The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) on Wednesday 20th March 2019 In an effort to solicit sustained support on road safety campaign, engaged senior media practitioners in a one day dialogue forum.

The event was held at the Harry Yansaneh Hall SLAJ Headquarters at Campbell Street in Freetown, and brought together over 30 Managing Editors of Newspapers and 15 radio station managers across the country with representative from WIMSAL, SLAJ and Reporters Union.

In his presentation, Mr. David Panda-Noah, Executive Director of SLRSA said the institution was established by an Act of Parliament in 1996 to regulate the transport sector, also as the lead agency to promote Road Safety in Sierra Leone. He said the Authority has established thirteen (13) offices nationwide and is in the process of establishing more in other major towns and locations in the country. To achieve its mandate, he said, the SLRSA introduced Road Safety Corps on the road to enforce laws relating to road safety and to provide road safety education.

Mr. Panda-Noah said Road Safety refers to the method and measures used to prevent Road users from being KILLED or INJURED on the road. Road users include: pedestrians, cyclist, motorists, and passengers. He furthered that Road Safety is one of the most pressing challenges facing human and economic development. Noting that traffic crashes are the number one killer of people ages between 15-29 and in less than a generation, road crashes are expected to become the world’s seventh cause of death.

Mr. Panda-Noah said while road safety education has primarily been the responsibility of government in the past, limited resources have made it challenging to communicate the importance of key issues consistently and effectively. But it is not government alone that benefits from reducing traffic incidents. The benefit goes to everybody in the society from journalists, business executives, politicians, farmers etc.

The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists has lost several colleagues from road traffic crashes over the years. The most recent was Hon. Frank Kposowa, a former president of SLAJ who died in a gruesome crash along the Freetown – Bo highway. Few months ago, in October 2018, about 16 gallant and brave soldiers of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) lost their lives in what he named the most gruesome road crash in the history of the RSLAF. The Spur road – Lumley Roundabout crash claimed the live of a lady call SONIA a staff of Crown Bakery, and another one that happened at Ferry Junction East of Freetown that left a 15 year old secondary school boy legs amputated

“Reports on Road Safety requires more than a passing fatality with the driving statistics of an area or region”. He said. He called on journalists dig beneath the numbers to understand the complex interplay of the many factors that ultimately lead to a road traffic fatality.

The International Federation of Social Workers declared 19th March as World Social Work Day to celebrate the achievements of the profession and take the theme for that year into active practice, by a way of disseminating it to their communities, workplaces and to Government so they will see the need to raising awareness towards the contributions social work has impacted in society and the need for further action to be taken.

As a first year student at Fourah Bay College (USL) who is in the department of Sociology and Social Work and a Youth and Children Advocate, I will like to use Sierra Leone as a case study to reflect on what we have achieved in enhancing the well-being of human development and promoting the importance of Human Relationship. The Country has moved from eleven (11) years bloody civil war, to Ebola Outbreak, Mudslide, Flooding and Bad Leadership which are key factors responsible for the backwardness of the Country.

A Country with over thousands of organizations both local and international that do complement the efforts of government in providing an enabling environment for its citizens, but yet still we have numerous challenges facing the development of our nation. We have countless people who go to bed with an empty stomach, people that can’t access clean water and sanitation, people that can’t access good toilet facilities, children living in the streets, physically challenged people find it difficult to interpret the Disability Act of 2012 and women and girls living under suppression of domestic abuse and sexual exploitation.

Poverty and job creation have been some of the most challenging issues in the history of Sierra Leone. Social workers are providing services to less privileged people across the country, advocating for the right and welfare of people, some are serving as brokers, while others are serving in different capacities in ensuring that they uphold the ethical values of social work.

Sierra Leone has laws, policies and institutions but one of our major challenges as a nation is how to enforce these laws. Our systems are slow when it comes to enforcement and implementations but nevertheless we have lot to do as a nation in improving our human capital, thanks to the President H.E. Julius Maada Bio’s led government for the Free Quality Education and National Deceleration of State of Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence. Even though there are lot to do in terms of sustainability and monitoring process of all these we are looking forward to the establishment of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion that will bring different tribes, religions and cultural backgrounds together to build and re-brand the vision of our beloved nation, Sierra Leone.

