By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The utterance made by Abdul Kadiru Kaikai that is going viral on social media is totally misguided. His threaten remarks of bringing war to a country if he does not win an election are extremely serious and can incite fear and instability within the country. Such statements should not be taken lightly as it could have far-reaching consequences. And it has sparked a lot of attention which led to his arrest. It’s disheartening to see a video from someone who aspires to be
President of Sierra Leone yet focuses on divisive rhetoric instead of working together to build a better future for the nation. Yes, I commend the SLPP party for their strong statement against the harmful words of their own member, but what is also alarming is the issue of impunity in the country. Sierra Leone is a country where people do things and get away with it. We have seen people made a lot of inciting words and they would be arrested but at the end of the day, there is no serious action taken against those individuals.
A case of impunity was seen on the recent case that involve the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Paran Tarawally and his wife. He was accused of employing his wife, who had not even reported for duty and was receiving her monthly salary without due process. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) reports that the wife had returned ninety percent of the One Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand New Leones she received as salary for the ten months she was on the payroll. In addition, Hon. Para was suspended because of the allegations that were levied against him, but interestingly; we saw a statement calling for him to be reinstated to parliament.
In addition, the issue of impunity in Sierra Leone has been the order of the day. Sometime in 2020 a whole parliamentary leadership have been accused of corruption. Two of the vibrant SLPP MPs at a time, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh and Hon. Hindolo Ngevao were on the spotlight but later nothing came out of it. Thought they were removed from Parliamentary oversight duties and investigated by the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges and Ethics, but at the end of the day they weren’t held liable for their misguided statements made at a time.
According to some citizens, they’re not convinced as to whether Abdul Kadiru Kaikai could face the full force of the law because they have seen cases of such but in few days or weeks the matter could be kept under the carpet. They said, the government and Institutions concerned should ensure that they do not tolerate leaders who spread hate and division messages to the public.
Citizens are saying let it don’t be another case of impunity and called on the state security apparatus, including the Office of National Security (ONS), the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) , and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), to take this statement seriously. Ensuring the safety and security of the country and its citizens must be the top priority.
“Mr. Kaikai’s statement should not go unpunished such incitement warrants serious consequences, and he should be held accountable for his words. It is imperative that the authorities act decisively to prevent any potential escalation of violence and to uphold the rule of law in Sierra Leone,” a senior citizen stated.
Furthermore, making threats of violence or war is a criminal offense in many jurisdictions and should be thoroughly investigated by law enforcement agencies. If someone is making such threatening remarks, they should be held accountable for their actions through the appropriate legal channels. Let it don’t be another case of impunity. They should treat it very seriously.
In all of these, It is essential to ensure that individuals who make threats of violence or war are not released without facing the consequences of their actions. This is crucial for maintaining the rule of law, upholding public safety, and preventing the individual from repeating such behaviour in the future. Because, the memories of the eleven-year rebel war in Sierra Leone are still fresh in the minds of many. This conflict caused immense atrocities, wreaked havoc, displaced citizens, and led to the burning of homes and valued properties, along with significant loss of life. The trauma from this period remains a deep scar on the nation, and any threat to reignite such violence must be addressed with the utmost urgency it deserves to prevent further abnormalities.
