BLYDEN BURST CIVIL SERVICE BUBBLE IN PORT LOKO!!

*FANS OF HON. DR. SYLVIA BLYDEN TURN PORT LOKO HALL UPSIDE DOWN WITH MASSIVE APPLAUSE - HER SUPPORT WAS ELECTRIC - SHE HAD TO BEG THEM TO STOP CLAPPING*
By Port Loko Media Alliance

Saturday July 30th 2016 was a unique day in Port Loko when the Honourable Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs took the microphone to address the jampacked gathering at Port Loko District Council Hall.
Hon. Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden has won fame in Sierra Leone for a series of reasons including many historical firsts for a Sierra Leone woman. One of the reasons for her huge popularity though, is her ability to fearlessly speak out. It was that ability that was on showcase in Port Loko.
Blyden was in Port Loko alongside His Excellency the President and all Cabinet Ministers plus the Head of the Civil Service and other local and international dignitaries. They were there to discuss the way forward in successfully executing the President's latest visionary programme: The Sierra Leone International Benchmarks System (SLIBS). Hon. Blyden as Minister leading the Social Welfare, Gender & Children's ministry has been appointed as one of the pillar leads so she was seated on the High Table with the President throughout the two days workshop.
Hon. Dr. Blyden though seated on the High Table, was however very quiet throughout most of the workshop. This was unusual of her. It appears her silence was borne of quiet discomfort.
Shortly after lunch on the last day of the workshop, the President took his leave. The workshop however continued with exchange of ideas. Still, Dr. Blyden stayed silent on the High Table.
It was after a colleague minister Hon. Madam Khadijatu O. Sesay, had used firm but diplomatic words to chastise the civil service as being an impediment to successful implementation of SLIBS that Hon. Blyden raised her hands up and requested to speak.
And speak she did. It was hot, hot, hot. 🔥👌🏾
Using her trademark oratory skills, Hon. Dr. Blyden calmly and systematically tore into the corruption, incompetence and deliberate sabotage of President Koroma by elements within the civil service. She said despite all the lofty goals of the President with regards to SLIBS and others of his vision, she doubted if true success could be won; given the type of civil service the country had.
"We are here expending a lot of energy and effort just like we are out there doing same as leaders of the government. But sadly, our efforts can be likened to a dog chasing its tail. The dog will run as much as it likes but it can never catch its tail. It is always an exercise in futility. We chasing this dream of SLIBS but with the kind of civil service we have, it is a dream that might be in futility. Like a dog chasing its tail," Hon. Blyden asserted strongly.
"Someone earlier said that 'if you like the President, you will want his agenda to succeed'. But here's the irony. When a huge chunk of civil servants neither like the President nor do they believe in his agenda and whom will never cast their votes for either the President or the ruling APC, do you think they will want him or his APC agenda that they don't believe in, to succeed?" Hon. Blyden enquired of an audience that was very appreciative of her words.
Hon. Dr. Blyden then turned to the Head of Civil Service Dr. Ernest Surrur who was also inside the hall and challenged him thus:
"If you have a conscience and you really want the best for this country, you should not hide the fact that you are heading a civil service that is, to put it as nicely as I can, a disgrace to this country. A real disgrace and when I say a disgrace, I am putting it as nicely as I can!!!"
Repeating her words to the entire hall that roared with applause, she restated that the SLIBS, like many other visionary programmes of the President, will have its success be challenged by some civil servants who will deliberately undertake actions to undermine and sabotage the dreams and vision of the President.
As she eloquently stated her positions, the entire hall just kept on bursting into applause and interrupting her speech with loud shouts of endorsement and claps of hands. The roars of positive appreciation of her words alongside the applause was so ceaseless that the confident female Cabinet minister had to beg her audience to stop clapping so she could continue speaking.
A largely discomfited Head of the Civil Service then said he wanted to make an input. To his credit, as if smitten by the call for him to listen to his conscience, Dr. Surrur first confessed that he was leading a civil service that was not fit for purpose.
"The civil service we have now is not the civil service we need to push this country forward," the Head of Sierra Leone Civil Service confessed to the hall full of citizens and foreign dignitaries in Port Loko.
However, despite his candid and honest confession, the civil service boss then went on to make a subtle threat that since the Civil Service was a "very formidable structure" and since the civil service can run government but no government can be run without civil servants so therefore, "any minister who comes to resist civil servants is going to fail. The civil service will make sure that minister fails".
His threat received some very insignificant claps from a coterie of a handful of some of his misguided civil servants in the Hall but murmurs of disapproval from others including civil servants, foreigners and citizens in the jampacked Port Loko Hall that were clearly on the side of the female Honourable Minister.
As many in the hall, expressed very loud dissatisfaction of the uttered threat that civil servants could make the female minister fail, one spectator, Mr. Joseph Nbompa Turay stood up and refused to seat down saying he must be given the microphone to address the Head of the Civil Service on behalf of citizens. He was so adamant that the chairman had to give him the mic. Mr. Turay then vehemently condemned the threat to make the minister fail - all to loud applause from others.
Despite the threat to make her fail, an unfazed Hon. Dr. Blyden then asked for the microphone again and although Presidential Adviser Alhaji Alpha Kanu was seen suspiciously writing a note trying to prevent her from speaking out again, the female Cabinet Minister stood firm and insisted that she was going to speak. At which point, another Presidential Adviser Ambassador Dauda Kamara who was chairing the occasion, conceded and gave Dr. Blyden the microphone again.
Indeed, it was another chance for the popular female politician to thrill the Port Loko audience. She first reiterated the importance of the SLIBS process and then likened the process to a chain. She said if one link in the chain was weak, the entire effort will be counter productive. She identified the civil service as a weak link in the SLIBS Concept.
She then ended her words by saying she was not the kind of Minister who planned to fail so she urged Head of Civil Service to go and tell his civil servants that she had the people power behind her in her strides to support President Koroma live up to the APC Manifesto. She derided the earlier reference of Surrur that had warned her not to condemn the Civil Service by reminding of how similar warnings had been given by Burkina Faso parliament against the power of the people.
"Where are those Burkina Faso MPs today?" Hon. Blyden asked the Head of the Civil Service; adding that just as she has been warned not to underestimate the power of the civil service so was she replying to tell the civil service not to underestimate the power of the people as the people of Sierra Leone were supporting her work on behalf of her boss President Koroma.
Those words of Blyden actually became the final contribution that closed the Presidential Workshop. It was a most fitting curtain call.
Meanwhile, this media alliance has reliably learnt from sources close to Hon. Blyden, that the HRMO/PSC Letter leaked to Pro-SLPP newspapers, was a response to a letter written by Hon. Blyden on the advise of the HRMO Director General Mr. Bayoh.
We are most reliably informed by sources close to Blyden that the HRMO Boss dictated that her own letter to her in her office with a promise that he will act on it as mandated of him by Rules 11.10 and 11.13 of the Civil Service Code.
"She did tell him that all she wanted was for the four civil servants to be suspended and that she did not think she should request for an administrative enquiry when the police is actively investigating. He, the HRMO Director General assured her it was quite in place. So he dictates the words and when she signs the letter and give it to him, few days later, he replies to deny her recommendation for suspension and worse of all, the Civil Service then leaks the letter to the press. A complete lack of integrity. No wonder the Honourable Minister says the situation is like a dog chasing its tail," our source close to the Minister has exclusively revealed.
*Rule 11.10* of Civil Service Code says:
If the nature of the alleged misconduct by an officer is deemed to be a criminal offence, and it is considered necessary that in the public interest, the officer should forthwith be prohibited from carrying out his/her duties, pending a disciplinary enquiry into the alleged misconduct, the Head of Ministry or Department may make recommendations to the Director-General that the officer concerned be suspended from duty.
*Rule 11.13* also says: "an officer who is the subject of a criminal investigation may be suspended".