These are my recommendations to the Government of Sierra Leone and its Development Partners;

1. Law Enforcement: Through the support of our donor partners or the tax payers’ money; let the government enforce the laws that protect the rights of women, girls and children so that they can live to their fullest potentials.

2. Strengthening Institutions: Government should strengthen weak institution that are not fulfilling their mandate, support active institutions to carry out their mandate, organize capacity building training for institution dealing with the well-being of its citizens. Examples; Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Afffais, National Commission for Children, National Commission for Person’s with Disabilities, Family Support Units etc.

3. Review of Laws: With support from partners or tax payers’ money, government should review laws that defend the rights of the vulnerable people, especially the Sexual Offences Act 2012, which has loop holes that have allowed perpetrators to escape sentence. In reviewing this act (SOA 2012) the law will take it full course, no perpetrator of rape or sexual violence can be sentenced for seventy two (72) hours.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation: Government should monitor institutions to ensure that services provided for the vulnerable people are accessible, client’s needs are met and their issues are taken into consideration.

5. Withdrawal of Certificate: Government through the Office of the President, Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Councils should withdraw certificate from organization(s) that embezzles donor funding without implementation or otherwise go against the code of practice of the said laws that regulates their work. Proper report should be presented to registered institution(s) for proper verification at the end of every year to ensure that funding received from donor partners is reached to their clients.

At the Commission of Inquiry presided over by Justice Bankole Thompson the Director of Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Henry Kargbo, testified that the reason for the procurement of the 250,000 bags fertilizer was to increase rice and vegetable production and productivity in the country.
“The reason I wanted NPK 0-20-20 was that the initial take of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security was to increase rice production and productivity of especially vegetables, with the intention to reduce importation of those goods and control foreign exchange,” he said.
Director Kargbo was responding to cross-examination by Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya, who is representing the former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Professor Monti P. Jones, as person of interest.
He told the Commission of Inquiry that from day one, he had indicated in his technical advice that for better rice production and productivity, the Ministry should procure NPK 0-20-20, NPK 15-15-15 and urea 40% fertilizer.
He furthered that he started working at the Ministry since 1986, but that he could not recall if at any point in time the Ministry had procured NPK 20-20-20 fertilizer.
He promised to help the Commission with the database of fertilizer procurement by the Ministry from 1996 to date.
Director Henry Kargbo, who was led by State Prosecutor Robert B. Kowa, testified before the Commission that he had advised the procurement officer to procure NPK 0-20-20-20, but that they went ahead and procured NPK 20-20-20.
He said his duties include tohelp formulate and ensure the implementation of policies in the crop sector, as well as coordinate and supervise crop activities nationwide.
He said he also carry out functions delegated to him by the Executive Management Committee (EMC) of the Ministry.
He said as Director of Crops, he was not part of the EMC during the procurement of the fertilizer in 2016, but that in 2017 and 2018, he served as Secretary to the EMC after he was promoted to Deputy Chief Agriculture Officer.
The Director continued that the EMC was established after the assumption of office by the former Minister of Agriculture, Professor Monti P. Jones, and that it was serving as an oversight committee for the entire Ministry.
He said the EMC approved major decisions for the infective and efficient running of the Ministry, as it was the highest decision making body in the Ministry.
He narrated that in 2016 and 2017, the Ministry purchased three types of fertilizer, including Urea, NPK 0-20-20 and NPK 15-15-15, and that he was once asked by the procurement officer to provide types and specification of fertilizer they were to procure.
He said before the procurement officer approached him for the specification, the EMC chaired by the Minister had come up with a flagship programme to increase production and productivity of rice and other crops, which required the use of fertilizer.
He said the idea was discussed by the EMC and that a decision was reached at for the purchase of two hundred and fifty thousand bags of fertilizer.
He said in his capacity as Director of Crops, he provided specification and types of fertilizer in written.
He admitted that the Directorate of Crops was part of the procurement committee, but that he can’t tell if the Chief Agriculture Officer was also part of the committee, noting that he was only invited when there were procurement issues relating to crops.
He said he had attended meetings of procurement relating to crops and members at that meeting were normally the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Agriculture Officer, the Chief Accountant, the Directorate or representative of Crops, the Procurement Officer and sometimes a representative from the Ministry of Finance.
He further told the Commission that it was not the responsibility of the end-user to conduct market price survey on fertilizer, but that he only provided the type and specification of fertilizer to be procured.
He noted that he never prepared or initiated any procurement recitation for the procurement of the two hundred and fifty thousand bags of fertilizer.
He recognized certain documents-invitation to various bidders for the supply of the fertilizer and that he was copied, but that he had problem with the specification of NPK 20-20-20, because the one he had advised on was NPK 0-20-20.
He said the Manager of one of the bidders- Balsam Enterprises-had written a letter to the Ministry, requesting clarification on the specification of that fertilizer.
He added that he was copied and he recalled replying to the letter that the specification should be NPK 0-20-20 and not NPK 20-20-20.
He also identified a valuation report document, whic, he said was prepared by the Ministry but that he was not part of the valuation team, whose report was approved on 19th July, 2016.
He said the type of fertilizer contained in the valuation report corresponded to the executive clearance of former President Ernest Bai Koroma

