ACC gives Julius Spencer a sacred cow treatment

I Rest My Case!!!

Giving Julius Spencer a sacred cow treatment

With Theophilus Sahr Gbenda

After a couple of months since the 50^th Year Anniversary Organizing Committee experienced a major shake-up following claims of corruption and the ensuing investigation into the matter by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), legal proceedings have finally been instituted against the prime suspects Dr. William Conteh, the former Executive Chairman of the committee, Yeniva Sesay-Sogbeh, former Executive Secretary and a little known about businessman, Victor Cole.

Though a right step in the right direction, yet the ACC move has been dismissed by many observers as inconclusive, given that Dr. Julius Spencer, a former member of the committee widely believed to have been involved in a conflict of interest scam, was spared.

It could be noted that when the $25 million dollars projected budget for the 50th Year Anniversary Committee came under the spotlight, it was Dr. Julius Spencer who went on air to launch a fierce defence.

While the rest of the public felt that given the country’s weak financial standing such an amount was enormous, Dr. Spencer spoke otherwise, referring to the $25 million dollars as being quite reasonable.

According to Dr. Spencer, the amount in question was just enough for the kind of activities lined up for the celebrations and even went off his way to state rather irresponsibly that “That amount is what some men take from their back pockets and give to their girlfriends”.

Barely two weeks afterwards, rumours started going round that officials of the committee were busy strategising plans to chop the monies entrusted to them for the jubilee.

One such rumour that remains unchallenged even now was that Dr. Spencer lobbied his colleagues at the committee to grant his consultancy firm a whopping $800,000 (eight hundred thousand dollars) fireworks contract.

Following widespread media bashing, Dr. Spencer resigned from the committee. This was immediately followed by an ACC summoning of Dr. Spencer who as a result of the investigation, was reportedly ordered to surrender his national passport until further notice.

It therefore came as a big surprise that despite the evidence of a conflict of interest against Dr. Spencer, the ACC labelled him guiltless.

Some critics have referred to the ACC indictment of the trio as a clear show of selective justice amidst public rancour, and some people have even concluded that the matter has consequently lost its taste.

There is yet no clue as to why the ACC couldn’t see a reason to indict Dr. Spencer, but rumours indicate that he might be used as a prosecution witness against his former colleagues that are now standing trail.

Whatever testimony Dr. Spencer will give in the trail remains to be heard, although it is clear that he will apply much craftiness inorder to free his entangled head. But whether such craftiness will be enough to change public perception against him, is another issue altogether.

$800,000 is by no means a small amount considering the fact that less than 10 per cent of Sierra Leoneans witnessed the fireworks if at all, and besides, many people feel very strongly that the event was of no value and therefore a mere waste of state funds.

The fact that Dr. Spencer could not be held liable for his irrational comment regarding the $25 million dollars, only leaves a room for people placed in positions of trust to make irresponsible statements in the face of suspicious or difficult situations and walk away free.

Looking at Dr. Spencer, it is obvious that he doesn’t worth $25 million dollars at all. For him therefore to have suggested that it is that very amount that some foolish men give as love gift to their girlfriends only implies that he was out of his mind when he made that unfortunate remark.

When a man of such a stature makes such a remark, he gives the impression that he himself has what it takes to give $25 million dollars to his girlfriend…just like that. I believe not even his wife was pleased with such a flimsy statement.

At the end of the day what happened? He masterminded the granting of a huge contract to himself, and was going to device other strategies to chop more money from the $25 million dollars budget, had what was clearly a deep secret not leaked out.

It’s hard for anyone to believe that Dr. Spencer hasn’t a serious case to answer given the proven fact that his firm secured a contract from the committee of which he himself was a member and in fact I’m told that at the time of granting that particular contract, Dr. Spencer was acting chairman of the committee.

It’s now up to the ACC to really prove to the people of this country and the world at large that indeed Dr. Spencer is not in any way guilty of an offence under the Anti Corruption Act.

Take for example the matter against the former Minister of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sheku Koroma, who was roped by the ACC on charges relating to abuse of office and procurement malpractice. The former minister is said to have influenced the awarding of a contract to a close associate, for which he was not only sacked but exposed to public shame and even made to pay a huge fine to the state.

