If it was only last Wednesday 8th December that Mr. Adrian Fischer was “approved and confirmed” by Parliament as a High Court Judge, then I feel terribly ashamed for my country because it logically follows that for as long as he had been presiding as such within the Judicature of Sierra Leone prior to that substantive Parliamentary “approval and confirmation”, he had been doing so irregularly. To me it was belated, like putting the proverbial “Cart before a Horse”.
And my boldness to so assert stems from my reliance on Sec. 135 (2) of our National Constitution which makes it mandatory for anyone appointed to serve as a Judge of a superior Court to first subject him/herself to prior Parliamentary scrutiny and approval. There is no exception or exemption to that constitutional prerequisite. None at all!! Not even Sec. 136 (3) which clearly qualifies the latitude for appointment of Judges under Sec. 135 (3) or as Acting Judges that in Sec. 136 (2) are restricted only to persons qualified for appointment as a Judge and/or that has retired from that position. Cumbersome? Not quite!!
Thus the Parliamentary “confirmation and approval” of Mr. Adrian Fischer on 8th December as a substantive High Court Judge spoke to a few things that should be worrisome for our country and among which are:
1. That the principle of separation of powers guaranteed by our Constitution do not appear to exist in the polity this country anymore. Otherwise neither the Hon. Chief Justice (CJ) who provided a Court for Mr. Fischer to have begun presiding within his judicature, nor the Speaker and Members of Parliament would ever have allowed him to have either commenced and/or continue presiding as one for over two years unchallenged, and without first guiding the Executive to that sacred constitutional prerequisite for his prior Parliamentary “confirmation and approval”.
2. By not so guiding the President on (1) above, the Hon. CJ and Speaker of Parliament and MPs and the Anti-Corruption Commissioner were complicit to a major Constitutional breach. And vicariously, the same complicity applies to General Legal Council and the ACC Commissioner as well as to those purporting to be representing the voices of the voiceless (Civil Societies groups including Inter-Religious outfits) and worst of all the Sierra Leone Bar Association), for not living up to their responsibilities of holding the establishment to account.
*Nullity*
Can one not now safely conclude that all matters presided upon by the said Mr. Adrian Fischer up to his “confirmation and approval” to sit as a substantive Judge of the High Court prior to Wednesday 8th December could be challenged on grounds of “nullity”? Because insofar as our Constitution requires, he had been doing so irregularly. That is to say “acting as a regular High Court Judge” when technically he wasn’t constitutionally one “confirmed and approved” by Parliament.
I am given to understand (and verily believe) Mr. Adrian Fischer may not be the only Judge to have been presiding as a High Court Judge without prior parliamentary “confirmation and approval”. I can also very well recall a Minister or two commencing duties straight from after their appointments and oath taking before the President without prior parliamentary scrutiny and approval. I have written copiously on this gaffe in the past, but no one seem to care a hoot about such a serious constitutional anomaly as aforesaid: neither the Rt. Hon. Speaker, nor the MPs that are supposed to be protecting our interests, nor the General Legal Council or the ACC Commissioner, nor those purporting to be representing the voices of the voiceless (Civil Societies groups including Inter-Religious outfits and worst of all the Sierra Leone Bar Association).
One reason that to me made the belated 8th December parliamentary “confirmation and approval” of Mr. Fischer irksome is that the Parliamentary Communications Department Presser was categorical in that it was not retroactive, but fresh. Meaning anyone is now free to seriously question and possibly seek leave of the Hon. CJ for a revisit and pursue an annulment of all rulings delivered by Mr. Fischer prior to his parliamentary “approval and confirmations” on 8th December, whether or not they impact the APC or its memberships and or affiliates.
*Co-ordinates*
To seasoned politicians adding up the co-ordinates of events in the days prior, Mr. Fischer’s “confirmation and approval” by a Parliament comprising vociferous/vibrant opposition APC MPs with the swiftness of a hot knife passing through melted butter came as no surprise. First there was his public remonstration and conviction (albeit suspended) of Peter Conteh. Then followed his subsequent public chastisement of the lead ACC Prosecutor Mantsebo in the NY Chancery Building saga to close his case involving the lead 2023 APC Presidential aspirant Dr. Samura Kamara - Pronto. Against those backdrops also emerged a consensual but rather distractive clamour of threats by MPs to block all debates (including on the Financial Appropriation Bill that incidentally includes approval and payments of “Severance Benefits” for all Presidential Appointees by 31st March 2022, and of course the pending debates on confirmation of appointments hearings) unless and until their own “welfare issues” were satisfactorily addressed. Given the fact that no one receives Parliamentary summons for confirmation hearings on the night before, Mr. Fischer’s pending confirmation appearance should have come as no surprise to anyone. Are you seeing the co-ordinates now?