It has now been well established that the ongoing 2019 Housemates Salone Reality TV Show provides a convenient and proper channel which certain business entities are currently making use of to advertise goods and services. When cognisance is taken of the fact that the Show is widely viewed, in and out of the country, using it as a conduit for advertisement means reaching out to the wider public.
In an exclusive interview with the Managing Director of Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), Walton Gilpin, shortly after their engagement with the Housemates in the House, he intimated that indeed they were pleased to roll out the various promotions or banking services that the Bank offers. “As a Bank we do believe that viewers outside there who were following the Show also benefitted from the briefings by myself and two female members of staff. It is my hope that most got an insight of the services we are offering,” he expressed optimism saying indeed Housemates Salone is good for business entities.
Kobi Walker, who is the Managing Director, of the National Petroleum (NP) Company confided in this medium that advertising through the Housemates Salone Show, will surely inform people about what the company has to offer. He furthered that business prosperity is closely tied to advertisement which is why they seized the opportunity to advertise through the Show.
Though the program is principally a social one where the participants are expected to display nudity, strong language and humour yet it is a learning pad. The Housemates are taken through various motivational lectures on how to live positive lifestyles,
Indeed, the principal objective of the Housemates Reality show is to promote Youth Empowerment and through engaging them mentally is geared towards achieving that,

What is certain as of now is that the ongoing close locked battle is an affair among the remaining ten who must convincingly woo the public to vote for them via Africell No 5500. The more the merrier!
According to how the reality show is tailored, the Housemates are expected to display innate talents that must captivate the populace and excite them in order to move them to vote for the Housemates they consider are fit and capable to reach the very top.
The organizers of this much talked about show, the Africa Young Voices (AYV) and Africell, with support from certain corporate entities have been hailed for putting together such a thrilling and breath-taking Realty TV Show with many saying it is indeed a show that is well organized and going on fine which according to those views it is interesting to watch on AYV Television Channel 34.
If in reality the show is very much interesting it is the role being played by the intriguing Invisible Chief with the commanding baritone voice giving intermittent instructions to the Housemates to carry out certain assignments or to ask them to articulate themselves well by responding to questions posed.

So we have witnessed fairness pervading the competition and there has not been a known instance of any foul play. There are rumours that certain fans of the various Housemates have expressed dissatisfaction over the eviction of their favourites. Cognisance, however, must be taken that in any competition which is keen there may be apprehensions and conjectures as it unfolds but the truth of the matter is that there will be winners and losers. The 2019 Housemates Salone is no exception especially when a whooping star prize of one hundred million Leones (Le 100,000,000) awaits the ultimate winner.

It must be reiterated that in reality Housemates Salone is an effective channel to widely reach out to the people in terms of advertising and serves a platform to mentally empower

Chief Minister ‘Professor David John Francis’ on the 19th March 2019, represented His Excellency the President, Brigadier (Retired) Julius Maada Bio at the 67th annual Council meeting of the West African Examinations Council.

