MP flouts Ebola bye-laws

By Mohamed T Massaquoi
Pujehun district may have declared itself Ebola-free but the authorities are considering a hard line approach against the Member of Parliament for Constituency 89 in the district for flouting nationwide bye-laws aimed at stopping the spread of the deadly virus.
The body coordinating the local Ebola response summoned the MP, Dickson Momoh Rogers, to answer to allegations that he violated the bye-laws by organising a public gathering in his constituency over the Christmas period.
The coordinator of the District Ebola Response Committee (DERC), Ali Bao, said they received and confirmed the report by their mobile team that Hon. Rogers was found in a town called Bumpeh in the Galliness Perri chiefdom entertaining a large gathering in his compound and on the nearby street with loud music on Christmas Day.
Bao said the MP was summoned "without political malice, but as part of our effort to eradicate Ebola from this district in line with the work of the government throughout the country."
He said he was "really surprised at the attitude of the MP" given contributions to the fight against Ebola in the district, and "I know Hon. Rogers is fully aware of the statement made by the president ahead of the festive season."
Bao told Politico that the MP has signed a letter of apology to the police, accepting that "something went on wrong on Christmas Day".
The DERC coordinator said they have made examples of traditional rulers who have been found wanting and warned the MP "to understand whatever decision might be taken against him."
An Ebola taskforce member in Pujehun narrated to Politico what they saw and heard on the day in question. "I heard the music from the MPs house in Bumpeh from about a mile away," the source said, adding that he heard no Ebola song and that the incident encouraged the "youths in Korwama Village in the same chiefdom to assemble people in their court barry with music to celebrate Christmas.
When summoned to the DERC, Hon. Dickson Rogers initially denied the
report and accused DERC officials of acting out of "political malice against him." He said he was "not in place to undermine President Ernest Koroma`s Ebola fight, adding that he has "greatly contributed to the success the district is boasting of today."
He said all he did was to use "a very small musical set to play Ebola songs in sensitising my people and as an MP each time I come home my people are always around me and fortunately that day I was also embarking on project demanding a huge labour force."
Hon. Rogers accused the DERC mobile team of demanding a bribe from him and that "the issue was blown out of proportion because I refused to pay a bribe".
He said he paid a fine of Le250, 000 to the APC district chairman Mohamed L. Dabeni who he identified as the team leader but that they did not issue him a receipt. Hon. Rogers said Dabeni and his team picked on him because loud music was coming from a health centre close to him but the team never questioned them.
In a telephone interview with Politico, the APC district chairman denied receiving money from the MP. He said the MP, who is from the opposition SLPP, made the allegation only because he was from the ruling party. Dabeni said the MPs intention is to "tarnish the good image of my party".
The paramount chief of Pejeh chiefdom in Pujehun district Mustapha Koroma said all chiefs were now looking up to DERC to see what they would do "because when our colleague, the Chiefdom Speaker in Malen, Chief Robert Moigua contravened the Ebola bye-law, he was completely humiliated...there should be no selective justice".
© Politico 13/01/15