Wednesday May 2,
2012
- Those smoking guns and war weapons - why was the
contract for these weapons given to a civilian company?
Who is behind the company and how much did it really
cost the tax payer? Like the reckless and thieving APC
of Stevens and Momoh so it is with the smoke and mirrors
President Ernest Bai Koroma.  Thanks to members of some sections of the press reporting on events in Sierra Leone, the Ernest Bai Koroma government has been exposed as a lying, self-serving and ruthless entity that would do any and everything to re-introduce the APC tactics of yester years to remain in power - and not only that but to continue the massive and unprecedented looting spree as exposed by the Auditor-General's office. According to those leaked documents, the Inspector-General, the Gestapo Chief Francis Munu would want us to believe that the award of that contract to a particular company was above board, that the award was transparent and in line with regulations relating to the award of contracts. He wrote and we quote
We beg to differ and would want a further clarification on the matter as the UN arms embargo on Sierra Leone had been lifted paving the way for the government to directly use the country's end-user certificate and authority to buy these items from the Chinese manufacturers Norinco. And who, may we ask heads or has links to this new invention called Messrs Amylam? We believe that one Khadi could well have been resuscitated to begin yet another rape of the country's finances just as he did during the Momoh era and during which he gained access to all ministries and key personnel in government to siphon off the tax payers' sweat into his accounts while giving kickbacks to his contacts in government. Kindly take a look at this report involving his operations in the acquisition of fire engines for the Fire Force. This was just the tip of the iceberg in the massive corruption that reigned then and just to ensure that Sierra Leone is not been taken to the cleaners again using all and any surreptitious means, we would urge the Gestapo Chief Francis Munu as well as the Ministry of Finance to publish all details relating to the tender documents and what informed the government to award such a contract to Messrs Amylam, Sierra Leone Limited. We need to know under what circumstances the stated company was given such a contract and who received the kickbacks that normally are a part of such "contracts". We are raising this issue because as far as we can see, despite the fact that the Auditor General had published reports highlighting thieving and gross financial malpractices in government, government-related organisations and others, State House, headed by Ernest Bai Koroma has not thought it fit to put in the recommended remedial action that would recover the multi billion leones and more in foreign currencies theft that is now a label of this government. A government that has failed to account to the people, a government that is of the view that the finances of Sierra Leone are easy and should be such a prey to its many thieving and dishonest operatives. The contempt so far displayed by the government for the reports of the Auditor-General hearkens to the days of the Stevens and Momoh era where the badge of good statesmanship and accountability got converted into a vile competition as to who steals the most from the coffers of government. In one of the reports of the three Commissions of Inquiry set up by the NPRC after the overthrow of the despotic and thieving Momoh administration it was noted
Allow us to give you a sampling of what was unearthed during the NPRC investigations into contracts - this is a part of what was discovered at the National Elections Commission at Tower Hill in Freetown
So many years on, another APC government - this time headed by, no doubt, one of the beneficiaries of such a corruption has re-introduced that utter contempt for the findings of the Auditor-General's office thus paving the way as well as sending signals to all in charge of government resources that it is again open season for thieving, rampant corruption and all the ills that nearly brought the country to her knees during the Stevens and Momoh administrations. No action has been taken to recover the vast amounts of money and resources stolen from the people. From the seat of political and corruption power State House down to the level of the lowly-paid functionaries. The message from State House appears to be - steal, steal, steal. Indeed the Auditor-General in her 2010 audit report has noted
We would urge Sierra Leone's development partners like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union, the African Development Bank, Donor Countries, Bi and Multi-lateral partners to stop sitting on their hands while pretending that all is well with funds committed to the raising of the standard of life of the ordinary Sierra Leonean - the poor and unconnected whose only crime is to be citizens in their own God-given country, Sierra Leone. We would urge all these partners not to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that all is well as long as their country's balance sheet shows they are up to the mark in their giving to "the world's poorest". They did it in the past and watched as Sierra Leone sunk deeper and deeper into the quagmire of the lack of financial accountability and general and rampant looting of state coffers. We would not only hold this ogre to account when the time is ripe, but would send a message to your tax payers that you have become a party to a system that is systematically depriving the people of resources garnered on their behalf. |
