SAWN Trending: When the pool of Professional Financial Managers Dried Out, Distrust or Stewardship?

Amadu Wurie Jalloh and Ibrahim Mansaray

Key Word: BDO (an initial which translates into the three founding European member firms: Binder (UK), Dijker (Netherlands) and Otte (Germany).

The recent move of the government to hire a Western expatriate institution (BDO) to manage funds and donations meant for surviving victims of the flash-flood and Mudslide is by no indication a short of professional financiers and administrators within the cadre of the MDAs, but rather a state of distrustfulness on the side of the president towards his confidants in the ruling APC government.

The president has barely 8 months left before he expectantly resigns his position to another person. These last remaining months are a crucial moments in his era, they to a larger extent define the fate of his legacies. He will be remembered as the president who built the roads of the nation; the president who restored power supply to many places that had never got the chance to experience it since the civil war ended; and he shall be remembered as the president who stood by his Muslim compatriots giving them the chance to fulfil one of the most sacred pillars of Islam. Meanwhile, the recent republication of the Audit General Report (2015) implicating several MDGs in public funds misappropriation and flout of procurement regulations; the Mudslide and flash-flood on the 14^th August 2017 which claimed the lives of over a thousand Sierra Leoneans displacing thousands more; and to the trending Hajj-Gate saga implicating two Special Assistance to the President Nuru Deen Sankoh-Yillah and Sheka Kamara (aka Shekito), and of course the controversial trickster figure Alhaji Mohamed Alie Bah whose sudden advent into the APC top cohort has until now left many inconsiderate observers mystified owing to his distinct allegiance he demonstrated to presidential aspirant Solomon Berewa of the SLPP during the 2007 elections when the APC under President Ernest Bai Koroma became victorious, are all by indications pointing to the inconspicuous  dilemma of the president to trust anyone anymore, especially from within the APC party.

It is worth noting that the office of the Vice President under the leadership of Ambassador Victor B. Foh was charged with the management of funds and donations of the 2015 flood victims in Freetown, during which time another international finance firm called KPMG was hired to provide auditing service. The connubial relation between the government and the KPMG couldn’t yield its intended purpose before the firm withdrew its auditing support to the government citing infringement of mandate by certain MDAs as a cause for break up. The rules have however changed this time, and the change came at the time corruption scandals and bereavements of victims and sympathizers have climaxed the nation. Considering the way building permits are awarded in Freetown and other parts of the country, lots of people are sceptical of government’s capacity and willingness to prioritize their wellbeing and many were already dissatisfied with the manner in which government investigated the corruption scandals obtained in the Audit General Report insistently citing the negligence from the side of MDAs to respecting the procurement laws and regulations of the country, among other things, as to reasons for underreport and repetitive improper documentation of MDAs. Worse still is the fact that the change this time requires the international organization to manage funds received through the office of the president and vice president and other related agencies for survivors. We know others may want to relate it to stewardship and accountability from the side of government who’ve faced several criticisms in the past relating to management of fund for victims. Take for instance the Ebola survivors and victims’ funds. We all saw how the government along the way started crying foul and being side-lined in the distribution of funds and donations by some of its international development partners, and accusing CSOs of lacking accountability and transparency. We for once however beg to hold a contrasting view to that claim of transparency and stewardship. We believe this is a deliberate transposition by his Excellency the president to make irrelevant the managerial role of the office of the vice president in relation to funds for disaster related victims especially in a period like this when this office is appallingly investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission for perfidy allegations—trading free government Hajj Scholarship meant for deprived Muslims in the country with undeserving affording persons and foreign nationals—which unforgivable event consequently left a lot of deserving Muslims stranded at Youyi building in Sierra Leone capital city Freetown. Therefore, this is the least the president could do to avoid suspicion as to the loss of confident in his supposed closest confidants. The president does not want to give us the impression that he trusts no one any longer. The kriol adage which says: “If ar be know na een dae always cam las” (equivalent to: “had I known, always comes too late” in English) may have been wondering surreptitiously on the president’s mind when he took a decisive action to relieve the underdog trios of their job in the hajj secretariat at once.    

Ebun C. Sillah Jr., Ernest Yusif Tarawally and Shebora Samba Kamara

I think what we have going on presently with regards government hiring a Western expatriate institution to manage funds and donations coming in for victims of the twin catastrophic events: Mudslide and Flash-flood that occurred on the 14^th August, 2017, has to do with stewardship and accountability.

It is no secret that many have lost trust on the present day government in matters relating to fund management evocative from what obtained in the news headliner Auditor General’s Report (2015) to what transpired in the unscrupulous management of funds for 2015 flood victims in Freetown in the Office of the vice president. This time however we believe the government is acknowledging the fact that the previously instituted system was either flawed with disingenuousness or procedural inexperience to have caused the hijacking of role and side-lining them to allow for a more technically inclined institution to take charge of managerial role and ensure best practice so to meet citizens’ full satisfaction.

The move should not be mistaken for a reminiscence of neo-colonialism because it not something imposed on us but rather solicited by government to see that the funds are managed prudentially.

Meanwhile, the move could also help the investigation process in the Hajj secretariat. To avoid complication of roles and matters, the president in his wisdom may have thought it wise the office stay clean of any financial dealings until so the investigation is through so to allays people’s fear and suspicion of dubious unfolding.

However, we are begging on government not to interfere in the process of the firm contracted to this funds management because it will not be worthwhile in any case of hiring them should they act otherwise.