Many Citizens who spoke to this medium have appealed to President Bio to re-assign the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Lahai Lawrence Leema to another Ministry so as to allow the Ministry of Internal Affairs to better concentrate on providing an effective leadership for our primary security forces and the People of Sierra Leone.
It is the view of many citizens that the Deputy Minister of Internal affairs is off late embroiled in various civil disorder issues leaving the Police and the citizens involved in these issues vulnerable.
Hon Lahai Lawrence Leema remains a fine gentleman but he has not been able to adequately operate his role as Publicity Secretary of his party and the difficult and distinguished role of providing leadership for the internal security of the country.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs under the leadership of Minister Soloku has been doing well but the issue around the activities and counter allegations against the Deputy Minister has been throwing spanners at the works of the Ministry.
It is time that common sense prevail and let the Deputy Minister be re-assigned to another Ministry where he can serve the President and the People of Sierra Leone.He is quite an intelligent young man and can fare on in most other Ministries where his controversies will have little or impact on his job.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is very critical to the security of the state and people in charge in those Ministries would themselves not be the subject of Public Order controversies.
The allegations currently hanging over the head of the Deputy Minister are serious and involve the illegal use of arms and ammunition and also the wounding of innocent citizens.
The Police and the Independent Police Complaint Board have assured the citizenry that they are investigating but as international best practice requires the continuous presence of Lahai Lawrence Leema at the Ministry of Internal Affairs would obscure these investigations.
It is therefore wise for the Deputy Minister, the Ministry and the Government to re-assign Leema and get to the bottom of the matter.
The Deputy Minister has also over the years claimed that he is continuously been framed-up by certain groups of people in the country who do not like him.Setting him aside from this ministry would help in unraveling the truth.
The allegations against the Hon Lahai Lawrence Leema are serious for the human rights record of government and it is but good that government pays attention to the investigations of these issues.
Reassign Hon Lahai Lawrence Leema this is what the people are demanding.