Sierra Leone Telegraph: 14 March 2016
The people of Sierra Leone have this morning woken up to a new line-up of government ministers. Yesterday president Koroma decided to relieve several old and trusted political allies in his government, and has brought in an army of inexperienced, though slightly more youthful members and supporters of the ruling APC into his cabinet.
He has also brought in some old adversaries and pushed aside some of his once trusted foot soldiers and megaphone carriers, who are now believed to be nursing presidential ambition.
The biggest shock of yesterday’s announcement is the appointment of former presidential Special Executive Assistant and publisher of the Awareness Times newspaper – Sylvia Olayinka Blyden who will now head the ministry of social welfare after the sacking of minister Kaikai and his deputy for gross misconduct.
Blyden’s ministerial appointment has been interpreted as the proverbial – ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer’, after the publisher’s courtroom drama with the president a few years ago.
She was charged to court, under the notorious Public Orders Act for publishing graphic stories about president Koroma’s extra marital affairs.
But the case was dropped – ‘nolle prosequi’ by the late attorney general Serry Kamal to save the president further public ridicule and humiliation. She was later appointed as Special Executive Assistant to president Koroma, a move seen by many as a strategy to shut her up.
But this strategy was short lived. She tendered her resignation after squabbles with key ministers and State House colleagues (see editor’s note below).
Today she has not only returned to the Koroma government, but is now part of the ministerial frontline that will help APC return to office for a third term in 2018.
Another big surprise in yesterday’s presidential announcement is the sacking of information minister Alpha Kanu. He has been demoted to the rank of Special Adviser to the president – a role regarded by many as the ‘junk yard’ for failed ministers that have fallen out of favour with the president.
Many in Sierra Leone would also argue that his removal from frontline ministerial politics was long overdue, after years of allegations of massive corruption. He is seen as one of the richest politicians in the country.
It is believed that his sacking will now pave the way for the start of his campaign for the presidency.
Another key mininster with presidential ambition – Dr Kaifala Marah has been sacked as finance minister. He has been shoved aside to become the new governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, swapping places with Momodu Kargbo who is now finance minister.
Another controversial announcement that will cause a stir is president Koroma’s appointment of former minister of defence – Palo Conteh to head the ministry of internal affairs, despite serious allegations of corruption for which he was never indicted.
Palo Conteh was removed from the ministry of defence to manage the National Ebola Response Centre, where $14 million of Ebola funds vanished into thin air and remain unaccounted for.
But the political fate of the man he replaced at the internal affairs ministry JB Dauda is unknown. What is certain though is that Palo Conteh (Photo) is expected to take responsibility for the police force in preparation for the 2018 elections, a move the opposition SLPP and some civil society groups will watch closely.
There is big change too at the ministry of local government, headed by the controversial and embattled Diana Konomanyi, who is currently the subject of what many regard as a polically motivated court battle against opposition SLPP presidential aspirant Alie Kabba, over allegations of bigamy
She has also been involved in a running battle with the mayor of Koidu – Sahr Lamina, whose illegal suspension from office she orchestrated a few weeks ago, causing turmoil in the region. Diana has now been moved to head the ministry of lands.
And the big challenge for the government to take forward its decentralisation programme will now be spearheaded by the new minister of local government – Mr Maya Kakai who is currently serving as resident minister east, a move by president Koroma aimed at appeasing south and easterners, after last week’s sacking of the minister of social welfare Moijue Kaikai and his deputy.
Another controversial, though not surprised announcement is the sacking of Mr. Alieu Pat Sowe from the deeply corrupt and poorly managed fisheries ministry, after millions of dollars of funding and revenue remain unaccounted for.
He has been moved to head the ministry of trade and industry, previously led by Usu Boie Kamara whose return to that job after a long sick leave abroad raised serious questions. His political fate is now unknown.
Joining the long list of controversial appointments is the return of Kemoh Sesay to frontline ministerial politics.
