By: Tommy Sidikie, Reporter
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, has issued a stern warning to M.A. Ruming regarding the settlement of an outstanding debt of Le3 billion owed to machinery operators for their services under the Regional Rice Value-Chain Project (RRVCP) and the Family Support and Recovery Programme (FSRP).
The agreements for the RRVCP and FSRP stipulated that deductions would be made from payments to machinery operators to cover dues owed to the government. However, a recent audit revealed a staggering total debt to the government amounting to Le19 billion. Hon. Tawa has accused M.A. Ruming of a lack of transparency in handling these funds and payment matters.
During a meeting in the Administrative Conference Room, the committee decided to deduct 70% of the funds owed to machinery operators to recoup the outstanding dues owed to the government. It was discovered that Ruming had employed two machinery operators and submitted a payment schedule to the committee. However, after receiving payments for the services rendered, Ruming allegedly failed to disburse the funds to the operators as promised.
In an effort to address this issue, Hon. Tawa has instructed the bank to refund the money owed to the machinery operators. He met with Ruming at the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) and used the opportunity to engage with the bank’s Managing Director, urging them to take action and prevent the transfer of the disputed funds.
Despite Ruming’s apparent reluctance to comply with the committee’s directives, Hon. Tawa emphasized that the committee possesses the authority under Section 93 of Parliament to enforce compliance with its decisions. Just days prior, Hon. Tawa had an informal meeting with Ruming at a restaurant to discuss the ongoing payment issues, but unfortunately, no agreement was reached.
In light of these ongoing challenges, Hon. Tawa plans to escalate the issue further. He intends to formally order the Managing Director of the bank to redirect the funds to a consolidated account to ensure that the machinery operators receive the payments owed to them. This situation not only highlights the struggles within the projects at hand but also raises serious concerns about the management of government funds and the treatment of taxpayers’ money.
Hon. Tawa criticized current practices as indicative of poor governance and a lack of accountability, urging for a more responsible approach to financial management. The need for transparency and efficiency in handling public funds is paramount, and Hon. Tawa is committed to ensuring that proper protocols are followed to uphold the integrity of the system.
