By Falilu Kamara
The Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police was on Radio Democracy on the morning of Friday 10th February, 2012 responding to questions relating to the invitation by the police of the opposition SLPP flag-bearer for a statement he made in a press release alleging that the ruling All People's Congress party is transporting ex-combatants to opposition stronghold for purposes of registering them for the general elections. For most of us who listened of that programme that morning, we were concerned that it was the Inspector General himself who was speaking on that all important issue. This is of considerable importance to us because when the Inspector General speaks it is the Sierra Leone Police Force in its entirety that must have spoken.
We appreciate the Inspector General because he confirmed that a letter had been written to the National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party requesting that Julius Maada Bio report to the police for question regarding his allegations. Whilst one might not hold anything against the Inspector General of our police some of us are however concerned about the manner in which he has started dealing with that information.
In my estimation, when the police get such information particularly one bordering on national security, it is expected that it will be handled professionally so as to get to the bottom of the matter satisfactorily. I had expected that the police boss should not have taken to the airwaves but rather to have actually thoroughly investigated the allegations before taking a radio interview about such sensitive issue. Whilst it is perhaps the perception that the onus of proving the fact of the allegations rests with the SLPP flag-bearer, the police, with all the resources provided them have the responsible to work on this information (no longer intelligence) to prove right or wrong what Mr Bio said. But when the police begin to handle security matters on radio, one will not only wonder at the professionalism in doing so but the sincerity with which the matter will be handled. The Inspector General of police needs to be reminded that he should at no point allow himself to be stampeded into any action that will give cause to question his neutrality and credibility in dealing with the state security.
Most of us can understand why he speedily wants to handle this matter. We were made to understand that he fell out of favour with the President over his handling of security on by-election day at constituency 369 at Fourah Bay. So this time round we would not want to take another risk of his job. But such consideration should not be your driving force as you will miss your target and fail in such venture. Be a professional police officer, please.
It ought to be made explicit that my view is not that Bio should not be called upon to prove it. All I am stressing and which came out clearly from that interview is that the police have not done anything since they got that information. Instead of doing something, they are sitting waiting for the opposition flag-bearer to provide them the lead for their said investigation to be conducted. Mr. Munu made it clear that the police have so far not done anything relating to this matter which to many listeners was just troubling and much disappointing.
We are concerned about this matter because as a police force, one would expect that you will have a serious intelligence wing which will not allow such important information to come to you by surprise. We are aware of the fact that the police are working or should in any case work in close collaboration with the Office of National Security (ONS). If that is the case, then I expect that the police should have contacted the ONS to help them in such investigation since they are known to be working covertly with their said intelligence wing. ONS should be in place to adequately inform the Sierra Leone police regarding this matter since they have spread at Provincial, District and even chiefdom levels or that institution has no business wasting tax payers' money. I believe there is a correct channel to follow up if actually the police are sincere and are prepared to do their assignments dispassionately and professionally. Matters relating to state security are not just issues that should be discussed at its initial stage in a public forum.
It is but prudent that such matters be thoroughly discussed in the ideal forum and the required investigation done and findings made before taking them to public domains.
It could be recalled that just after that interview with the Inspector General, the Publicity Secretary of the SLPP came on air to respond to some of the issues that the Inspector General had spoken about. My first concern was that the publicity Secretary started by correcting some of the utterances of the Inspector General. That in itself was one reason why the police should have handled this matter more maturely and professionally rather than just taking it over radio.
Most important regarding this same issue is the utterance of the former Secretary of SLPP over the same Radio Democracy in which the man made it clear that they stand by their press release and that if the police want to get the fact of the matter they should contact the Local Unit Commanders in the areas where the said allegations were made. This is of considerable importance. It is that the Inspector General has not even taken time to contact his men (the Local Unit Commanders) about the said allegations that the police high command is now publicly and speedily talking about over radio?
Whilst one may not take for granted all that the SLPP members said in their defence, the listeners of that Friday Radio interview/programme were, first, amazed and shocked with the revelation that followed the politicians, from a credible journalist at Kambia. The journalist, Gibril Gortor narrated with statistical facts how the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Guinea has been seen spearheading and transporting people from Guinean to Sierra Leone to register to vote. That fellow was able to read out the vehicle registration numbers that were involved in that transportation and the number of people he counted.
I was honestly wondering as to what the feeling was of the Inspector General of Police who was questioning the SLPP allegations just few minutes before that journalist came on air. Was it not disgraceful that there are police officers at exactly where Gibril Gortor was reporting but that they did not do anything to stop those unacceptable practices of ferrying Guinean residents to register? Where is the credibility of the Sierra Leone Police? Where is the neutrality of the police? What other proof does the Sierra Leone Police force need before thanking members of the SLPP for raising such concerns? We hope this action of the police will not help to throw this country into another problem. So rather than concentrating on such an issue, Munu and his men are concerned with inviting the SLPP flag-bearer to the CID to make a statement. The police ought to understand that no amount of intimidation will stop people from speaking their minds publicly. The Inspector General should be honestly ashamed at the report filed in by Gibril Gordon from Kambia and that is what they should be concentrating on now because it is bound to be a potential source of trouble. We are not aware of the nature of those people that are being ferried from Guinea. The National Electoral Commission and the Political Parties Registration Commission should treat this matter very seriously.
It is important to stress the security implications of what the Sierra Leone Ambassador to Guinea is allegedly involved in doing and will not auger well for a peaceful and democratic election. It is possible that the mere presence of strangers in the communities will create suspension and eventually culminate into an outbreak of violence amongst people of such communities. Can Mr. Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Force tell this nation whether this is right and the correct thing for this nation? Your comments sir!
Editor's Note: These are entirely the views of the writer's and do not in any way reflect Politico's. We welcome views from readers regardless of their political conviction which we will publish. We will however edit out anything we find incendiary and unnecessarily attacking of the character of individuals.
