FORMER PRESIDENT ERNEST BAI KOROMA IS A CROOK

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October 14, 2021

by Mahmud Tim Kargbo

Sierra Leone now faces a choice between the crook former President Ernest Bai Koroma and the rule of law.

So now it’s confirmed, as a matter of legal record, that Ernest Bai Koroma organised a scheme to violate national laws. He used his longtime authoritative actions to pay stooges of his government for silence.

It’s a matter of legal record, too, that Koroma’s stooges were huge-scale crooks. Despite taken an oath to serve the nation in a number of tangible ways, they volunteered behind the scene to work for Koroma’s interest at the expense of the state—and Koroma accepted.

These two cases complete the beginnings of the story. They are not the story in full. Ernest Bai Koroma’s action to manipulate the All People’s Congress constitution in his favour was like the first rocky outcroppings a ship passes as it makes landfall. This was an example of the kind of person willing to serve his personal interest irrespective of the consequences —and that was the way he carried on his business throughout his presidential terms.

Unless former President Koroma somehow finds a way to shut it down.

It gets harder and harder to condemn an investigation as a witch hunt as it holds you and your closest associates accountable for major crimes. Who imagines that the Commission of Inquiry conviction represents the end of the trial on all financial criminal matters against Ernest Bai Koroma? Traditional masquerades can only delay the Anti-Corruption Commission from taking Koroma’s statement on alleged financial criminal offences, but cannot prevent the Commission from pressing charges against Koroma—if anything, they would worsen his exposure and enhance the impression of guilt.

Perhaps for his image, Koroma has apparently calculated that the cost of closing down the Anti-Corruption Commission investigations with traditional masquerades is better off than the cost of enduring it. That always looked like a gamble against the odds. Now it looks like a proven bad bet and a bet that will only worsen over time.
Can Koroma’s own affairs survive the scrutiny applied by the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission?
Can his company’s…?
Can his family’s…?

Before Koroma entered politics, very few people ever bothered to look very hard into Koroma’s affairs.

Now they are looking!

Koroma imagined that holding the usual powers of the presidency would safeguard him. He has learned his mistake.

I assume, the saddest thing is that he may be thinking because I was the president of Sierra Leone, I was not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department. I was not supposed to be involved with the Police and other democratic institutions.
Not supposed to be—but what if he concludes he has to be? As Koroma comprehends his danger, will he really meekly submit? Koroma’s whole philosophy of life is of a kill-or-be-killed competition. It’s an old question: Is Koroma an authoritarian, or a crook? The answer is shaping up. Koroma must be an authoritarian precisely because he is a crook. The country can have the rule of law, or it can keep the Koroma authoritarian legacy. Facing that choice, who doubts what Koroma’s answer, or the answer of his supporters, will be?

SIERRA LEONE POLITICAL SYSTEM; DOMINATED BY DECEITFUL AND UNRELIABLE SCOUNDRELS

By

SLL

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October 14, 2021

– AND THAT’S WHY IT’S FAILING US!

by Mahmud Tim Kargbo

Sierra Leoneans distrust of their political system is at an all-time high. Many of us are concerned about the dysfunction in the State House and Parliament and whether things will ever get better. Politics is an industry and the two dominant competitors do everything in their power to focus on serving their sycophant and bootlicking supporters and the special interests of those supporters. From my research, I suggest the root cause of our political gridlock and dysfunction is the lack of competition itself. I argue that our political problems are the result of a failure in the nature of political competition that’s been created.

I bring an analytical approach to study Sierra Leone’s political system, applying the renowned Five Forces analysis to diagnose the issues failing our political system. Sierra Leoneans should expect four outcomes from their political system:

1. Practical solutions that solve our nation’s most pressing problems.
2. Legislation that advances through Parliament.
3. Broad-based buy-in from voters.
4. Respect for the rights of all voters.

The reality, however, is that none of these expectations is even remotely met, and our political system is made up of actors who are gain-seeking with the two major parties competing to grow and accumulate resources and influence for themselves. The two parties compete by dividing up voters based on ideological interests – effectively resulting in Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and All People’s Congress (APC) competing by dividing the citizenry. The two parties compete to reinforce partisan divisions, as opposed to delivering practical solutions. As a result, both parties are incentivised not to solve our nation’s problems because keeping a problem or controversy alive, according to my research, is a way to attract and motivate voters, special interests and donors to both sides. Moreover, there’s no accountability for politicians if problems aren’t solved or progress is not made. We don’t vote party leaders and legislators out of office for poor performance.

