{"id":53875,"date":"2013-03-09T16:46:54","date_gmt":"2013-03-09T16:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=53875"},"modified":"2013-03-09T16:46:54","modified_gmt":"2013-03-09T16:46:54","slug":"sierra-leoneans-call-upon-tony-blair-africa-governance-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=53875","title":{"rendered":"Sierra Leoneans call upon Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sierra Leoneans call upon the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative to be part of the solution to governance lapses in Sierra Leone and not part of the problem<\/strong><\/p>\n

Concerned for Sierra Leone<\/address>\n
Freetown, Sierra Leone, March 12th, 2013<\/address>\n

Dear Mr. Tony Blair,<\/p>\n

In recent months Sierra Leoneans and the international community have been concerned about allegations of over USD $1 Million of donor funds from a GAVI grant to Sierra Leone intended to vaccination vulnerable children that are unaccounted for. See initial Reuters report http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2012\/12\/21\/us-sierraleone-health-idUSBRE8BK0YB20121221<\/a>).<\/p>\n

At precisely the same time as corrupt officials in the Government of Sierra Leone\u2019s Ministry of Health and Sanitation were busy siphoning off donor funds intended for vulnerable children, just down the corridor in the very same ministry, officials from Tony Blair\u2019s Africa Governance Initiative (AGI) were putting the finishing touches to a path-breaking initiative to provide free healthcare to children under five and lactating mothers.<\/p>\n

The people of Sierra Leone have a deep affection for Tony Blair who as British Prime Minister played a pivotal role in ending the brutal and bloody civil war that brought the country to its knees a decade ago. However the irony of the Africa Governance Initiative plugging one governance hole while others in the same ministry were busy undermining governance is not lost on us as Sierra Leoneans.<\/p>\n

We believe this scandal raises important and urgent questions for the AGI to consider if it is to leave a lasting legacy of strengthened governance in Sierra Leone befitting a statesman of Tony Blair\u2019s international stature.<\/p>\n

We Sierra Leoneans are becoming more and more worried that donors such as DFID, NGOs and companies increasingly ignore corruption or write it off as “the cost of doing business in Africa”. Some of us would actually like our countries to function and to make progress and for embezzlers and fraudsters to be held to account.<\/p>\n

The embezzled USD $1 Million of GAVI funds is just the tip of the iceberg (see 2011 Auditor General\u2019s report below). More than 64 Billion Leones of the total 110 Billions cannot be accounted for by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation!<\/p>\n

In other words, if AGI is unable to act in concert with other international partners to strengthen standards of governance in Sierra Leone, there is a very real risk that many of the programmes for which the agency raises funds to implement in the country may simply fail.<\/p>\n

As Sierra Leoneans, we believe Tony Blair is a friend of all Sierra Leoneans and it is in that spirit that we call upon the AGI to be a part of the governance solution in Sierra Leone and not part of the problem.<\/p>\n

We can no longer afford to condone a lax attitude and failure of accountability by international partners that fuel and perpetuate bad governance, thus rewarding the corrupt officials who enjoy virtual impunity.<\/p>\n

With sincere thanks and appreciation,<\/p>\n

Sheku Boima<\/i><\/p>\n

Concerned for Sierra Leone<\/i><\/b> – We are an independent growing group in and outside the country. From all social, ethnic, political and religious background who are raising awareness and mobilizing for more open accountable and just society and political system in Sierra Leone.<\/i><\/p>\n

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
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