READERS, YOU BE THE JUDGE AS OUR FANTASTIC FEMALE CABINET MINISTER PUTS ON THE ARMOUR TO FIGHT FOR US THE CITIZENS AGAINST A CIVIL SERVICE THAT THE HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE HIMSELF HAS CONFESSED IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE. THANK YOU PRESIDENT KOROMA FOR APPOINTING YOUR WELL TRUSTED CABINET MINISTER DR. SYLVIA OLAYINKA BLYDEN. WITH THE LIKES OF SYLVIA BLYDEN IN CABINET, SALONE GO MUST STRAIGHT.
- Feel free to share 🔃
© Port Loko Media Alliance
Ibrahim Alieu Kanu
Abdul Malik Bangura
Mohamed Santos Conteh
Gunther AB Daramy

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COMENTS:

{Courtesy: Mohmud Tim Kargbo- Sierra Leone Issues} Sunday 31 July 2016

HRMO: IS IT A CASE OF NOT KNOWING YOUR RULES OR STATE SABOTAGE?

Written by Mahmud Tim Kargbo.

 

Very respectfully, the Sierra Leone Civil Service is a public spirited organisation with a prime objective of ensuring that civil  servants entrusted with public resources do not abuse same and the influence accruing from their offices for personal gain or differences. 

It was against this background that The Hon. Minister of Social Welfare (Sylvia O. Blyden) presented the complaint bordering on suspicion of corruption to the HRMO and requested the suspension of accused corrupt workers in her Ministry.  

However, the request of the Hon. Minister was illegally turned down by the HRMO which necessitated the need for the accused to maintain their offices whilst the investigation is still going on. One wonder why till date, the HRMO failed to understand that such an act has the tendency for the accused to use the powers of their offices to influence the investigation. In short, the act of the HRMO contravene the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules which I attache here for your attention

It's no doubt the civil service in Sierra Leone is well electrified with hotbed of corruption under the current HRMO tenure.  I urge you all to please look at the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules they're quite self explanatory and see how the current HRMO is aiding and abetting alleged wrong doers in the civil service at the expense of the State.  

To further expose the sabotage act of the HRMO I hereby refer you all to Rule 11.10 below of the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules :

Rule 11.10: 

If the nature of the alleged misconduct by an officer is deemed to be a criminal offence, and it is considered necessary that in the public interest, the officer should forthwith be prohibited from carrying out his/her duties, pending a disciplinary enquiry into the alleged misconduct, the Head of Ministry or Department may make recommendations to the Director-General that the officer concerned be suspended from duty.

Unfortunately we have corrupt APC key members supporting such an act of clean sabotage against our own very government to destroy the APC and end it chances in sustaining governance.  Can this please be an eye opener for us all to up our game? 

JOHNNY PAUL KOROMA: A BLESSING OR A CURSE? Is He Still Alive??

  THE CHRONICLE OF A FUGITIVE!

    Hon Johnny Paul Koroma - the MP

Johnny Paul Koroma: the man who became head of state on the day he was to die.

By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

Born on the 9th of May 1960, Johnny Paul Koroma (also known as the Angel, and shortly as JPK) rose to become a leading figure in the Sierra Leone Army. 

He was among the best cadet officers to graduate from the Sandhurst Military Academy in England. (Other graduates from this Academy included the late King Hussein of Jordan, the late Sani Abachi of Nigeria, half the former Nigerian and Gambian cabinet, and the late Idi Amin of “what is good for the goose is good for the people of Uganda” fame). 

     Johnny Paul Koroma- The Soldier

JPK’s contemporaries at the military academy’s New College- where foreign students were trained- included Princess Basma of Jordan, Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia and Khadi Ahmed al-Thani, a former minister in the Qatari government. (Rumour has it that all foreign students trained at Sandhurst were used to further British influence abroad). 

JPK was among the first batch of officers to defend Sierra Leone against the maiden edition of the RUF rebellion in Bomaru on 23rd March in 1991. In 1995 they ward-off a RUF attempted advance toward Freetown as the rebels occupied the outskirts of Newton, Lumpa and Waterloo. 

In 1996, while he fought to save Sierra Rutile from falling into the hands of the rebels, JPK was arrested by the government on alleged charges of treason and was locked up at Pademba Road Prisons, awaiting a trial that would never hold. While in Prison JPK had a vision (or was it a dream?). An angel of the Lord (was it Angel Gabriel? Who cares anyway?) appeared to him and said: “Johnny Johnny, Johnny! The Lord has chosen you to lead his people….” And JPK knelt in his dark, stinking cell and worshipped the Lord.

On Sunday, the 25th of May 1997, on the eve JPK was to be hanged, junior officers of the Sierra Leone Army stormed the city and overthrew the legitimate government of His Excellency the President Dr. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. The soldier’s first port of call was the Pademba Road Prison yard. They released Johnny Paul Koroma (together with all other inmates) and made him their leader. 

The unassuming JPK preferred the title Foot of State to Head of State. “A leader (or was it a soldier?),” he said “has to be on his feet, not on his head.” 

And within 72 hours as Foot of State, JPK invited the RUF to come out from the jungle and settle for peace by joining his government called the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. The RUF responded in the affirmative. 

However, majority of the people of Sierra Leone and the international community condemned the coup and the AFRC/RUF government. The people resorted to civil disobedience and there was growing international outcry for a military intervention to reinstate the legitimate government of President Kabbah, the company of whom had flee to neighbouring Guinea. 

For nine months JPK’s AFRC and the RUF, together called the People’s Army, ruled with fear, chaos and terror. 

On February 1998 an ECOMOG intervention force led by Nigerian soldiers captured the city of Freetown, after a deadly battle, and JPK and his band of warriors withdrew into the Peninsular jungle and traversed the mountains on to the provinces. In the process, the marriage with the RUF went sour and JPK was held captive by the RUF whilst most of his boys (the junior soldiers who staged the coup) settled at Okra Hill along the Freetown highway.

The RUF took JPK with them to Kailahun and he was subjected to severe torture. It was reported that the rebels raped his wife right in front of him. 

