Sierra Leone Telegraph: 22 January 2022:
Yesterday Friday 21 January 2022, Sierra Leone’s newly appointed Attorney-General and Minister of Justice – Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley, and the new Solicitor-General – Robert Baoma Kowa, took their oath of office respectovely in the presence of President Dr Julius Maada Bio at ceremony in State House.
Section 57 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone provides for both public officers to make a public commitment to the duties, responsibilities and obligations associated with holding public office.
Lawyer Tarawalley said he is happy and inspired by the confidence bestowed upon him by President Bio, to serve in such a distinguished position, adding that he accepts the appointment as the thirteenth Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone.
He assured President Bio that he is standing on a solid rock of determination and an unmatched optimism in the discharge of his duties, saying that he would do his upmost best to justify his appointment by holding the ideals of honour and integrity of the office.
“Together with senior colleagues and working staff at the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, we shall be committed to delivering justice across Sierra Leone, upholding the rule of law and protection of citizens’ human rights,” he said.
President Dr Julius Maada Bio congratulated the new Minister and Solicitor-General respectively, noting that the task ahead is enormous and difficult, but pivotal to government’s day-to-day running of the state.
“Good governance and supremacy of the law are important, and we want to operate within the confines of the law. I look up to you to advise the government and myself as we run the affairs of the state. I Congratulate you both as I expect the best legal advice from you and your team. You can always rely on me, not for legal advice but political advice,” the President said.
Section 57 of the 1991 Sierra Leone constitution stipulates Public officials take the oath office, and strictly adhere to the principles of upholding, the responsibilities, the duties and obligations associated with such state office as they take up those positions ready to discharge their authority as proscribed in our 1991 constitution. As the newly minted Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lawyer Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley together with the latest addition solicitors General, Robert Baoma Kowa alluded to. I hope lawyer Tarawalley and Mr Kowa live up to people’s expectations. As its stands our justice system is rotten to its core We can’t beat around the bush. We just have to acknowledge it. And right now, It is in desperate need of an overhaul. And as Bio himself pointed out,as they carry out their works, and doubling as sounding board for his government, he wants them to give him unvarnished judicial advise.
Now if this two gentlemen are serious in upholding the rule of law, and protecting the rights of ordinary Sierra Leone, in the face of a government machinery that is running rings around our lives, and led by no other person than Bio himself, the sole witness in this ceremony, as they take the oath of office, first things first. They need to go back and find out the reasons why they were appointed in those offices of state in the first place before they hit the ground running. The previous holders of those offices were caught with their pants down selling their souls to the highest bidder. Some one who is convicted of murdering his fellow Sierra-leonean. But he felt because he has deep pockets felt he can bribe his way out of prison whilst the poor continues to languish in prison sometimes years in remand not knowing why they are there in the first place.
A price they pay for coming from poor background. As for the later, that was involved in the” PRESIDENTIAL PARDONGATE”his mission with his fellow convicts almost succeeded because it was facilitated by previous of officials of the justice ministry, and in agreement with the vice presidents office Dr juldeh Jalloh. My only hope now I noticed with this two appointments, Mr Tarawalley and Mr Kowa have no prefix titles of “DR” which leaves me room for being optimistic. Maybe this two are a different kettles of fish. Because the Bio government is full of Doctors that can’t even organise a wedding party. Good luck. Lets the light of justice finally shine in the four corners of our country.