To most people this is a ridiculous question. But the reality is that these millions of dollars to the so-called "Technical Assistance" would be paid in the form of debts, which keep on accumulating on a yearly basis considering the high interest rate charged by the same foreign and European financial institutions.

In her bitterly titled book, Aid as Imperialism, Teresa Hayser makes an analysis of the aid which she described as "government aid is usually tied to the purchase of items from the lending country and that, aid channeled through the United Nations institutions is often available only for approved projects, which sometimes have more appeal to World Bank economics than those of recipient countries".

She further noted that, most aid neither reaches the people who really need it nor goes into the kind of projects likely to ensure long term development.

However, donor countries are arguing that, monies sent to African countries always end up in the wrong hands, which prompted them to remedy their claims by employing the service of these Technical Assistance to see how best these aids and loans are properly utilized.

Apparently, their claims are justifiable to some certain extent, but what is bothering this writer relates to the work these TAs are carrying out when 45% of these loans and aid goes to them.

In fact, these TAs are well known for their extravagance compared to our brothers and sisters who have acquired wealth of experience to act in such capacity.

Actually, this writer did a research recently to assess this Technical Assistance in Sierra Leone.

It is sad to note that most of them are in this country to acquire knowledge from the local staff which is more capable in performing these duties as opposed to the TA staffs.

What then is the essence of these TAs and consultants that are here to see how these monies are utilized?

This reminds me of Deen Beacon, the contracted PSC employee of the National Power Authority (NAP) who has been making millions of dollars for over three years without doing anything absolutely in curbing the abysmal darkness in this country.

Why then should DFID think of renewing his contract, only for him to lavish the donor funds? Let him go, the local staff of the National Power Authority are more competent to do such work.

Why should donor counties spend huge amounts of monies on these TA when they normally invest on shaping policy debates, setting agendas, crafting consensuses and inferring lessons on this country?

Research indicates that, at least 25% of global aid flows go to Technical Assistance, and more money is still used for programmes to assist "knowledge transfer" from donors to recipients.

Why should Technical and knowledge gaps exist in Africa when in principle policy dialogue has the potential to improve on the quality of public policy and that of aid?

One begins to wonder if at all these donor countries are really fighting hard to reduce poverty in Sierra Leone with these retrenchment policies even though these monies have to be repaid in the form of debt?

Reports reaching this press indicate that the consultant at the Ministry of Agriculture is a "square peg in a round whole" and yet still he is there, receiving thousands of dollars while our brothers and sisters who are more qualified are earn less than a million leones per month.

What is the essence of lavishing huge amounts of money on him when he is there as a puppet or a "security" for the donors to ascertain if at all the money is properly utilized on food security?

As the old adage usually goes, "Beggars have no choice." This is the situation Sierra Leone is enduring presently as these consultants and Technical Assistance are here to eat monies instead of doing any proper work as they always proclaim.

No wonder the British Secretary of State Hillary, who was on a short visit to Sierra Leone, told members of the press that, "We are spending money on TAs because of Sierra Leone's lack of human resources." The honourable failed to give members of the press the correct answer instead of using human resources as a scapegoat. However this writer wants Hilary to know that Sierra Leone is blest with natural, mineral and human resources, which if properly utilized would render aid and loans useless, as they have in fact created the positions of TAs and consultants which our brothers and sisters are using to enrich themselves at the detriment of the suffering masses in the name of the Almighty "conditionalities".

Therefore, she needs to say something better than human resources as Sierra Leone today can boast of technocrats in the likes of Dr. Bob Kandeh, who is now working in Sudan as a statistician, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, who is the head of UNIDO, and Dr. James Jonah, etc.

These Technical Assistants are not doing anything absolutely to salvage the high rate of poverty in this country. How much more corruption?

Most of them come into this country to learn from the ordinary Sierra Leoneans for their vast knowledge and experience contrary the TAs some of whom are high school leavers, while others are here on a working experience despite the huge amounts of money being spent on them to see how best these aid and loans are utilized for the intended purposes.

This writer has been made to understand that, money sent in by World Bank, IMF or any other International Financial Institution to this country for repairs, privatization and other reforms takes the form of consultancy in which the World Bank or IMF officials would consult one of these multi national companies to bid for such programme as consultancy firm.

These consultancy firms would charge heavily, send in their own workers as some interest rate would be paid to any of these financial institutions for the awarding of such a contract to their firm.

Readers, this writer is advocating for technology as it would bring about rapid economic growth, reduce poverty and its attendants.

The issue of aid and loans which are normally tied up to strings like the TAs' interest rates, retrenchment policies and other negative vices cannot in any way address the issue of poverty and corruption in this country.

Therefore, the economic recovery programme for this country should not be based on loans and aid as the final resort, since technology is transferable from one country to another.

Even though 70% of this country's income is donor funds things are still not improving.

It is advisable for these donor countries to invest more money on technology instead of creating jobs for themselves through the so-called NGO's INGO's and the TAs.