   Foday Kallay & The West Side Boys

    The SAS from UK

How JPK escaped to Liberia I don’t know, but it was while he was in Liberia that his boys at Okra Hill who now called themselves the West Side Boys- started making headlines. They attacked the highway from time to time, looting food and property from plying vehicles. 

    The West Side Boys at Okro Hill

They demanded that their unit should be represented at the peace talks in Lome and that JPK should represent them.

It did not matter however, because the Lome Peace Accord gave blanket amnesty to all the warring factions and President Kabbah stretched out his wide, olive hands to all faction leaders in the name of peace and national unity.

   Foday SANKOH, Charles Taylor & Johnny Paul Koroma -Peace making.

As a result JPK returned from Liberia and was made Chairman of the Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (CCP) while rebel leader Foday Saybanah Sankoh was put in charge of  the country’s strategic mineral resources- a position he was assured/convinced was equivalent to the vice presidency.

As CCP Chairman, JPK publicly resigned from the national Army (at the rank of Major) and his symbolic disarmament at Wilberforce, which was supervised by UNAMSIL, encouraged soldiers holding out in the jungle to come out too and join the peace process.

On May 8, 2000, chaos ensued as angry demonstrators marched directly to the residence/office of rebel leader Sankoh at Spur Road demanding the unconditional release of more than 400 UN peacekeepers earlier held hostage by his rebel outfit in the provinces. The situation was already escalating into something akin to a coup by the rebel leader when JPK intervened (once a soldier, always a soldier). He called on the public, through the radio, to shout the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ (in the case of Muslims, Annabi Issah) up to 10 times, for deliverance from the dreaded rebel warlord.

And, like a magic spell, everybody- son, daughter, mother, and father- shouted the name of Jesus above their voices. 

Sankoh and his men fled but they were later captured. 

Then the General Elections- presidential and parliamentary. To the surprise of many people, JPK opted for the presidential race! He resigned from the CCP and formed his own political party called the People’s Liberation Party (PLP). 

However, when the results were announced, JPK lost the bid for the presidential seat but his party secured two seats in the House of Parliament- the nation’s law making body, where he could now contribute to the decision making process. But it was later discovered that majority of JPK’s votes came from the national army. He got the highest, beating even the incumbent government, and this was very alarming…

Later, in Parliament as honourable member, JPK uttered: “There are still cracks in the Army…” 

But those who have committed heinous crimes against their fellow humans must not go free. They must be held accountable. Suddenly there was the Special Court, to try all those who bear the “greatest responsibility” for crimes committed against unarmed civilians during the country’s long rebel war. And Johnny Paul Koroma was amongst the names that constantly featured in the opinion of public commentators. 

One night, a group of men, 18 of them, attacked the ammunition depot at Wellington. Most of them were captured and identified as soldiers loyal to JPK. When a convoy of police officers and CID personnel arrived at JPK’s residence at Juba Hill for ‘interrogation’ he was gone. And he’s since been on the run.

 H E Jonny Paul Koroma - The Head Of State.

{Article by:

Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

Pictures included by me - Israel Ojekeh Parper Snr}

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Gen Sam Maskita Bockarie...no bush shaking.

May Is Indeed An Eventful Month In Our History:

IT ALL HAPPENED THIS MONTH-

The Death of the Most Feared Rebel General, But Was Sam ‘Maskita’ Bockarie Actually Killed? 

“Mr Sam Bockarie (i.e. Mosquito) reportedly died in a shootout, Sunday night (4th May, 2003) with government security forces who got orders to arrest him for possible prosecution in Sierra Leone.

“Reports said when government security forces, who spotted Mr Bockarie, tried to arrest him he refused to submit to the arrest and instead chose to engage them in a gun battle.

During the fight that ensued, according to the report, Mr Bockarie’s bodyguards fired and killed a Liberian government soldier before he was himself shot and killed along with his backers.

"Mr Bockarie’s remains was brought to Monrovia and deposited at the Samuel Stryker Funeral Home in Sinkor, awaiting identification.”

-Rudolph M. Mulbah, News Editor of the Monrovia Guardian newspaper.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EVADE ARREST-SAM BOCKARIE FINALLY QUENCHED!

(Alex Dunn, Guest Writer Monrovian Guardian Wednesday 7th May, 2003).

“Sam Bockarie has reportedly being killed by Liberian government troops while trying to forcefully re-enter Liberia from Cote d’Ivoire, where he had been involved in mercenary activities.”

Press Statement from LURD Secretariat, National Headquarters, Voinjama, Lofa County, Republic of Liberia:

 “The leadership of LURD herein issues this clarification on events that led to the death of Sam ‘Mosquito’ Bockarie.

“LURD’s battle hardened fighting forces have been in control of Ganta and its environs and are presently galvanising and bolstering their war fighting resources to extend their forward positions to the frontier of the Ivory Coast to inevitably get good riddance of Taylor’s mercenaries presently operating and causing havoc in the sister country.

“Since the capture of Ganta, Taylor’s RUF/NPFL mercenaries have been locked up behind our forward positions behind the Klay Po River axis relative to its proximity to our final assault point- Monrovia.

“Accordingly fugitive Mosquito took the bait in compliance to Taylor’s plan in the process of implementing Taylor’s express intents. Mosquito made a fatal tactical error to engage our fighting forces in Ganta in a fierce three pronged attack battle.

“In the process, Mosquito was mortally wounded and unfortunately died whilst enroute to hospital.

    President Charles Taylor: 2003

“Taylor’s purpose and intent was to eliminate Mosquito and he has achieved his objective, knowingly fully well that a dead Mosquito cannot bite nor implicate him in any future UN enquiry that would lead to his prosecution.”

[Post script: Charles Taylor is now serving 50 years imprisonment in a British Prison after his Trial at the Special Court of Sierra Leone moved to The Hague, Netherlands]

MADAM BOCKARIE DENIES SON'S CORPSE 

(Teacher Lemp Lemp in Concord Times 14th May, 2004).

Madam Bockarie has said that the corpse which the Liberian government has claimed to be Mosquito’s could not be her son’s.

The frail-looking mother was invited to the Samuel Stryker Funeral home in Sinkor, Monrovia, where the alleged remains of her son was laid awaiting identification.

But mother Bockarie emphatically said that the over-swollen corpse was not her dear son Sahr (not Sam) Bockarie.

“Please don’t kill my son before his time. Sahr has a long way to go in this life, and he’s all I’ve got,” she said weeping.

Also present at the funeral parlour was Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Liberia, Mr Patrick James Foya, who also could not confirm that the body belonged to Mosquito. However, he promised to contact his government back home for advice on the matter.

General Sam Bockarie was allegedly killed less than a week after the Liberian government promised to co-operate with the Government of Sierra Leone and the Special Court for Sierra Leone in apprehending and extraditing both he and fugitive AFRC leader, Johnny Paul Koroma, to Sierra Leone once they were spotted on Liberian soil.

