By: Sylvanus Blake, PRO-ACC
The Deputy Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) Augustine Foday Ngobie has, in his usual manifestation of strong leadership in the roll-out of all unconditional cash transfer project activities and other work of the Commission, commenced a robust supervision of the third cohort Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) across eleven Districts in Sierra Leone. The Deputy Commissioner commenced the supervision in Pujehun Town, Pujehun District, Southern Sierra Leone, on Friday, 20th October, 2023.
At the Pujehun Town Barray, 4047 beneficiaries will be paid. The entire project will cater for a total of 35,000 beneficiary households across the 11 districts of Pujehun, Moyamba, Bonthe, Kerene, Falaba, Kambia, Koinadugu, Tonkolili, Kono, Kailahun and Western Rural.
Addressing the beneficiaries, the ACC strongman reassured the expectant crowd that each and every beneficiary shall receive what is due of them, stating that he would continue to superintend the cash transfer payments and help address concerns and challenges on the ground.
“Together with our partners, the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) and Orange Sierra Leone, we are out here to ensure that you are served adequately. Every beneficiary head shall receive the sum of Two thousand six hundred and nine (new) Leones (Le 2,609) via electronic money transfer to your sim cards. There will be no deductions, and this money should be used for the wellbeing and welfare of your households. If you have any complaints or grievances, please feel free to tell me while I'm here, or you can tell the ACC staff here with you," the Deputy Commissioner said.
Mr Ngobie encouraged the payment teams to ensure that beneficiaries are attended to quickly as many are persons living with disabilities and old people. He encouraged the beneficiaries to exercise patience, assuring them that all of them will eventually be paid no matter how long the payment process may take.
After the Deputy Commissioner’s statement, the concerns from the beneficiaries included challenges with the sim cards through which the electronic cash transfer are done, which several people complained were blocked by the mobile service provider. Upon consultation with the Orange team on the ground, the Deputy Commissioner assured the beneficiaries that the issue was a precautionary move to protect the sim cards from being tampered with by unscrupulous persons.
It could be recalled that the World Bank and UNICEF have committed over 40 million US dollars as grant for the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE), for a five-year period (2022 to 2027).
The grant is meant to provide unconditional cash transfer to beneficiary households, employment for youth through the labour intensive cash for work and entrepreneur skills support for youths.
© Public Relations Unit-ACC
