Tuesday, March 5, 2013

John Benjamin Silences APC Critics For Now

John Benjamin
SLPP Chairman and Political Leader
Over the past few days, the Sierra Leone government propaganda machinery has been working overtime trying to make mountains out of mole hills.

 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.
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
1Legal fee to party lawyers30,000,000
2Bye Election at constituency 9210,000,000
3internet modem for Finance office450,000
4Routine meeting of national Executive700,000
5Initial funeral Expenses re Dr Kadie Sesays daughter1,000,000
6Welfare Assistance to constituency 92 stakeholders1,200,000
43,350,000
B$10,000 @ Le 4,330  @ Le432043,200,000
Le
1Legal Fees for court case - kenema1,015,000
2Legal Fees for court case - Bo33,000,000
3Welfare to police ( office security) - 20 - 27 feb490,000
4medical assistance to Rachael (staff)175,000
5Repair & Maintenance re Deputy Chair & Leader1,810,000
6Repair & Maintenance re national secretary General1,700,000
7Routine meeting re investigative committee20,000
8Repair and Maintenance of two cupboards re  Chair &  deputy114,000
9Payment to universal for coverage dated 19/10/122,000,000
10Payment to universal for coverage dated 30/8/121,000,000
11Repair & maintenance of office chairs re deputy Chairman and Women's Leader400,000
12Publication - unity paper production -27/2/131,247,000
13Electrical item purchase- socket15,000
14Photocopy/delivery and stationery57,600
15Entertainment/hospitality re drinks chairman,s office25,000
16Photocopyuments of Finance doc30,000
17Entertainment re Journalists70,000
43,168,600
C$2,000
Staff salary feb'135,780,500
unity newspaper - staff salary1,400,000
welfare assistance - communicstiond director450,000
welfare assistance - police (securities at HQ) -28 feb - 6 Mar490,000
Welfare . Bo court case500,000
Phone top up re Admin sec19,500
8,640,000
D$5,000 @ Le 4,330  @ Le432021,600,000
Annual Leave re B W Boakari1,800,000
Repair & Maintenance vehicle re Dep. Chair & Leader1,400,000
Publication - Unity newspaper production3,018,000
Legal representation fee re t shirt court case - lawyer Gevao1,000,000
Salary advance re Kef100,000
delivery re Henry Koroma15,000
Fuel re national Treasurer112,500
Misc admin - tips 70,000
Routine meeting re investigative committee72,000
Routine meeting re investigative committee21,000
Fuel re Deputy Chairman & Leader112,500
Top up phone credit - deputy Chairman & Leader40,000
Travelling - national women's leader570,000
welfare - release of detainees from prison300,000
welfare - release of detainees from prison expenses250,000
Tour of E. Province re Sahr Sandi, YG leader, Yg Sec Gen8,000,000
Fuel re National Chair & Leader700,000
Repair & Maintenance vehicle tyres re Chair & Leader2,000,000
phone top up  credit re securities20,000
phone top up  credit re national secretary general80,000
Welfare to bo court case members500,000
Welfare to Njala SLPP students 150,000
20,331,000
E$3000      balance le460,000
BO Party House Acquisition - Preliminary Expenses re Kpulun12,500,000
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/=
HAmount in hand                                                    $5000
Summary$
1Expenditure category A                                                    $10,000/=10,000
2Expenditure category B                                                     $10,000/=10,000
3Expenditure category C                                                      $ 2,000/=2,000
4Expenditure category D                                                      $ 5,000/=5,000
5Expenditure category E                                                       $ 3,0003,000
6Expenditure category F                                                       $20,000/=20,000
7Expenditure category G                                                       $ 5,000/=5,000
8Cash in hand                                                                              $ 5,0005,000
60,000
Bank charges $115 per $10,000/=                   $115 *6690

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

As a party supporter, is it OK for JOB to handle all these expenses? why do we have a financial secretary? Just a thought...

Anonymous said...

I don't see where it says he handled the money himself.

Anonymous said...

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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