By Donstance Koroma

The decision of the 6^th Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone to approve the former Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaiah Kai Kai as the Executive Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has once again questioned the legislative arm of government with regards  scrutinizing presidential nominees for public offices.

According to many, political association continues to serve as one of the major factors for parliament refusal to seriously scrutinize certain presidential nominees brought before parliament for approval simply because law makers especially from the incumbent side are constantly in fear not to turn down the president interest regardless of the fact that the need naturally warranted itself.

Many people who have been following Kai Kai during his tenure at the CIO of the country’s Immigration Department where astonished to lean about his reappointment and the subsequent approval by parliament without any hindrance.

Allegations filtering from the country’s Immigration Department are pointing accusing fingers on Jaiah Kai Kai’s administration of using his good office to trade on the country passport to non-citizens resulting to adding more salt to injuries with regards the hundreds of Sierra Leone passports already in the hands of foreigners.

According to critical minds of society, the allegations surrounding trading the country’s passport by the former Chief Immigration Officer’s administration was Justified by Jaiah Kai Kai accepting gifts from outsiders while he was serving as Chief Immigration Officer, Immigration Department of Sierra Leone .

Ex-Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaiah KaiKai has revealed to the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments and Public Service that part of his assets, including a G-Wagon Mercedes Benz, Toyota Landcruiser, and Toyota Fortuner was gifted to him by a friend.

KaiKai was answering questions from the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment and the Public Service his nomination by His Excellency Julius Maada Bio to serve as the Executive Director of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency.

Responding to the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Matthew Nyuma, he disclosed that the said valuables were gifted to him by the same friend while he was serving as the country’s Chief Immigration Officer.

Such confession of accepting gifts speaks volume to the level of naked compromise the former Chief Immigration Officer had involved himself in to a point that staff of immigration department started raising alarm.

Sources from the corridors of the Immigration Department revealed that most of the foreigners or non-citizens that secured Sierra Leone passport under Andrew Jaiah Kai Kai administration in return for gifts are allegedly high profile drug traffickers and the big time dealers that are also in the good books of some senior officers of the SLP Executive management board.

Forum News was further intimated that the decision of the president to appoint Jaiah Kai Kai as Executive Director, National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency cannot be unconnected to the level of trust and confidence developed by Jaiah Kai Kai with regional and international drug traffickers and dealers during his tenure as Chief Immigration Officer.

With the current state of drug and the general cry from the public and human rights organizations for the enactment of laws that will target the traffickers and big time dealers will be of no effect with Andrew Jaiah Kai Kai at the helm of affairs at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

If, Andrew J. Kai Kai can attest to the fact that indeed he accepted gifts during his capacity as Chief Immigration officer, Immigration Department Sierra Leone , there is a greater possibility for him to do likewise as Executive Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), thereby making the fight against drug more cumbersome than ever.

Like the wars against corruption and garbage that Sierra Leone continues to fight from the losing side, doubts are rife that with Andrew J. Kai Kai at the helm affairs, there is greater possibility for the country to loose grip on the war against drug.

Since the commencement of the Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone, SLPP lawmakers have several times drawn the attention of the Speaker of Parliament about the prevailing dangers associated with the killer drug Kush and its effect on present and future generations, yet , under the watchful eyes of Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu as speaker approved an individual that  publicly confess of accepting gifts during his days as Chief Immigration Officer to champion a national fight against the Killer drug among others .

Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission has in a press release dated 26^th October, 2023 captioned “ACC Remind All Public Offices to Develop and Maintain a Gift Register” disclosed that the commission has instituted an investigation into the allegation of receiving vehicles as gifts by the former Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaiah KaiKai, and the three vehicles are in the custody of the ACC pending investigation.

The release wishes to remind all ministries, departments and agencies of government about the provision of section 51 (4) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended in 2019, which requires all public institutions to develop and maintain gift register, which the release indicated is a record of gifts valued at five thousand new Leones and above that are received by staff of the respective institutions.

According to the extent provisions, where a gift or personal benefit exceeds benefit five million old Leones in value of where the total values received directly or indirectly from any source in any twelve months period exceeds five million old Leones, the press release disclosed.

The release continued that the public office shall make a report of that fact to the relevant public body within such time and in such form as may be prescribed by the commission.

Subsequently, the release added that a public officer who receives such a gift is required to file with his annual declaration of assets and liabilities a statement indicating the nature of the gift or benefit service and the circumstances under which it was given or accepted.

The ACC release cited section 51 (5) of the Act that stipulates that a public officer who fails to comply with the requirement in subsection (4) commit an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine three times the value of the gifts or benefit or Fifty million (old) Leones, whichever is greater or imprisonment for a term not less than one year.

The Outreach Information Officer, Silvanus Blake at Anti-Corruption Commission vividly stated on AYV Wake Up Salone program that they will continue invoke the relevant provisions of the Act for failure by a public officer who receives a gift that is valued at five thousand (new) Leones above that is not declared to the respective institution and or the commission.

The Commission reassured the general public of its unwavering determination relentless resolve to effectively control corruption in Sierra Leone.

Following the press release that was published by the Anti-Corruption Commission, several legal luminaries are expecting President Julius Maada Bio to have set aside the current Executive Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency until the ACC concludes its investigation on the subject matter.