Sierra Leone Telegraph: 15 February 2022:
Last Thursday, the newly appointed National Security Coordinator heading Sierra Leone’s Office of National Security (ONS) – Abdulai Caulker, took his oath of office in the presence of President Dr Julius Maada Bio, during a short ceremony at State House.
Mr Caulker said he will serve in what he called a distinguished position as National Security Coordinator, promising to work hard to keep and maintain the high standards at the institution.
He assured that he would work with his colleagues to make sure they live up to the confidence reposed in him and assured President Julius Maada Bio that he will produce positive results in the best interest of the country.
”As we move closer to elections year, we will always act promptly to create an enabling and peaceful environment. I want to assure Your Excellency that the security sector will behave honourably,” he concluded.
In a brief statement, President Dr Julius Maada Bio congratulated the new National Security Coordinator, saying that he is fully aware of the enormity of the task ahead. He noted that the new coordinator is not a stranger to the institution.
He called on him to prepare as the country moves into election year, noting that the ONS should work collaboratively with other sectors to provide the necessary peaceful environment in every part of the country.
“Rest assured that you have my full support. Congratulations once more and thank you,” he concluded.
“Perhaps the Gods are kind to us by making life more disagreeable as we grow older. In the end death seems less intolerable than the manifold burdens we carry”. When one does not have what one wants, one must want what one have.
Congratulations to Mr Abdulai Caulker on his appointment as a national security coordinator or national security advisor to the president. I wasn’t the least suprise by this appointment by Bio. His role is incredibly important to an increasingly despotic government that is on its last legs as we head to the 2023 presidential election. Given what is happening within our country and the series of coups in the West African region in general, we needed a national security coordinator to keep a birds eye view of the activities of our security services. Is the only insurance or the best of the shelf insurance Bio’s government could have taken out to ensure everyone is playing by the book. We don’t want a repeat or a copy cat of security challenges facing our near neighbours. We want a peaceful election and a peaceful transfare of power through the ballot of the box not the barrel of indiscipline Soldiers. This is the last chance saloon for Bio to rearrange the decks to infuse some smablance of discipline within our security services and help tackle some of the most important security issues facing our country.
Economic, food and health. His job is to able to identify potential threats that might undermine the security of the State and give advice to the president and his government on how to deal with them. The Sierra Leone police through their actions or the lack of had played the role of the spoiler in undermining the security of the State, thereby created unnecessary division and polarisation amongst different communities in the country.. In the past four years, and under this presidents watch we have witnessed in horror how the Sierra Leone police through their outrageous behaviours, and out of control trigger happy police officers have stymied the endeavours of the good cops in the eyes of the general public, that have completely lost faith in their policing tactics.
As national security coordinator, he will able to identify potential national security threats, and work with all stakeholders, to address the chronic security issues facing our country. As he promised, holding our security services at its highest standards and ensuring professional best practice is not only important for the short term but will make their jobs in terms of policing during the session of political campaigns right up to elections day much more easier for the good of Sierra Leone. We are a peaceful democracy and long may it remain so. . Lonta!