By Ragan M. Conteh
Member of Parliament (MP), Rugiatu Kanu has discredited the recruitment process conducted by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), the country’s law enforcement agency.
Hon Kanu is a member of the main opposition All People’s Congress representing Constituency 113 in Freetown.
Recruitment of people into the police force, according to the MP, is now based on surnames. “If names are not alike, you will not be opportune to enroll in the police force despite having all qualifications to be part of the institution,” the Hon. Kanu alleged
Hon. Kanu made the allegation during the debate for the approval of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) designate, Ambrose Michael Sovula.
While criticising ethnic-based recruitment into the Sierra Leone Police, the MP was also equally conscious of the heavy-handedness employed by the police to quell riots.
“Police brutality, orders from above and lack of independence has resulted to the country’s police force becoming the worst in the sub-region,” Hon. Kanu said.
Owing to police unprofessionalism, Hon. Kanu went on, Sierra Leonean women had become vulnerable.
“SLP does not follow international policing best practice,” she alleged.
In the face of the many policing anomalies, Hon Kanu cautioned the newly appointed IGP to change the narratives of policing in Sierra Leone.
“The IG must ensure discipline in the force, capacitate them, make police force an independent institution that protects every Sierra Leonean, irrespective of one’s political, tribal and regional affiliations,” Hon Kanu urged.
The opposition MP however entreated the IGP to stop heavy-handed method of policing in Sierra Leone as well as orders from above.
“As opposition members, they have the mandate to institute and support a vote of no confidence in the IGP,” she said.
Hon Kanu also spoke about the low level of confidence the public reposed in the SLP and urged the IG to act according to his mandate.
The Leader of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) Hon. Dr. Kandeh Yumkella was also in parliament at the time of vetting the IGP designate.
In his submission, Dr Yumkellah told his co-parliamentarians that the Late Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabba created a police institution that was in line with democratic tenets.
Hon. Yumkella shared views akin to Hon Kanu over the loss of public confidence in the SLP citing international reports.
“The public have lost trust in the police force as Amnesty International report 2014-2018 clearly talked about disproportionate use of force by the country’s one-time force for good,” Hon Yumkellah alleged.
The NGC Leader admonished the new IG to guide demonstrations staged by aggrieved people instead of using excessive force.
“It is their fundamental right according to the laws of Sierra Leone,” he said.
Several MP’s, including Hon. Abdul Kargbo, shared their experience on police brutality saying he was not speared by police brutality during Constituency 110 bye-elections in spite of immunity conferred on a MP.