Sierra Leone`s President Ernest Bai Koroma Thursday named his ambassador to China as new Vice President.
Victor Bockarie Foh was named at the end of a closed door meeting by senior party ranks of the governing All Peoples Congress (APC) and he was sworn-in almost immediately into office.
Foh took the oath of office in front of the president at State House.
He replaces Samuel Sam Sumana who was controversially sacked earlier on Wednesday, a move that has set in motion a constitutional debate that is getting louder by the day.
Mr Sumana has said he would challenge the decision.
President Koroma praised his new deputy as a man with a wealth of experience in governance having served as Provincial Secretary in almost all the districts of the country, a statement from State House reads.
“I feel very, very happy that you are now coming in as vice president, a position you opted for in 1996 without success. But today I want to congratulate you on behalf of government of Sierra Leone on this appointment,” the President said.
The new Vice President is from the south of the country, and his appointment is seen as a strategic move by the APC which is seeking to remain in power in elections slated for after 2017.
But Foh`s appointment also brings to an end a tradition that have seen the country`s President and Vice President coming from the two dominant religions – Islam and Christianity.
Like Koroma, Foh is a Christian.
One of the reasons the APC cited for the removal of Mr Sumana from the APC, which led ot his controversial dismissal from office, was that he lied that he was a Muslim.
But on Thursday, supporters of the President said religion was never a decider in the selection process.
Foh has been hailed as one of the few Sierra Leoneans with consistency when it comes to politics.
He has remained with the APC all his life, even when it was in opposition for over a decade, following the break of their rule by the 1992 military coup.
But he also has had dark past, according to critics, who say he has been named in a number of corruption issues.
But Foh is likely to face an uneasy beginning to his office as the country`s civil society community is challenging his ascension to power.
At least 10 civil society groups on Thursday issued a statement calling on the President to reverse his decision of sacking Mr Sumana.
The CSOs include the Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL) and the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG).
“We are concerned about the due process or the lack of it, which led to the dismissal of Mr Sumana and now the appointment of a new Vice President,” said Ibrahim Tommy, Executive Director of CARL.
“We know the constitution is very clear. We disagree with his (President Koroma) interpretation of the constitution.” He said.
The group he said is in consultation to seek court action if their demands are not met.
© Politico 20/03/15