But whether or not those seemingly swift placating about-turns by Mr. Fischer were intended as ground softeners for his pending confirmation hearing, or that the threats by MPs were to elicit a Quid-Pro-Quo (something for something) from the government, they tend to lend credence to convictions of the Africanist Press that for the greater part of their incumbencies, our MPs would seem to prioritize their own welfare over and above those of the people they purport to be representing. A clear testimony to that was that no one in the “Well” of Parliament dared to question the nominee on what basis he had been presiding as a High Court Judge (and even occasionally empanelled to sit on the Appellate Bench) for over two years, without their prior parliamentary “confirmation and approval” even as a substantive High Court Judge.
With our next multi-tiered elections barely six months away, I am aware that this would (as usual) all sound like pouring water on a duck’s back. This is because most of our MPs will certainly not be returning to the “Well”. Rather unfortunately and as in the past, all previous crop of MPs have
been branded much worse than their precursors. So as we await the epitaph of the present crop of MPs constituting the 5th Parliamentary Session of this Republic, it behooves us all to choose our next crop of MPs wisely and discretely too, to ensure that those we elect do not prioritize the advantages of rank and fortune above service and integrity, but would rather always have the fortitude not necessarily to be confrontational with, but where necessary to be punctiliously guiding the Executive into a strict observance of Constitutionality and the Rule of Law.
WHY WE SHOULD PAY NO ATTENTION TO ALFRED PETER CONTEH'S REINSTATEMENT OF SAM SUMANA.
By Tony Konomanyi
In a completely absurd and futile move, the chairman of the APC Interim Governance Transitional Committee (APC-IGTC), Mr Alfred Peter Conteh, yesterday, 05/08/22, posted a press release in which he unilaterally declared that, Ex-VP Alhaji Chief Sam Sumana, who had, in 2016, been expelled from the APC party, had now been reinstated with immediate effect.
It should be noted that a reinstatement resumes Chief Sam Sumana's membership from the date of his expulsion, April 2015, which would then allow him to compete for flagbearer of the APC, as it would mean that he, Sam Sumana, would not fall foul of the APC party's constitution requirement that all APC flagbearer candidates MUST have had an uninterrupted 5 year membership by the date of their formal declaration for APC flagbearer.
Now, here is the problem with Mr Alfred Peter Conteh's illegal press release.
Chief Sam Sumana was a member of the C4C party from 2017 to 2020.
So, were his APC membership to be reinstated, instead of it being readmitted, he'd then technically have also had C4C membership in parallel for the period 2017-2020.
The Political Parties Registration Commission's regulations clearly state that no person can be a member of more than one party at the same time .
Therefore, a reinstatement of Chief Sam Sumana would fall foul of the PPRC regulations, even if all of APC unanimously wished for his reinstatement; which is far from the case, of course.
Sam Sumana may be readmitted to the APC.
A readmission grants him new membership, which would exempt him from running for flagbearer of the APC.
I, for one, would gladly welcome the readmission of Sam Sumana, because that is within the law.
But since Sam Sumana told his supporters, back in 2019, that he'd only be returning to the APC for the flagbearer, and that, were he to be denied the flagbearer, he'd destroy the
APC, then I can only assume that he has no interest in readmission to the APC, as that would exempt him from running for flagbearer.
Back in 2016/17, many people advised Sam Sumana to be patient, and not to join another party, but he'd not listen.
In a typically vengeful move, Sam Sumana led C4C, and assisted SLPP in the second round, to deny APC the 2018 General elections.
Now he must remember a common saying:
"Those who seek revenge must dig two graves".
IN THE STRUGGLES OF THE APC, THERE IS INDEED VICTORY.
IF DIAMOND CAN TURN TO STONE AND COCAIN TURN TO CHICKEN, HEADS WILL AND CONTINUE TO ROLL!
*DRUGS, CONTRABAND, AND DISMISSALS*
*A PAOPA COVER-UP EXPOSED*
By Tony Konomanyi
There's never a dull moment in Sierra Leone, under this SLPP regime.
