By Ben Karbaguae
The main opposition All People’s Congress’ (APC) rise to handle issues within the party and those emerging from the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Julius Maada Bio led administration is contingent upon certain factors. One such is the handling of the bombshell of recommendations of the Commissions of Inquiries (COIs).
The acceptance of the sweeping allegations of the misappropriation of public funds, under the last Dr Ernest Bai Koroma administration, should not be left unaddressed by the APC party. This is because democratic accountability and financial prudency are crucial issues in democratic good governance.
Excuses that former President Koroma didn’t go that far in the probing of late President Alhaji Tejan Ahmad Tejan Kabbah’s ministers do not hold water, because the APC had all what it takes to investigate the uses of peace building and other financial donations that were made for the consolidation of the country’s democratic process to stabilize peace and propel national development.
But they ignored probity at their own detriment and are now facing the music.
As reported by the three politically motivated COIs, in a statement read by one of the Nigerian mercenaries, hired Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the alleged persons of interests, including former president and vice presidents, could not account for ‘Le 323, 555, 873, 556. 14 and USD94, 217, 803. 30. These monies were misappropriated and or unverified and had remained unaccounted for and lost to corruption in the MDAs between November 2007 and April 2018 as investigated by Commission Number One (Constitutional Instrument No. 64 of 2018).
“This, the government claims, is part of the democratic accountability policy which they argue is in line with international best practices to bring an end to the culture of impunity in public finance management and administration in state governance.
However, with such precedent already being set by the SLPP Bio led government, there is no way one can just misuse state funds and go free like that, which we hope the incumbent, when they shall have gone out of office, will be ready to account for their stewardship in their various public offices, starting with the chief executive himself to the least cleaner down there.
So the APC, in this particular situation, must give account of their stewardship now as demanded by the government through the COIs, which does not mean APC members should lose hope so quickly, but be hopeful for all is not lost as it is in the first and last lines of their party’s Victory Song.
There is victory for us
There is victory for us
In the struggle of APC
There is victory for us
For us, oh yes
For us, oh yes
In the struggle of APC
There is victory…
For the APC, there is always a victory even in their hardest struggles and it is not a matter of refusal to refund the said moneys the COIs are calling for, but the process should have gone through the right procedures rather than just targeting their members directly based on hate and vengeance by the ruling party and President Bio.
It has now been clearly manifested that whoever is found wanting for misuse of state funds should pay his or hers within a period of thirty days. The guilty should not be afraid and defaulters should be ready to pay back their debts or whatsoever to the consolidated revenue fund account at the Bank of Sierra Leone on Siaka Steven Street, rather than confronting unnecessary public disgrace.
Lest we forget about what the last government inherited, which had to do with so many outstanding financial obligations, that were supposed to have been settled long ago even before former President Koroma took up office in 2007, former President Koroma and the APC administration wasted no time but went ahead to address and save the country’s reputation from international disgrace.
Amongst those state liabilities, that were handled by the Koroma led APC regime, were the war-wounded ex-combatant benefits, payment for the gunboat contract, which the National Provisional Ruling Council-NPRC junta government awarded to Steven Bio, the brother of President Bio. The list is long.
Nevertheless, the APC party’s initial reactions are questioning the constitutionality of the COIs as stated in a press release issued by the APC National Secretariat following the announcement of the COIs’ recommendations, challenging the entire process, considering the deliberate refusal of the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone to listen to procedural concerns that were raised by the embattled opposition APC party, barely fifteen months ago. According to the APC party’s press release, until the Supreme Court makes determination of cases against the establishment and the powers of the COIs, the proceedings remain objectionable and the outcome unacceptable.
“We stand ready to robustly defend within the framework of the law the good name of the APC Party and its members who were unfairly targeted by the COIs,” the APC said in that press release.
Therefore, as one of the strongest parties in Africa, the APC seems prepared to further challenge the outcome of the investigations of the COIs but are yet to clearly state their position on payment procedure nor plans to honour the orders of government through the Commissions, and are posing challenges to the calculated political mistakes of the ruling SLPP, like they used to distract former President Koroma and his party when President Bio was in opposition.
Should APC leaders develop thick skins and keep refusing to refund said moneys, or respect the so-called democratic accountability processes instead of keep playing to the gallery? It is the huge question left unanswered by the main opposition party and its leader as well as supporters, but, as patriots, all and sundry are expecting them to abide by the laws of the country.