In an address, the registrar to the WAEC c Dr. Iyi J Uwadiae Mnim welcomed the Chief Minister as Chief Guest representing His Excellency the President and other council representatives from other West African Countries who came to attend the meeting. He said the major challenge of the WAEC was examination malpractices noting that the institutions was working on modalities to introduce improve technological measures such as the use of CCTV cameras in examination halls, ICT adminstration and many more.
He said the council has compressed the period for the examination from 87 days to 46 days. The registrar thanked the Government of Sierra Leone through the Anti- Corruption Commission for helping them in the fight against examination malpractices. He registered their commitment in adding value to education in West Africa.

The Chairman of the WAEC , Mr. Abubakarr Bouy said WAEC was established to conduct examinations for all English speaking West African countries. He said WAEC collaborate with Government,Ministers and agencies in order to provide good and quality service delivery. He stated that, the Council is charged with the responsibility to monitor examinations in the sub-region. He asked Governments of the Five member countries of WAEC to consider timely payment of examination fees and subventions to the Council, which he said will make their work effective and efficient.

The Chief Minister in his keynote address thanked WAEC for promoting education in the sub-region. He said the central focus of President Bio’s Government is to develop human capital and that WAEC is expected to place itself within that category. He said the operations of WAEC should not only be based on performance but to uphold and institutionalize the integrity of the process.
“We are expecting professionalism and best practices in all of your operations including grading of students,” he maintained.

He furthered that WAEC continues to be ranked among the leading examination bodies in West Africa and therefore must build the trust and confidence in our education system. He assured the Council of Government’s commitment to provide the necessary support in combating examination malpractices. He said the Government will meet all its obligations to WAEC without delay. The Chief Minister congratulated all delegates from the five member countries for a successful conference.

Where corruption exists, the rule of law cannot flourish. It is easy for corruption to thrive in a nation where the Judiciary is blind and the Government feels comfortable with things as they are.
As such, the relationship between corruption and the justice system is crucial to sustainable growth in Sierra Leone which is why strengthening the rule of law and intensifying the fight against corruption should be a major concern for all.
Corruption in the Judiciary which is as old as post-Independent Sierra Leone that involves unethical practices like taking money to pervert the course of justice by twisting evidence, hiding dates for proceedings from defendants or complainants, depending on who has bribed court officials, endless adjournments, causing case files to go missing to frustrate litigants, etc, is, to say the least, why everybody in the country, including our MPs and even President Bio to, have a dim view of our men and women in the bar and courts.
To a Sierra Leonean who has for decades been disillusioned about the integrity, competence and impartiality of the country’s Judiciary in delivering honest, speedy justice to particularly poor citizens who cannot afford to hire costly lawyers to defend them, Francis Ben Kaifala’s assault on that bastion of inequity by conducting an unannounced investigation at the Master and Registrar and Judiciary Accounts Department, where it is believed hundreds of thousands of dollars have over the years been siphoned by unscrupulous officials, is sweet music.
The “Justice System” is the Governmental entity that is charged with enforcing the laws of the land with integrity and veracity. The relationship between corruption and the Justice system is critical, especially in a developing country like Sierra Leone.
Needless to say, in every country, the Justice system exists to ensure a fair treatment of citizens and that the Rule of law and legal system is effective. The status of the justice system in a country is largely dependent on the quality of the Government and its commitment to the fight against corruption. For instance crimes and their commensurate punishment are enforced by the justice system and without these measures; there can be no equity, no inclusivity, no fairness and no lasting social and economic development, hence a fertile breeding ground for corruption.
According to Reginald Fynn Jr. Esq. – Director of Intelligence, Investigation and Prosecution at the Anti- Corruption Commission – “the present state of corruption and the justice system is more hypothetical and academic. Recent judgments are indicative that the judiciary takes corruption cases seriously and continuing to hand down firm judgment will send the correct signal that corruption is intolerable”.
Corruption in any judicial system erodes the ability of the State and international community to tackle transnational crime and terrorism; diminishes trade, economic growth and human development; and, most importantly, it denies citizens impartial settlement of disputes with neighbours or the authorities.
When the latter occurs, corrupt judiciaries fracture and divide communities by keeping alive the sense of injury created by unjust treatment and mediation. Judicial systems debased by bribery undermine confidence in governance by facilitating corruption across all sectors of Government, starting at the helm of power. In so doing, they send a blunt message to the people in this country that corruption is tolerated.
A good judiciary empowers citizens to speak out against corrupt practices and corrupt officials. Increased confidence in the system and just punishment for offenders cannot be guaranteed if the judicial system is flawed. A corruption free judiciary increases the confidence level of the citizens; confidence in the judges, lawyers, court clerks associated with the judiciary.
Too many people fail to understand the impact of corruption on development and on prosperity. The victims exist in every developing and less developed country like Sierra Leone. More often citizens find themselves asking the question “if that which is meant to save now becomes that which kills where will the people run to in their quest for justice, peace and development”.