In just seven days, we've gone from youth and journalist raising the alarm on the unusual movements of a shipping container suspected of holding drugs, weapons and forex, to a press release from government agencies and the police, denying any such contraband.
We then witnessed an interesting charade put up by the police at the "unveiling of contents" of the container in the full glare of the press.
(I dare not mention the ignominious exchange which ensued between the Minister of information, Mohamed Rhaman Swaray and the recently sacked IG, Sovula, when the latter unapologetically arrived late at the staged opening of the container, without apologies.)
So, we were expected to believe that the container which left water quay and was apprehended at Cline Town, is the same to have arrived at Kingtom police mess, under military and Police escort, after the alarm had been raised by the public.
However, the truth has finally been revealed.
First of all, the container which was opened at Kingtom Police mess was not the original, it had been swapped, and the actual container filled with drugs and contraband remained at the *TRUST paint factory* at Cline town.
It was at the TRUST factory that the contents were emptied by the Lebanese and Ghanian smugglers.
When the police took the "fake" container to Kingtom and finally disclosed the contents a few days later, they deliberately misled the public.
However, in their rush to exchange the original container for one filled with perishable foodstuffs like chicken and fish, they forgot an important detail.
*The replacement "fake" container was not a refrigerated one*
*Frozen items would never have been shipped all the way from Brazil in an unrefrigerated container; everything would have rotted*
The owner of TRUST paint factory is a Lebanese man called *AYAD EL MUKH* who works in partnership with the Transport minister *Kabineh Kallon* , who is also the brother of the Bank Governor *Kelfala Kallon*, (who last week left Sierra Leone surreptitiously, amidst a national uproar over his announcement that NL800 million, approx US$57m, had gone missing in the system.)
Since then, several highly placed heads have rolled, because of the mishandling of the smuggling deal.
The ADC to President Bio, *AIG SYLVESTER M KOROMA* , whose official Vehicle registration plate was fraudulently used on the lorry which hauled the container to Cline Town, has been dismissed as ADC to the President and reposted to Police headquarters.
The then Inspector General of Police, *AMBROSE SOVULA* has been removed from his post as head of Sierra Leone Police, because he blew the cover-up by his exuberance and incompetence.
Both the then second and third in command in Sierra Leone Police hierarchy have also been demoted/reassigned.
*Mr KEKETOMA SANDY* who was Presidential spokesman and press secretary has had his responsibilities halved, and he's now only Press secretary.
This is because he was out of his depth and overwhelmed by the negative publicity.
This is by no means the end of this matter, there'll be more names to come.
But they are the sacred cows.
In the meantime, our President, clearly unperturbed by all this scandal, financial mess, and the suffering of our people, has gone on a luxury holiday to the UK , Italy, and the South of France with his wife, who some say has a stake in all of these deals.
THE BREAKING NEWS YESTERDAY FRIDAY 22 JULY 2022 was about the interception of a shipment of illegal drugs which arrived at the main sea port in a large container by ship.
Below are some of of the reports so far from social media and other news outlets. Investigations are still going on, as BIG NAMES are being mentioned.
IIS SIERRA LEONE NOW THE BIG DRUGS TRANSMISSION CENTRE FOR WEST AFRICA?
Most of you have heard about the sensational container that is being guarded by soldiers and policemen (photos of container is to credit of C4D/TIMES-SL). There are all kinds of names being alleged to be involved with allegations of contraband drugs and counterfeit money in the suspicious container. Gunshots also alleged to have been fired.
Now, my duty this morning is to update you all in my capacity as one of the country's most senior investigative journalists and also as one of Sierra Leone's most trusted, patriotic senior citizens.
This update is not as a politician but as an Officer of the Order of the Rokel who was identified by late H.E. President Kabbah for my outstanding work as a Journalist, my trustworthiness as a citizen and a Patriot of the Highest Order possible.🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱🇸🇱
First of all, I want to commend all those (especially the Youths!!) who kept an all-night vigil from last night to this morning and have followed the suspicious container until it reaches Kingtom Police Mess now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for your patriotism.
Now, I have deployed my investigative skills and can confirm the container is an extra-high 40-feet container which is a Reefer. Also, this photo of a ship accompanying this write-up is a ship called SEASPAN LOGA.