The APC party leadership, whiles addressing the multiple challenges, should therefore go all out to liberate themselves from any forms of political oppression, first and foremost by clearing these financial scams around the neck of the party and its members, secure the release of the likes of sickly former Mayor of the Freetown City Council, Herbert George Williams, Abu Daramy and Alfred Palo Conteh, amongst so many other political detainees presently being victimized behind bars by the Bio led SLPP democratic-military junta rule.
The eras of keeping sealed lips over pressing issues affecting the very liberty of the APC party and its members across the country are over.
So somebody must demonstrate leadership role now to redeem all detainees from political oppression, including the fixed treason allegations against Alfred Conteh and others, rather than continuing to be worrying over refunds of COIs’ said moneys and seizures of property by the government.
It could be recalled that, since regime change occurred in favour of the SLPP almost two years ago, there has never been a single breathing space for APC Party members. They have always been suppressed by the ruling SLPP party operatives with orders from above.
SLPP oppression against the main opposition cuts across from the APC Chairman and Leader, former President Koroma, down to the least APC party members and supporters. In fact, as long as you are identified with the beleaguered main opposition APC party you are a direct target of the SLPP and the government of President Bio.
That should also not in any way discourage APC members but to continue to embolden and prepare themselves as a government in waiting, bearing in mind that they should be learning their lessons well now from their past mistakes of yesteryears.
All of these should not surprise APC members and their supporters, for they should prepare themselves for the worst because the incumbent party and its leader have always sounded revengeful trumpets as if they were coming to engage in a tit-for-tat divide and rule and stay in office for ever. That is why the opposition APC should not be taken by any shocker for the intolerant political behaviours the ruling SLPP party is always demonstrating.
Moreover, what needs to be made clear to the APC party and its embattled leaders, members and supporters across the wider political spectrum is that, all odds are at the moment against the APC party as orchestrated by President Bio and his team of haters, which should not limit nor dampen the resilient spirit of APC leaders and the entire membership of the party, because in African politics oppressive challenges are always pushed to opposition parties as it is exactly unfolding here in Sierra Leone under the leadership of President Bio.
That is the more reason why the APC party should resurrect itself from the political dungeon being dug by the ruling SLPP and President Bio, who keep imprisoning APC members by the hour.
In spite of the challenges, the APC should not allow themselves to be cowed into hiding by military dictatorship strategies under the guise of politically motivated democratic accountability.
It is a ploy that is slowly killing the spirit of APC leaders, members and their supporters. They should therefore not relent at all, but remain strong and embrace the existing challenges by settling the scams aside and try as best as they could to address issues as and when they emerge, whiles honouring their liabilities to the state by refunding tax payers moneys on record time to save their names and hard earned reputations.
For instance, the recommendations of the politically motivated COIs, put forward by the government, is one thing the main opposition APC should not just trivialise and ignore, even though the procedures of rules of evidence were eclipsed, yet they should honour payments of ‘misused public funds’ as alleged by the government through the COIs.
The cash in question is Le 323, 555, 873, 556. 14 and USD94, 217, 803. 30. They are huge sums and alarming to the shock of the masses and, if ignored, it has the tendency to further discredit those who are allegedly involved.
So it is actually not an issue that should be downplayed if only APC party wants the SLPP to treat them with seriousness when they shall have taken authority as state governors in the not too distance future. Mind you responsibilities reciprocate as twin traffic lanes.
This is owing to the fact the precedent has already been set. Nonetheless the process was somehow flawed, it would continue going forward to further enhance financial prudency, even though President Bio stated, while receiving the report and recommendations of the COIs, that it is the last COI in the country, and it won’t end there because succeeding administrations will also institute their own COIs in future.
So President Bio, much as we expect APC defaulters to regard democratic accountability and refund funds they allegedly owe the state, the 2019 Commissions of Inquiries will never be the end of COIs in Sierra Leone. Mark that!
There will always be such processes to look into prudent management of public funds by any succeeding regime, so let the APC party, its members, and loyalists face the music now being played by the ruling SLPP Bio led government, as part of their said accountability method in state governance. That will not defame the APC party because everybody knows the manner in which those investigations were conducted and the very reasons behind them all, looking from the background such actions are emerging from, all gearing towards targeting people from only a particular region and tribes.