The Selected Committee to investigate into the circumstances that led to the Lungi incident led by Vice President Alhaji Sam Sumana has presented their report to President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Chairman of the Police Council Vice President Alhaji Sam Sumana informed the President that, resulting from the incident that took place in Lungi via Rotifunk of civil issues between the community people and the Sierra Leonean Police which resulted to the deaths of three civilians and others wounded, an investigation was conducted by the Committee the Minister of Internal Affairs Dauda Kamara was mandated to set up. He added that the committee made their findings and submitted their report with recommendations on the incident that occurred on the 17th of September noting a similar incident took place in Waterloo.
Vice President Alhaji Sam Sumana reiterated that they found it prudent that government takes a position to ensure that the rules of engagement and the use of fire arms by the Sierra Leone Police be addressed to ascertain that when civilians are involved in a crisis, the appropriate action should be taken. The Vice President further maintained that during such incidents the use of excessive force should be controlled and the forces should make sure that the right things are done. He pointed out that from the report submitted to him by the Minister of Internal Affairs; there is an urgent need for them to take the appropriate steps in collaboration with the forces to implement the needed action on such occurrences.
Presenting the report the Minister of Internal Affairs, Rural Development and Local Government Ambassador Dauda Kamara said based on the government’s desire to ensure good governance in the country and a good relation between the citizens and enforcement officers of law and order on a daily basis, they saw the need to go there and investigate the issue to equip themselves with further and tangible information.
He added that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Political Affairs Alpha Kanu joined him at the meeting which forwarded the background for further investigations after which they saw the need to set up a joint team that was headed by his Ministry that went to Lung for some days. Mr. Dauda Kamara emphasized that it is their fervent wish that the recommendations be looked at very carefully and for them to further ensure that in future cases of such gravity be reported straight to the Police Council submitting the report to the President.
President Ernest Bai Koroma thanked the team for the swift response to the situation in Lungi that was deteriorating to a level that was becoming very worrisome believing from reports gathered that the response was quick as they were able to restore normalcy in Lungi. The President also registered satisfaction and delight for the quick response of the investigation noting that on issues like this there is an urgent need for investigations to find out the reasons for the occurrence of the event, the method of address by the Police Force as it is their responsibility to restore law and order and what went wrong in the process.
He noted that it is his belief that they have dealt with the above issues and stated that as a government they must ensure that they respond immediately in terms of the implementation of the recommendations. President Koroma reiterated that he is aware of the fact that they are recommendations that maybe far reaching with regards to both the behaviors of the police and the civilians adding that they have to look at the totality of the recommendations and ensure that they move forward as a nation.
The President pointed out that the police have a responsibility to maintain law and order within which they also have professional standards to maintain likewise the public to ensure that the law is not taken into their hands. He emphasized that for anyone that is aggrieved, there is a recourse that is established by the laws of the country as at the end of it all they are all subjected to the laws of the land to which they should be seen to be adhering to.
Accepting the report, the President assured them that it would be looked at quickly to ensure that the appropriate measures recommended in the report are taken within the next forty eight hours.
In another engagement, President Ernest Bai Koroma inspected the Equipments given to the Sierra Leone Reconnaissance Company to Dafour on Peace Mission to be shipped to Dafour at the Queen Elizabeth’s Quay.
According to the Minister of Defense Alfred Palo Conteh, the equipments are an advance party of which the remaining ones would be made available by the end of the year for shipment to Dafour noting that the main body of a hundred and thirty men would fly out in December.
General Manager of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority, Benjamin Davies said they have adequate facilities to accept the Vessel and safely and expeditiously load it in view of the sensitivity of the operation. He added that an area which would be exclusively manned and secured by the Ministry of Defense has been dedicated for the mobilization of all shipment to meet the needs of the Ministry. Logistics Officer LT. Colonel Abubakarr Conteh told the President that the equipments and food that should last them for four months in the containers are for the Sierra Leonean contingent that is to serve in Dafour as Peace Mission which would be shipped tonight to their final destination. He added that thirty Army Engineers would be leaving for Dafour for three months to fix their tents before the arrival of the contingent. He intimated that most of the materials needed for the construction of the tents are being bought in Sierra Leone except for the cement and that the containers are separated according to their functions saying that the UN Representative has recommended Sierra Leone for its swift response to the call. President Ernest Bai Koroma expressed delight over the rapid developments of a long awaited dream coming to reality which he thought would not have materialized so soon and wished them all the best.
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