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Defence Minister Under Fire |
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Written by The Exclusive News Paper
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Friday, 30 July 2010 |
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Few months ago the Minister of Defence, Alimamy Pallo Conteh, came under the spotlight in relation to an allegation that he is building a house on state land and also that he was influencing the procurement process in his ministry. But he somehow weathered that storm.
Now he has come under fire from sympathizers of Captain Valentine Strasser and fifteen (15) other Wounded In Action former soldiers who are now accusing him of dragging his foot on paying them their benefits. The former soldiers, ranging from Colonels to Second Lieutenants, said Pallo Conteh is dragging his feet on their welfare because he did not know how it feels to be wounded in action. “We cannot blame him because while we were at the war front, he was safely in Freetown under the protection of his uncle who was ex-President Joseph Saidu Momoh. Later, while some of our colleagues were dying at the war fronts, he was safely in America studying. How can such a man be sympathetic to our cause? Even before the war, he was more of an informant and spy for his uncle than a comrade”, said one of the sixteen (16) Wounded In Action former soldiers who telephoned us yesterday. An ex-Colonel, who prefers anonymity, noted that “it is because he is living in comfort that is why he cares less about those who risked their lives for their country. Why can Pallo see it as an act of atonement to facilitate the payment of the benefits of Captain Valentine Strasser and fifteen (15) other Wounded In Action former soldiers?” It could be recalled that the issue of the payment of benefits to Wounded In Action former soldiers has been a thorny one since the All People’s Congress (APC) came to power nearly three years ago. There have been strikes and threats of strike actions by these Wounded In Action former soldiers. Some have been paid while others like Captain Valentine Strasser and fifteen (15) other Wounded In Action former soldiers are yet to be paid. |
