Malen GRC Meeting
The Malen Grievance Redress Committee (GRC) in its monthly meeting on Monday 22 February 2021 has set up a 5-man committee to facilitate a chiefdom dialogue on security and other issues bordering on the peace and stability of the chiefdom, in Ngandorhun Malen village Lower Pember section in the Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun district.
Madam Adama Senge Chiefdom Mammy Queen and member of the GRC said: “The security problem is a great concern in the Malen Chiefdom”.
Mr Alhaji M Bawoh, member of the Malen Land Owners Association (MALOA) and member of the GRC, stood up and highlighted the burning issues between the community and Company:
1.The security threats as most farm guards and other military personnel harass and intimidate the community people in their back yards in search of stolen fruits from the Company’s plantation.
- The marginalization of some community people in terms of decision-making.
- Increase in teenage pregnancy,
- Disrespect for cultural places as farm guards enter secret society bush in search of stolen fruit from the company
- Unfair judgments during arrests of community people as suspected for stealing the fruit from the plantation.
- The missing of a woman 9 days ago in a village called Gbagba
- Covid-19 related issues
Patrick S Alpha of SOCFIN explained to committee members that there were sub contacted security companies in SOCFIN that did not follow their standard operating system (SOPS).
John Caulker, Executive Director of Fambul Tok, stated that the solution to the highlighted problems was with the committee because they have the local solutions to solve their local problems.
Fambul Tok international facilitated the GRC monthly meeting together with UNDP Sierra Leone and WFP Sierra Leone in the implementation of the United Nations Peace Building Fund (PB F) Localized Resource Based Conflict and Increasing Community Resilience project in Pujehun District.
A total of 25 people (9 female and 16 male) were in attendance. The chiefdom Grievance Redress Committee are inclusive structures with the mandate to resolve ongoing resource based conflicts as well as identifying and resolving potential conflicts.
