaucratic bungling on the part20of the responsible Ministries? By
all indications, it appears as if nobody is in control, and no one
knows how to proceed in resolving the problem. It is a disgrace for
one to go to the level of the Office of the President just to get a
container released for charitable need. Is the responsible Ministry
not competent enough to handle such issue? It would seem to me that
the system is dysfunctional.
This whole matter is indeed an outrage, to say the least, and an
embarrassment to the Government of Sierra Leone, which has not acted
effectively and responsibly in the public interest. However, the
greater burden of this issue rests squarely with the Minister of
Health, Dr. Soccoh Kabia. As a physician himself, he must know the
urgency and delicacy of the issue especially so when it concerns
sensitive medical supplies being stored and held under a harsh
tropical climate. At the same time, Dr. Kabia took a photo-op trip to
the United States at the expense of the Sierra Leone taxpayers to
request for assistance in the areas of medical personnel, medical
supplies and equipments. And yet, inexplicably, he cannot clear and
deliver two containers of medical supplies already at his doorstep to
the people of Bo20and Kono. It leaves one to wonder then how he will
be able to deliver containers from the USA. to Sierra Leone. The
Minister owes the public, and especially the citizenry of Bo and Kono,
an explanation as to why the medical supplies for their hospitals have
been left at the port for over seven months, while the hospitals are
in dire need. This raises serious questions about the effectiveness of
the Minister of Health, and his commitment to deliver healthcare
services to the people of Sierra Leone.
Our patience has long since been exhausted. We are completely out of
time. A much longer delay under a harsh weather condition will affect
the quality and effectiveness of the medical supplies and equipment.
Our project sponsors are very much concerned with the state of affairs
with the donated containers, and hope for a speedy conclusion before
any damage is done to the medical supplies and biomedical equipments.
A failed attempt now will make it unlikely for further shipment to
Sierra Leone in the future. MedShare has successfully shipped at least
nine containers of medical supplies and equipment to Sierra Leone in
the last three years.
We will definitely hold the Minister of Health, Dr. Soccoh Kabia, and
his Ministry fully responsible for the safety and security of those
containers. We expect the containers to be released immediately and
delivered to the designated hospitals under the supervision of the
Fullah Progressive Union – Georgia. Besides, we would want a
convincing explanation from the Commissioner of NRA/Ministry of
Finance for rejecting our application for duty-free concession. Every
citizen of Bo and Kono should be outraged, and demand prompt action
from their parliamentarians.
The Fullah Progressive Union – Georgia is a non-profit and non-
partisan organization, and therefore does not endorse any political
party or ideology. However, we will not sit back and allow
incompetence on the part of the government to derail our humanitarian
projects for the people of Sierra Leone. The least we expect from the
government is for it to act as facilitator by creating a conducive
working environment for N GOs to operate, and not act as a stumbling
block to progress and development.
About MedShare International: www.medshare.org.
MedShare International, a 501-(c)-3 non-profit organization, provides
vital medical supplies and equipment to economically developing
countries by recycling unneeded surplus from U.S. manufacturers,
distributors and healthcare systems. MedShare recovers and delivers
medical goods that are valuable and needed, but which would be
discarded due to procedural excess, regulatory requirements or
production overage. Shipments go to qualified healthcare facilities in
developing countries and are customized by direct product orders from
MedShare's stock by the recipient institutions. MedShare offers U.S.
healthcare providers and suppliers an environmentally and socially
responsible alternative to throwing away medical materials.
About Brilliant Earth: www.brilliantearth.com.
Based in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth was created by two socially
minded entrepreneurs as an alternative to current diamond industry
practices. Co-founders Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg formed
Brilliant Earth
based on a passion for fine jewelry and a common belief that socially
and environmentally responsible buying choices should be freely
available to the consumer.
About The Conflict Free Diamond Council: www.conflictfreediamonds.org.
The Conflict Free Diamond Council raises awareness of conflict and
conflict-free diamonds to help consumers make informed purchases, and
works with the international community to create safer and more
socially responsible business practices in the diamond industry. The
CFDC believe that a strong consumer demand for certified conflict-free
diamonds will pressure international governments, businesses, and
organizations to push through necessary reforms to reshape the diamond
industry.
Disclosure: This is the official position of the Fullah Progressive
Union – Georgia, USA. Any inquiries should be directed to the author,
Alphajoh Cham at 678-592-7814 or alphaj...@yahoo.com. Website:
www.fpugeorgia.org
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