By Alpha Abu
In the first of this year’s regional engagements with security sector officers, Paramount chiefs, and other stakeholders in Kenema Eastern province, National Security Coordinator (NScoord), Abdulai Caulker says nobody can make Sierra Leone ungovernable.
Addressing the meeting witnessed by UK Defence Advisor Lt.Col.Gary Wilfenden and US Embassy Defence Attache, Lt.Col Eric Babarijona, at the Kenema district Council Hall, on Monday 15th May, the security chief said ‘’irresponsible leaders’’ who condone hate messages, as the country moves toward the General Elections, are stoking up a recipe for chaos, which he said will not be tolerated.
He frowned at the use of social media to misinform and disinform the populace and advised people to look at the official channels of communication for trustworthy and reliable information.
“We are ready to enforce the law to maintain the peace and stability of the country’’, he asserted.
He reiterated the security sector’s aversion to political parties employing marshalls to provide security for their leaders, saying the police have the constitutional mandate to do so.
“Politics is not a do-or-die game, and Sierra Leone is the only country that we have, and it must exist as a nation. We need development to take place’’, Caulker said.
In a stern voice, he said: “Political violence should cease, and we are prepared for those who want to hold the country to ransom’’.
On matters to do with the district military and police commanders, and security coordinators, he admonished them to develop synergy with other sector players in addressing the emerging issues, noting that since the date of the elections was announced, planning has been going on how to approach the exercise, having already drawn experience from the past by-elections in parts of the country.
He said the eastern region has been relatively less of a security concern but highlighted underlying issues that still confront that part of the country such as land and boundary disputes between chiefdoms and towns, illegal mining and logging fueled by those he described as rogue foreigners, and the issue of the disputed border village of Yenga that he said they are cautious about, for it not to play into the hands of some people.
He also cited the problem of ‘Kush’ narcotic intake by mostly young people and said as a security sector they should direct efforts at breaking the supply chain of the drug.
He however commended the Resident Minister East, Ret. Brigadier KES Boyah for helping to address some of the challenges based on his military background.
He also urged the Provincial and District Security Coordinators to be having frequent meetings that should include locally-based military and police commanders to address emerging threats to the peace and stability of their areas of operation.
The various security heads then discussed issues connected to their various areas and explained some of the mitigating measures employed to address them.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (17/05/23)