Mosquito and Johhny Paul were amongst several persons, including RUF boss Foday Saybana Sankoh and Kamajor Chief Sam Hinga Norman, indicted by the UN backed court for bearing the ‘greatest responsibility’ for heinous crimes committed against innocent civilians during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

   

MASKITA & WIFE SPOTTED IN ZAMBIA

(Teacher Lemp Lemp in Concord Times 14th May, 2004).

Supposedly dead Sam Maskita Bockarie is in Zambia with his wife Hawa where the couple plan to stay until the dust over them settles, we have authoritatively learnt.  

Our international investigations have confirmed that the corpse of Maskita, which is currently lying in our mortuary, is in fact the corpse of an Ivorian rebel who resembled the famous bush General.

The Ivorian rebel, whose name we have not yet been able to confirm, was amongst the company of men who accompanied Maskita from Ivory Coast to Liberia, reportedly with over five trucks full of ammunitions that the General had planned to sell to President Charles Taylor.

Sources say, Maskita and his men were given a 72-hour ultimatum to leave Ivory Coast, when the Ivorian rebels decided he was getting too popular and “too big for his shoes.” 

On arrival in Liberia, our source disclosed that Maskita disappeared, leaving his men at the mercy of the Liberian government.

“Most of these men have been hunted down by the ATU (Anti Terrorist Unit) in a desperate attempt to locate the whereabouts of Maskita,” our source in Liberia said. 

Our source denied any shootout between Taylor’s forces and Maskita’s leading to the gunning down of the General.

“That was one of Taylor’s many games. It never happened,” he said.

Meanwhile, the so-called corpse of Maskita has undergone post-mortem examination and is awaiting forensic operation to determine its authenticity.

DISECTING MYSTIFIED SLPP VALUES!

https://www.spreaker.com/user/8905561/slpp-kandeh-k-yumkella-drops-another-bom?fb_action_ids=10209746823896670&fb_action_types=spreaker_radio%3Aupload&fb_ref=image_bigbutton&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1286116334749282%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22spreaker_radio%3Aupload%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%22image_bigbutton%22%5D

CABINET RESHUFFLE: A REPASS AND POST APPROVAL ANALYSIS.

PONDER MY THOUGHTS

By Andrew Keili

{Courtesy: Facebook post - photos inserted}

THE PROOF OF THE MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT PUDDING IS IN......

I recall that when I was at Sierra Rutile in the early eighties, I was transferred from being a Mine Planning Engineer into an operations role in charge of a set of mineral process plants. The month wore on and I was in danger of not meeting the monthly production target. Out of shear frustration, I blurted out to my supervisors during a production meeting: "Which idiot drew this plan knowing full well the constraints we have? There was a noticeable silence at what I later realized later was a rhetorical question. I had drawn up that plan before I left  Mine Planning!

This brings me to the recent brouhaha surrounding the appointment and  ratification of our Ministers and events thereafter.

To say the Parliamentary hearings have been interesting would be an understatement. Well, even before the hearings, battle lines had been drawn and many groups got their hammers out to nail controversial characters into their coffins. The Parliamentary Committee on Appointments worked on overdrive on the approval process which was in the full glare of the public. The press and social media churned out stories on the mishaps that befell some interviewees.

One would be tempted to think the hearings were all about Dr Sylvia Blyden and Mohamed Bangura. Their detractors and supporters had a field day.

Dr. Blyden was characteristically not short on confidence and gave her detractors as good as she got. According to her, her appointment to this Ministry was warranted because of her passion for women's and children's affairs and her proclivity to stand up for the down trodden. Detractors would have none of this and issues about her "medical certificate and  inability to recite the national pledge" were brought to the fore. Her supporters from all over the country went in all pomp and pageantry in their numbers to give her support at Parliament. Whatever the case, she was unanimously approved and is firmly ensconced at the Ministry. She quickly jumped at the chance to greet the folks at Radio Democracy the morning she took over and in characteristic fashion reminded her listeners she was "one of the best women Sierra Leone has ever produced". She was however cagey and perhaps smart when asked what she would do. She simply said she needed time to acclimatize herself in her Ministry-The krio man would say "Tom drunk but Tom nor fool O!

Mohamed Bangura's controversy started even before he could step his foot through the doors of Parliament. Both the UDM and ADP were up in arms for various reasons which included his "illegibility because he participated in the 2012 Presidential elections" and his "unreliability". He did not help the situation by presenting certificates that were deemed by detractors to be suspect, raising a few eyebrows even from Committee members. For a while his fate appeared to be in the balance but it finally looked like the "little hitch" had been sorted out except for the dissenting view from Hon Dixon Rogers of Constituency 89 in Pujehun District, who according to AWOKO said "Mohamed Bangura does not deserve to be a Minister” and “is jumping from one political party to another" and "presented a forged educational certificate on oath to the Committee on Appointment thus he should not be approved by this House.

The responses from a few of the interviewees were instructive.

The new Deputy at Information and Communications, Cornelius Deveax remarked:“ I am very optimistic that all of us will sail through and politics is about risk, recognition and reward". His certification or rather lack thereof however proved to be bothersome for the once renowned "more timer" who appeared very tame. He was honest enough to say that he attended the Fourah Bay College and  the Institute of Public Administration and Management but did not complete-hence he had no educational certificate. The Grammar school's celebration of its anniversary however wanted to be his undoing-he had lost his testimonial from Grammar School and had tried to regain it which proved futile because the school was celebrating its anniversary! My take on this is that Grammar school must be more mindful of the needs of its illustrious alumni! 

It was  Hon. Veronica K. Sesay's advice to Deveaux that I however found interesting. She asked Mr. Deveaux whether he thinks that such a CV will help him pass for the position of Deputy Minister of Information given the importance of communications to development. According to AWOKO she said of him that "the CV is so scanty and haphazard and advised that the proposed minister needs to do something about his CV". This latter comment is obviously unfair-His CV is his CV and at least he is honest to present a scanty one that is not forged!

Dr. Christiana Thorpe made some incisive comments about education stating that the Ministry needs "repairs and renovation"  and stating, courtesy of AWOKO  that “I will use my expertise, knowledge and experience to bring sanity to our educational system.” She said "education is what holds a nation" and “I believe there is future in education in Sierra Leone.” Questioned as to how she will be able to work in the second position in the ministry, she said “ I am born a ruler. I can rule from the back, middle, and top.” Dr Thorpe certainly needs to also rule from "the side" in this Ministry!

The hearings were done and everybody sailed through. The new Ministers have now embarked upon their interview rounds and whilst some are promising the earth, others are more circumspect. Mohamed Bangura of course in characteristic fashion has said he will change the face of ICT in this country. He promised the Parliamentarians he will introduce e-government. Uncharacteristically,  Bai Mamoud the new Minister of Youth Affairs who had been a chief proponent of "more time" and "third term" put out the olive Branch. He appeared so modest and conciliatory on Radio Democracy. I was impressed with statements like: "I don't have all the answers and have to work with other people", "Youth Affairs is within the purview of various MDAs and I have to work with them", " SLPP Youths have the same problems as APC Youths and I will be all inclusive"-More time to Bai Mamoud and good luck!

