Sierra Leoneans will remember the retired Inspector General of Police, Richard Moigbeh, who was almost two years in charge of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) in a number of ways.
IG Moigbeh superintended the worst era of policing in Sierra Leone in terms of the country’s human rights in general.
Moigbeh who was one of the guinea pigs of Keith Biddle’s post war restructuring program, has not manifested any of the managerial proficiencies expected of a highly educated British Police officer.
During his tenure, the former IG failed on the change management benchmarks of strong human rights, transparency and accountability which were deeply ingrained in the culture of the Sierra Leone Police.
At the height of the change management process, IG Moigbeh was tasked with the establishment of the SLP Complaints, Discipline and Internal Investigation Department (CDIID), the organisation’s disciplinary wing.
IG Moigbeh executed the task to the admiration of Keith Biddle, the British expatriate SLP Chief who continued to assign complex assignments to him, including the overall SLP Change Management portfolio particularly during the exit phase.
It was therefore the view of many Sierra Leoneans that a man with such a pedigree would fare on very well if he occupies the IG’s seat.
But, the widely held Sierra Leonean view was counter-productive as IG Moigbeh’s tenure was marred with chaos regarding the observance of human rights and democracy.
The Police, Moigbeh, came under the spotlight for continuously perpetrating human rights abuses against peaceful civilians, students and opposition members.
IG Moigbeh took over Police leadership close to the March 2018 elections after serving in the capacity of Deputy Inspector General of Police, since 2011, under the supervision of Francis Alieu Munu who also retired as IG four years back
The Sierra Leone Police, under Munu and Moigbeh, relegated to an institution with complete disregard for generally accepted SLP policies and procedures.
During the tenure of the two personalities, recruitment into the Sierra Leone Police became highly politicised, a situation which resulted into placing square pegs in round holes. The incompetence is evidenced by the poor security service delivery to Sierra Leoneans.
IG Moigbeh, will no doubt, be remembered as the most manipulated Police Inspector General for years to come.
It is incontrovertible that the manipulated Inspector-General failed to defend unlawful actions taken against senior police officers who were in due execution of police duties.
The state of affairs, over the years, has witnessed rampant and unnecessary transfers of senior police officers at the whims and caprices of highly placed politicians.
Almost all observer missions to the country in March, 2018 criticised the Moigbeh tenure particularly for introducing a vehicle ban on election day, which, according most Sierra Leoneans, was in favour of the then ruling All People’s Congress now the main opposition.
The ban, according to observers negatively impacted on the human rights of the electorate to freely participate in the elections.
SLP, under IG Moigbeh, was also criticised several times, by the Sierra Leone Bar Association, the country’s body of lawyers and most civil society organisations for failing to defend citizens.
Moreover, heavy-handedness in quelling riots remains the most serious criticism the SLP has been grappling with from time immemorial. Signs of deviating from the path of police brutality are virtually absent.
Apart from IG’s woeful failure on human rights, transparency and accountability, the Moigbeh tenure is on record to have displayed the highest disregard for personnel welfare.
Little wonder that IG Moigbeh is leaving police rank and file with a backlog of seven bags of rice. Most frustrating for the SLP constabulary group is the absence of rain gears, Police gadgets, vehicles among others which are crucial to police performance.
It is the strong view of right thinking Sierra Leoneans that such situation militates against police effectiveness and efficiency.
In 2018, the US Embassy in Freetown issued an alert to American citizens to be cautious when travelling within Sierra Leone especially at night.
Reasons offered by the embassy for issuing the warning revolve around SLP incapability to handle very serious crimes in the country.
The embassy says SLP lacks the wherewithal to effectively and efficiently maintain the country’s security which is their basic constitutional responsibility.
The release was stoutly defended by Office of National Security and the SLP instead of addressing the root causes of police ineptitude worsened by low budgetary allocations.
In spite of the anomalies confronting the SLP, the Moigbeh executive has been pushing strongly for the establishment of a police academy and police radio station.
Moigbeh’s uncontrollable penchant for a police academy is very much akin to his predecessor, Francis Munu, who spent colossal amount of money for the establishment of a police academy at Makoth at the outskirts of Makeni, the north-eastern regional headquarters.
Moigbeh and Munu’s preference for a police academy at the expense of welfare and other police needs could be better explained by themselves.
It is also clear that IG Moigbeh has completely neglected police patrol, one of the most effective ways of fighting crime, police presence, erection of police stations and posts to efficiently handle not only crime but also the fear of crime.
The issue around managing SLP, using yardsticks and benchmarks, such as Public Perception Surveys and strategic development plans with clear cut policing priorities and programs was also at a nose dive under the Moigbeh regime.
The Corporate Affairs Department labelled the SLP Think-Tank unit is responsible for driving the post-war change management benchmarks.
However, the department has been reduced to a department for hosting disgruntled senior officers instead of bringing those with fresh and new ideas to professionally advise the police change board on the organisation’s corporate governance model.
No wonder, the SLP Corporate Affairs unit is a shadow of its glorious former self.
What Will IG Moigbeh Be Remembered For?