SEASPAN LOGA is the ship that brought that container yesterday (July 22nd) to Freetown. It took the container from Morocco this Sunday (July 17th) at around 4pm and sailed straight to Freetown with it.
However, here is the interesting aspect. This container ORIGINALLY came from Brazil (Santa Catarina) with a clear destination of Freetown and not Morocco. It however transited in Morocco for reasons that may be due to ease of trans-shipment.
Anyway, this container left Brazil on board a totally different ship called CMA CGM RHONE in very early morning hours of 4:20am on June 26th 2022. That ship sailed from Brazil to Port Tangier, Morocco where it discharged the container on July 9th 2022.
Another noteworthy point that my investigations have uncovered is that the container actually entered the Ports in Brazil on *June 11th 2022* but spent over two weeks there at the ports in Brazil before it finally left on the CGM Ship. This means it may have been actually loaded with whatever is now inside it, right there at the ports in Brazil.
Anyway, the container, originally loaded in Brazil, arrives in Morocco, stays in Morocco for 8 days until this Sunday when it was put on the SEASPAN LOGA ship and brought to Sierra Leone. The container arrived on board SEASPAN LOGA yesterday and was removed from the ship at 4:30pm yesterday evening.
This is my update so far.
Hope my investigative findings can place the issue in better perspective. If it is drugs on board, then the drugs came from Brazil and/or Morocco (where the container transited). If it is counterfeit money, same thing. However, since the Tangier Ports in Morocco is mostly a trans-shipment port, then 99% chance is that absolutely everything inside that container originally came from Brazil.
God bless the Patriotic Sierra Leone citizens and God bless Sierra Leone. 🇸🇱
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PS: I know everyone is anxious for my Audio-075 and I assure you all that it will be out soon. It will not be on this container saga but will be solely on the Proportional Representation system of Government. Stand by for it. It will diligently explain to you all about what is unfolding in Parliament and other related issues of P.R. System and the Laws of Sierra Leone. Una patient me small more. When Audio-075 is broadcast, you will understand why I delayed it.😜😃
RE: CONCERNS OVER THE ALARMING STATE OF THE RULE OF LAW AND BAD GOVERNANCE UNDER THE CURRENT SLPP GOVERNMENT
The Consortium of Progressive Political Parties (CoPPP) is a platform created by thirteen opposition parties in Sierra Leone which have committed themselves to harness their collective strength to defend democracy, oppose, reject and condemn bad governance, all violations of the Rule of Law and of the rights of their fellow citizens by using democratic and lawful means.
We write to you today in your capacity as Principal Legal Advisor to the government of Sierra Leone and because all the issues that we raise in this letter have a common feature which is the non-adherence to constitutionality and legality and serial procedural breaches by the Government and its agents. This has had very serious repercussions on the health of our democracy and has eroded the trust and confidence that citizens had in the operability and independence of key institutions of State, including the Judiciary, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
As political parties with constituencies that cut across all regions, ethnic groups, religions, gender and economic and social categories in this country, we are in a position to inform you that discontent with the Government is growing at such an alarming rate among ordinary citizens that they no longer perceive the institutions of State as working for them but they also feel angry and that their basic human rights are not protected.
As opposition parties that take our role within the governance infrastructure very seriously, we feel duty bound in light of current trends to officially inform you of our concerns that due to the perceived abuse of legality, constitutionality and institutions the majority of the people of Sierra Leone may not only have lost trust in the Government but more worryingly may no longer have confidence in the State.
Legislature Mr. Minister, the original sin of the current administration in which you serve is without a doubt the blatant violation of the wishes of the electorate that had voted for the first time in the history of Sierra Leone for a unique power sharing arrangement by which the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won the Presidency and controlled the Executive arm of Government whereas the Legislature was dominated by the opposition led by the All People’s Congress party (APC).
Unfortunately, it was the choice of the Government to force itself down the throat of history by using its newly-found power to bring nine of their SLPP candidates into Parliament not through the normal bye elections but by order of the courts.
The citizens of Sierra Leone will never forget the painful and shameful picture of opposition party MPs being physically manhandled and dragged out of Parliament by security men to be replaced immediately by the SLPP. This was how from the initial stage the integrity of the judiciary, the police and the legislature was compromised and it was this irregular Parliament that quickly voted to impose the Speaker.