Given that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, it goes without saying that Dr. Spencer was serving in a government appointment at the time he influenced the awarding of the fireworks contract to his private firm, and therefore should likewise not go scotch free.

Putting the foregoing into perspective, it is clearly not just enough for the ACC to say that it doesn’t have a case to prove against Dr. Spencer. What are the relevant portions in the ACC act that exonerate Dr. Spencer from being prosecuted and made to return to the state the amount involved in the flawed contract?

If the ACC cannot defend the fact that the contract in question wouldn’t have been granted to Dr. Spencer’s firm hadn’t him been a member of the jubilee committee, then it has no excuse for failing to equally institute legal action against him.

As mentioned earlier, it is hard for anyone to believe that Dr. Spencer has no case to answer, and because of that, many people are now waiting to see what role he will play in the prosecution of those indicted in relation to the misappropriation of funds meant for the much drummed about 50^th year anniversary festivities.

The question that remains unanswered is how could the ACC indict businessman Victor Cole who secured a $ 60,000 USD contract for the supply of Toyota Land cruisers to the committee, and not indict Dr. Spencer who being a member of the very committee influenced a bigger contract involving the sum of 800,000 USD?

For me personally, this in itself is an indictment on the ACC and like many other well meaning Sierra Leoneans, I’m beginning to lose faith in the leadership of that all-important commission.

I ‘m very confident that if a perception survey is conducted today on the matter under review, neither the ACC nor Dr. Spencer will come out clean. No surprises therefore that calls have been made for the ACC boss to step down. I add my voice to those calls, and do here want to take a step further by calling for the reversal of the ACC indictment of the trio so as to give way for fresh investigation into the matter which as it stands, has already been seriously jeopardized by the non indictment of Dr. Spencer, for whom I have no malice.

I rest my case!!!   

Ishmael Beah doles out scholarships

Ishmael Beah Foundation doles out 100 scholarships

By Theophilus S. Gbenda

The Ishmael Beah Foundation (IBF), a private charity dedicated towards helping children and youth affected by war reintegrate into society and improve their lives through education, has awarded 100 scholarships to primary, secondary, tech voc and university students across the country.

The IBF which seeks to create financing, educational and vocational opportunities for children and youths so that they can be empowered and choose a life free of conflict, hopes to achieve its objective through providing scholarships, creating literacy and study corners to beneficiaries as a way of enabling them take charge of their lives and become self-reliant in the future.

The IBF scholarship scheme was introduced in 2009 with 50 students across the country targeted. The total number of beneficiaries for the 2011/2012 academic year is 100.

The IBF is managed by the Tides Foundation in the United States of America (USA), with the Community Advocacy and Development Movement (CADEM) being its focal and local partner in Sierra Leone.

At a press conference organized to kick-start the cash payment of the scholarships to grantees, the Executive Director of CADEM, Leslie Nestor Mboka, said “This is a continuation of what we have been doing over the past two academic years”. 

Giving a brief background of the IBF, Mr. Leslie Mboka explained that it all boils around a Sierra Leonean former child soldier named Ishmael Beah, who following the publication of a book titled ‘A long way gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier’, cataloguing the experiences gained and the pains suffered during the years or war and instability, attracted an unprecedented fame and attention worldwide.

Mindful of the fact that his country is still haunted by the scars of a bloody civil war that left thousands maimed and killed, and thousands more rendered either physically or psychologically displaced, Ishmael Beah now based in the United Stated of America and serving as a distinguished UINCEF goodwill ambassador, deemed it fit to establish the scholarship scheme to provide educational and training assistance to less fortunate young Sierra Leoneans who, one way or the other, may have been affected by the 11 year- old armed insurgency.

Mr. Mboka said the scheme is catering for limited target beneficiaries because the intention is to ensure that the grants awarded are sufficient enough to take care of the greater part of the educational needs of grantees such as the complete payment of tuition fees, books, uniform and so on.

