By Nancy Sesay
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs has completed a two-day verification exercise in Njaluahun Chiefdom following disputes over a gazetted list ahead of a Paramount Chieftaincy election.
The exercise, conducted in collaboration with the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and security agencies, followed complaints from residents who alleged irregularities in the published gazette, including the inclusion of non-existent villages and flaws in the tax assessment process.
The disagreement had heightened tensions in the chiefdom, with reports of clashes among local leaders and the spread of misinformation on social media.
Government officials said the verification process was aimed at restoring confidence and ensuring a credible electoral process.
“We decided to temporarily halt the process after receiving numerous complaints,” said Alfred Lahai, Provincial Secretary for the Eastern Region, urging residents to cooperate with authorities.
Security officials also called for calm. Josephine Fatorma, National Security Coordinator in the Eastern Region, said authorities were monitoring the situation and investigating individuals allegedly involved in disturbances.
The Ministry said it remains committed to conducting the Paramount Chieftaincy election, noting that dozens of such elections have been held across the country in recent years.
Leading the exercise, Permanent Secretary Prince Alex Soriba said stakeholders were given the opportunity to present evidence during the verification process, which involved interviews with various groups.
Preliminary findings showed that villages alleged to be non-existent had already appeared in the 2018 gazette, meaning there was no legal basis to remove them. However, officials confirmed that some eligible individuals had been omitted from the list.
The review also identified discrepancies in the inclusion of certain tax assessors, which authorities attributed to administrative errors rather than deliberate manipulation.
Officials said concerns over unelected local authorities and other governance issues would be addressed carefully to avoid further tensions.
The Ministry added that the findings and recommendations from the exercise would be submitted to the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs for further action before a final decision is communicated to stakeholders.