Unsurprisingly, this Parliament, emboldened by its weird genesis based on force and circumvention of procedure has turned out to be the most controversial in the history of our land. Civil society groups have reported in perception surveys that it is one of the most corrupt institutions, whistle blowers within Parliament have been shamefully suppressed, controversial Government appointments have been endorsed and the Government has never hesitated to bring obnoxious Bills to Parliament such as the Ministry of Finance’s open-ended non-accountable travelling imprest facility.
The Parliament therefore is one of the institutions that have been politically captured by the SLPP regime. Accountability Mr. Minister, the most recent outrage that has drawn the ire of Sierra Leoneans is the very messy attempt to remove the Auditor General, Mrs. Lara Taylor Pearce and her deputy, Mr. Tamba Momoh, from office.
Interestingly, even non-Sierra Leoneans who are members of the worldwide professional community of auditors have stepped forward not only to testify to their integrity and very high standard of professionalism but also to frown at the highly suspicious, irregular and hasty manner in which a tribunal was set up to investigate them for some obscure malpractices.
Mrs. Taylor Pearce, in particular, has served diligently with two administrations and has always been allowed to do her work even though regularly bringing out results that exposed incompetence and fraud on the part of the Governments in power.
Until now! This Government’s bold move of forcing a tribunal on the Auditor General only a couple of weeks to her publication of the 2020 Audit Report on the finances of Government has been interpreted as intimidation against her so that certain shocking revelations of Government’s misuse of public funds that are apparently contained in that report may not see the light of day. This is the perception of the general public, and it indicates once again that the people no longer trust the Government and the way it handles issues of transparency and accountability.
Interestingly, accountability has been one of the main areas for which your Government has been claiming credit, especially using the MCC reports as booster. And yet the main State institution that is supposed to be fighting corruption has proved to be highly selective in its approach, high handed when dealing with suspects in the previous administration but gentle and kind with abuses in the current regime.
At this time when the Auditors are being dragged to a tribunal to face accusations of malpractices, it will only be fair and just, Mr. Minister, that the ACC Commissioner be also probed for his decision to drop investigations into the disappearance of 49,000 bags of Chinese donated rice within the corridors of power and to establish whether there is possibility of collusion that should justify his removal.
Justice and Human Rights Mr. Minister, you will agree that so much blood has been shed in the short life of this administration that the citizens have every reason to be afraid of the Government and how it uses the law enforcement agencies to handle situations.
The Judiciary and the Sierra Leone Police Force have become willing partners in eroding the justice system, and by extension fundamental human rights. They have both formed a conveyor belt of human rights abuses where one targets and arrests opposition members, many times on bogus legal violations while the other refuses bail and sends them to Pademba Road Prisons.
One glaring example of a case where the Sierra Leone Police and the Judiciary have collaborated to rob a citizen of justice and their human rights is the Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray case in which bail was granted by the court but liberty was refused by the Master and Registrar allegedly upon the instructions of the Chief Justice.
The fourteen-year-old boy who was shot and killed in the Tonko Limba bye election, the killing of protesters at Lunsar and Makeni, the massacre at Pademba Road Correctional Centre, the list of these horrible incidents involving State security is stretching and one dangerous motif in all this is that, in the language of the man in the streets these days, “na boff case”, meaning that nothing will ever be done about it.
Impunity, especially when it concerns actions by influential people close to Government or Government itself, is now being regarded as the norm by a people that feel unprotected and abandoned by those they elected into office.
In Sierra Leone today, there is a strong sense of fear and insecurity among the citizens because every attempt they make to demonstrate or protest against the Government is robustly suppressed by the police sometimes resulting in the death of innocent people. Things have become even more concerning that even within the ruling party, conflicts are resulting in shootings and death.
The recent killing of an SLPP party vigilante, alias Don Pole, by a police officer acting allegedly on the instructions of a very senior personality in the ruling party and the fact that investigations into the murder is either stalling or being shut down leaves everyone in this country unsafe; particularly members of the opposition that have been critical of this Government and are being regarded as enemies rather than partners in governance.
We express these concerns, Mr. Minister, because of the unique situation of our country, having suffered eleven years of a brutal civil conflict, and a young population that either actively participated in the atrocities or have been living through the consequences.