Nanette Thomas would work assiduously to foster unity amongst various political parties. She would reach out to various governance structures. The young Sidi Yaya Tunis would have no time for "kongosa" and all those who did not want to work should "jump off the train". I was however taken aback by the handing over at Tourism which was aired on Radio Democracy. The erstwhile Acting Minister Khadija Sesay who now goes as Deputy to the Works Ministry made a spirited, if unconvincing defense of the accusation that she had sold land belonging to the Dance Troupe to a Lebanese business man, saying people "misunderstood" the details of the "arrangement". She said she was certain that with the measures she had put in place, tourism will move from a Class C to a Class A Ministry-I did not quite understand and could be excused for my ignorance.

The preliminaries are finished and now they are all going to get to the business of delivering in their Ministries. This is not going to be easy. Elizabeth Manns has her work cut out at one of the most important Ministries that could be filling up our coffers especially with the spate of problems being encountered in the mining sector. There is need to strengthen capacities for combating illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and adopting improved systems of monitoring control and surveillance. Dr. Sylvia Blyden will face the considerable challenges of addressing issues facing women in this country both from a socio-culturally and social-economic viewpoint and jump into the melee of the various social problems facing our country. Mohamed Bangura will soon realize that the Information and Communications Ministry must drive the ICT revolution which is so important to our infrastructure development. He has talked the talk-now he must walk the walk. Christiana Thorpe had been there, done that. She faces immense challenges at the Education Ministry and also faces the challenge of not trying to overshadow the Number 1, whilst at the same time coordinating Education issues with the Office of the President.  Sidi Yaya Tunis has the chance of turning around a neglected and under-budgeted Ministry into one that could potentially be one of the most important in this country. But he faces immense challenges. Tourism is hampered by the paucity of infrastructure amongst other immense challenges. Kemoh Sesay has been sent to Works, Housing and Infrastructure. Our challenges in housing and infrastructure abound.

The Parliamentary committee was supposed to focus on several issues including the candidates' academic credentials, professional training and experience, personal integrity and background and vetted the  candidates-it insists it did. Hon Bernadette Lahai the Minority Leader has been very livid with the press for "trivializing the issues raised in the interviews". She specifically referred to Radio Democracy reports that claimed the only questions asked of Paolo Conteh was how to pronounce Ebola. Radio Democracy's emphasis on Dr Sylvia Blyden's recital of the national pledge was also described as a triviality. Dr Lahai claims the interviewees were grilled on "weighty state issues". Not surprisingly, some major civil society activists have jumped to Radio Democracy's defence, saying there could have been a lot more issues raised by the Parliamentary Committee.

Whatever the case, it is now a done deal and the Ministers have started work. Expectations are high in some quarters, although not in many opposition quarters. For Sierra Leoneans however these are people who have been thrust to the helm of our affairs and they need to perform-qualifications or not, forged certificates or not, experience or not. Both the Majority and minority leaders have stressed on the need for them to be suitably resourced to carry out the visions they espoused.  

They however need to be reminded that it is no longer sufficient to invoke "the infinite wisdom of the President" in all their utterances. They must perform. Let me end by reminding them of the story of Pa Allie and I at Rutile. We were expecting the Tennis Team for Bo club and I gave Pa Allie a list of the twenty four people, highlighting twenty that would definitely come with a yellow highlighter. The team arrived and I took them to the dining room only to have Pa Allie place four plates before twenty people. On questioning him, he accused me of misinforming him, producing the paper with the 20 highlighted names. "Norto you kratch kratch dem wan den ya?, pointing to the highlighted names! Yes, I answered but nar highlight, nor to kratch", I tried to explain to the semi illiterate Pa Allie but he could have none of my explanation and we ended buying bread and sardines for our esteemed visitors! The moral of the story? Our Ministers should make sure their staff buy into their vision and they work well with them. Indeed the proof of the Ministerial appointment pudding is in the eating of the Ministerial performance cake.

Ponder my thoughts.

CABINET RESHUFFLE: PRESIDENT KOROMA RESHAPE GOVERNMENT!!

Following the uneasy storm in the past few weeks at Ministerial level, the President Dr. Earnest Bai Koroma  has deemed it fit to RESHUFFLE HIS TEAM OF CABINET MINISTERS, (and some Deputies and Ambassadors).

See Press Release below:

PRESS RELEASE

THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT IN REVIEWING THE OVERALL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, IT HAS PLEASED HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING MINISTERIAL, AMBASSADORIAL, STATUTORY AND OTHER APPOINTMENTS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF PARLIAMENT WHERE NECESSARY:

MINISTERS

1. MR. MOMODU L. KARGBO – MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. MR. MAYA KAIKAI – MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

3. MAJOR (RTD) ALFRED PALO CONTEH – MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS

4. MR. MOHAMED BANGURA – MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

5. CAPT. MOMODU ALLIEU PAT-SOWE – MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

6. ALHAJI IBRAHIM KEMOH SESAY – MINISTER OF WORKS, HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

7. MS. DIANA KONOMANYI – MINISTER OF LANDS, COUNTRY PLANNING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

8. DR. SYLVIA BLYDEN – MINISTER OF SOCIAL WELFARE, GENDER AND CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS

9. MS. ELIZABETH MANS – MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESOURCES

10. MR. BAI MAMOUD BANGURA – MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS

11. MR. SIDI YAHYA TUNIS – MINISTER OF TOURISM

12. MR. AHMED KHANOU – MINISTER OF SPORTS

13. MS. NANETTE THOMAS – MINISTER OF POLITICAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

DEPUTY MINISTERS

1. MR. MOMOH VANDI – DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2. MAJOR (RTD) ISHMAEL SENGU KOROMA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNAL
AFFAIRS

3. MR.CORNELIUS DEVEAUX – DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

4. MR.IBRAHIM MANSARAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

5. MS. CHRISTIANA THORPE – DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1

6. MR.JAMES MORLAI KAMARA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 11

7. MRS. ZULAINATU COOPER – DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND
SANITATION 11

8. CAPT (RTD) ABDUL RAHMAN KAMARA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE

9. MR. OSMOND HANCILES – DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY 11

10. MR. M.A.JALLOH – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND AVIATION

11. MR. BELLA FORNAH – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM

12. MR. MAMOUD TARAWALI – DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS, HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

13. MS. KADIJA O. SESAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF WORKS, HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

14. MS.RUGIATU NENEH TURAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF SOCIAL WELFARE, GENDER AND CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS

15. MR AKHMED FEMI MANSARAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLITICAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

16. RESIDENT MINISTER MR. KARAMOH KABBA – RESIDENT MINISTER, EAST

AMBASSADORIAL APPOINTMENTS

1. MR. ALIMAMY P. KOROMA – AMBASSADOR TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

2. AMB.ADIKALIE FODAY SUMA – AMBASSADOR/PERMANENTREPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED NATIONS

3. MS. MABINTY DARAMY – AMBASSADOR TO THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA

4. MR. ALIMAMY KAMARA – AMBASSADOR TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

5. MR. FELIX KOROMA – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR/ DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE 11 TO THE UNITED NATIONS

