By Janet A. Sesay
Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL), an institution that monitors rule law issues and human rights in Sierra Leone, has unveiled the May Covid-19 report to keep the public informed about activities of state authorities in the Covid-19 period across the country.
The report was unveiled during a press briefing on Friday 10th July 2020 at CARL headquarters on Campbell in Freetown. The report for June and July is expected to come out soon.
In his address during the ceremony, Director of CARL, Ibrahim Tommy said his Organisation received $40,000 equivalent of Le400M from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to implement a six- month project titled: ‘Support CARL Covid-19 Response’ so that the organisation can undertake a number of projects to intensify the campaign against the deadly virus.
Mr Tommy also explained the main objective of CARL under the Six-month project.
“Our focus has been on supporting government effort in the fight against COVID-19 by ensuring that they suppress death rates, ensures that measures put in place are respected and also make sure that those measures are enforced in ways that will respect human rights, accountability and transparency,” he said.
CARL Director also explained that the three key things his organisation sought to achieve in the initiative is monitoring human rights, ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of Covid-19 funds and, most importantly, monitoring situation in quarantine centres.
To achieve these all-important objectives, Mr. Tommy went on, monitors were identified and trained to track down Covid- 19 response funds, procurement process and access to goods and services by targeted beneficiaries including health centres, health care workers and the sick. Monitoring and reporting incidents of human rights violations in the Project-implementation districts was also part of the monitors’ mandate.
Reports gathered from the monitors, he said, indicated that no Covid-19- related human right violation was detected in some districts and there was also no reported fatality arising from the enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines.
He however informed journalists that allegations of human rights violations in some districts across the country were made especially brutalities from security personnel against citizens in the enforcement of the curfew regulations in Bo, Koinadugu, Kenema, Port Loko, Mile- 38 and Tombo in the Western Area Rural district.
Complaints from quarantine facilities across the country over lack of essential items were also highlighted by the CARL Director.
“Lack of food supplies and other basic amenities like water and electricity from government were the main complaints made by inmates in quarantine facilities,” Mr Tommy pointed out.
The absence of such welfare needs in quarantine facilities, Mr Tommy said, were the main causes that compelled inmates to run away.
The CARL Director also pointed out the spate of persistent denial on the existence of Corona Virus as the key factor that has led to the increase of Covid-19 cases particularly in the Western Area and Kenema district in the eastern province.
“The denial on the existence of Corona Virus Disease occurred mostly in the first month of the pandemic, and it is still continuing,” he alleged.
Mr Tommy also observed that there is lack of willingness from institutions set up by government to show the disbursement of funds meant for the campaign against Covid-19.
Rounding up his address, the CARL Director called on Human Rights Commission and Independent Police Complaints Board to investigate alleged human rights abuses especially by police officers.
The investigations, he said, should be conducted with a view to bring the alleged perpetrators to justice.
He also urged government to expedite payment of allowances to health care workers and ensure that medical supplies and tools are provided at treatment facilities.
Mr Tommy similarly appealed to the public to obey government regulations especially those relating to wearing of face masks in public places, observing social distancing and visiting hospitals without delay if one feels sick.
He applauded the social mobilisation effort by government, media and civil society to ensure that the people understand and comply with Covid-19 measures.
“Enforcement is also critical especially where there is clear evidence that people are just reluctant or unwilling to comply with government measures,” Mr Tommy observed.