The news item stated, among other things, “Usually reliable sources confirmed to the TORCHLIGHT that the ugly scene occurred in the Waiting Room of the President last Thursday March 9, 2017 as the two Ministers, Attorney General & Minister of Justice Joseph Kamara (a.k.a JFK) and Minister of Information & Communication Mohamed Bangura, were slated to see the Head of State and while waiting got engaged in an unhealthy banter that has now become the butt of a joke and derision from members of the public.”
The news item added “according to our source, the scenario started when JFK questioned Bangura as to why he would go on Radio and Television to ask all those aspiring for the Ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) Flag-bearer position to resign, irrespective of any constitutional provision preventing them from doing so.  Bangura reportedly responded that he was looking at it from a moral conscience angle, to which the Learned AG disagreed and allegedly accused his colleague of having presented fake educational papers at Parliament and that they had to plead for him to be endorsed by the MPs.”
As a senior citizen my concern has to do with
(1) The Learned Attorney General & Minister of Justice according to the 1991 National Constitution is the Principal Legal Adviser to the Government of Sierra Leone.
(2) The Learned Attorney General & Minister of Justice is alleged in the news item referred to above and as reported to have “accused his colleague of having presented fake educational papers at Parliament and that they had to plead for him to be endorsed by the MPs.”
(3) The Attorney General and Minister of Justice was the Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) prior to his being appointed to his present position.
(4) Having presented the fake educational papers at Parliament, by implication, if “they” had not pleaded for the Minister nominated by President Koroma, Parliament would not have approved of the Minister’s appointment as a Cabinet Minister.  If true, this is a serious and unguarded statement to be made by no less a Senior Government Official, the Attorney General & Minister of Justice who is aspiring to be the Ruling APC Presidential Candidate at the March 7, 2018 General Elections.  Is this not a matter for the ACC to investigate?  The Attorney General & Minister of Justice owes the general an explanation
Is this how some of the persons nominated by the President for appointments to important positions in Governance are screened and approved by Parliament?  How will Members of Parliament themselves feel to be portrayed in that light by the Attorney General & Minister of Justice as to how they go about approving some nominees?  I am certain Parliament itself will not take kindly to such a report as published in a newspaper as it has the tendency to cast aspersion on the integrity and credibility of our Parliamentarians.
If it was in Britain or the United States of America, France, Germany, the Western Democracies, such allegations would not go unnoticed for necessary action to betaken by the Appropriate Authorities.  Or is it because it has happened in a developing country like Sierra Leone.  These Western Governments have their diplomatic representatives here on the ground in Sierra Leone and what kind of report would they have sent to their respective Governments?
As it has been rightly stated in the concluding paragraph of the news item, “this has left Sierra Leoneans dumbfounded, – and only now looking up to President Koroma for damage control as the incidence has apparently brought the Government to disrepute.” Â
Is it that in Sierra Leone anything goes and the citizens are gullible creatures who can swallow anything hook, line and sinker.  The ball is now in the court of President Ernest Bai Koroma to tell the world that is not how the citizens are being governed under his Leadership.
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CLARENCE ROY-MACAULAY
A CONCERNED SENIOR CITIZEN