He has been appointed minister of works, after spending several years in political wilderness as presidential adviser, following a personally damaging cocaine court trial involving his brother, whilst he Kemoh was serving as transport minister.
What is not surprising though, is the appointment of lawyer Ade Macauley as the new Anti Corruption Commissioner.
Macauley (Photo) has served as corruption prosecutor for several years. He is regarded as a safe pair of hands by president Koroma, upon whose shoulders the task of tackling corruption in Sierra Leone now rests.
His predecessor Joseph Kamara was last December appointed attorney general and minister of justice.
Another appointment that will certainly turn heads on the streets of the capital Freetown today, is Koroma’s decision to finally reward former chief electoral commissioner Christiana Thorpe with ministerial position, for her 2007 role in ensuring electoral victory for Ernest Bai Koroma and his APC, by nullifying hundreds of thousands of ballots in the SLPP political heartland. She has now become deputy education minister.
Osmond Hancilles, brother of the veteran ruling APC journalist Oswald Hancilles who is a strong advocate of the return of Sierra Leone to a one party state – has been moved from education to serve as deputy minister of energy.
Former leader of the opposition UDM party Mohamed Bangura- known also as a megaphone carrier and foot soldier of president Koroma and his APC, has been rewarded for playing a double agent for the government.
He has taken over from Alpha Kanu as the new minister of information. Bangura will now officially carry the government’s propaganda megaphone.
Ms. Nanette Thomas – head of president Koroma’s woefully failed Attitudinal and Behavioural Change Programme has been awarded minister of political affairs.
What is very clear about president Koroma’s attempt at putting together a new look professional lineup of cabinet ministers, is that it looks much like the proverbial pouring of old wine into a not so clean bottle.
What is certain however, is that bringing back professional dead weights into frontline leadership of vital public institutions as well as placing squared pegs into round holes, can only prolong the downward spiral of poor governance, corruption and ministerial ineptitude.
But with general and presidential elections less than two years away, the only hope for the people of Sierra Leone now is the certainty of change that beckons 2018.
Editor’s note:
The newly appointed social welfare minister Sylvia Blyden has told the Sierra Leone Telegraph that she resigned from the Koroma government in October 2014, not sacked as previously published.
This is the government’s published statement on the new appointments:
PRESS RELEASE
THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS HEREBY INFORMED THAT IN REVIEWING THE OVERALL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, IT HAS PLEASED HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT DR. ERNEST BAI KOROMA TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING MINISTERIAL, AMBASSADORIAL, STATUTORY AND OTHER APPOINTMENTS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF PARLIAMENT WHERE NECESSARY:
MINISTERS
MR. MOMODU L. KARGBO – MINISTER OF FINANCE AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MR. MAYA KAIKAI – MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MAJOR (RTD) ALFRED PALO CONTEH – MINISTEROF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
MR. MOHAMED BANGURA – MINISTER OF INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATIONS
CAPT. MOMODU ALLIEU PAT-SOWE – MINISTER OF TRADE AND
INDUSTRY
ALHAJI IBRAHIM KEMOH SESAY – MINISTER OF WORKS, HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
MS. DIANA KONOMANYI – MINISTER OF LANDS, COUNTRY
PLANNING AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
DR. SYLVIA BLYDEN – MINISTER OF SOCIAL WELFARE,
GENDER AND CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS
MS. ELIZABETH MANS – MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND MARINE RESOURCES
MR. BAI MAMOUD BANGURA – MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS
MR. SIDI YAHYA TUNIS – MINISTER OF TOURISM
MR. AHMED KHANOU – MINISTER OF SPORTS
MS. NANETTE THOMAS – MINISTER OF POLITICAL AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DEPUTY MINISTERS
MR. MOMOH VANDI – DEPUTY MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MAJOR (RTD) ISHMAEL SENGU KOROMA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNAL
AFFAIRS
MR.CORNELIUS DEVEAUX – DEPUTY MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