 On this note, he said 30 primary school pupils each receiving Le 600,000 (Six Hundred Thousand Leones, 30 secondary school pupils each receiving Le 900,000 (Nine Hundred Thousand Leones), 20 tech-voc students each receiving Le 1,800,000 (One Million Eight Hundred Thousand Leones) and 20 university students each receiving Le 3,000,000 (Three Million Leones), will be targeted in the current grant awards.

According to Mr. Mboka, the beneficiaries of the scheme were selected by an independent panel comprising of various stakeholders, adding that those selected will benefit from the scheme as long as they continue to excel in their skills trainings and academic work.

“Four beneficiaries of the scheme, two from the Njala University, Brima Swarray and Michael Bassie and two Women from two tech- voc institutions in the southern region of the country, are graduating this year”, Mr. Mboka said with pride, stressing that “Who knows, some of our graduating beneficiaries will one day become possible donors of this grant scheme”.

Mr. Mboka went on to state that CADEM is working in partnership with other local civil society organizations like the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in the eastern province, the Coordination of Active Peace and Endowment (CAPE-SL) in the southern province and the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in the northern province to implement the awards scheme.

 

    

  

  

 

Steve Gaojia's appointment is strategic indeed

I Rest My Case!!!

Steve Gaojia’s appointment

… A strategic one indeed!

With Theophilus Sahr Gbenda

When I first heard about the appointment of Steve Gaojia to the position of Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs, replacing the sacked Dr. Dennis Sandy, I wasted no time coming to the conclusion that President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has made yet another strategic appointment, insofar as putting together a formidable team is concerned.

The question is, ‘Why Steve Gaojia? Another question would be, ‘Why from the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC)’?

As far as I am concerned, the PMDC has severed its relationship with the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) long ago, and currently, a very bad blood exists between the two onetime bed fellows, to an extent that the latter is no longer under any obligation to include members of the former in its cabinet.

When Dr. Dennis Sandy, former Minister of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs was axed from the cabinet, I referred to the move as being well placed, given the implications attached to the minus zero per cent rating of the performance of President Ernest Bai Koroma since assuming office by no less a person than PMDC’s Charles Francis Margai, his onetime strongest ally, and also given that Dr. Sandy did not join other PMDC appointed ministers serving in government and PMDC parliamentarians to dissociate themselves from what in my honest view was an ill-thought statement all together.

The appointment therefore of another PMDC man, be it Steve Gaojia or whoever to fill in the vacant position, makes clear the reason for the earlier decision to sack Dr. Dennis Sandy, whose crime was because he failed to distant himself from Margai’s unfortunate outburst, and not as a result of incompetence.

Given the foregoing, one can simply state that Steve Gaojia’s appointment is nothing short of a suspicious move aimed at deepening the current infighting in the ranks of the PMDC.

The simple point I am trying to make is that while Dr. Sandy was sacked because he was deemed to have endorsed Charles Margai’s utterance at the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) national convention in Freetown, Steve Gaojia was appointment in his replacement because he is currently the sole arch rival of Charles Margai.

The appointment of Steve Gaojia comes at a time when the PMDC is effectively split into two factions, one headed by Charles Margai and the other headed by Steve Gaojia himself. Both factions are currently battling in court over the suspension of certain prominent executive members of the party.

As a matter of fact, President Ernest Koroma worked directly with the suspended Acting Chairman of the PMDC, Bai Sama Sankoh and his gang including William Tucker, the suspended Secretary General, Miniru Koroma, the suspended Public Relations Officer and Kenie Fomolu, the suspended Financial Secretary, to seek some semblance of legitimacy for Steve Gaojia’s appointment.

Little wonder why when Steve Gaojia in a press interview stated that his appointment was sanctioned or endorsed by the PMDC leadership, the Charles Margai-led faction responded in the contrary, arguing that Steve Gaojia will be representing himself as a Sierra Leonean in the cabinet, and not the PMDC as an autonomous political party.

President Koroma’s appointment of Steve Gaojia, could therefore be likened to the United States of America (USA), France, United Kingdom and the United Nations (UN) backing of rebels against the former Libyan Leader Colonel Ghaddafi, who was subsequently murdered in a fashion the foreign backers had designed.