6. HON. ALIMAMY COULSON TURAY – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

7. MS. FEREMUSU KONTE – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA

8. MS. ROSALINE OYA SANKOH – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA

OTHER STATUTORY APPOINTMENTS

1. DR. KAIFALA MARAH – GOVERNOR, BANK OF SIERRA LEONE

2. MR. ADI MACAULEY – COMMISSIONER, ANTI- CORRUPTION COMMISSION

3. BRIGADIER-GENERAL – CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, JOHN MILTON REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE ARMED FORCES
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

1. MR. AGIBU TEJAN-JALLOH – NATIONAL PUBLICITY AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

1. ALHAJI DR.ALPHA KANU – SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT

2. MR. ABDULAI BAYRAYTAY – PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN

END

STATE HOUSE
FREETOWN 13TH MARCH, 2016

🍚🍨🍚🍨🍚🍨🍚🍨🍚🍨🍚🍨🍚🍨

A CRITCAL COMMENTRY ON THE RE-SHUFFEL: {Courtesey: Andrew Keili- Facebook Post}

PONDER MY THOUGHTS

By Andrew Keili - (SLPP 2018 Presidential aspirant).

CABINET RESHUFFLE OF KERFUFFLE?

The long awaited Cabinet reshuffle has at last been realised but what does it portend for Sierra Leone? Many people lamented the fact that various Ministries had remained unfilled for a long time with many Deputies and others thrust in an Acting capacity, in most cases being forced to defer to the President on many issues. 

If one were to ask what national malaise the changes should have ideally addressed, a few things would jump to mind. The economy has certainly not been doing well with dwindling exports due mainly to the poor state of the mining sector and the extreme devaluation of the Leone with concomitant increase in prices. Poverty is rife and the failings in our educational and health systems are all too apparent. Then there are the normal inefficiencies in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies that have now become legion. 

Meanwhile the rumour mill was in overdrive with assertions that certain people were going to get positions. Who had not heard of Sylvia Blyden, Mohamed Bangura, Osman Yansanneh as possible Ministers? The President waited a pretty long time and when the bombshell came-or was really a bombshell?

I would like to hazard a guess as to what a President could consider in these appointments in the ideal case that political considerations did not come to the fore. Efficiency would obviously be  key. It is certainly not so in this case as the changes involve recycling of some poor performers and the inclusion of some who have not been tried and tested.

It is therefore obvious that political considerations did play a large part in the Cabinet and other changes.

Here are a few pointers on what could probably have motivated the President in making the changes.

1. Loyalty to the President and his cause

One thing is for certain. Many of the new players have proved their loyalty to the President and could savage detractors at the slightest hint of criticism of his government. Some have also been known to be the main purveyors of the idea that the President may be irreplaceable and have sown seeds of more time, third term etc.

An analysis of  a few of these players makes this all too obvious.

To someone like Maya Kaikai the President is the best thing since sliced bread. He has taken his message to Kailahun and the entire East and attempted to stifle dissent in "innovative" ways. Both Mohamed Bangura and Sylvia Blyden are loyalists to the core with the former having served in a fifth columnist role during his period of heading the UDM. They both bulldoze anybody that stands in the President's way-even members of his own party and owe their loyalty primarily to him. Elizabeth Mans at Fisheries is a family friend of long standing. Mustapha Bai Mamoud the new Youth Minister is one of the main proponents of the more time agenda and unashamedly makes all kinds of spurious statements bordering on blind hero worship all over the media. Nanette Thomas at Political Affairs has always been an APC loyalist to the core and is also known to be very loyal to the President. Cornelius Deveaux gives blind loyalty is bad name. He is known for his convoluted defense of the indefensible when he comes to Ernest Koroma and is a major proponent of the "more time " agenda. 

ADI Macauley at Anti corruption may have earned his stripes in some way by his brilliance and brief stint as prosecutor at ACC. It does help however that his mother is a senior foreign Affairs personnel who has been an Ambassador at the behest of Ernest Koroma and that he is also a protege of Joseph Kamara, the new AG who is a Koroma loyalist.

2. Satisfying certain constituencies

The main constituencies in this case are women, youths and demographic considerations.  Civil society and women's groups who have been calling for greater participation of women in governance may be buoyed by the inclusion of so many women as Ministers and Deputy Ministers -big improvement on what hitherto obtained.

Diana Konomanyi has now been joined by Dr Sylvia Blyden and Elizabeth Mans as full Ministers and there are a couple more women as Deputy Ministers and Ambassadors. Overall a considerable number of young people have ascended to Ministerial and other top positions.

Demographic considerations may also have played a part in some appointments. The questions may be asked: Is the appointment of Sidi Tunis at Tourism to compensate for Moijueh Kaikai's ouster-Pujehun for Pujehun? Is M.A. Jalloh's appointment as Deputy Works Minister to appease Koinadugu for the removal of the erstwhile Deputy Abdul Barrie or is it purely to compensate Jalloh for long years in the wilderness after leaving SLPP? Christiana Thorpe and Nanette Thomas will certainly bolster the Government's Western Area credentials.

3. Cohesiveness of team

The perennial infighting between Ministers and Deputy Ministers does not seem to have been lost on President Koroma. After the sacking of Moijueh and Atilla, Paul Kamara, Alimamy Kamara who notoriously did not get along with their Deputies have been let go. In the case of Alimamy Kamara he has not been allowed to realize his dreams of revamping the status of youths and he has been sent to far flung out Iran as Ambassador.

4. Other factors

Other factors must have certainly played their part in the changes. Consider the following:

a)  The replacement of Major General S. O Williams with Brigadier John Milton as head of the RSLAF came as a bit of a surprise. There was no love lost between S.O Williams and Paolo Conteh and for a while it looked that Williams had come on top and Paolo was out in the cold. Paolo is now back in the Cabinet at Internal Affairs and Williams is out in the cold. Milton, a fierce loyalist  who had served as AFRC spokesman is now at the helm. Many say he is a fine professional but is more political than S.O. Williams who talked plenty about depoliticising the army. Paolo has been replaced at Defence by Rtd. Captain Abdul Rahman Kamara who has a good relationship with the President.

b) Maya Kaikai's appointment was no big surprise. He will help keep a tight rein on local  governance issues especially in the "rebellious East" where he wields considerable influence. He will be helped in the enforcement by the combative Major Sengu Koroma. Karamokoh Kabbah as Resident Minister, East will help keep the lid on Kono and any Sam Sumana dissenters and also attempt to exert control over Kailahun and Kenema. These appointments point to preparations for electioneering-plain and simple. With Paolo Conteh at Internal Affairs and John Milton as head of RSLAF and Munu as head of Police, the security apparatus could not be more loyal.