MR.IBRAHIM MANSARAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY
MS. CHRISTIANA THORPE – DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1
MR.JAMES MORLAI KAMARA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 11
MRS. ZULAINATU COOPER – DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND
SANITATION 11
CAPT (RTD) ABDUL RAHMAN KAMARA – DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE
MR. OSMOND HANCILES – DEPUTY MINISTER OF ENERGY 11
MR. M.A.JALLOH – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT
AND AVIATION
MR. BELLA FORNAH – DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM
MR. MAMOUD TARAWALI – DEPUTY MINISTER OF LANDS,
HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
MS. KADIJA O. SESAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF WORKS,
HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
MS.RUGIATU NENEH TURAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF SOCIAL
WELFARE, GENDER AND
CHILDREN’S AFFAIRS
MR AKHMED FEMI MANSARAY – DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLITICAL
AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
RESIDENT MINISTER
MR. KARAMOH KABBA – RESIDENT MINISTER, EAST
AMBASSADORIAL APPOINTMENTS
MR. ALIMAMY P. KOROMA – AMBASSADOR TO THE PEOPLE’S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA
AMB.ADIKALIE FODAY SUMA – AMBASSADOR/PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE UNITED
NATIONS
MS. MABINTY DARAMY – AMBASSADOR TO THE REPUBLIC
OF GUINEA
MR. ALIMAMY KAMARA – AMBASSADOR TO THE ISLAMIC
REPUBLIC OF IRAN
MR. FELIX KOROMA – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR/ DEPUTY
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE 11
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
HON. ALIMAMY COULSON TURAY – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MS. FEREMUSU KONTE – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
MS. ROSALINE OYA SANKOH – DEPUTY AMBASSADOR TO THE
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
OTHER STATUTORY APPOINTMENTS
DR. KAIFALA MARAH – GOVERNOR, BANK OF SIERRA
LEONE
MR. ADI MACAULEY – COMMISSIONER, ANTI-
CORRUPTION COMMISSION
BRIGADIER-GENERAL – CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF,
JOHN MILTON REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE
ARMED FORCES
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS
MR. AGIBU TEJAN-JALLOH – NATIONAL PUBLICITY AND
OUTREACH COORDINATOR
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
ALHAJI DR.ALPHA KANU – SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE PRESIDENT
MR. ABDULAI BAYRAYTAY – PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN
END
STATE HOUSE
FREETOWN 13TH MARCH, 2016
I have had to come in a second time to say how pleased I am that the man who as Minister of Information and Communication, Alpha Kanu, who treated us with disdain, in the firm belief that he was the most intelligent person in the world, has been laid to rest in the back waters of the political scene.
I hope nothing resurrects him, although with Ernest Koroma, the most skilled recycler ever, one can never tell.
Alpha Kanu earned my undying wrath when upon the release of the Ebola audit report, had the nerve to call it a fallacy among other demeaning descriptions. He was a drag that had to be thrown overboard. The truth about the missing Ebola funds will now never be known. The whole affair also forced me to take a dim view of President Koroma.
When time is running out and efforts to change a situation do not work, those in authority act to let people know that they are not the cause of the problem, but those that have been given the responsibility.
The problem we have inherited in this nation from late Sheki cannot be easily wiped away. ‘A cow feeds from the area where it is tied’. We have another added by …. – ‘Earn from where you are tied and remember me’.
If you fail to do so, you will surely not continue the assignment given to you.
Sierra Leone leadership is in a sinking ship and the captain is doing everything to let it reach the shore so that he and others can survive. But God Almighty will not spare them. Posterity will judge them and their generation if they continue to plunge this nation into more suffering, corruption and hardship.
It is always good for leaders to reflect upon the demise of their predecessors. With the exception of late Sir Milton Margai, the manner in which our past leaders and those who have held key positions in this country died is hard to believe – many died ‘by parts’ and others like paupers – God help us. For some, their children are or were not role models and could not measure up to what was expected of them.
