LET’S NOT HAVE CAUSE TO SACK BREWAH A THIRD TIME
Anthony Brewah is in a fine mess of his own making right now. He is so politically damaged that even some of his best friends are almost certainly staying away from him to see where the investigation around how a controversial magician serving 25 years in jail for murder came to be released by a recent presidential pardon. Baimba Moi-foray, alias LAC was in jail for the last seven years or so for the murder of a popular DJ.
The former AG chaired the Prerogative of Mercy committee which approved the release. Principal has now reversed his own decision in respect of LAC after a huge public outcry. Anthony Brewah is back in his private chamber, sacked for the second time in a government he helped bring to power in his own small way.
We have spoken to at least two members of that committee and they painted a picture that leaves us with the conclusion that the former AG was determined to get LAC out of that prison. We are not rushing to conclusion because we understand a long standing barrister who has served the Law Officer’s Department has been asked to investigate the circumstances that led to the release of LAC.
The president’s spokesman has already called the procedure used to arrive at the names of those pardoned as ‘flawed’. Let’s see what the report says. For now, we have some issues to bring up as ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Here we go:
1. What was the former AG really thinking when he invited or allowed LAC to visit his country home? A day after helping to controversially get the convicted murderer out of jail, he drives across the country to meet with the man who chaired the committee that paved the way for his release in his private home miles away. What was that about?
2. Allegations are flying all over the place about what that meeting was about but in this business we have to keep a professional distance from those allegations for now. A senior lawyer has been asked to look into the matter. We are also doing our own investigation in the best interest of the good people of Sierra Leone.
3. We want Anthony Brewah to say goodbye to public life because any other attempt to hold a public office would immediately conjure the ghost of DJ CLEFF. Apart from that to lose such big jobs twice in a less than THREE years is a serious matter. Principal’s judgement would be called into question should he decide to re-appoint Brewah even as a village chief.
RADO SWARAY WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME
Information Minister Rado Sawray was quick to take to social media to explain how he came to be in a group picture taken in the home of the sacked AG with LAC and some of his people. This happened in the hours leading to the sacking of the AG. We believe what Rad told the world. If Rado had served on the mercy committee, he would be gone by now, whether or not this meeting was coincidental or his intentions were genuine.
Rado says it was coincidental because he had called the former AG on his way to Bo. He then visited the home of the former AG in the town of Tiama which is about half an hour away from Bo to greet his friend and cabinet colleague. It was in that house that he met LAC and others. Rado was simply in the right place at the wrong time. We say the right place because this was the private home of his friend. There is nothing wrong with visiting a friend. We describe the timing as wrong because a convicted murderer was also visiting that house at that same time.
We have seen a few social media comments trying to make Rado guilty of some criminal offence for visiting his friend. Minister that make decisions daily are not the most popular people. They hurt many by following what they believe in or executing a government project under collective responsibility.
Those who took the decision to sack the AG and spare Rado have simply told us he has no case to answer. Rado had no control over the environment to which he was invited. We are sure if Rado knew LAC was there, he would have simply said hi to the former AG and continue his trip to Bo.
We hope LAC is arrested and locked up again. We hear he has fled Sierra Leone. The best thing is for him to man up and hand himself in. To be a fugitive for the rest of his life is something he should NEVER dream of.
BATILO SONGA AND THE GREEN MOVEMENT CONVENTION
Jimmy Batilo Songa and his supporters are now coming to terms with their humiliating defeat at the Bo mini stadium. From our position up the stands we saw Batilo and his people leave the stadium crestfallen. Others openly insulted Principal and other party executives because they concluded that they had a hand in the defeat of their man. One woman in particular was so shameless in releasing a barrage of insults that even the well behaved police officers on guard had to tell her to control her emotions or face arrest for public order offences. At that point she looked around to realize how isolated she was in her bad behavior.
We make no claim to knowing why Songa lost but like other ordinary Sierra Leoneans that are not inside the Green Movement but we are at liberty to say a word or two on why from the outset it was clear to many that Songa would fail in his bid to oust the BULLET.
1. Jimmy was not in control of the list of delegates or the process of selecting individuals and institutions making that list. Where was this guy really going?
2. His main campaign strategy of mobilizing people outside the list to sing his praises on the streets and on social media was flawed inside out. With an electoral college like that, how did he convince himself that was a good strategy?
3. We are told he fell out with his main backers – those people who encouraged him to run in the first place. You should NEVER allow that to happen in politics.
4. When all is said and done, the delegates were scared about the prospects of the young diasporan who was never part of the struggle on the ground in Sierra Leone taking over the party and playing a big role in deciding who gets party symbols and other important matters. BULLET is there because those delegates know him and they believe he is a safe pair of hands for now.
NEW DIRECTION GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON CRC OUT
The New Direction White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Process initiated by King Messi is out now and the debate on the proposals is now in full swing. As always, we will keep an eye on things in the best interest of the good people of Sierra Leone.
Even officials of the New Direction are aware of the storm of counter arguments coming their way on some of the proposals but we are not in North Korea so this is normal stuff in a modern democracy. We like the resolve of Principal to go ahead with those proposals that can be implemented without getting the approval of NINTY EIGHT members of parliament and that the very controversial ones would not be “RUSHED” before the next general and presidential elections which is just over a year or so away.
At this stage we have to make the following points in the hope that our numerous readers would be guided as the debate continues.
1. Like what the Speaker of Parliament and a few other people said at the ceremony, the review of the 1991 constitution came out of the Lome Peace Agreement which ended the civil war in this country and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee going back more than two decades. The reasons for which the review was recommended were sound and we have already wasted a lot of time.
2. In this country everything is turned into a mighty political football. We call on all Sierra Leoneans to serve the nation at least in the issue. All the speakers stressed the need for people to think Sierra Leone right now. We can only re-emphasize that.
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