So what’s the solution?

The only way to reform the system is to alter the structure of the system and its underlying rules. The top two parties should always be operating under the threat of competition from a group that better serves the public interest. We can never forget that the political system we have today was designed by our own elected representatives – the people we voted into office. This system was corrupted over time, and most of us did not even notice. We have the power to reinvigorate our democracy, and we must.

The industry of politics continues to thrive

By nearly every single token, our political system is thriving – from the business sense. Campaigns continue to rake in billions of Leones and draw in endless consultants and media pundits. In terms of actually solving our nation’s most pressing economic challenges and rising economic inequality, the political system in Sierra Leone ranks as the #1 barrier to solving these and nearly every other important challenge our nation needs to address. The political industry, however, is different from any other industry in Sierra Leone. The reason is that the participants in the political industry control the rules of competition. The lack of transparency in the political industry has undermined our democracy, with redistricting suggesting that politicians choose their voters instead of voters choosing them.

Healthy political competition suggests that industry actors would compete to deliver desired outcomes for us as voters. The LSE- Oxford Commission on State Fragility, Growth and Development report launched in March 2017 to guide policy to address state fragility should make each of us think more deeply about healthy competition and what that means. If the current system is failing us, healthy competition would find a way of bringing in a newcomer who would offer better value. Healthy competition is a win-win, with rivals and customers doing the best they can to make the nation better. We should never forget that we as voters have the means to fix our political system – and more importantly – that we must fix it.

ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN SIERRA LEONE

By

SLL

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October 10, 2021

Dedicated to the late Ibrahim Bash-Taqi, Dr. Sorie Fornah, Francis Minah, Salami Coker, Major Kula Samba and Others.

IBRAHIM BASH-TAQI
(1934-1975)

By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

He hailed from Matotoka in the Tenneh chiefdom, Tonkolili district, and started off as a teacher at the Bo School in Bo before taking up a job with the Mobil Oil Company at Kissy, Freetown. But he was soon sacked because of his political tendencies.

Consequently, Ibrahim Bash-Taqi entered active politics by joining the All People’s Congress (APC) where a Union man named Siaka Probyn Stevens was already mobilizing. Bash-Taqi established a newspaper called ‘We Yone’ which he used to publicize his political ideas. Within weeks in the market, the newspaper generated a wide reading base. It was the period of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in governance, under the leadership of Sir Albert Margai. Albert wanted to entrench a one-party system of governance in the country but ‘We Yone’ was out-rightly opposed to that. The paper was the vanguard in criticizing Sir Albert’s move, and in enlightening the public about the dangers of a one-party system of governance.

Bash-Taqi and one of the paper’s chief contributors, Dr. Sarif Easmon, experienced calculated intimidation from Sir Albert’s regime, but the more attempts were made to suppress their work the more the newspaper’s popularity increased. Eventually ‘We Yone’ became very instrumental in the defeat of Sir Albert’s SLPP to the APC in the 1967 general elections.

Unsurprisingly, when the APC assumed power under the leadership of Siaka Probyn Stevens, Bash-Taqi was appointed Minister of Information. But the victory was yet to come for Bash-Taqi because the new APC leader also began to bend towards a one-party system. However, Bash-Taqi was consistent in his dislike of the system and he wasted no time criticizing President Siaka Stevens for that.

“This is a betrayal of the people’s trust. The one-party is undemocratic. It’s never in the interest of the people,” Bash-Taqi reportedly told Siaka Stevens.

Consequently, Bash-Taqi fell out with Stevens and he (Taqi) was relieved of his ministerial portfolio.

But in Parliament, representing his East I Constituency, Bash-Taqi was eloquently outspoken. He religiously continued his campaign against Stevens’ plan to go one-party. And this led to him being labelled an ‘enemy of the state’ by the President. Specially-assigned detectives trailed him around the country. His Briska 4-wheel van No. 1224 became the constant victim of harassment at checkpoints whenever he travelled upcountry.

One day, President Siaka Stevens travelled out of the country leaving C.A. Kamara Taylor as acting Vice President. Dynamite exploded during the night at Kamara-Taylor’s residence at MQ 5 Spur Road, Freetown. The blast echoed across the capital city.

Bash-Taqi was home with his family at his Mount Aureol residence in the East end of Freetown. He told his family that if the blast had anything to do with a coup, he would be the first to be arrested. “Because I am enemy of the state No.1,” he joked with his wife, Shahineh.