During a well attended ceremony His Excellency The President Julius Maada Bio has celebrated the sacrifices of nurses and midwives in Sierra Leone and announced efforts being made to develop Sierra Leone’s first ever Nurses and Midwifery Strategic Plan for 2019-2023.

“I am always curious but eternally thankful about how nurses and midwives combine their professional training with acute critical thinking and mix all of that with compassion, care, communicating with empathy, and building trust as caregivers,” he said adding that the strategic plan would lay out six major pathways for developing the nursing education and practice in the country.

Addressing the conference of the West African College of Nursing and Midwifery, the Fifteenth Biennial General Meeting and Twenty-Fourth Scientific Session and Thirty-Ninth Council Meeting on the theme: ‘The Role of Nurses And Midwives in Building Global Health Security’, President Bio said he admired their deep sense of integrity and discipline, their responsiveness as the only source of hope to the pregnant, the ailing, and the sick, and their ever calm, dignified and transformative composure in the face of challenges.
“The aims and outcomes of this conference align very closely with my flagship programme – investing in human capital development. As I have emphasized severally, human capital development involves feeding the mind through free quality education, feeding the body with food security initiatives, and taking care of the human body through delivering affordable and quality healthcare. Only an educated, productive, and healthy population can drive sustainable development in a nation.

“Let me digress for a moment and bestow special praise on our midwives. For every new child that you midwife; for every mother’s life that you save during childbirth, thank you. The great work that you do for humanity often gets reduced to statistical figures about maternal and child mortality. For me, every cry of a new-born baby and every smile of a new mother reminds me as a leader that I must work even harder to support, and continue to advocate for and invest in women’s health and in primary and maternity health care services,” he said.

President Bio said his Government recognised and had granted nurses the professional autonomy and authority to make professional decisions and act freely in accordance with their professional training and expertise.

“To my mind, this recognition empowers nurses to provide nursing care within the full scope of their practice. But, this also should be balanced against concerns about patient safety and patient health outcomes. I am therefore encouraged that in Sierra Leone, as in parts of the sub-region, a regulatory nursing and midwifery council has been set up that will oversee overall professional standards of nursing practice and ethics and also monitor service delivery to patients,” he said.

The President also told the gathering that his Government was working to address the working environment and conditions of health care professionals in the country, adding that he had therefore increased budgetary allocation to healthcare to 15% of the national budget. He said the Government had also undertaken the refurbishment of key hospitals, constructed peripheral health units, and provided free ambulance services in various districts across the country.

The principal of the National School of Midwifery, Dr. Joan Shepherd, said the presence of President Bio at the event was a resounding testament of his commitment to building a strong, resilient and responsive health workforce and more importantly a manifestation of his support to moving the nursing and midwifery agenda forward in Sierra Leone.

“In these challenging times, nurses and midwives, who form the largest workforce globally, deserve more attention and focus more than ever before. There has been an increase in the importance of the work of nurses and midwives globally. We are players in building global health security and we remain at the centre of the global health system,” she said.

She commended the Government for the bold step in declaring rape and sexual violence as a national emergency and expressed appreciation for the recent increases in the salaries of nurses and doctors across the country, saying that that had sent a clear message of recognition of those professionals as the backbone to health service delivery.

