Sierra Leoneans once again have been taken by surprise when members of the diplomatic community visited ex-President, Ernest Bai Koroma at his residence in Freetown. The Brit High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Lisa Chesney, the United States Ambassador in Sierra Leone, David Reimer and Head of European Delegation to Sierra Leone Manuel Muller were the visiting diplomats.
The meeting with the former President was close-door and purpose of the visit as well the discussions that ensued remains a closely guarded secret. The visits by the diplomats were a follow-up to recent discussions held with the former President in respect of the country’s social and political state of affairs ahead of the general elections just ten months more to go.
The discussions, sources say, are meant to promote peace, democracy and good governance.
The diplomatic community also recently held such discussions last October with the former President in his hometown of Makeni. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Ambassador Mahemet Saleh Annadif was part of that delegation.
Although the commitment to peace and good governance is very much clear, other Sierra Leoneans say it is a buy-in, but it is unclear for whom the buy-in was done.
In a recent news briefing at the country Lodge Hotel in Freetown, Ambassador Muller told journalists that the EU remained committed to ensuring democracy and good governance in Sierra Leone. The ambassador announced the sum of 245 Euros for government to increase its provision of social services to the people, but it is clear that a good chunk of that money would go electoral reforms. Ambassador also promised that his organisation which has been a key financier for the country’s electoral processes would properly observe the up-coming elections. Attention will be paid to the handling of the results.
“Results for the 2023 elections will be properly managed,” the EU ambassador assured Sierra Leoneans. Koroma was the first former head of state to be held in high esteem by the international community after leaving the seat of presidency. Koroma is Head of African Union Election Observer Mission, a post he has held since handing over power peacefully to President Julius Maada Bio.
In such capacity, the ex-President has successfully observed elections in six African countries with Zambia being the last country whose elections he observed.
Koroma did not only observe elections in the east African country, but he made sure peace prevailed in the transition of power from ruling to opposition parties. Zambia was a place where Koroma showcased his talents of peace building among conflicting parties when he advised the former President Edgar Lungu to hand over power, and advised the winning candidate, Hakainde Hichilema not to look back at past wrongs if he is move the country forward.
The two worked with the advice of the former Sierra Leonean President, and peace prevails. It was also reported that the former President was invited by the then American government to observe the US general elections held in November, last year.
Such noble achievements transformed overnight the former President as a global icon. He is greatly admired by the international community. The Former President will, no doubt, observe next year’s elections in Sierra Leone.
Back home, the former President is not respected. He fits into the time-honoured adage that a prophet has no honour in his home town. Former President Koroma has fallen victim to intermittent waves of intimidation, humiliation and harassment. The first instance of humiliation was the withdrawal of security details from the former President.
It was a clear showcase of illegally taking away traditional courtesies and privileges due a former first gentleman in the country. The former President was taken aback when he got a phone call from the Inspector-General of Police, Ambrose Sovula that he would like to see the former President in his residence.
In a twinkle of an eye, Sovula who was Regional Police Commander north-east based in Makeni landed in Koroma’s residence to disarm and withdraw security personnel who guarded the ex-President. Close to a month, the former President was exposed to dangers as he went without guards.
The disarmament and withdrawal of the security men set in motion intermittent waves of harassment and intimidation against the former President. The country’s anti-graft agency was used to go after the former President for corruption allegations.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has invited the former President three times, in a row, last year for interrogations although no specific offence was put to him. Unexplained wealth and money laundering were charges ACC identified. These crimes are vague in the eyes of the criminal law anywhere in the world.
Despite the vagueness, the charges formed the basis of ACC’s protracted interrogation sessions which sometimes last for a day. The anti-graft agency’s practice ran contrary to universally accepted practice of professional police agencies across the world.
When an investigative body interrogates a suspect in civilised jurisprudence, it means the investigators are in doubt about whether the person to be interrogated has either committed a crime or not.
In straight-forward language, ACC has no specific offence to investigate meaning the interrogation should not go beyond an hour. Even when no evidence was found against the former President, a team of ACC investigators were parachuted in Makeni to obtain statements.
The unprofessional manner in which the interviews were conducted came to be seen as a new form of political witch-hunt of the former President. Having clearly seen the false claims, the people of Sierra Leone thought it wise to come to Koroma’s.
The aim was to prevent him from being jailed on false claims like other officials of the past government. The hulabaloo that erupted scared the ACC investigators who returned to Freetown unhurt. Koroma’s residence was turned into a scene of frequent skirmishes owing to government’s ceaseless effort to find avenues to nail the former President.
In one of several episodes, journalists of the AYV (African Young Voices) Media Empire were physically assaulted by Makeni residents. The assaulted journalists spent days in a hospital facility in Freetown. The violence was ignited by government. Children of the former President too felt the heat of political intimidation.
One of Koroma’s daughters Dainkay Koroma is out of the country in hiding. She reportedly narrowly escaped police arrest and detention over false claims that she is an accomplice to parties that murdered Ibrahim Samura, proprietor and editor of New Age newspaper.
Harassment of the former President’s daughters began when SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) thugs in the moulds of vigilantes stormed the house of Alice Koroma in execution of an operation they say was to recover stolen assets.
Times without number, President Koroma has been treated with contempt at Lungi Airport by not allowing him to use one of the facilities reserved for presidents and ex-presidents.
These provocative actions are meant to push the former President to a breach of the peace as he still remained a heavy political weight in the country.
Sierra Leoneans are ready to go into action in defence of the former President when situation calls for that. Sierra Leoneans are lost in wonders about how former President Koroma who never meted such treatment to President Ahmed Tejan Kabba (of blessed memories) should get such treatment from his successor.
The former President was highly tolerant to the opposition since he worked with his predecessor’s ministers for three months with full pay. When Vice President, Solomon Ekuma Berewa (of blessed memories) fell ill, former President Koroma foot the bill.
Berewa got back his health after he was treated in a hospital outside Sierra Leone. Koroma ran the 2007 elections with Berewa, but the former saw the latter as a Sierra Leonean statesman. Instead of rewarding the former President with kindness, they paid him back humiliation and intimidation. As a man of peace, Koroma comported himself within the confines of the law, and call on his followers to copy his good examples. These moves endear Ernest to the diplomatic community.