c) Christiana Thorpe's appointment as Deputy at Education came a bit as a surprise as she has held the Education Ministry before. This in essence is a demotion. She could however make a considerable difference to that Ministry if given the chance. 

d) Both Alimamy Koroma and Alimamy Kamara have been sent to China and Iran respectively. They would be expected to play little part in any succession battle.

e)  The ex SLPP people have not fared well. Usman Boie Kamara and J.B. Dauda have been shown the door to add to Musa Tarawalli and Moijueh Kaikai. It would seem there is little room for cross carpeters. Ex PMDC people have however fared better. Osmond Hanciles now Deputy at transport has been let out of the "Education prison" and will continue flying the Bonthe flag. Momoh Vandy is Deputy at Finance and Mohamed Bangura is at Information. Add Arrow Bockarie to this brew and voila! Charles Margai  really did breed betrayers! He must be fuming. He will curse the day the Alliance with APC was born!

f) By swopping the head of the government's fiscal management team and the monetary team, the Finance Minister is now the Bank Governor and the Bank Governor our Finance Minister. What this will do for our economy is anyone's guess. It does not however bode well for Keifala Marrah's political future and certainly any leadership aspirations he may have.

In any case the new appointees will go through Parliament and as some detractor has said "the rubber stamp will be stationed at the entrance door". The future will tell how this bodes for our country. One thing is for certain. The appointments were not about efficiency. They were about loyalty primarily with an eye to the forthcoming elections or whatever political machination that may be on the way.

The long awaited reshuffle may indeed be a kerfuffle.

Ponder my thoughts

Malady of The S.L.P.P. – By Hilton E. Fyle

A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS AGO, FORMER BBC BROADCASTER AND JOURNALIST IN SIERRA LEONE GAVE US THIS PIECE OF HIS PERSPECTIVES OF THE SLPP  FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL ELECTIONS OF THE APC IN 2012. IT MAKES INTERESTING READING........... I HAVE BEEN HOLDING BACK IN REPUBLISHING IT FOR A WHILE. READ ON!!

**************************************************

Malady of The S.L.P.P. – By Hilton E. Fyle 

In 1992 the APC government was overthrown. Shortly afterwards, I exposed their unsavoury actions to the world. Now that the SLPP has also been rebuked by the people in democratic elections, and a reformed and repentant APC government is making unbelievable strides with the help of God (Allah), it is time to address the SLPP and its own history. The people of Sierra Leone are praying now that no longer would God allow bad politicians to hijack their wealth, and poison their future. If this medicine of exposure can work for the APC, then, why not the SLPP? 

 

Let us start at the beginning, and the events that led to Sierra Leone’s first ever military coup. 

The year was 1967. The general election was finished. The SLPP had been defeated. The citizens had voted against the tribalization of the civil service, and against corruption in high places. Prime minister Albert Margai and his companions – R.G.O. King, Kandeh Bureh, Berthan Macauley, Mr. Decker, and Tejan Kabbah had transformed Sierra Leone from a paradise of peace,  unity and consensus (crafted by his patriotic predecessor Sir Milton Margai), into a retreat of pain, poverty, and disunity. 

The APC had a clear lead in this election, at least three parliamentary seats ahead of the SLPP. But the SLPP was unwilling to go. After some delay, manipulation, and conferring by the captains of the SLPP, and with the APC poised to celebrate their victory, the government-controlled Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) announced that the SLPP and the APC had picked up an equal number of seats, because certain paramount chiefs – an independent, non partisan group – had declared for the SLPP. The people of Freetown and APC supporters erupted with protests, against what they saw as a clear case of election fraud. 

 

How did the SLPP government respond?  The head of the army, Brigadier Lansana, went on radio to announce that the army was taking over until further notice. The election results were set aside, Martial Law was declared. Three days later Lansana was overthrown by lower ranked officers, and shot dead. A year or so after that, certain soldiers of a divided Sierra Leone army struck again, a fourth military coup, this one against Juxon Smith’s military regime; it was staged by patriotic soldiers of the lowest ranks. Their action led to a return of justice and fair play. The ousted Governor General (The head of state) Banja Tejan Sie was reinstated, and he invited the APC to form the new government. 

 

Where was Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, who had cut some of the illegal business deals for Sir Albert and company? He had fled. Unlike former Prime minister Albert Margai, he did not appear before the Commission of Inquiry to answer charges related to his activities while in office. The Tejan Kabbah was found guilty of corruption in absentia. The trial judge also ruled that Tejan Kabbah should not hold any public office in Sierra Leone in the future. Guess who set aside that order? It was Joseph Momoh, the APC president who succeeded Siaka Stevens. He told Tejan Kabbah that all was forgiven, and invited him to return to his homeland. Tejan Kabbah accepted the presidential pardon, returned to Sierra Leone, and with the help of his friend Solomon Berewa (according to inside information), bribed his way past superior contenders, to become the SLPP’s presidential candidate for the 1996 general election in Sierra Leone. 

 

The election of 1996 was unlike any other. A civil war was raging; tens of thousands of displaced, distraught and impoverished war victims were pouring into the capital, with tearful stories of carnage by RUF rebels, or by soldiers, or by unidentifiable raiders. The NPRC military government of Valentine Strasser and Maada Bio had continued the fight against Foday Sankoh, but now they were being persuaded by the International Community and Sierra Leonean politicians, to bow out, and leave the job to an elected civilian government. Elections were the answer, their advisers told them. But who were these advisers? The National Security Council, the NPRC’s team of top advisers, was headed by Tejan Kabbah, Solomon Berewa, George Banda Thomas, and other SLPP elements; APC politicians were now in disgrace, so these men were now the trusted friends of the NPRC…or so the young NPRC leaders thought. Given the turn of events as the years unfolded, would it be untrue to say now, that the sole aim of these advisers was to see the SLPP back in power, by deceiving the NPRC, and ignoring the suffering of the nation’s war victims? 

 

I was editor of 1-2-3, a Freetown newspaper at this time, and founder of The Peace Before Election campaign (PEBEC). Nearly every week I received a copy of an underground newsletter attacking the NPRC military leaders…their tribal composition, their pay, etc., but not their policies and actions. I asked myself, Who else could organize and profit from this campaign of disaffection, if not the SLPP? 

 

Here is more evidence. In 2004 on several occasions, I met certain former NPRC leaders in the USA, where I now reside. They told me that President Tejan Kabbah and others had betrayed their trust; they did not realize then, that they were being deceived. Their former advisers were now ruling the land; the SLPP government was led by Tejan Kabbah ( president), and Solomon Berewa (elevated from Attorney General and Minister of Justice to Vice President), who was the power behind the throne. Now these young men knew the truth. 

 

Did the civil war die down, once the SLPP government came to power? Not a bit. Why? Because ending the war was not their priority. The most urgent thing for them, was to do what the APC had done:  clear all the obstacles, and settle down for a long stay in power. 