So be it. The following morning Bash-Taqi was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for interrogation. He never returned to his home again.

It was “an attempted coup against the APC government” and Bash-Taqi, Dr Sorie Fornah and 13 others were implicated. When Siaka Stevens returned from abroad, he instituted a treason trial that was to be dubbed ‘Dr. Fornah and 14 others’. Marcus Cole was the presiding Judge.

Within moments the trial had begun. The courtroom was like a theatre hall- everything was stage-managed.

The witnesses were well-rehearsed. The trial ended as quickly as it had commenced. All the accused were found guilty of treason. But 15 people were too many to be condemned to the hangman’s noose. Stevens knew what the international implications would be. He also knew those he wanted, those who were a potential threat to his survival as ‘president for life’. So he formed a Mercy Committee, which subsequently recommended that six of the accused be condemned to death by the rope and the rest sentenced to various prison terms. The ‘six’ were the ones Stevens had ‘special interest’ in. Bash-Taqi was among them.

On his last day in court Bash-Taqi said:
“My Lord, I thank you very much for bringing this trial to a speedy conclusion. If I may say thanks to the small team of lawyers who tried under difficult circumstances to defend us so amicably, it shall ever be remembered that never in the field of human conflict that much has been owed by so many to so few. Theirs is a sign of great humanitarianism.

“Members of the other side do understand if I don’t extend the same courtesy to them. But I want them to know that I equally know that they have a duty to perform and that duty they performed honestly and passionately.

“Amongst other things, in spite of everything, I bear no ill will for those who bear false evidence against me. Theirs is their conscience.

“I still maintain what I said in the witness box: that I am innocent of the crimes charged against me. I am not that violent type. I do not believe in violence or that Oriental Greek seizure of power stemming from the barrel of the gun.

“I admit I am a fighter, and I have fought long in politics. My guns are my words and their targets the minds of the populace. I say no more.”

Several hours before he faced the hangman’s noose Taqi wrote a short note to his wife and the letter was smuggled out of the Prisons just in time:

“Dear wife,
By the time you receive this, I could have been hanged and lying stiff and cold in an unmarked grave. Yet I wish to assure you that I go to my grave with a very clear conscience. It’s the will of God that I end up this way.

“I have nothing to leave you. It’s not that I did not work hard, but because I worked selflessly for the interest of my country and people.

“Do not forget Ibrahim Jnr (their only son). Teach him as he grows that he has every right to be proud of his father.

“Say hello to your brothers and sisters and to our numerous friends. Keep fit till we meet again.”- IBT.

That morning (19th July 1975), when their bodies were displayed outside the Pademba Road Prison, the weather was dull and timid.
It was the traditional Sierra Leonean climate of ugly happenings.

THE DELUSION OF GROWTH AFTER BLOCKING LEAKAGES

Nation

By

SLL

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October 5, 2021

“Once again, we shall be the economic envy of the entire world after blocking all leakages in our economy because the revenue base will increase massively and we shall efficiently address our social service protection issues”, with these characteristically modest words Maada Bio’s government wasted no time to take credit for the strong growth in revenue collection of the Sierra Leone Gross domestic product (GDP). Reactions to this statement have mostly focused on one question: Is this growth real and sustainable? But this largely misses the point. The question instead should be: Is this growth real and useful?

The answer depends on what you know about growth in general and what you know specifically about well-being in Sierra Leone Growth, that is growth of GDP, measures only economic activity: goods and services traded on markets for a monetary value. Well-being on the other end paints a much more extensive, accurate and up-to-date picture of economic development using a plurality of indicators to answer key questions: is income fairly shared? Are workers healthy? Are institutions underpinning markets robust? Are social service protection sustaining human well-being vigorous? Are our democratic institutions meant to uphold democratic values really operating independently without political interference from the Executive Arm of government? Is our contraption conventionally at high risk because we don’t have legislatures that check the president’s behaviour and legal rules don’t really apply to restrain the president from doing ugly things? Is our contraption also tend to be the same place where you’re most likely able to get the benefits of a monopoly deal by striking a deal with the President, or his close political allies, which sometimes include the ruler’s family members?

