According to a request made by the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States), Nigeria government has agreed to host Sierra Leone’s former President Ernest Bai Koroma in Abuja to calm down nerves here.
It is a temporal relocation measure to ensure a stable Sierra Leone but without saying when Koroma will return home.
“I am pleased to inform your Excellency that as part of the agreement reached during the mission, the government of the Republic of Nigeria has offered to host His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Sierra Leone, in Abuja on temporary basis,” an ECOWAS letter reads in part.
The request to host the former President follows a mission by high-level ECOWAS delegation led by the Ghanian and Senegalese Presidents, Nana Akufo-Addo and Macky Sall respectively to Sierra Leone a at time the former President was held under house arrest over an alleged coup.
The former President, according to the ECOWAS correspondence, will leave Sierra Leone in company with his office manager and personal assistant this Thursday after travelling arrangements shall have been made.
Koroma’s departure is also a condition for the discontinuation of legal and administrative procedures, disbursement of his benefits, security at his residences in various locations in the country, refund of medical and travel expenses among others.
It is yet unclear whether President Bio would accept the conditions put forward by the sub-regional bloc.
However, once the following conditions are approved, Koroma would walk out free from all cases emanating from the defunct commissions of inquiry as well as matters investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission, a body mandated by law to prevent and investigate graft in public institutions.
News about Koroma’s planned departure to Nigeria Sierra Leoneans by surprise as they expect Bio to lend a leaf from his predecessor for proper democratic good governance.
A vast majority of Sierra Leoneans have always wanted to see the President staying here with them owing to his good works and passion for peace and democracy.
Of all past Presidents Sierra Leone has seen, Ernest Koroma appears to have surpassed their performance in terms of commitment to peace, democracy and quality service delivery to the people of Sierra Leone.
It was under Koroma’s rule that Freetown was transformed from the darkest capital city to the brightest, Sierra Leone facelifted by a network of good roads and bridges and pregnant women, lactating mothers and under-five children access free health services to stem the tide of infant and maternal mortality rate in the country.
In a recent press statement, Brenthurst Foundation, an association of top former African leaders similarly admonished Bio to seek guidance from the former President and not to treat him as a suspect in a coup plot.
Koroma was described as a man who has defended peace and democracy on the continent than any other ex-Head of state. He is the first Sierra Leonean former President to hold the post of AU/ECOWAS Chief Election Observer.
In such capacity, Ernest Koroma observed elections in Togo, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya among others.
In Zambia, erstwhile President Edgar Lungu who had earlier refused to concede defeat, after he lost the elections was prevailed on by Sierra Leone’s former President to congratulate the winner, Hakainde Hichilema and relinquish power in the interest of peace and democracy.
He similarly admonished Hichilema not to revenge for the wrongs committed against him while in the struggle for power if the country’s peace and stability is to be maintained.
Owing to his words of wisdom, the two Zambian leaders accepted Koroma’s peace plan which worked well for them.
Such legacies of peace and democratic consolidation transform Ernest Koroma into a global icon after the presidency.
Back home, Koroma does not enjoy such recognition from his successor. President Bio seems uncomfortable with Koroma’s growing popularity after his tenure.
This is the second time former President Koroma has been accused of staging a coup against his successor, President Bio.
Koroma faced similar allegations in early April, 2018 just a week after Bio took over state governance.
The allegation was first blown out of proportion by the sacked Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema.
The only difference this time, he is placed under house arrest after charges were preferred against him. Misprision of treason is prominent among the charges.
