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| John Benjamin SLPP Chairman and Political Leader |
The government has been recently plagued by an embarrassing credibility gap brought about in recent months by the withdrawal of vital medical assistance to the country by The GAVI Alliance, a subsidiary of the Gates foundation, over the embezzlement of over a million dollars in funds meant for the medical welfare of sick children in the country.
The country has also been suspended by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) a mining watchdog group for a lack of transparency in mining operation in the country. All these negative news following on the heels of an Auditor General's report that could not account for billions of Leones in public expenditure, with public outcry on the expenditure of billions of Leones on a presidential inauguration that was mainly boycotted by the people, even though the day was declared a public holiday.
As if these were not enough bad news , the country has been plunged into perennial darkness as the cosmetic repairs done to the electricity grid during the recent elections seem to be coming apart at the seams, following weeks of the state running out of petroleum products, resulting in massive fuel lines all over the country.
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| President Ernest Bai Koroma |
To divert attention from these horrible trends the now Blyden led propaganda machinery has been working over time to put out feel good news in the midst of the economic chaos. With vital bridges collapsing due to reckless neglect, the focus these days has been on the withdrawal of sixty thousand dollars from the accounts of the Sierra Leone People's party by the party Chairman and Leader, John O. Benjamin, a former minister of finance who managed to secure the forgiveness of millions of dollars of loans to the country during his tenure.
In order to give the propaganda machinery something else to do, the SLPP Chairman John O. Benjamin has released details about the sixty thousand dollars and have challenged his detractors within the party to adopt the same level of transparency.
Citizens are also calling on the Ernest Koroma led Agenda for Prosperity government to respond to the accountant general's report, but as of now, the silence from government has been deafening.
Reproduced is the Expenditure Statement of the SLPP Chairman
| A | $10,000 @ Le 4,330 | 43,300,000 | |
| Le | |||
| 1 | Legal fee to party lawyers | 30,000,000 | |
| 2 | Bye Election at constituency 92 | 10,000,000 | |
| 3 | internet modem for Finance office | 450,000 | |
| 4 | Routine meeting of national Executive | 700,000 | |
| 5 | Initial funeral Expenses re Dr Kadie Sesays daughter | 1,000,000 | |
| 6 | Welfare Assistance to constituency 92 stakeholders | 1,200,000 | |
| 43,350,000 | |||
| B | $10,000 @ Le 4,330 @ Le4320 | 43,200,000 | |
| Le | |||
| 1 | Legal Fees for court case - kenema | 1,015,000 | |
| 2 | Legal Fees for court case - Bo | 33,000,000 | |
| 3 | Welfare to police ( office security) - 20 - 27 feb | 490,000 | |
| 4 | medical assistance to Rachael (staff) | 175,000 | |
| 5 | Repair & Maintenance re Deputy Chair & Leader | 1,810,000 | |
| 6 | Repair & Maintenance re national secretary General | 1,700,000 | |
| 7 | Routine meeting re investigative committee | 20,000 | |
| 8 | Repair and Maintenance of two cupboards re Chair & deputy | 114,000 | |
| 9 | Payment to universal for coverage dated 19/10/12 | 2,000,000 | |
| 10 | Payment to universal for coverage dated 30/8/12 | 1,000,000 | |
| 11 | Repair & maintenance of office chairs re deputy Chairman and Women's Leader | 400,000 | |
| 12 | Publication - unity paper production -27/2/13 | 1,247,000 | |
| 13 | Electrical item purchase- socket | 15,000 | |
| 14 | Photocopy/delivery and stationery | 57,600 | |
| 15 | Entertainment/hospitality re drinks chairman,s office | 25,000 | |
| 16 | Photocopyuments of Finance doc | 30,000 | |
| 17 | Entertainment re Journalists | 70,000 | |
| 43,168,600 | |||
| C | $2,000 | ||
| Staff salary feb'13 | 5,780,500 | ||
| unity newspaper - staff salary | 1,400,000 | ||
| welfare assistance - communicstiond director | 450,000 | ||
| welfare assistance - police (securities at HQ) -28 feb - 6 Mar | 490,000 | ||
| Welfare . Bo court case | 500,000 | ||
| Phone top up re Admin sec | 19,500 | ||
| 8,640,000 | |||
| D | $5,000 @ Le 4,330 @ Le4320 | 21,600,000 | |
| Annual Leave re B W Boakari | 1,800,000 | ||
| Repair & Maintenance vehicle re Dep. Chair & Leader | 1,400,000 | ||
| Publication - Unity newspaper production | 3,018,000 | ||
| Legal representation fee re t shirt court case - lawyer Gevao | 1,000,000 | ||
| Salary advance re Kef | 100,000 | ||
| delivery re Henry Koroma | 15,000 | ||
| Fuel re national Treasurer | 112,500 | ||
| Misc admin - tips | 70,000 | ||
| Routine meeting re investigative committee | 72,000 | ||
| Routine meeting re investigative committee | 21,000 | ||
| Fuel re Deputy Chairman & Leader | 112,500 | ||
| Top up phone credit - deputy Chairman & Leader | 40,000 | ||
| Travelling - national women's leader | 570,000 | ||
| welfare - release of detainees from prison | 300,000 | ||
| welfare - release of detainees from prison expenses | 250,000 | ||
| Tour of E. Province re Sahr Sandi, YG leader, Yg Sec Gen | 8,000,000 | ||
| Fuel re National Chair & Leader | 700,000 | ||
| Repair & Maintenance vehicle tyres re Chair & Leader | 2,000,000 | ||
| phone top up credit re securities | 20,000 | ||
| phone top up credit re national secretary general | 80,000 | ||
| Welfare to bo court case members | 500,000 | ||
| Welfare to Njala SLPP students | 150,000 | ||
| 20,331,000 | |||
| E | $3000 balance le460,000 | ||
| BO Party House Acquisition - Preliminary Expenses re Kpulun | 12,500,000 | ||
| F | $20,000 | ||
| Transfer from Dollar A/c slcb to Leone a/c ($20,000) | 87,000,000 | ||
| G | Amount Stolen following seizure of my vehicle | ||
| Party money $5,000/= | |||
| Party money le 460,000/= | |||
| Personal money Le 202,000/= | |||
| H | Amount in hand $5000 | ||
| Summary | $ | ||
| 1 | Expenditure category A $10,000/= | 10,000 | |
| 2 | Expenditure category B $10,000/= | 10,000 | |
| 3 | Expenditure category C $ 2,000/= | 2,000 | |
| 4 | Expenditure category D $ 5,000/= | 5,000 | |
| 5 | Expenditure category E $ 3,000 | 3,000 | |
| 6 | Expenditure category F $20,000/= | 20,000 | |
| 7 | Expenditure category G $ 5,000/= | 5,000 | |
| 8 | Cash in hand $ 5,000 | 5,000 | |
| 60,000 | |||
| Bank charges $115 per $10,000/= $115 *6 | 690 |
3 comments:
As a party supporter, is it OK for JOB to handle all these expenses? why do we have a financial secretary? Just a thought...
I don't see where it says he handled the money himself.
Thank God we now know how the money was spent. Can the APC led government do the same? Good job JOB and your SLPP finance unit.
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