On all these counts for the last months, strong growth in Sierra Leone has obscured the reality of weak well-being. Income inequality is at an all times high and second to none among the world’s comparable countries. Life expectancy is declining while scores of Sierra Leoneans have been dying of “social despair”. Trust in the Presidency and confidence in democracy is dismal with political polarisation stronger than ever. Justice is weakened and increasingly suffering from the loss of competent leadership and the impact of unpatriotic actions. This is nothing to dream about.

True enough, in the middle of the past elections campaigns, when all those economic predicaments of the former government were still brewing and fully apparent, our current President and his former Finance Minister assured us that if we block the leakages in our economy we can efficiently address our social service protection. Today, the “New Direction” government is replicating the “old economy” boom pattern of the past regime fuelling the growth of the selected few whilst the majority remain poorer with all the increase in revenue collection. Also true, nothing in the contraption is good for the suffering majority: No genuine effort impressively combines with a nationalistic sense of purpose for economic dynamism, social justice and youth empowerment. We currently find ourselves caught in a cultural crisis that emboldens extremist parties.

But it remains that the fixation of the President and his former Finance Minister public declarations on blocking leakages which will lead to a genuine increase in our growth data by this current government is not only misleading but perilous. Because it only captures and reflects so little of what’s happening and matters in our complex society, growth is now fake news: it is not progress, it is the illusion of progress. And the “New Direction” government of Maada Bio has become the poster child of this deception.

So what should we actually be concerned about? Instead of growth, well-being (human flourishing), resilience (resisting shocks) and sustainability (caring about the future) should become our new collective goals. This is the meaning of the well-being transition underway in many countries and localities around the world especially as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect economies around the globe. Because these three horizons have been overlooked by mainstream economic thinking in the last decade, our social world continues to be mismanaged and our prosperity is now threatened by inequality with misleading politicians. The most enviable policy in the contraption is to start measuring and managing what counts in order to protect what matters.

APC MADE IT DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Politics

By

SLL

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October 5, 2021

Again, Ernest Bai Koroma and his fellow All People’s Congress have cast a shadow on the Sierra Leonean project, reminding us just how fragile – some might say flawed – our institutions and constitutional order are. We are a country of laws, but it is the political norms that make the system work. Norms are flexible, but they are also fragile.

In the past ten years, Koroma and his fellow APC have taken norm-shattering to a new level, disgracing themselves and undermining the institutions they are supposed to defend. As a candidate in 2007, Koroma refused to recognise the good work of his predecessor and labelled his government as a very corrupt one, he fired professionals for doing their jobs, repeatedly ignored conflicts of interest and profited from his office, undermined independent institutions and other critical agencies.

For good reason, we Sierra Leoneans are now wondering if our democracy can survive. One of the greatest worries of the founders, after all, was that a demagogue emerged and destroyed the system he inherited from his predecessor.

There is a daunting task ahead for the Bio administration. In addition to addressing an out-of-control global pandemic, rising inequality, there is also an urgent need to rescue Sierra Leone democracy. With APC having long since neglected its oaths of office, democratic norms will have to be replaced with laws. But this will not be easy. When they are observed, norms are often preferable to laws, because they can be more easily adapted to future circumstances. Especially in Sierra Leone’s litigious society, there will always be those willing to circumvent laws by honouring their letter while violating their spirit.

But when one side no longer plays by the rules, stronger guardrails must be introduced. The good news is that we already have a constitutional roadmap. Which was adopted by the House of Parliament, set out an agenda to expand voting rights, limit partisan gerrymandering, strengthen ethics rules, promote inclusiveness in governance and limit the influence of gathering unexplained wealth in politics at the expense of the always suffering majority. The bad news is that the ruling SLPP knows it is increasingly in the minority on most of the critical issues in today’s politics. Sierra Leoneans want our laws to be effected in a none selective manner, a higher minimum wage to address the issue of bread and butter for the suffering majority, sensible environmental and financial regulations, affordable health and housing facilities, expanded funding for our educational system, and greater limitations on rogue money in our politics.

The clearly expressed will of the majority in addressing corruption puts the APC in an impossible position: The party cannot simultaneously pursue its unpopular negative agenda and also endorse honest, transparent, democratic governance as the main opposition party in the contraption. That is why it is now openly waging war on Sierra Leonean democracy, doubling down on efforts to destabilise the nation, politicise the efforts to fight corruption and the national bureaucracy, and lock in minority rule permanently through tactics like partisan gerrymandering.

