Suspended Nimba CEO Expresses Frustration

Suspended Nimba County Education Officer Wleh T. Sailah has expressed serious frustration in authorities at the Ministry of Education for failing to have him reinstated, despite restoring his amenities, after the conclusion of an investigation that led to his suspension.

Speaking to this paper over the weekend in an extensive interview, the Suspended CEO expressed frustration in officials at the Ministry of Education for doing nothing to reinstate him, even while he was proven not guilty by members of the investigation committee constituted by the Ministry of Education.

The Nimba CEO was suspended on eight counts, including the addition of the names of his children to the ministry’s payroll, as well as his personal possession of two pieces of computers at his house. He was also accused of receiving cash from the J. W. Pearson school and possessing the warehouse keys.

According to Mr. Sailah, on December 21, 2015, a team of officials from the Ministry of Education, constituted by the Deputy Minister for Administration, proceeded to Nimba County to investigate the CEO for his alleged administrative malpractices within the county school system.

The suspended CEO said, during the preliminary investigation, the ministry ask him and other district education officers or DEO’s, including the acting CEO of the county, to make statements on the eight counts communication submitted to the administration from the group calling themselves Concerned Citizens of Nimba County.

The CEO, who quoted the report, however, explain that following the reading of the various statements, the investigating team contacted the Deputy Minister for Administration to communicate with the first international Bank or FIB, and LBDI to provide it with the images and statement of accounts bearing the aforementioned listed names and payroll numbers in the eight counts-Alvin Gone (account number 21-12-588-0263 2), Snortee Sailah (account number 21-12-588-0248) and Beatrice Domah (account number 21-12-599-0494).

Mr. Sailah added that, the eight counts mentioned in the communication from the Concerned Citizens of Nimba County school system on allegations of administrative malpractices by him, especially that which has to do with replacement of names on the MOE payroll and the withdraw of funds from the county school accounts while under suspension during the investigation, were not discovered on any of the obtained documents from the LBDI and FIB.

He, however, explained that up to the time this interview was conducted, the ministry had not yet released to the general public the result of the just-ended investigation because such result favored him, saying hade the result being the opposite, the public would have.

“I wish they could do this so that my character which was destroyed can be restored and respected in society,” he said. The names of the investigating committee included Magnus C. Manbande – Legal Officer of the Ministry of Education and Nathanel E. Gibson – Retention Supervisor and Human Resource. John Dahn – Auditor at the ministry, also formed part of the team.

By Lewis S. Teh-edited by George Barpeen