Clearly, it is inconceivable that a people with such an experience can be compressed again into a state of injustice, fear, intimidation and violence without the possibility of an eruption with disastrous consequences. This is why we believe you as the Government Lawyer must be concerned and should, for the sake of our common good and national security, take necessary action to impress the gravity of the situation on your colleagues rather than tag along with them whenever they come up with decisions that are inconsistent with the Constitution and laws but for which they seek some cosmetic interpretation.
More importantly, Sir, the country faces a very important test in the next two years, namely local, Parliamentary and Presidential elections. Given the current situation, aspects of which we have elaborated above, everybody is concerned, including the international community who have partnered with us through so many transitions.
It was ridiculous to read, hear or watch the angry and irrational reactions of institutions such as the NEC, the PPRC, the Judiciary and the Police when a recent follow up assessment mission by the European Union (EU) raised concerns about the general erosion of trust in these key institutions that are to preside over the next round of elections.
Suddenly, the EU which has been a very good partner of Government, consistently supporting our governance struggles and our election processes with their taxpayers’ money, is now viewed by these pre-programmed institutions of the SLPP regime as bad people who make unscientific assertions, unsubstantiated claims and interfere with our sovereignty!
It is indeed funny that only a few weeks after their passionate “rebuttals” to the EU report, they went ahead and conducted a bye election in Konadugu that basically vindicated the EU. All the usual cocktail of election malpractices, violence, police numbness, interferences and disruptions by State officials were played out yet again, proving just the same things that the EU said were undermining trust in the institutions.
Apart from being funny, their reactions simply reveal the hopelessness in which the Government appears to find itself, for being unable to use these observations by external partners as a trigger for deep reflection and wide consultations; such consultations would address the critical factors that are undermining public confidence which is a pre[1]requisite for successful electoral processes.
Mr. Minister, it is not helpful for the Government to continue playing the ostrich, burying its head in the sand and shutting off the harsh realities that surround it; the problems are worsening by the day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we hereby make the following observations and conclusions.
The SLPP Government has captured the main State institutions that would normally guarantee the freedoms of individuals and our democratic rights under the Rule of Law. As a result the democratic space is all but closed to members of the opposition or ordinary citizens who may wish to register their concerns to Government through peaceful protests and demonstrations. The Police no longer allow any public protest unless it is in favour of Government.
We confirm the conclusions of the recent EU mission to Sierra Leone regarding the general erosion of trust in critical institutions that should jointly deliver a free and fair election and urge the Government to engage progressive opposition parties in frank and productive dialogue on how to restore trust.
We consider the so-called tribunal on the Auditor General and her Deputy to be contrived to intimidate them and to cover up revelations contained in the yet to be released 2020 Audit Report on Government finances. We therefore recommend that the said report be released integrally by the Auditor herself.
In the event that Government desires to pursue the investigations of the Auditors at a tribunal, we recommend that it will be fortuitous to open investigations also into the action of the Commissioner of the ACC in abandoning the case of the missing 49,000 bags of Chinese donated rice and the reasons thereof. This matter constitutes a massive blot in the Commissioner’s career and will certainly not rest until he reveals the truth.
Government must take urgent steps to prosecute those responsible and named in the case of the murdered SLPP man, Don Pole. This is a very serious case that puts on trial the Government’s capacity and willingness to allow justice to be served in cases involving their own party dignitaries. No human being in Sierra Leone is safe, apart from the highly connected if, as alleged, important men can give orders to the police to shoot and kill at will and yet continue executing official duties.
If the Government continues to treat the opposition as enemies and whatever they say and do as subversion, the consequences of their actions will not only affect the members of Government but equally the opposition who share with them the identity of political leaders. We in COPPP regard ourselves as important players, dedicated to the preservation of the democratic ideals of this country for which so many of our brothers and sisters have lost their lives. We therefore refuse to be bullied into silence and inaction by any oppressive force. We shall oppose repression with peace and restrain our people from all acts of disorderliness and violence for as long as we can. For as long as we can.
Finally, we particularly request that you convey and discuss the details of this letter with His Excellency the President who for some reason has not met us in spite of the several requests we made to seek his audience. Kindly give our regards to him since we cannot do so ourselves.