Since the APC has already made its deal with the devil, there is no reason to expect its members to support any effort to renew and protect Sierra Leone’s democracy. The only option left for President Bio’s SLPP is to deliver an overwhelming victory in the fight against corruption and the bread and butter for Sierra Leoneans at all levels. Sierra Leone’s democracy hangs in the balance. If it falls, democracy’s enemies around the country and the sub-region will win.

IMPORTERS CARTEL IN SIERRA LEONE ON THE RAMPAGE FOR REGIME CHANGE.

Economy

By

SLL

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September 23, 2021

It’s now very clear that the well-established commodities IMPORTERS CARTEL in Sierra Leone are on the loose to ensure regime change, come to the 2023 elections, as they are bent on escalating prices of the country’s essential commodities for which the majority of voters depend for their daily survival. Despite the current Bio led government incentives to curb the impact of commodity price increase in the global market, these importers are hell-bent on pursuing their mischievous agenda with some rogue politicians for regime change.

The current government of Sierra Leone is committed to finding the very best ways to alleviate poverty, improve economic outcomes and build stability and prosperity in essential commodities, particularly for the suffering majority that forms the bulk of the country’s population. The Bio led government understands when the private sector expands and increases its productivity, the economy grows. It recognises that when the prices of essential commodities are affordable, the poor can contribute and participate; such economic growth leads to poverty reduction. The government knows that higher and more inclusive development—particularly for girls, women and youth generally—provides people with the best chance to find jobs, raise incomes, and escape poverty. Sierra Leone Government recognises the importance of private sector-led economic growth to increase the country’s prosperity, peace, and stability. With the government’s effort in accelerating the transition from aid-based relationships to ones based on two-way trade and investment, Sierra Leoneans by now would have seen an increasing share of Sierra Leone’s development effort put towards building the right conditions to encourage the growth of vibrant, sustainable and inclusive private sectors across the country.

Government efforts in this direction are clearly manifested in the 2021 Finance Act in which series of incentives were made available to the private sector with particular reference to the importers of these essential commodities. For instance, in its drive to promote food security, the Bio led government eliminated the 5% import duty on wheat flour to zero per cent, and the Goods and Services Tax of 15% on the same wheat flour was completely removed. This was done by the government to encourage the production of bread. Due to these measures, the government revenue loss per year on wheat importation as a result of these actions in monetary terms is about Forty-Seven Billion, One Hundred Million Leones ( Le 47,100,000,000), which is equivalent to $4,700,000 USD. This is categorised as follows; GST Exemption on bulk grain import (Le 11,300,000,000), the elimination of the import duty rate from 5% to 0 % ( Le 3,600,000,000), and the GST exempted on the imported wheat flour ( Le 32,200,000,000).
The government in its drive to ensure the ’’bread and butter’’ needs are achieved, the 10% tax on rice importation that was to be reinstated by the current Bio led administration based on ECOWAS protocols, was not heeded. This has led the government to lose revenue on rice importation to the amount of Four Hundred Billion, Nine Hundred Million Leones ( Le 400,900,000,000), which is equivalent to $ 40.9m. The government further went forward to eliminate the GST on financial fees based on financial transactions which amounted to Thirty-One Billion Leones ( Le 31,000,000,000), equivalent to $3,100,000

THE REAL ROGUES, GOVERNMENT OR IMPORTERS CARTEL?

From the above analysis, right-minded nationals can easily deduce that the government has done sufficiently enough to ensure the needs of the ordinary people are met. Unfortunately, several odd actions by the importer’s cartel continue to sabotage government actions in realising its agenda ( bread and butter) for the suffering majority.

The evidence is very clear. The Bio led government believes providing essential commodities at affordable prices to meet the pockets of the suffering majority is the engine of growth. The government of Sierra Leone is doing this because it believes essential commodities businesses drive growth, create jobs and pay the taxes that finance services and investment. The truth is in most developing countries, the private sector generates 90 per cent of employment, funds 60 per cent of all investments and provides more than 80 per cent of government revenues.

The Bio led government understands this very well yet they agreed to massively cut down taxes to encourage commodity importers in Sierra Leone to keep on providing an ever-increasing share of essential commodities in the country at affordable prices to make the lives of the suffering majority better.

