Sierra Leone: New Internal Affairs Minister Declares War on Cliques & Okada Riders

The new Minister of Internal Affairs, Retired Major Alfred Paolo Conteh has declared war against cliques and okada riders in Sierra Leone. He made the declaration during the handing over ceremony by his Predecessor Hon. Joseph Bandabla Dauda at the Ministry’s conference hall, 14 Gloucester Street, Freetown on Friday 15th April, 2016.

He informed the gathering that President Koroma sent him to Internal Affairs Ministry to transform it, just as he has done at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC).The transformation he said is going to begin with the war on indiscipline by Sierra Leoneans. He cited cliques, okada riders, and traders especially in the city of Freetown as the groups associated with the vice he wants to fight.  

The minister vowed to take care of the cliques within the shortest possible time.  He described the bike riders are useful people because of the services they render to the society but expressed dissatisfaction about the way and manner they behave, comparing it to animal behaviour which caused suffering on lot of Sierra Leoneans. He furthered described their recklessness as riding without helmet and licenses even though it is in their own interest.

The Minister blamed human right campaigners for not doing much for the above groups to be law abiding but they rather castigate government for taken tougher action against law breakers for indiscipline behaviour and disturbance of public peace on flimsy human right reasons. Minister Conteh expressed his readiness to challenge the human rights campaigners as a Human Rights pundit himself with a Master Degree. He elaborated on the use of cameras in all corners of the country to detect indiscipline behaviours, adding that police sometime stop and search people at will. He therefore stated that tougher decisions have to be made, and laws enforced to the latter in order for Sierra Leoneans to comply and for the country to grow.

The Minister however cautioned heads of various agencies and staff of the Ministry to be time conscious stating that he has no space for time wasters as time is not in his favour.

The outgoing Minister of Internal Affairs described the ceremony as a process started by President Ernest Bai Koroma upon assuming office in 2007, when he asked the former SLPP Ministers to wait and handover properly. He expressed his optimism for the two retired military officers to take the Ministry to another level base on their competency. Minister Dauda assured his successor of the full support and cooperation he received from heads of agencies.

The former Minister informed the gathering on the core function of the Ministry which is to provide internal security and safety. He again informed the gathering on the main challenge of the Ministry which is resources that is impeding the Ministry to carry out its mandate. He added that coordination is major problem he had with the agencies, but maintained that such problem is a thing of the past with the approval of the Internal Affairs Policy. He encouraged the incoming Minister to work with the heads of agencies. He concluded by thanking Internal Affairs staff for the support given him.

Various heads of agencies present lavished praises on former Minister Dauda for the accommodation, humility fatherly advice they got from him. They yet pledged their support for the new Minister and expressed optimism for the transformation of the Ministry.