By Jane B. Mansaray.
The allegation against the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police Force, Dr Ambrose Michael Sovula that he has been receiving money from personnel deployed for Peacekeeping Mission has been found to be baseless and unfounded.
Responding to the several allegations against the IGP, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Saio Conteh who also doubles as the Deputy Media Officer (Media 2) said the SLP has an open policy for Peace Keeping Mission deployment.
According to Media 2, mission deployment is based on transparency, fairness and merit and those who are fit for deployment are always been deployed according to strictly laid down SLP policy.
According to Media 2, there are stages and processes through which personnel or applicants go through for mission deployment as by Mission policy set out by the SLP.
“Those who are making these allegations should back them up with evidence and as far as the management of SLP is concerned, particularly the IGP, it is unprofessional and repugnant in the ears of those who know the IGP for his strictness in the Force,” Media 2 Samuel Saio Conteh declared.
He described the whole process with regards to Peace Keeping Deployment to be tedious, stressful and time consuming and for each stage of deployment personnel have to offer their utmost during deployment for them to qualify for the next stage.
“We have a strict and disciplined IGP who believes in the right people based on competence in the deployment to Peace Keeping Missions and it is even prudent for the IGP to encourage officers to excel during Peace Keeping as the success of personnel during Peace Keeping is a reflection on not only the Force, but the country as a wholeโ, he noted.
It is possible for personnel to go on Peace Keeping Mission for the second time, based on reasons of special International recommendation, but as by policy, personnel can go on Mission for the second time through recommendation from the host country, but the general rule is that personnel can only go on such missions after every five years.
On the issue of the IGP travelling with his wife to Nigeria on an official occasion with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Superintendent of Police Brima Kamara, head of police media (Media1) said it is the right of the IGP to travel with his wife whenever it pleases him and as long she is not his girlfriend.
According to Brima Kamara, the wife of the IGP, Hawa Angela Sovula who is also the President of SLP Wives Association travelled to Nigeria on the invitation of the President of Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) of the Nigerian Police, headed by the wife of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
“IGP Sovula was in Nigeria last week to witness a graduation ceremony of ten SLP personnel including me, (Brima Kamara) whom he (Sovula) sent together with other officers to study,” Superintendent Brima Kamara emphasised.
Several allegations were made by aggrieved personnel of the Sierra Leone Police Force in Freetown, against the Inspector General of the SLP, Dr. Ambrose Michael Sovula.
It is alleged that Dr. Ambrose Michael Sovula has a strong man serving as a middleman, who collects Millions of Leones from personnel to go on Peace Keeping Missions.