The West African College of Nursing and Midwifery also bestowed an Honorary Fellow Status on Her Excellency, First Lady Fatima Bio for championing causes that empower women and girls.

The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on Tuesday 19th March 2019 extensively debated and unanimously approved the Twenty-Ninth Report of its Committee on Appointments and the Public Service, chaired by the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis.

Speaking to the nominees after approval, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu in congratulating and extending his felicitations said that “I am proud that the nominees have just been approved by Parliament”, having due regard to their eminent qualifications, experience, competence, capability and probity which they have demonstrated over the years during the course of executing their duties. He also said that “I have no doubt that the nominees will live up to the expectations of President Bio, Parliament, and the People of Sierra Leone”, adding that the Judges should dispense justice to the highest degree of impartiality and to the best of their consciences and in accordance to the established law with the aim of dispelling the unfavourable perception the public holds against the Judiciary. He stressed the need for the impartial dispensation of justice without fear or favour.

The following presidential nominees were approved by Parliament:

I. Hon. Justice Alusine Sani Sesay-Supreme Court Judge
II. Hon. Justice Allan Baami Halloway-Supreme Court Judge
III. Hon. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma-Supreme Court Judge
IV. Hon. Manga Fana Deen Tarawally-Supreme Court Judge
V. Hon. Justice Jamesina Essie Leonora King-Appeal Court Judge
VI. Hon. Justice Miatta Marie Samba-Appeal Court Judge
VII. Hon. Justice Ansumana Ivan Sesay-Appeal Court Judge
VIII. Mr. Sulaiman Bah-Appeal Court Judge
IX. Mr. Prince Terena Quee-Member, Statistics Sierra Leone Council
X. Alhaji Alie Badara Yillah-Member, Statistics Sierra Leone Council
XI. Mr. Samuel Benedict Vandi-Member, Sierra Leone Police Council and
XII. Mr. Jennings Anto Brian Wright-Member, Board of Trustees, NASSIT

Seconding the motion, Hon. Emilia Lolloh Tongi, an independent MP from Kailahun District alluded that “the New Direction is the right direction” and commended President Bio for making effort to satisfy the women of Sierra Leone. She called on Judges to give justice to provincial women that are staying in distant areas and urged them to inflict severe sentences on perpetrators of rape in the country.

Hon. Hindolo M. Gevao of SLPP catalogued the experience, competence and hard-earned reputation of the Judges and referred to their service to the Bench as “a huge sacrifice”, largely due to poor conditions of service and being barred from any profiting from any other enterprise. He also called for more Magistrates to be sent to Kailahun District with the aim of improving access to justice.

Hon. Daniel B. Koroma of APC commended the Judges on their promotions in the justice sector, adding that “it was based not on political considerations, but on their professionalism”, that had also been identified by the APC over the years. He decried the practice of “preliminary investigation” as “obsolete” and that it should be replaced by a new “Criminal Procedures Bill” which should be brought to Parliament for enactment without further delay.

Hon. Alhaji Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Leader of NGC praised President Bio in light of the statement he made in Parliament “to overhaul the judiciary”, adding that the President has put a lot of trust in the Judges to revamp the judiciary. He also called on Judges to protect businesses, human rights, free speech, freedom to demonstrate, law enforcement and protection of our nascent democracy by being independent and dispensing justice without fear or favour.

Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas, the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament spoke loudly on the need for improving the conditions of service for both Judges and Members of Parliament as required by extant provisions of Act No. 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.

Rounding the debate, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Chernor R.M Bah made reference to his representation in high-profiled cases and contributions to the jurisprudence of Sierra Leone. He referred to Judges “as competent and they have the capacity to perform”. He said that their collective action will redeem the negative perception which the public is currently holding against the Judiciary, adding that “our democracy rests in the bosoms of the Judges”, saying that “there will be no peace without justice”.

Concluding, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis spoke on the need for consultations, negotiations, and dialogue for the smooth running of the House. Speaking on President Bio’s belief in an impartial judiciary, he assured the Judges that their conditions of service will improve under the New Direction. He also called on them to uphold the independence of the judiciary by dispensing justice for all without fear or favour. Amidst other assurances, he educated the House that the Judges were appointed by President Bio based on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, subject to the approval of Parliament.

