Minister and Workers at War
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hon. Zainab Bangura and some senior staffs of the Ministry are currently on a Cold War over a big syndicate to be exposed by the minister.
Sources close to the ministry intimated Sierra Express that some senior workers, ambassadors and high commissioners sent on diplomatic mission have been collecting monies from the Sierra Leone government on educational support for their children as provided by law but that the quotas charged have invariably proved to be false ones for them and that the Minister is bent on exposing them.
Sources further state that one of the provisions or benefits an ambassador or high commissioner enjoys is $9,000 educational support from the Sierra Leone government for two of their children. The required age for the educational support is 12 years which should come to a halt at age 18 years. Documental evidence of names of ambassadors, high commissioner, and their children seen during the reign of the SLPP government that were benefiting from the support and are still benefiting from the $9,000 regardless of the fact that they have surpassed the age limit. The current ambassador and high commissioner that are currently serving diplomatic missions have been briefed by some senior staff in the ministry about this organized deal for which many have consented to work hand and glove with the internal staff to foil this corrupt deal.
Before her departure to the Holy Land of Mecca, Hon. Zainab Bangura disclosed this long standing organized deal which in her own personal opinion is considered as corrupt; saying there is need for such grafts to be exposed in order to save the country from the loss of thousands of dollars annually. Some big guns in the ministry that consider themselves untouchable regardless of the fact that they are doing something detrimental to the state have vowed to see the president on the matter so that he can intercede. The minister it is said is desperate to solicit the intervention of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate and bring to book all those that are found wanting regardless of how strong that individual affiliation may be. One former ambassador (name withheld) whispered to Sierra Express that if the ACC is brought in, the issue as proposed by the minister, many big names currently serving diplomatic mission in reputable part of the world will be indicted by the commission. Currently, panic has gripped the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as several caucus meetings in readiness of the minister’s arrival have been held. But the big bone of contention is who and how will they face the no non sense minister?
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