The Uniqueness in Character of President Ernest Bai Koroma

The action by His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma to actively demonstrate his opposition to naked and barefaced theft of Sierra Leone’s money is a move in the right direction. (Photo: Pasco Temple, Information Attaché)

According to Presidential Press Secretary Sheka Tarawally, President Ernest Bai Koroma fully armed with his documentary evidence, summoned the heads of security forces and in his capacity as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and fountain of justice, ordered the arrest and prosecution of alleged conspirators who were about to continue stealing the country’s money through fraudulent means with impunity.

The action has been commended by a good number of well meaning Sierra Leoneans as well as foreign Nationals who are residing both within and outside the country.

It must be stated here, that President Ernest Bai Koroma is the very first President of the Republic of Sierra Leone to show proof of evidence against   law breakers, prior the beginning of any form of prosecution.

It shows that President Koroma’s Government cannot be taken for granted: and that lip service has no place in this present era.

Again, the action of President Koroma is a clear manifestation of the fact that he has zero tolerance for corruption.

Unlike past Presidents of Sierra Leone who will demand their own share from the loot and transformed their seats of power to Kangaroo Courts, President Koroma stands tall and has behaved very uniquely.

Also, I am of the view that the action of the President clearly indicates that the art of conspiracy prevalent in some Government institutions, now have, but a very short time to live.

It is important to note that the action of President Ernest Bai Koroma has reflected positively on all Sierra Leoneans.

It has signalled very strongly that the Presidency has zero tolerance for any form of graft.

But can the President do it alone? No! It is certain that President Ernest Bai Koroma cannot do it alone: and if he should succeed, concerted efforts by well meaning Sierra Leoneans have to join him in different capacities, and in different ways to eliminate corruption.

Sierra Leone’s multilateral and Bi-lateral agencies including the World Bank, European Union, Department for international Development and the African Development Bank have joined the Government of President Ernest Bai Koroma  by  jointly launching the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP), with an overall objective to support the Government of Sierra Leone in sustainably improving the credibility and predictability, control and transparency of fiscal and budget management. Sierra Leone’s Audit Department is also in line with President Koroma by extending its Auditing exercise to some Sierra Leonean Embassies and High Commissions in different parts of the globe after a period of over six years.

While the efforts of the Ministry of Information and Communication and other Sierra Leonean Government Ministries   to move in the same frequency of the president need not be over emphasized.

I will submit therefore that there is dire need for the knowledge of some administrators to be refreshed.

Should they want to cope with the dynamism which the President Ernest Bai Koroma Government is characterized of, they should forget about the myth and fantasy about age on the job and work.

Honestly, the pattern of administration of some so-called administrators could be hardly classified: they are neither Autocratic, nor Democratic. They could be hardly classed to any existing type of administration. Some of their actions are actually militating against the status quo of the very institutions they serve.

Also, there is need for the Government of President Ernest Bai Koroma to orientate some political appointees not only on their roles, rights and responsibilities, but also their functions and their limits, to avoid overlapping of functions and also for the realization of the fact that institutions, no matter how small or big, names and titles can only be relevant when procedures and policies are obeyed.

After all there is “division of labour according to Specialization” Bernard de Mandeville. “But if one will wholly apply himself to the making of Bows and Arrows, whilst another provides Food, a third builds Huts, a fourth makes Garments and a fifth Utensils they not only become useful to one another, but the Callings and Employments themselves will in the same Number of Years receive much greater Improvements, than if all had been promiscuously followed by every one of the Five.

Mandeville is simply saying that different individuals in an institution must do their work according to their expertise, for the purpose of end result.

Pasco Gerald Temple, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria

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