Parliamentarians are wont to shift blame for their enacting shoddy laws or for approving mediocre Presidential appointees to us the electorates. Their argument is that public input which is germane to their decision making processes is non-existent, even though opportunities for that is why Bills and names of appointees are “Gazetted” in good time before enactment into laws or approvals of Presidential nominees. That being the case Parliamentarians therefore furtherargue that they are invariably left with no alternatives but to work with the limited information at their disposal. It is in that light that this piece is informed, so as to draw attention of our Parliamentarians to what I consider as significant gaps in the proposed amendments of the Anti-Corruption Commissioner (ACC) to the existing ACC Act of 2008 which, he believes “…..will consolidate the fight against corruption FOR GOOD”.My intention is to sufficiently guide our Parliamentarians against swallowing those proposed amendments hook, line and sinker and inadvertently end up creating a “Monster” at Gloucester Street as our Anti-Commissionerand further make the Appellate Courts within our Judicature redundant, insofar as the right of citizens to access unfettered justice is concerned.

For starters no law is cast in concrete, because they will have to be subject to periodic reviews to suit changing circumstances. So it’s unrealistic for the ACC Commissioner to presume that if his proposed amendments are carried to the fullest, the battle against corruption will be consolidated FOR GOOD. And from the statements in the Press personally signed –off by Commissioner Ben-Kelfalla himself, one can deduce a levelof suppressed bigotry to wit: “…As long as the political will remains as positive as our President, His Excellency Brig. (Rtd.) Julius Maada Bio has demonstrated, and we at the ACC remain COURAGEOUS in executing our duties FAIRLY but FIERCELY without fear or favour for ANYONE”.

I am not sure of the relevance of that embellishment in profiling his proposed amendmentsor whether it was for public consideration or to canvass parliamentary assent, but it smirks of the kind of influence peddling James and his brother John the sons of Zebeedee exhibited in the Books of Matt.20: 20-21 and Mk. 10:37 when, convinced of the importance proximity to Jesuswas opening them toand propelled by blind ambition,they requested Jesus to accord both of them prominent seats in His Kingdom. Why Commissioner Ben-Kelfallah chose to bye-pass the official ACC communication dissemination channels and to personally author the newspaper write-ups with respect to an official proposition is another matter altogether, as it smirks of a lack of confidence in their internal Information, Education and communication (IEC) structure. Could the ACC Commissioner be eyeing something bigger in the horizon??

Of all the proposed amendments the ones I find more questionable – if not unreasonable – are
– No.4. Removing the discretion of Judges to order restitutions from our Judicature and transferring same to the ACC Commissioner who will then make it mandatory for accused persons to refund/repay the defalcated sums in full.
– No.5. To strengthen the civil powers of the ACC to enter settlement arrangements with corrupt persons, but that any such settlements should be mandatory and in full. Has this not been applied occasionally – even if seemingly selectively?
– No.6. To empower the ACC to wade into all contract negotiations using “PREVENTIVE AUTHORITY” as its basis.
– No.7 (1). Reversing the burden of proof (as enshrined in our Criminal Codes) from the prosecution to prove the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubts, to the accused to prove his/her innocence in cases of bribery.
Disarm
Now if all above do not seem suspicious and a clear evidence that the ACC is looking at overstepping their mandate I wonder what else is. What I see in some of their proposed amendments are attempts by the ACC to disarm the Judicature of their core functions in Criminal procedures and arrogate to themselves the powers of Courts of First, Second and even Third (Supreme) instances, including further depriving citizens their fundamental rights to fair and independent hearings through appeals processes in our regular Courts of Law. From the proposed amendments of the ACC Commissioner that seeks to empower themselves more than the institution now is, are we reading into insinuations of a loss of confidence by the present Commissioner in our Judiciary in much the same way that saw the government preferring to outsource Judge-Commissioners for our ongoing Commissions of Inquiries?

Why would the ACC wish to be interrupting procurement processes in MDAs mid-stream (Gestapo-like) (Re: Amendment No.7) when in addition to Sec. 32 of the ACC Act, our existing laws make ample provision for protests by dissatisfied bidders even beyond the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) and right unto the Courts?

