The sacking of the Minister of Labour and Social Security and other officials in respect of an alleged corruption offence has generated public suspicion.
Minister Alpha Timbo, the first to be sacked owing to a corruption allegation, was the Minister of Basic and Senior education for over a year.
The suspicion is evidenced by heated public discussions since a State House press release became viral among, last week, confirming the dismissal. It bothers on the alleged misappropriation of 6,110 tonnes of rice donated to Sierra Leone by the Chinese Government last year. “The attention of government has been drawn to improper activities by senior officials relating to a huge quantity of rice donated to the government of Sierra Leone by the government of China,” the press release reads in part. The donated rice was part of a campaign to improve the food security situation following a number of engagements made by the Sierra Leone Government.
While most Sierra Leoneans have seen government dismissal of the minister as part of a crusade against graft, others have seen it as a political witch-hunt targeting northerners in government service. Comparison is being drawn by the public between an alleged corruption of the Chief Minister (CM) and the sacked minister. They argued that the CM was never relieved of his duty when the allegation of receiving bribes from the iron ore miner, SL Mining Company was made against him.
Maksood Dumbuya, a resident at Calaba Town in Freetown, seemed highly suspicious of the government’s relieving of the Minister. Dumbuya told Nightwatch that Northerners would not be safe in the current dispensation. “As long as you are a northerner in the current government, you are bound to be dismissed on minor allegations,” Dumbuya said. “No south-east minister has been sacked for a corruption allegation since this government came to power,” Dumbuya emphasized. He made reference to the case of the Chief Minister who, he said, allegedly received bribes from SL Mining Company. “The Chief Minister was not sacked when the allegation was made against him as Alpha Timbo has been sacked now,” Dumbuya emphasized.
However, a teacher in one of the primary schools, Fatmata Allieu at Allen Town holds contrary opinion. She said the fight against corruption is not targeted at anyone who is not involved in dishonest act. Relieving government ministers of their duty as a result of corruption allegation is a routine procedure,” she argued.
The sacked Minister of labour was the former Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary education where he worked with the other officials including Kadiatu Emily Cogra, Deputy Minister, and Charles Kamanda, Permanent Secretary and Mamusu Massaquoi, Director of Nutrition a year ago. The alleged misappropriation occurred when Alpha Timbo was in charge of the ministry.
The fight against corruption remains one of the key campaign promises of the government since it came to power almost two years back. The corruption crusade, most times, has been linked to its negative effect on public sector institutions.
However, various international and local reports have indicated that corruption is rife in Sierra Leone and continues to undermine state governance. The current 2018 Audit Report lends credence to those reports as many government institutions have been mentioned for non-accountable public expenditure running into billions of Leones.