President Koroma wouldn’t have thought of appointing Steve Gaojia to that sensitive position, without first weighing in and out the impact such an appointment will have on the current impasse in the PMDC and of course on his much desired re-election bid.

Because Steve Gaojia is the sole challenger of Charles Margai for the leadership of the party that has clearly lost its unprecedented 2007 momentum, all those rightfully rebelling against Margai have thrown their weights behind him.

With this, President Koroma no doubt has a lot to gain from the appointment of Steve Gaojia. The emphasis therefore is not in any way on performance, but on making a political gain.

Steve Gaojia, in my humble estimation, is a promising upcoming politician; not a shrewd one at this point. Call him a space finder, if you like. If he is anything on the contrary, then I see no reason why he should accept what I will dismiss as a distractive appointment, when he has a big fight at hand.

Three weeks before his surprised appointment, I had an engagement with him for a couple of hours, here in Freetown. During our discussion, he told me his vision is to revolutionalize the PMDC so as to regain its lost momentum and subsequently make a good showing in the 2012 general elections.

I wonder whether with this short-cut and thought provoking appointment, Steve will stay focused, now that he clearly has a divided attention. I pumped into him a couple of hours ago, and I said congratulation to him, rather disingenuously. His response was, “Oh thank you Theo, and God bless you”. That tells it all.

Steve Gaojia first came into the political lime line when in 2008 he vested interest in becoming the leader and presidential candidate of the PMDC.  Although he wasn’t properly placed at the time to clinch victory, he was however considered a force to reckon with.

Much to the surprise of many observers, Steve Gaojia stepped out of the race, after having vowed against doing such, and as a result making it easier for Charles Margai to steal the show.

Accordingly, it was President Koroma himself who prevailed on Steve Gaojia to step down, and his stepping down is directly linked to the problems the party is facing today.

Now again, Steve Gaojia has accepted an inducing ministerial offer, which by all indications is skewed towards protracting the problems affecting the PMDC. You can call it a move aimed at further weakening the PMDC, in outright retaliation for the minus zero per cent rating earlier mentioned.

It might also be that President Koroma’s choice of Steve Gaojia is a way of rendering a hand of support to the legitimate rebels so as to enable them triumph over Margai, in appreciation to the party for his 2007 presidential victory.

While the Margai faction sees the appointment in question as a move aimed at adding salt to an injury, the legitimate rebels see it as a major boost to their unrelenting bid of subjecting the former to an irresistible humiliation.

To this note, the legitimate rebels no doubt will use the occasion of the parliamentary approval of Steve Gaojia as an opportunity to demonstrate their strength, by ensuring that they come out in their numbers, and of course in their PMDC party colours.

Steve Gaojia has a chance of clinching the PMDC leadership from Charles Margai. This is so because Margai has lost grips of the party, and his current dealing with the SLPP seen as an indication that he cannot be relied upon or underestimated insofar as the politics of Sierra Leone is concerned.

For Margai to have given a minus zero rating to President Koroma and at the same time practically selling out to the SLPP, the party he helped defeat, only means that his move to join forces with the APC has landed him in deep regret.

Concerned that allowing Margai to take away all his PMDC followers to the SLPP in an event of a run-off in the 2012 elections will be a major political risk, was the reason why President Koroma thought it more than fit to hook up with the rebel faction, by appointing its kingpin, Steve Gaojia, into his cabinet.

Meanwhile, the PMDC is clearly in a difficult situation, having lost most of its prominent members including the likes of Honourable Dauda Tombo Bangura, Femi Hebron, Chief Mohamed Benson Suwu, Chief Lamin Vonjo, Emmanuel Grant, Ansu Lansana, Pa Momo-Fofana, Moijue Kai-Kai, Arrow Bockarie, Teddy Foday Musa, Sidi Yayah Tunis, Sylvester Swarray, Dr. Baimba Kamara to name a few.

There is also the United Democratic Movement (UDM) of the expelled former chairman of the PMDC, Mohamed Bangura, who has so far succeeded in emptying the party of a substantial number of its youth membership in particular.

It is however hoped that with the exit of Margai, the outright dictator, certain members of the party who have left, will see reason to return so as to keep the party’s dream of positive change alive.

 I rest my case!!!