Targets
And if (God forbid!!) the ACC should have their way (because one cannot safely vouch for outcomes on clear majority decisions from this Parliament as is presently constituted) what regulatory options would we have in place to checkmate their potential excesses when they occur? AsI have said many times before, our problems are not with our existing legislations, but in our inability to implement them fairly and fearlessly. And it is only when we have exhausted those parameters that we should begin to agitate for amendments. For example, if the ACC Commissioner was so committed to consolidating the powers of the “ACC FOR GOOD”, why didn’t he start with removal of the Nolle-Prosequifiat of the Attorney General in corruption matters so as to allow them unlimited prosecutorial powers? But I suppose he didn’t, because between now and 2023 he knows who the “targets” are, and once he gets the fresh powers he now seeks, he can proceed to handle them accordingly to pre-empt or complement the likely outcomes of the Cabinet White Paper arising from the ongoing COIs. Whereas if between now and 2023 if anyone outside his net is apprehended (meaning their own) he can absolve himself from accusations of being biased as he watches the Attorney General proceed to apply the Nolle-Prosequi fait to his satisfaction at a safe distance. I am suspicious of the genuineness of the intentions of the ACC Commissioner in this particular enterprise.

Already the ACC has since been “arranging settlements” with accused persons and in recent times they are publishing running totals, even though the existing ACC 2008 Laws make no provision for that. Does it then mean accused persons consenting to such settlements could have been over-charged or under-charged? Why the need to further empower the ACC Commissioner to impose ban on citizens from holding public offices for any number of years? Wouldn’t such additional powers be too much for the head of an institutions whose role is fundamentally prosecutorial?Is the ACC technically equipped and sufficiently resourced to combine all such roles together? Already in the preamble of the proposed amendments they complained that the volume of Assets Declaration Forms requiring scrutiny would have to be whittled down to specific Service Grades (7 and above). So why not focus on issues they can handle efficiently and leave the Courts to do the rest?

Grey
One grey area about this (private) settlement arrangement between the ACC and accused persons is that the general public is hugely kept in the dark about (1) how those private settlements were arrived at (2) What inducements – if any – had to be made for the ACC to prefer private settlements to Criminal proceedings on a case by case basis (3) Whether the amounts advertised as having been recovered represent the full sums of moneys original alleged to have been defalcated by the accused persons from the State. The ACC announces the quantum recovered, but do not say how much was originally stolen. And by not doing so is the public/State not short-changed. The public is further unable to ascertain whether in the interest of justice, accused persons with whom settlement arrangements are reached are allowed legal representations throughout the process(to avoid the ACC being accused of coercion) and a guarantee obtained from the ACC indemnifying them in return against further indictments or prosecutions on those same matters by any other prosecutorial arm of government, including the ongoing COIs.Now that requirement should not be downplayed to avoid subjecting those who have reached settlement arrangements with the ACC to “double jeopardy” as in recent weeks we have been made to understand that a clear dichotomy now exist between the ACC investigations and the COIs proceedings.

An ACC Commissioner desirous of “making Corruption a very COSTLY and TERRIBLE choice for every Sierra Leonean” cannot afford to be economical with information of recoveries or make the process a secret. Otherwise a possibility exist that the bug within would not have been thoroughly exorcised, leaving a few to come away with their reputation and professional practicing licenses intact – and with surpluses that could see them leaving off well right unto their graves. I am not being cynical here because reports from the ACC about impersonators of their own staff being apprehended and sentenced in our Courts abound. And given the fact that only those in lucrative positions can be impersonated, (e.g. corpses are never impersonated) it is certainly not out of place to enquire if certain covert or overt “handling fees” (if any) are not squared-off before arriving at the figures they advertise as having been recovered. Or is it that only “Saints” are recruited to work within the ACC?

To my mind, an acceptance to settle at any level is self-indictment and a presumption of guilt and no amount of settlement reached that does not include criminal convictions should be acceptable. That’s the first regular step into “making Corruption a very COSTLY and TERRIBLE choice for every Sierra Leonean”.