According to young grassroots supporters at the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) headquarters at Wallace Johnson Street, they are upset and disappointed with the announcement of the sacking of the Chief Immigration Officer – COI Andrew Jaiah Kaikai. The news of his sacking has been greeted with loud outcries from the party office to the Bus Station in Central Freetown.
News of the COI being relieved of his duties started spreading after a letter of his replacement with former SLPP Whip of the Fifth Parliament Alusine Kanneh was published in local media. The letter originated from the Office of the President informing Kanneh of his appointment.
The youth said Kaikai has been a constant source of help and assistance to the poor and vulnerable, especially the many disabled communities scattered across Freetown.
The former Chief Immigration Officer is well known for his works of charity with the grassroots supporters at the party’s office, making regular donations to those in wheelchairs or showing any sign of physical disability.
Very recently Andrew Jaiah Kaikai was in Kenema where he donated a huge consignment of bags of rice and tarpaulins to the vulnerable including the disabled in that part of the country to help assuage their plights during the rainy season.
Speaking to the youths they say there is widespread discontent at the SLPP headquarters because they fear that Kaikai’s charity works might take a dent due to his unexpected sacking.
‘Here is a gentleman since things have been going bad since the elections have been coming to our rescue. He is always making cash, food and other provisions to members of the disabled community here by Bus Station and around the city. We really don’t know what to do as Mr Kaikai was very generous to all, even the party’s top members. But we also know that there has been talk about his charity instead of doing his work.
There were too many issues relating to foreigners getting their hands on our passport and how difficult it had become to get a passport,’ the disappointed youths narrated.
A ranking member of the party confided in this medium that Mr Kaikai failed to fulfil his duties at the Immigration Department, saying that with ‘titular jobs’ not much thought is given to terms of reference, claiming that ‘I don’t think Kaikai really understood the demands of his job’.
The party stalwart said under Jaiah Kaikai’s stewardship people complained of an influx of foreigners into the country, adding that he was too focused on charity works trying to win or gain the attention of the president for more work.
‘But I think he got President Bio’s attention the wrong way. There have been widespread concerns that there are too many illegal immigrants in the country most of whom have not renewed their residential and or work permits.’
‘You should know that this man has been around for some time sponsoring different people and programmes of the party. This job was a thank you job that as you can now see didn’t work out so well. I do think that he has been replaced because he didn’t perform according to the expectations of his office hence the pleasure or goodwill of his boss. The president does not fire people that perform well. With all these issues in the region that have to do with security we need someone at immigration that will be on top of things,’ the SLPP ranking member informed.
Speaking to some staff at the Immigration on Gloucester Street in Freetown there was mixed feelings among those who say they know ‘Andrew Kaikai the man from Andrew Kaikai the public servant’.
‘This situation is sad. Here is someone that cares a lot, but we think he was assigned to the wrong department. He would have done well at say Social Welfare. He did not understand how rampant corruption is at the Immigration Department. There are just too many issues some having to do with regularising people who have been here long at the department whose jobs are not so secure. We welcome our new boss and say bye to the old,’ said an Immigration Department staff.
Calls to Mr Kaikai to get his thoughts on his replacement didn’t go through before going to press.
