The Honourable Minister of Labour and Social Security, Mr. Adekunle King, has stood in the way of the country’s fight against corruption through failing to set aside the indicted Alpha Amadu Bah as prescribed by section 134 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Ac No. 12 of 2008, which states that, “A public officer, who has been charged with corruption, shall be suspended, at half pay, with effect from the date of charge.”
It will be recalled that the informal sector of the Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union filed a complaint, to the ACC, against President Alpha Amadu Bah and his executive for misappropriation of union funds.
The ACC, in a release dated 5th December, 2018 after series of investigations, had course to indict Alpha Amadu Bah together with other two members of his executive on offences of misappropriation of public funds, which is contrary to section 36 (1) and conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, which is also contrary to section 128 (1) of the ACC Act of 2008.
Francis Ben-Kaifala, Commission ACC
Consequent upon this the Sierra Leone Labour Congress, just after the ACC indictment on the 5th December, had, in its investigative report into the Motor Drivers Union dated 12th December, 2018, advised the Honourable Minister of Labour to set aside the Alpha Amadu Bah executive, noting that “There is no guarantee that the present executive (Alpha Bah) can handle the elections transparently and which elections are acceptable to the membership, leading to the Delegates’ Conference of March 2019.
The ACC had also, in a correspondence dated 11th December, 2018, from the Calvin Tichaona Mantesebo, Director of Prosecutions, upon the directives of the ACC Commissioner, instructed the Minister of Labour and Social Security to immediately set aside the Alpha Bah and the other executive members, noting that these officials have been officially charged with corruption. He quoted sections 135 (1) of the ACC Act of 2008.
The Minister of Labour had remained defiant in executing a lawful order as prescribed by law, and the ACC has no option but to physically barricade the offices of the embattled President at Texaco, east of Freetown yesterday. This was done in joint operation with the Sierra Leone Police.
The embattled Secretary General of the Union, Ansu Ngobeh, has stated in SLBC’s Morning Coffee program that the Minister of Labour have issued a letter to ACC’s indicted Alpha Amadu Bah authorising him to prepare the ground for the conduct of fresh elections, a situation which has got the tendency to spark off troubles for the huge membership of the General Transport Workers Union across the country.
How can a Minister, in a Government that is blowing the trumpet of wanting to wage a war against corruption, impede the work of the ACC by simply failing to execute lawful orders that will eventually lead to industrial peace and security?
Alpha Bah is even reported to have participated and signed a document relating to the reduction of fuel as President of the Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union at the Ministry of Transport against the ACC press release that had indicted his executive.
Minister King has been accused, by the membership of the Motor Drivers and General Transport Workers Union, of romancing with the corrupt Alpha Bah regime, even when they are presently standing trial on seven charges of corruption. This move, by the Minister, is tantamount to frustrating the ACC and the fight against corruption, which the President has declared.
The move, by Minister King, to continue to provide cover for Alpha Amadu Bah to stay in office, has got the propensity to derail the industrial peace. The general membership of the Union, across the country, which is over one hundred thousand (100,000), is reportedly on a time bomb; as they are getting frustrated in fighting a righteous cause which the Sierra Leone Labour Congress and the Minister of Labour have failed to upheld.
An ultimatum by the membership of the Union, to the Minister of Labour for the institution of a ‘Caretaker’ Committee, as was done with the Abu Bakarr Sillah executive in 2007, had elapsed and Alpha Amadu Bah and his indicted executive members continue to enjoy the support of the Minister of Labour and collecting over L200,000,000 as union dues whiles the general membership continues to suffer.
The Alpha Amadu Bah executive has reportedly got the Minister’s approval to conduct fresh elections on the 2nd February, 2019 and at the same time fortifying his defence at the ACC trial with more lawyers.
Many believe that the ACC has done much in terms of investigating for the first time an issue relating to a grassroots organization that has been largely corrupt. But, again, the delays to set aside the Alpha Amadu Bah Executive, which is continuing to embezzle Union funds at the behest of the Minister of Labour even when this is specifically provided for in the ACC Act of 2008, would betray the entire fight and makes it look selective.
There is no need to pamper the Minister of Labour in the Alpha Amadu Bah case, even when the ACC has directed that the Minister sets aside the Alpha Amadu Bah executive. Almost six weeks ago the Minister has defiantly refused to heed to such lawful instructions and the indicted Alpha Amadu Bah is gallivanting radio stations and other media outlets announcing his intentions to conduct fresh elections.
While we commend the continuous hard line the ACC is taking against such matters, the Commission should also, as provided for in law, bring serving ministers to book who are not in support of their corruption crusade, especially so when they should take a number of actions in line with their executive mandate that should complement the Commission’s work.
An attempt by this medium to get the side of the minister regarding these allegations proved futile as he could not respond to five texts, whatsapp messages and calls on his 080 682228/076 262561 numbers.