Sam Hinga Norman, who had armed and who led the Kamajors, was appointed minister of Defence. His openly declared aim was to elevate the Kamajors to official military status ….they are the SLPP’s armed militia. Hinga Norman visited my radio station one day, and showed me a chart of the top commanders of the Sierra Leone army, and the tribal origin beside each name. He said to me, “Our people are not there. We have to change that.” At the same time, soldiers were calling on me to report off the record, that the Kamajors were running a campaign of summary executions against soldiers of the army in certain provincial areas. They were stopping buses and  trucks, forcing all identifiable soldiers to disembark, and shooting them. Nobody was doing anything about it, said the soldiers, and they were running out of patience. 

 

But what could Hilton Fyle do?  My trial for Seditious Libel against the government had just finished. Solomon Berewa, Attorney General, was the prosecuting lawyer for the government; he was also minister of Justice, and paymaster of the judge taking my case. He had successfully  “persuaded” my own paid lawyer to surrender my interests, and make me easy meat. Then he sent me a warning, that if I did not go to see him and apologize, he would send me to jail for three years. The messengers were VIPs, and they reminded me that in Sierra Leone the government never loses a case. Solomon Berewa held all the cards, so you can understand why I lost my dignity, and went, and apologized. 

 

Here is the story.  A famous woman, a fishing tycoon based in Freetown, spent years bribing government officials, instead of paying the government royalties for her lucrative fishing venture; it was a newspaper scandal. A few weeks after coming to power, Berewa had her in court, and he was praised as a hero of Sierra Leone taxpayers. However, a month after her trial began, Berewa told the court that he was dropping the case. The judge agreed. Case closed. I received information that the businesswoman was also now bribing newspaper editors into silence, the same prescription that Berewa had received, according to my source. I published the information, headlined, “ Ministers Were Bribed To Drop The Case.” I did not name Solomon Berewa, but he was wounded. 

 

Have you never wondered why, for a long time, the civil war was at its fiercest in areas of SLPP domination…like Kenema District, Bo District, Bonthe, Kono, and Kailahun, etc.? Well here is the answer. Foday Sankoh was the instrument that the captains of the SLPP used to try and force Siaka Stevens and the APC out, when they refused to give way. They turned the photographer of Kenema  District into a rebel leader, and sent their sons to train and fight with him.  

How do I know this? In 1998 while I was a fugitive from the Tejan Kabba government, I ended up being a prisoner at the RUF headquarters in Kailahun District. Hostilities were over now, but government and rebels kept their distance, waiting for peace talks to begin. I heard a lot of stories from RUF fighters, some too ghastly to tell here. But one RUF top leader, a man called Rogers, told me privately in his room, that it was the SLPP who started it. As if to confirm it, I observed that the common language at RUF headquarters in Buedu, and at other stations, was Mende…even though this was Kisii speaking country. 

 

When the July 1997 military coup took place, and the AFRC arrived, the world was (understandably) enraged. But I wasn’t. Why? Because I knew certain things that they did not know. The ousted SLPP government wanted to bring in bombs and jets to flush out the AFRC, no matter how many innocents would die in the process. But I saw this as a family quarrel between big brother SLPP, and another, the coup leaders. It needed care, thinking, and a peaceful solution, because every life was valuable.  

But my fellow peacemakers and I were swimming against two heavy currents:  

There was James Jonah, the UN ambassador of Sierra Leone, calling for the world to starve and punish the rebels (with its ripple effects on the general population). 

There was Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s military leader, the so-called godfather of Tejan Kabbah, whose jet planes and gunboats, were already attacking targets in Freetown and the provinces; nobody had time to count the corpses, guilty and innocent, or those who were dying of bombs, or lack of essentials, like food and medicine. 

 

Our peacemaking effort finally got a jolt from ECOWAS, the West African Economic Community. A peace meeting took place in Conakry, in neighbouring Guinea. An agreement was signed by representatives of the SLPP government and the AFRC, allowing for the reinstatement of President Tejan Kabbah’s government in April 1998, after the exit of the AFRC…..that was only about 3 months away now. 

At the same time, however, Tejan Kabbah and his SLPP government-in-exile, with the zeal of Sani Abacha, were finalizing plans for a military invasion of Sierra Leone involving the Nigerian army and mercenaries, to restore their government; when U.S. News and World Report  (a USA magazine) reported the story , which I read myself, the invasion was only days away. 

 

How disappointing. When the Conakry Agreement was announced, there was jubilation in Freetown from all sides. Everyone was weary of the hunger, the bombings by Nigerian jet planes and gunboats, the lack of petrol (gas), Poda Poda passenger fights by suburban travellers, robberies by certain criminal elements of the Sierra Leone military, corpses being carted to the overflowing Connaught Hospital mortuary on wheelbarrows – no petrol, and no transportation vehicles available- the stench of blood, the sounds of loud weeping and mourning across Freetown, and the “Run-Run” a daily stampede by Freetown pedestrians as soon someone shouted, They are coming!....a false alarm, of course.  

 

I saw RUF members firing into the air to celebrate the Conakry Agreement. 

Then came February 10, 1998. The surprise invasion. The SLPP had done it again. What   happened to the Conakry Agreement that they had signed? Two days later, while I was in hiding, I heard a radio announcement that the Sierra Leone army had been disbanded. 

 

Where are all the leading players of that invasion, and the civil war? They are dead. Sani Abacha, Maxwell Kobi, Foday Sankoh, Sam Hinga Norman. All but two are dead. They participated in a campaign of evil, in which tens of thousands of peaceful, non combatants lost their lives. They were not working to save the citizens of Sierra Leone, they were working to help themselves, to pursue their personal interests, oblivious of the contamination that it would cause to the citizens, who own the land. So God punished them. 

 

But why did God refuse to kill Tejan Kabbah and Solomon Berewa? Is it because they are Not Guilty? Is it because they are good? They have suffered too, having lost their wives. But that is not the point. They have not been exonerated….far from it. 

God is using these two men to teach us all a lesson, as He has always done whenever He vents his fury. When you see them, when you read or hear about them, remember that there is a God, your Creator, who, though invisible,  sees and records every action of yours. And if your hobby is wickedness, if Satan the devil is your master, then you can be sure that your punishment will come sooner or later ……. in this world, or the next world, or both places. Nobody can escape the judgment of God, no matter who you are, no matter what you are, no matter what you think, no matter where you run to.  

God is GREAT! 

 

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Hilton Fyle is author of the book, “The Fighter From Death Row.” 

 

He also wrote and directed two documentary movies about the civil war in Sierra Leone: “Nightmare in Paradise”, and “Sunrise in Paradise.” 

He lives in Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. 

 

P.S. You have the writer’s permission to circulate, publish, or broadcast the above in whole or in part, but without any distortion. 

 

God bless Sierra Leone.  God bless you. Amin, Amen.

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In 2004, Cocokrioko posted this discuss of Hilton Fyle's view of President Tejan Kabba's government:

CLICK LINK TO READ:

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http://cocorioko.info/hilton-fyle-derides-kabbahs-abuse-of-power-and-justifies-his-opposition-of-the-presidents-1998-invasion-of-sierra-leone/