By massively cutting down taxes on imported essential commodities, the Bio led government agrees that sustainable and inclusive private sector-led growth that contributes to reducing poverty and make the lives of the suffering majority better does not happen of its own accord. To make this happen, the importers of essential commodities need to be encouraged and supported to produce high and inclusive growth while still generating the profits needed to succeed and grow. The government is aware that importers of essential commodities are critical to the economic growth and poverty reduction in Sierra Leone, but they cannot and do not act alone. That’s why the Bio led government is playing a central role in supporting economic growth and reducing poverty by massively cutting down taxes on imported essential commodities to ensure their prices are affordable to meet the pockets of the suffering majority.

The government of Sierra Leone under President Bio has provided a good policy for importers of essential commodities in Sierra Leone by massively cutting down taxes to ensure an efficient supply of essential goods at affordable prices to make sure the importers of these commodities thrive, and the benefits of growth reach all citizens. However, as well as developing and prosecuting policies that promote growth for the general good, the government of President Bio must also commit to build and sustain the institutions that implement, oversee and regulate those policies to prevent importers from unnecessarily inflating the prices of these commodities to avoid profiteering that will lead to untold suffering in the lives of the already poor majority.

President Bio’s government has created an enabling environment that encourages investors in essential commodities to invest without engaging in profiteering. The challenging, but uncomfortable truth is that President Bio’s government policy and legislative decisions determine the scale and quality of economic growth to a large degree. Therefore, importers of essential commodities should have capitalised on it and make prices affordable to meet the pockets of ordinary people.

President Bio’s government model of a massive tax cut for importers of essential commodities in the economy with flourishing patriotic importers is supposed to give Sierra Leone the best chance of increasing prosperity and living standards.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Finance and the National Revenue Authority understand that the provision of public goods is a crucial determinant of quality of life for individuals and communities and, hence, the attractiveness of Sierra Leone to private sector investment, especially in the area of essential commodities. These institutions combined and realised it is in the Bio led government’s interest to promote growth that advantages the poor. They know this not only improves social stability but also increases the poor’s capacity to contribute and thereby further boosts economic growth in the country.

The current government of Sierra Leone is aware that the suffering majority are low-income earners. Therefore, as part of its rapid economic expansion, it has decided to massively cut down taxes on essential commodities to allow all citizens to have a share in the growth by being well fed. Unfortunately, the well-established importer’s cartel is sabotaging the government’s economic transformations in the commodities sector by inflating prices of essential commodities and are currently having far-reaching implications with unnecessary tension between the line Ministry, agencies government and the general public.

In conclusion, the real rogue in this relationship is the importer’s cartel that’s massively exploiting these loopholes to enrich themselves in order to stage-manage the regime change in the country through siding with unholy alliances by providing the necessary finances for a regime.

The Dilemma of Sierra Leone Exploitive Importers Cartel – Their role in impeding the Country’s Economic Development todate.

Economy

By

SLL

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September 14, 2021

by Mahmud Tim Kargbo
14th September 2021

It’s a well-established fact that the government of Sierra Leone understands that trade contributes directly to poverty reduction by opening up new employment opportunities; for example, for agricultural producers, expanding export sectors and bringing about structural changes in the economy that increase employment of low-skilled, poor workers in the informal sector.

Years of modern days experience continue to teach us that the impact of trade on the economic development of a country goes beyond government, as trade normally accounts for more than 50% of a country’s Gross Domestic Product. In short, traders are expected to collaborate with the government in enhancing the development of a country.

In Sierra Leone, the role of these very exploitative importers cartel has always been the opposite when it comes to helping the government to achieve its social contract mandate with its people. This is especially true in the area of creating the conducive atmosphere for the bread and butter of the suffering majority that formed the bulk of the country’s population and who are prone to blackmailing tactics.

One significant area of concern is the lack of employment creation in the informal sector that has no finance or skills to attract lending from the financial system to import these commodities. The government of Sierra Leone, in its part, has always provided incentives to these importers to cushion the effect of financing the informal sector. Hence, the role of the importers should have been very clear to support the government in providing necessities of life for the suffering majority. However, the well-established importers’ cartel is well determined to ensure government do not realise its mandate by inflating the prices of essential commodities, thereby creating unnecessary pressure between the line Ministry or the government as a whole and the general public.

One vivid example of this cartel extorting government for their personal benefits was concerning the government of Sierra Leone effort to stabilise prices during the early days of the covid-19 pandemic, in which the government granted the sum of Fifty Million United States Dollars ( $ 50,000,000) soft loans to these very exploitative importers cartel at 7% annualised for them to cushion the effect on its citizens, the result was over profiteering by this cartel which adds excessive suffering in the lives of the already suffering majority, thereby leading WFP and other UN agencies to describe Sierra Leone as one of the worst country’s sufferings from hunger, hence this cartel keeps making the government an easy target to blackmail.

