3 Ineligible Contenders Exposed
Provincial secretary implicated
During the declaration of interest for Paramount Chief at Fakunya Chiefdom, on the 16th May 2021, four out of five members contended for the Chieftaincy title.
During our investigation, it was learned that one of the contenders, Mrs. Janet Mami Ngakui, had raised serious concern over the ineligibility of the three contenders, for which a petition will soon be out. It was understood that Samuel Bengeh, one of the three ineligible contenders, had been ruled out during a court sitting, in which it was declared that he has no right to contend for the position, because he has no related chieftaincy background and not a member of any ruling family, therefore, not entitled to contest for the position.
Our investigation furthered that after the ruling against Samuel, the Provincial Sectary in Bo District, responsible for the conduct of the election, declared Samuel as an eligible contender for the upcoming Chieftaincy Election and gave him a symbol.
‘’I have right to contest, because am a son of the soil’’ Samuel Bengeh is said to have claimed. As things stand, other stakeholders in the chiefdom are unhappy with the goings-on at Fakunya Chiefdom, especially in respect of what they termed as an imposition of a candidate that is not eligible to contest for the Paramount Chieftaincy position.
Daniel Sarah Turay, one of the aspirants for Kalantuba Chiefdom (Tonkolili District), who witnessed the declaration at Fakunya Chiefdom, said that Mr. Samuel Bengeh has no right to contest in the upcoming election, as he claims to have a chieftaincy background, which was his uncle. Turay furthered that that is still not enough for him to be eligible to contest, because his own father or grandfather was never a chief in the chiefdom.
He continued that documentary evidence have been produced to show that Samuel Bengeh has no right to contest for the said position, adding that this situation is a recipe for chaos in the chiefdom. He furthered that this is the third time that they have come for declaration, and on all such occasions, the meetings had not ended peacefully.
Some stakeholders spoken to have expressed disappointment over the Provincial Secretary from Bo’s decision, intimating that he has no right to go against the decision arrived at by the Court that sat on the matter. They further requested for the PS to produce documentary evidence to substantiate his claim that Bengeh is eligible to contest.
Other contenders said to have declared interest in vying for the position, but who are said not to be eligible are: Kabineh Bengeh and Frank Wudie Kpanda.