Let all those who lead others understand this ‘you reap what you sow or if you do not reap it in your lifetime your generation will reap the cause of your action’. Let those who are accumulating huge wealth understand this – godliness and contentment are a great gain, for we brought nothing into this world and we shall certainly not take anything out of it – naked you came and naked you will return.
Sierra Leone we are really sorry bad governance, corruption, poverty and illiteracy rate is getting higher in the country yet the people of sierra leone appreciate President Koroma, what kind of country is this where people suffering and they are happy.
I don’t know what to say about these new appointments by an incompetent and lame duck President Ernest Koroma. But, I certainly look forward to the demise and END of all Bondo activities under Sylvia Olayinka Blyden as Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs by fully implementing the Mozambique Maputo Protocol which Moijueh Kaikai failed to do in Sierra Leone. May God help ‘The Land That We Love’ move out of secret societies, including Bondo. Amen.
I always find it quite unsettling when we – readers of The Sierra Leone Telegraph – reduce a well written article to parody by our ill-thought-out statements. We shut the door very tight after the horse has bolted , making us look like typical fools by outsiders.
We always vote either A.P.C. or S.L.P.P. at every blessed election, go home , and expect things to change – only to find that we have been fooled again by people who are less intelligent than we are. We are enraged , bite our lips with grim determination never to vote for them again, until amnesia sets in in a matter of a few hours.
By constantly voting either of the two major parties in [ A.P.C. or S.L.P.P] , we are effectively employing them to keep doing the same thing. When they do it, we get upset. What a stark irony ?
It is about time we shoved our emotions dominated voting record aside and try a third party like P.M.D.C. We have to force the two major parties to take a prolong break – perhaps never to return. We can only do this if we rudely cast aside the north – south Mende, Temene, Limba, Kono, etc thing , and vote as Sierra Leoneans. It is the only way out.
This is vintage APC.They always believe that Sierra Leoneans are stupid. The president is trying to reward the people that have been doing all his dirty jobs for him in order to consolidate his power. To name few are Christiana Thorpe who swayed elections in favor of APC,Diana Konomani who he uses as a weapon of mass destruction in Kono to destroy any one who disagree with APC and Slyvia Blyden who does most of his dirty jobs through the social media and newspaper (Awareness Times).
The President also has proved to the nation that though he claimed to be educated, he lacks intelligence or common sense.Let him stop taking Sierra Leoneans for a ride because one day it will surely backfire on him.
I am not going to comment on politics in Sierra Leone. The only thing I want to say is that your newspaper really makes my day. Your articles are always straight and to the point. Your use of the English language makes me proud to be a Sierra Leonean.
This article really made my day today, I have never laughed so much. I read the Telegraph and Times newspapers in London and you surely have kept the good works of the The Telegraph. I hope you go from strength to strength.
Keep it up.
Mr editor I totally agree with you. President koromas has appointed the core of the ruling party campaign team for the 2018 elections.
These people appointed today will be so desperate to keep their jobs after 2018 and are going to politicise and purge all the ministries.
There is going to be a battle in 2018 here in this country. Mark my word.
God help mama salone. These are the same APC operatives that have helped to destroy this country.
I seriously fail to see how these appointees are going to make salone a better place to live, work and rest.
They are nothing but a bunch of politicians who will stop at nothing to safeguard their jobs.
Trying to tell president koroma that he is putting squared pegs into round holes is like talking to a brick wall.
He does not understand the meaning because he is the biggest squared peg in the country.
I simply wish we can have a constitution which stipulates that ministerial jobs must be advertised and open to competition. And the most competent ministers are appointed by a cross-party select committee on a 3 year fixed term with clear performance objectives.
The same old politics will continue to ruin the country as long as they exist. I hope not so this time.
New faces with the same politics.
We should not see politics as ‘baton changing” i.e red house should hand the baton over to whatever colour at the end of race but rather to aspire for constant change. A change that will lead us to prosperity and promote social welfare for all.