|
|
Sierra Leone: Mr. President, Bo is a Test Case!
 |
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
Concord Times (Freetown)
OPINION
2 May 2008
Posted to the web 2 May 2008
David Tam-Baryoh
Two local tabloids have reported in Freetown this week that paramount chief Rashid Kamanda Bongay of Kakua chiefdom in Bo district has asked the provincial secretary, Lansana Koroma to help enhance the quick removal of the sitting magistrate in the southern town of Bo, his worship, Adrian Fischer.
The letter is purported to have been signed by some other nineteen sub chiefs who are alleged to have been angered by the detention of their colleague sub chief, Muray Margao. In one of such publications, a letter addressed to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Serry Kamal from Monfred Momoh Sesay; senior state counsel in the south of Sierra Leone, asked that four junior police officers taken to Bo by the magistrate to help prosecute state matters be immediately withdrawn.
The Standard Times publication drew a parallel of unfortunate relationship between the letter of the chiefs and that of the state counsel's. It has also been revealed that Monfred has caused to be nullified the matter of malicious damage charge against chief Margao.
While the Minister for Justice denied any knowledge of his southern representative (Monfred Momoh Sesay) exercising the powers of nullification without the approval of Law Officers department in Freetown, a police officer in Bo said the sitting magistrate insists that chief Margao had actually pleaded guilty as charged, and that he (Magistrate Fischer) was ready to pass sentence on him for maliciously damaging an individual's property; contrary to Section 51 of the Malicious Damage Act, 1861.
In his explanation before pleading guilty, chief Margao is said to have remarked that he reported to the police a case of unlawful occupancy by the plaintiff but that failing to get justice from the Sierra Leone police, he had to do what he did; namely, damage the property.
According to reports, chief Margao was to be remanded in custody, pending sentence the next day. It was at this juncture; while chief Margao was venting his anger and anguish as to the Margi stare's misunderstanding of the indemnity and supreme position of his type in relation to the laws of the land, that several other chiefs came to the court and demanded the immediate release of their colleague.
When this chaos subsided, the magistrate is said to have written an on-the-spot report of complaint to his boss, chief justice Hawa Umu Tejan Jalloh, to which, no surprise, he received no reply.
Few days later, while the request letter from the chiefs to withdraw the magistrate was on its way to the provincial secretary, police boss in Freetown, Chris Charlie withdrew the other four junior police officers, as per request from Monfred Momoh Sesay.
Thus while this coincidence was becoming the lord of an awkward situation, news and intelligence report now say that the chiefs are planning a big demonstration in Bo township; to redouble their effort in asking for the removal of magistrate Adrian Fischer. Sources to that effect say Monfred Sesay is already in Freetown while Chief Kamanda Bongay is also enroute to the capital.
If it be true that pilgrims like to tread the sands of their prophets and kings with a view to soliciting allegiance, forgiveness and faith exhibition, then magistrate Adrian Fischer is taking the route already passed by resident minister, south, Musa Tarawalie.
Musa has been accused of doing every bad thing safe for the fact that he is a southerner who knows the political game plan too well to be nearer the drawing board of the south-eastern political kingdom of great Bo. But for the president's satisfaction that Musa was his admired servant, he should have been sacked few days after his appointment.
My interpretation to some of the noisy issues coming from that part of the country is that for the All People's Congress party of Earnest Bai Koroma to have very little or no voter-political influence in Bo for the next five years, that city needs to remain chaotic and nervously uncontrollable. This game plan will continue to manifest itself in various forms. And it does take a political wizardry of a leader which must be engendered by the gut to stand up to it; with the sole aim of keeping the country united even within the ambits of political ideological divide as seen during and even after the recent elections.
Thus the intelligence unit of our security forces must see the ongoing turmoil of power resistance in Bo beyond Musa Tarawalie and Adrian Fischer. They must rather begin to find out how possible the likes of big Vons in Freetown might be part of this grand arrangement to keep our people divided for selfish political gains. Local traditional leadership, with all the respect it deserves in the world, must not be part of a grandiose method of perpetrating injustice and division among our suffering and illiterate compatriots.
Injustice, like poverty and corruption, played greater part in beginning and sustaining ten years of civil madness in Sierra Leone (1991-2001). We must thus not go that part anymore. Not even as a test case for research. If we had a naïve state leadership for want of courage to nip it in the bud, a bad and timid presidency would shy away from handling this. But it's everybody's hope that the message will be sent fiercely and forcefully, that Sierra Leone is not only one country, but operates under one law and government. The Musa Tarawalies will die, the Adrian Fischers will go, but the country Sierra Leone will remain and so the government must send this message both to Bo, and other subservient elements in other parts of the country, that this is, and must remain a unified society. And if it be found that by negligence and acquiesce the high command of the judiciary is fondling with our hard earned peace, then Mister President some heads, and not Bo, must role in anger.
The national leadership of Sierra Leone must be told in no uncertain terms that a trial of permanent dissension in Bo, can be seen as a possibility of trial-tests in Kailahun, Kono, Kenema and elsewhere.
|
This test game must be seen in proper perspective Mr. President. Respect our chiefs, but rule us, including our chiefs, by law!
This is dis-speakable to hear this sort of event happening.Sierra Leone as far as i know is a Democratic state as so far as the laws,are their to protect each and every sierra leonean from whatever tribe you belong to amoungst the 16 ethnic tribe.Been a democartic country i believed the 'Rule Of Law'should always previle.Supremacy of the law,Equality before the law and The Fundamental Human Right.If the Sub-chief is been charged for a crime, why should he not stand before the court of law to prove himself innocent.Gone are those days when we have protected species that think they... [Read Full Text]
As a sierra leonean i am saden to know that this type of habits is still on going ie no justice for the poor.have we forgotton so soon about what lead us to a senseless ten years brutal war.Mr Persident, you must remember you where elected on the bases of equality within the governing constitution of the land. whem you came to power,your message to the people of sierra leone is to change our attitudes. so nar, is a time to let us know if yours has changed Adams
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 Concord Times. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
