Northeast Amputees, War-Wounded Chairman sheds light on TRC-report neglect: “my constituents are suffering acutely”

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson 

Mr. Tamba Tappia Fornah alias Mr. Tee, the Northern Region Amputee and War-Wounded Association Chairperson has revealed things are becoming unbearable for his membership.

He told AWE-Media.SL: “his membership is suffering acutely,” and they’re getting no regular assistance from either the government or the private sector.”

Mr. Fornah who was voted to the post unopposed by delegates of the Amputee and War-Wounded Association in Bombali in September last year to replace the Association’s earliest chairman Mohamed Bangura (Soccer Med), on a three years mandate in charge of handling the activities and programs of the Amputees and War-Wounded Associations at both district and regional levels he is gradually achieving some of his manifesto promises to increasing its membership, creating an office space, keeping our football team in good form as well as collaborating with fellow Amputees, Key Government and Non-Stakeholders including NCPD and related bodies.

In the middle of all of these, “my constituents are actually suffering due to the increasing economic hardship and neglect on us as was recommended for us to be repatriated and be catered in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission-(TRC) report,” he said in solemnity.

He said, disability is not inability but asks how can they be viably continue to society and be able to fend for themselves and families when we didn’t have complete limbs as humans at the same time we are not being empowered and catered?

“My only plea to government and other key players in the public and private sector is to switch their interests of human capital development on investments on us as Amputees and War Wounded persons living outside Freetown, so we too can become very viable and can also play our part in economic growth and nation building.”

However, the need is pressing for all parts especially the Government to step-up and work towards addressing the imperative recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) regarding victims of war as successive governments have not adequately fulfilled most of the recommendations.

As mentioned by the Northern region Amputees and War-Wounded Chairman there are several recommendations on the TRC report for his constituents and other victims of Sierra Leone’s bloody civil war. Highlights of the recommendations dictates for repatriation proposals that include skills training, micro credits, health, education, community reparations, symbolic representation plus provision of pensions to victims that were badly affected by the country’s civil unrest. 

Browsing through the TRC report I’ve learned that some of the imperative recommendations are fully ignored, others being given lips service to or being half way observed by both successive and present regimes.

For instance Paragraph 492 of the TRC recommends that: “a monthly pension be paid to all adult amputees, other war wounded who experienced a 50% or more reduction in earning capacity as a result of their injury and victims of sexual violence. 

And “The amount should be determined by NaCSA who will be required to balance the needs of the victims with what government can afford and in doing so, must take into consideration the basic living scale for Sierra Leone as set by the United Nations Development Program.”

According to the recommendation, “NaCSA is also required to also take into account the amounts provided to ex-combatants on a monthly basis under the NCDDR program and the pensions received by the war wounded SLA soldiers.

While “the Ministry of Finance, in particular, the Accountant General’s Department, should be entrusted with coordinating the distribution of pension payments.”