Former Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Force, Brima Acha Kamara is out of the police headquarters at George street after heading that force for seven (7) unbreakable years, the second longest serving IG after the late James Bambay Kamara.
Ever since the Press Release from the Office of the President was released last Friday relieving Brima Acha Kamara as Inspector General, operatives of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) had a field day in lampooning and vilifying Brima Acha. One of the major crimes Acha committed against the SLPP that provokes his vilification by these operatives was the interview he granted to the BBC Focus on Africa programme on September 17th 2007, the day Dr. Christiana Thorpe pronounced Ernest Bai Koroma as the duly elected President of Sierra Leone.
In that interview, Acha narrated the true version that led to the looting of the SLPP office which he attributed to the supporters of the party itself. This angered the SLPP. To them, since it was the SLPP that catapulted him to become IG, sidelining other senior officers like Kandeh Bangura etc. and damning the constitution (Dr. Sama Banya must note this), Acha must always support and defend the SLPP until the Palm Tree is buried, never to rise again. Anything less than that is unacceptable and described as another Judas who can betray his own Lord.
But one may be tempted to ask the question, who is more ungrateful, the SLPP or Brima Acha Kamara? Let’s check our memory bank and see the role Acha played for the SLPP before Monday, September 17, 2007.
In 2005 after the election or selection of Solomon Berewa as the SLPP flag bearer, there was a fracas in Kamakwie between APC supporters and SLPP, provoked by the SLPP big guns at the time including former Prisons Director, Foday Soko Conteh. The APC supporters were thoroughly beaten, rounded and locked up in cells in Makeni and Kamakwie by the police. The APC party executive made representation to Acha complaining the biasness of the police in effecting their arrests as only APC supporters were locked up. Nothing came out of it. To the SLPP, Acha was a hero at that time.
Similar incidents occurred in 2006 in Kambia town and Mambolo in the Kambia district. Again, only the APC supporters bore the brunt. The APC leader, now President Ernest Bai Koroma became so much disgusted with the behaviour of Acha and the police that, he urged the APC supporters to stop complaining to the police but defend themselves when attacked. To the SLPP, Acha was a professional police officer at that time.
Again in 2006, the police arrested and beat up Ernest Koroma’s Personal Assistant, Ibrahim Sesay now the President’s Personal Security and valet. They accused him of attempting to kill Solomon Berewa. Ibrahim Sesay’s only crime was to escort his boss (Ernest) to a funeral in Bombali and Berewa coincidentally attended the funeral. Ibrahim was mercilessly beaten, tortured and locked up at the Pademba Road prisons for months, charged with treason. He was bribed Ten million Leones and promised freedom just for him to confess that he was sent by Ernest Koroma to kill Solomon Berewa. Ibrahim refused the offer and was continuously locked up at the Pademba Road prisons.
Solomon Berewa was so desperate to become President of Sierra Leone that he was bent on doing everything to achieve that dream. The only saving grace for Sierra Leone was because he, Berewa was still answerable to President Ahmed Tejan Kabba at the time. The police carried out that barbaric act. No qualms. To the SLPP, the police was a Force for Good at that time.
In September 2007, Ernest Koroma and Charles Margai came under very serious attack from SLPP supporters in Segbwema town, the birth place of the current SLPP Chairman, John Benjamin. The stoning was so rapid that it took our supporters over two hours to repel them. Ernest Koroma was injured in the process and his vehicle damaged. The police in Segbwema did nothing and no SLPP supporter was arrested. To the SLPP, the Sierra Leone Police is a shinning example for others in the sub-region to follow.
In Bo, Ernest Koroma was nearly assassinated by Tom Nyuma and his thugs in a hotel. Had it not been for the vigilance of our men under the command of the no-nonsense Idrissa Leather-boot Kamara, it would have been a different story altogether. Yet, it was Leather-boot who was incarcerated with trump-up charges. To the SLPP, the police Inspector General, Brima Acha Kamara has no rival when it comes to competence.
These are just few examples of how Brima Acha Kamara loyally served the SLPP when they were in power. This was how the APC supporters suffered in the hands of the police under Acha’s reign when the SLPP was in power. For these same SLPP supporters to now vilify Acha by calling him all sorts of name smells mischievous and ungratefulness.
Now that the tide has turned, the SLPP was still expecting Acha to dance to their tune, forgetting the fact that the police force is there to serve the government of the day and not the opposition party of the day.
Francis Munu has again started appearing under the scrutiny of the SLPP with false allegations to suit their comfort. For the records, Francis Munu, the new Inspector General of Police is not from Bombali district but from Kambia district and the first to hold that post from the Temne tribe. Past IGs have only been Creoles, Mendes and Limbas.
Let Acha take his rest and have a clear conscience that he has served both governments and the people of Sierra Leone to the best of his abilities. Adieu Acha and welcome Munu.
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