The MAC-P: Creating a bad precedent?

The Military Aiding Civilian Policing, (MAC-P) was created to serve the country in times of emergency dealing with aspects of the civil populace, and this means the nation generally.

It is a system that was initiated as part of the peace building venture for Sierra Leone and was seen as a security strategy maintaining this peace.

Reading from the concept along which the MAC-P protocol can be proclaimed in the country, it means that it must only be proclaimed in times of an acute security period akin to a war?

When President Ernest Koroma proclaimed the MAC-P, the action created an initial panic which later dissipated into anger against the government from some circles.

Is the prevalence of armed robbery in the country reason for the proclamation of a MAC-P protocol, or is it a case of overreaction by the Koroma administration?

The government of President Koroma is to a large extent seemingly operating like the administration of Brig. Joseph Saidu Momoh.

Both of these two leaders share the procrastinating habit of the ‘wait and see’ theory. This means taking a rather long time to take decisions that border on important issues affecting the country. These delays inevitably end up impacting negatively on the country.

The delay in the government taking a decision in making a more robust approach in stopping if not at least reducing the case of armed robbery in the country shows the same similarity with the procrastination manifested by Momoh.

The truth of the matter is that it took huge reams of newsprint and several hours of phone-in radio discussions, talk shows, and other complaints from the public before there could be any action from a clearly inactive administration.

The action expected turned out to be an anti-climax as it brought in what a large proportion of the public saw as the sinister return of armed forces manning check points.

Check points to the mind set of Sierra Leoneans who experienced the war, is a trauma yet to be healed by the Truth and Reconciliation process. It means, men and even women in uniforms demanding money wherever people pass across. It is not a nightmare worth repeating.

The first decision the president should have made was to make a more formidable police presence. Corruption and poor management of the police force is the direct result of the spate of armed robbery in the country. It has also been repeatedly proved that the police and even military personnel are part of this armed robbery cabal existing in the country. It is no more a secret and everyone, including the president should know.

The recent killing of a police man who is believed to have been involved in robbery when he was gunned down is said to be the cause that led to the declaration of the MAC-P by the president. But there is more to this than the normal Sierra Leonean eye can see. 

The truth shall not be known now but the declaration of the MAC-P protocol has already sent wrong signals to the general public and is seen as a counter productive measure by the government.

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