Another exploitative move by this cartel over the years to date is the request for government waivers in order for them to have ease of business and help government realise its goals to provide bread and butter for all its national. Notwithstanding that, this exploitative cartel has led the government to lose millions of dollars on these waivers without corresponding impact of price reductions on these commodities for the suffering majority whom the government is determined to make their lives comfortable.

Losing millions of dollars in waivers, which the government could have used to develop other sectors, clearly shows that this cartel is ripping the government of its much-needed revenue for economic development. As a result of these revenues the government is losing from this very exploitative importers cartel, the government of Sierra Leone is now left with no choice, but constantly seeking loans or debt financing for its operations, hence an increase in the borrowing cost for the government.

In conclusion, the dilemma faced with the government is the lack of ability to curb this exploitative importers cartel without opening a pandora box that will inflame the problem with blackmailing tactics targeting the voting majority who are poor and vulnerable and can hardly afford a meal per day because of the exploitative actions of the importers’ cartel. This has led the government to always be at a knife-edge with this cartel, and hence the exploitative importers’ cartel members are the leading agents for regime change in the country.

Salone Importers Catel – Their Role in Sierra Leone Commodity Prices

Economy

By

SLL

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September 12, 2021

by Mahmud Tim Kargbo
12 September, 2021

Since independence, commodity trading in the country has primarily been in the hands of a cartel by which successive governments have failed to enact policies to disempower or eradicate this cartel. In countries with the absence of these exploitative cartels, prices are determined by demand and supply, but for Sierra Leone, this is not the case. The primary determinant of commodity prices in Sierra Leone is based on this cartel in which their fundamental interest is profit maximisation with no interest in sustaining or contributing towards the government agenda. Despite the general consensus of there being an increase in commodity prices in the global market, it doesn’t warrant the continuous general increase in prices in Sierra Leone. The reason being, government incentives in the importation of some of these commodities already neutralise the impact of the increase in the global commodity prices. Therefore the blame for this continuous increase in the commodity prices in Sierra Leone should be squarely cast on this well-established commodity importers cartel.

For instance, with the current government policies in which a 0.5% none ECOWAS tax and 5% withholding tax is paid on the price of imported rice per metric ton, this serves as an insignificant figure to the total cost of a bag of rice. However, importers that formed this well established exploitative cartel keep inflating commodity prices in Sierra Leone under the pretext of an increase in global commodity prices. Thereby creating unnecessary tensions between the line Ministries, Government and the general public.

In order to avert this persistent domineering by this well-established cartel, government policies should enhance the liberalisation of such commodity trading by creating patriotic indigenous Sierra Leoneans who will take the lead to help cushion commodity prices in order to achieve the government “bread and butter” objective. The negative impact of this cartel in undermining government policies to promote their selfish agenda shouldn’t be overlooked as they go beyond to destroy potential institutions and businesses that may want to stand their way.

The truth of the matter is members of this well exploitative cartel in Sierra Leone understand that a rise in commodity prices have a negative effect on all people regardless of their status. However, they are fully aware that the most affected are the poor and unemployed because they form the majority of the suffering population in the country and they are unable to afford the basic necessities. In addition, the rise in commodity prices makes it difficult for households with little or no income to mobilise savings. The essence of these commodities price increase by this well-established cartel is to target the poor people who form the bulk of the country’s population and are prone to blackmailing tactics for regime change

Members of the commodities importers exploitative cartel in Sierra Leone understand that price increase in rice, meat, bread, sugar, tea, oil, salt, flour and other staples, forces the poor to economise on the quantity and quality of their meals. With these foods increase in price in the country, poor households who are in the majority continue to suffer because most are net buyers of food and are easy to buy any blackmailing tactics for regime change. Increase food insecurity and malnutrition has resulted in tragic implications in the short and long terms, particularly among children, the aged and other vulnerable members of society. In this case, the most adversely affected are the chronically urban and rural poor and female-headed households.

These well exploitative commodity importers cartel recognise their negative actions to increase commodity prices continue to affect the ability of poor households to meet other important none food expenses, such as education and health care; and they are limited by current rising food prices in the country. The negative actions of the commodity importers cartel continue to make it extremely difficult for the current government to meet its social contract with the people, especially in the area of providing “bread and butter” for all nationals.

