BY: Hassan Osman Kargbo

After she had spent 17 years, 8 month in policing, the former Assistance Commissioner of Police, Mira Yainkain Dumbuya, has sadly tendered her resignations from the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) based on what she called unexplained injustice that had been meted on her over the years.According to her letter of resignation, she addressed to the Inspector General of Police dated 5^th February 2024, she was extremely proud to have served as a Police Officer of Sierra Leone and appreciated the many opportunities given to her to thrive and make policing her lifetime career. She said she had never imagined that she will not be in the Sierra Leone Police, but these unfavourable circumstances that had caused her many sleepless nights and brought immense discomfort to her family has resulted in her decision to leave a career she holds dearly. She noted that she is grateful to the Police Force especially past Inspector Generals who created avenues that helped her grow exponentially in the Force.

She admitted that despite the fact that she had gained a lot from the SLP, she had also gave much more in return; adding that besides the fact that she were never investigated or disciplined for any professional misconduct as she served honourably in the country.  She said she is proud to reflect on the many proud moments she gave to the SLP. According to her, she had served as Administrative Office at the Central Police Division in 2013, and said that she met the secretariat using old and outdated typewriter and she came up with project that not only transformed the secretariat into a modern-day office with computers, printers, scanners and  fax machine that also refurbished the whole Divisional Headquarter.

She continued that she had served in various capacities including leadership positions such as Deputy and then Head of the Family Support Unit (FSU) where she facilitated donations of six (6) Toyota Hilux (2 whilst serving as Deputy and 4 whilst serving as Head) from UNFPA and UNICEF respectively. One hundred and thirty-four (134) motorbikes from UNICEF and IRC, project funds for trainings, administrative support to the headquarters, contributed to the facilitation of the 3 Gender Bills (now Act) fruitfully served families in Sierra Leone and abroad and left Fifty Million Leones (Le. 50. 000, 000) old notes for the start of the construction of a Family Support Unit Headquarter.

Moreover, Madam Mira Yainkain Dumbuya had a lot of successes during her time at the Sierra Leone Police; but according to her resignation letter she tendered to the SLP, she had faced a lot of humiliation during her time which are one of the reasons she resign from the SLP. She noted that among other things, during her extension request she made, it was made clear to her through all who intervened on her behalf that her extension won’t be authorized until she pay a peacekeeping contribution of $16,500 that she owe the SLP. She continued that even after the full payment, she extension request were not approved, and the UN did not even received response from the SLP.

She admitted that there were a lot of issues raised against her and all her explanations and contributions yielded no dividend, instead it was made categorically clear to her that on her return, she would be punished, ‘Punished for what exactly, she didn’t know. Several messages from pleas, explanations and receipts of payments got no response.

She confirmed that during the period (October 2023-January 2024), she received letters and several calls from the Ministry of Works, asking her to vacate the government quarter assigned to her, adding that not the first time of being asked out, but that time, with threats of being charged for corruption if she do not give it up. She said she didn’t even understood how being assigned a government quarter as a senior police office could be deem as corruption.

She furthered that as she awaited the final phase of the UN Checkout process since the SLP refused to her request for her extension, and also in fear of being struck off strength after 21 days as could be discerned from the response from the Director of Human Resource Management to her request for annual leave with Director of Professional Standard Copied, she therefore decided to resign.

She admitted that she had suffered various injustices and other challenges in the Sierra Leone Police, but she had had the courage to continue serving because past Inspectors General of Police, from IG Acha Kamara to IG Richard Moigba were accommodating, fair, transparent and communicative. She reiterated that as she pen down some of what she had been through, she still do not know where she went wrong and instead of returning to the SLP and experiencing worse situation like being ‘punished’ for a crime she know nothing of she rather resign now. She concluded by resigning from the Sierra Leone Police from the 5^th of February 2024.

She thanked the Sierra Leone Police for welcoming her in the Force on the 9^th of June 2006 and allowing her to serve her country. she said she had experienced many hassles over the years but were able to conquer them all because the leadership encouraged hardworking women, but now she noted she don’t think women of her calibre are needed anymore, taking into consideration the way her letter of plea for promotions for women was ignored and she being punished for it after. She wished the Sierra Leone Police well in their endeavour and assured the SLP that she would forever be a supporter of the SLP wherever she find herself.