When Ernest Acts Tough

Great leaders are known by their ability to make decisions when the necessity arises. Firmness, purposefulness and determination are what distinguish such leaders from ordinary leaders. I say ordinary because when certain ugly happenings occur, it is easier for them to discard it not minding the media bashings and lampooning that may arise out of such matter. But not so for prezo Ernest, who it seems, is growing more determined to wipe out and exterminate the hydra headed monster of corruption in Sierra Leone. Corruption remains a major challenge for the ACC and president Koroma and his government to tackle and it is obvious that the president is taking one step at a time. Since his inception to power, President Ernest Koroma has been facing situations in which vigilance, precision tact is required. From the cocaine issue to the income Elrics issue and the recent attempt by an importer to defraud the state of a whopping sum of 1.3 billion with connivance of certain officials at Customs, people by now are beginning to believe that president Koroma actually means business. Wiping out corruption is not a one in all approach but a holistic process of sniffing out anomalies through timely whistle blowing and proper investigations. (Photo: Brima Karl Samura, author)

It has now become clear that the president is not leaving the job to the ACC alone but is boosting their effort through other intelligence mechanism that report directly to him. A few weeks back, in an article titled “Mr. President: Some things you ought to Know”, I highlighted several admirable attributes of the president which in my opinion are very crucial at this particular period to address the many problems that confront this country.  One of this attribute is his patience to handle certain complex issues. I stated that it was little wonder that he was able to amicably settle the disputes within the APC party before running as a presidential candidate in 2007. Today Sierra Leone as a whole represents a macrocosm of that microcosm and the president is indeed proving himself capable again. Like the Bible states,: “Give to Caesar what is of Caesar’s … “ this is by no means an attempt to sing praise songs for him but rather to point out the strengths which he currently displays as president unlike what it had been for his predecessors.

Pa Ernest: We de beyen yu

I was privileged to be in front of my TV set on the 22^nd of this month, when the SLBC TV was broadcasting an urgent meeting that the president called and in which he summoned the presence of the Inspector General of police, the Head of the Office of National Security and other senior officials of his government. This act of statesmanship and show of leadership is unprecedented in the political history of Sierra Leone. It was indeed a pointer that “It is not going to be business as usual” as the president reiterated while addressing those present at the meeting.  The crux of the issue is an attempt to defraud the state of 1.3 billion Leones through a false declaration of goods and items procedure and a willful act of evading tax thereby depriving the country of much needed revenue. The one in a million question that is now begging for an answer is, how long has this been going on? It is a clear signal that more measures need to be taken to unearth more and if possible previous malpractices that had been going unabated and unnoticed. I am deeply moved by the sternness of the president especially with regards to his resolutions to see that the 1.3 billion Leones be paid to the government, the goods forfeited to the state and all the people involved in this unholy practice charged to court while the NRA employees involved in the act lose their job.

Of significance also is his decision to prosecute the alleged Lebanese business man under Sierra Leone Laws. It had been the practice of the Lebanese community in Sierra Leone to influence the deportation of Lebanese people who fall short of the law just to stealthily return to the country after some few years. This was the case of Ahmed Wanza who was deported by ex-president Kabba just to return after the APC won the 2007 elections and order for the payment for scrap goods procured by him for the then NPRC/SLPP governments. The Lebanese have been having a field day in Sierra Leone committing crimes and getting away with them simply because as they often put it, “the bellies of our gluttonous political leaders are in their pockets and purses”. It will certainly be good if when found guilty as charged, the said Lebanese business man goes to the Pademba Road prison to romance with the stench. Let them begin to understand that they cannot in connivance with malcontented and unpatriotic Sierra Leoneans continue to defraud the government of much needed revenue. The president has spoken toughly and acted toughly, and with such a disposition, I am without any iota of doubt that he will take us to the Promised Land. A Sierra Leone where people will put “National” instead of selfish personal interest above them and when we would have arrived, we shall all say:, Vedi, Veni, Veci “We came, we saw and we conquered. I salute you Mr. President.             

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!

---

© 2010, https:. All rights reserved.