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September 7, 2021

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HIGH COURT RULED MARIATU BANGURA IS THE BONAFIDE PURCHASER OF 8 UPPER SAVAGE SQUARE PROPERTY

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September 5, 2021

by Mahmud Tim Kargbo

5th September 2021

A dispute over whether the beneficiaries of a specific plot of land at 8 Upper Savage Square, in the East End of Freetown, are willing to sell their property to Mariatu Bangura who’s a poor trader, has led many right minded people in Sierra Leone to ask why a beneficiary that initially agreed to sell a specific property with other beneficiaries, after the entire transaction, went to court to stop the Third Party from acquiring her newly purchased property.

Mariatu Bangura was approached by the beneficiaries of the property situated at 8 Upper Savage Square that they want to sell the said property. She registered her interest and seek the legal advice of her lawyer ( Elvis Kargbo Esq) to do due diligence before the transaction fully commenced. The lawyer went ahead fact-checking all necessary documentation, Mariatu Bangura and her family members negotiated the price with the beneficiaries. She then paid the agreed amount through her lawyer to the beneficiaries lawyer. Unfortunately, even after the agreed amount was paid to the beneficiaries by Mariatu Bangura’s lawyer, she wasn’t allowed to take possession of the said property by one Baby Dora who’s claiming under one of the four beneficiaries.

As an innocent Third Party and a law-abiding national, Mariatu Bangura instructed her lawyer to seek redress through the court. The lawyer went ahead and instituted legal proceedings against Baby Dora to gain possession of the said property. Court order by Magistrate Hannah Bonie ruled that all other occupants of the said property must leave, but Baby Dora must stay in her own apartment. Dissatisfied with Magistrate Hannah Boni’s court order, was Baby Dora, whose lawyer went ahead and filed a motion to prevent Hannah Boni’s judgment from been effected on the grounds that the occupants then were her tenants.

Baby Dora’s, motion against Magistrate Hannah Bonnie’s judgment was assigned to Magistrate Cowan who ordered all occupants of the said property (Baby Dora included) to vacate the said property and give possession to Mariatu Bangura. On two separate occasions, bailiffs went there to affect the order, but Baby Dora and her team took the law into their hands and decided to put up a fight. This happened despite the fact that the beneficiaries lawyer (James Momodu Fornah Sesay Esq), on 16th January 2014, had officially communicated to Baby Dora’s lawyer (Musa Pious Sesay Esq) informing him that the said property had long since being sold to an innocent Third Party, with the concurrence of all parties connected to the said property”. The official correspondence to Baby Dora’s lawyer added, “the sum of Forty Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Leones (42,500,000) is readily available for his clients, as their own share of the proceeds of the sale of the said property”.

On Wednesday, 23rd November 2020, the High Court of Sierra Leone finally ruled giving full and vacant possession of the property to Mariatu Bangura. An application to renew the order granted by Magistrate Cowan was made by Mariatu Bangura’s legal team and was granted by the High Court judge. Bailiffs went and handed vacant possession to Mariatu Bangura. Baby Dora’s lawyer then filed an application challenging the renewal order. However, his application after bailiffs affected the order and gave full possession of the said property to Mariatu Bangura was struck out.

The judgment of the High Court which states: “Full and vacant possession of all the property situate at No. 8 Savage Square, Freetown in the Western Area of the Republic of Sierra Leone”; deals with several significant procedural issues as well as with the problem of who was the rightful owner of the disputed property after Mariatu Bangura’s lawyer paid the agreed amount of the said property to the beneficiaries lawyer. The High Court Judge eventually found in favour of Mariatu Bangura, but in reaching that decision the court described some of the enormous problems involving in adjudicating property ownership disputes from beneficiaries in Sierra Leone. These problems included hopelessly confusing and inaccurate records of ownership after a specific beneficiary initially agreed to sell her property and later went to the court to regain possession of the same to punish the Third Party; and a failure by the courts to prosecute people who genuinely sold the property to a specific buyer and use the court to regain the same property after the buyer already satisfied her own part of the bargain.

The judgment makes it clear just how impossible the situation has become and how serious it is that property beneficiaries that agreed to sell their property cannot easily use the court to regain the same property and unnecessarily punish the bonafide purchaser.

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HIGH COURT RULED MARIATU BANGURA IS THE BONAFIDE PURCHASER OF 8 UPPER SAVAGE SQUARE PROPERTY