Thanking you in anticipation of your interest in the contents of this correspondence,
Everyone is concerned about the direction of travel our country has embarked on since Bio was given the keys to State House 2018. In the last three years, nothing he has demonstrated both in political and economic development have given us hope that we are heading in the right direction . If anything his actions or the lack of it have set our country in a dangerous trajectory, more like he is driving our country to the cliff edge, with all the safty protocols being placed in the back bonner. The rule of law is not respected. Depite the repealed of the 1965 libel Act, freedom of speech and the press is left much to be desired. The judiciary, the last best hope to save our country fom Bio’s instincts of riding roughshod on his political opponents, is in a state of flux. Confidence in his government to change course, both nationally and international have hit rock-bottom.
Our only saving grace is the western diplomatic community have taken some interest in the case between Bio versus the state of Sierra Leone. President Maada Bio, should know by now the writing is on the wall for his lack of good leadership and his failures to arrest the overwhelming cases being leveled against some of his unapologetic corrupt members of his government. Bio is not a problem solver, he is more of the problem. The problem is not about the issues we have, but the president is becoming the issue. The spot light is firmly on him. The consortium of opposition politicians are right in raising this issues. Despite all the talk of check and balances, we know there is no such thing as check and balances.
Bio does what he wants and when he wants it. The opposition is too weak to raise their voices. What we have today the opposition APC party is engaged in self harm, talking of shooting your self on the foot, is an understatement. Despite the reforms we were promised by the new chief justice, the judiciary, the ACC are increasingly becoming cheer leaders for a government that is trying to figure out what they will do to retain power at all cost.
” Fear not the world but the people “. It is evident that some people came out in large numbers in some parts of Sierra Leone to celebrate the development that my president, your president our president Dr. Julius Maada Bio and his government was able to unveil to Sierra Leone which is beneficial to us all and our children yet unborn. Take a look at the establishment of Technical University in Sierra Leone; the bridge construction projects across the country; the road passing through Feima Chiefdom to the Guinea border; the University construction project in Kono to name but a few. We want to thank God and the “talk and do” leader Sierra Leone has.
Since it is in the interest of some people to oppose good and meaningful things that other people are looking for, I ask that COP should give peace a chance and allow development to take center stage. We are tired of distractions and deceit from opposing party politicians .
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Everyone is concerned about the direction of travel our country has embarked on since Bio was given the keys to State House 2018. In the last three years, nothing he has demonstrated both in political and economic development have given us hope that we are heading in the right direction . If anything his actions or the lack of it have set our country in a dangerous trajectory, more like he is driving our country to the cliff edge, with all the safty protocols being placed in the back bonner. The rule of law is not respected. Depite the repealed of the 1965 libel Act, freedom of speech and the press is left much to be desired. The judiciary, the last best hope to save our country fom Bio’s instincts of riding roughshod on his political opponents, is in a state of flux. Confidence in his government to change course, both nationally and international have hit rock-bottom.
Our only saving grace is the western diplomatic community have taken some interest in the case between Bio versus the state of Sierra Leone. President Maada Bio, should know by now the writing is on the wall for his lack of good leadership and his failures to arrest the overwhelming cases being leveled against some of his unapologetic corrupt members of his government. Bio is not a problem solver, he is more of the problem. The problem is not about the issues we have, but the president is becoming the issue. The spot light is firmly on him. The consortium of opposition politicians are right in raising this issues. Despite all the talk of check and balances, we know there is no such thing as check and balances.
Bio does what he wants and when he wants it. The opposition is too weak to raise their voices. What we have today the opposition APC party is engaged in self harm, talking of shooting your self on the foot, is an understatement. Despite the reforms we were promised by the new chief justice, the judiciary, the ACC are increasingly becoming cheer leaders for a government that is trying to figure out what they will do to retain power at all cost.
” Fear not the world but the people “. It is evident that some people came out in large numbers in some parts of Sierra Leone to celebrate the development that my president, your president our president Dr. Julius Maada Bio and his government was able to unveil to Sierra Leone which is beneficial to us all and our children yet unborn. Take a look at the establishment of Technical University in Sierra Leone; the bridge construction projects across the country; the road passing through Feima Chiefdom to the Guinea border; the University construction project in Kono to name but a few. We want to thank God and the “talk and do” leader Sierra Leone has.
Since it is in the interest of some people to oppose good and meaningful things that other people are looking for, I ask that COP should give peace a chance and allow development to take center stage. We are tired of distractions and deceit from opposing party politicians .
Absoluteley great to see opposition parties acting in unison to oppose this corrupt, tribaistic and inept government.
Wonderful, something is happening.