Kutubu Koroma’s Hate for Dr. Sengeh or Misunderstanding the Role of a Chief Minister?

By Lansana Fofanah

In his book titled: Governing a Poor Country, The Perspective of a former Chief Minister, Professor David Francis, former Chief Minister clearly and convincingly explained the role of Chief Minister in the Office of the President in good fate as he knew such a debate would hardly fade out in a country where political opinions do not consider fact, results and delivery, but sentiments, and personal egos.

I wished Mohamed Kutubu Koroma, a Sierra Leonean social media commentator would have read such a fine work before he could have published his latest commentary on the relevance of the Office of Chief Minister in modern day Sierra Leone politics.

His piece shows either his willingness to distort the fact or his laziness to read intellectual work which forms the basis of any sound argument.

Over the weekend, the current Chief Minister of Sierra Leone, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, tabled in the Well of Parliament the Bill Titled: the National Security and Central Intelligence Act 2025, which seeks to boosts the capacity of the Office of National Security (ONS) by improving the National Security Council, through a decentralized system from the national level to districts and chiefdoms across the country.

However, Mr. Kutubu’s weekend analysis did not condemn the Bill, but questioned the legality of Dr. Sengeh’s role in laying the Bill in Parliament without looking at his mandates or the general good of the bill.

After reading Kutubu’s piece, one is tempted to ask: Is this the first time a Chief Minister is laying a Bill in Parliament? Did Sengeh act outside of his mandate? The answers are definitely no!

Former Chief Minister Professor David Francis laid in the Well of Parliament the National Disaster Management Agency Bill in 2020, and the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) in November 2020.

Today, the National Disaster Management Agency has the capacity to proactively respond to any disaster in the country.

Same could be said about the ICPNC that is leading the front in national dialogue and peace enhancement in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Sengeh didn’t act outside his scope and responsibility and there has never been an instance where he has been known to challenge or defy the authority of the President or his Vice.

Sengeh has been working solely under the directives of the President and Vice President period!

The decision for Sengeh to table such Bill in Parliament must have been well calculated and decided by the government including the Office of the Attorney General.

It is always good to know how institutions work rather than assuming how they work. And one cannot be outside the box to determine that. Therefore, governance goes beyond assumption.

According to Kutubu, Dr. Sengeh has been overlapping and usurping the functions of institutions by having a footprint everywhere and attending conferences and engagements.

That submission by Kutubu, shows his lack of knowledge in governance or his show of academic laziness to read beyond his reach.

Like Professor Francis said, a Chief Minister is the enforcer of government decisions and priorities.

Sengeh has been living up to such tasks as a young man with the quest to deliver. For every decision that is reached either at Cabinet level or governance directives, the Chief Minister is responsible to track and monitor the implementations of such. Can that be done by merely relying on paper-reporting or briefings from those concerned?

The Chief Minister has the authority to put institutions and people on their toes in meeting deadlines and targets. If not, service delivery will be a herculean task.

In today’s geopolitical shift, on one is interested to tell your story or know about it at a time when regional conflicts continue to dominate the political space, and every nation’s foreign policy seeks to be Self-First.

Serious issues are discussed when serious people are involved. And that is what Sengeh has been doing by telling resilient stories from Sierra Leone through diplomatic radical and inclusive approach either at international meetings, conferences or even on social media.

That is the role Sengeh has been playing by not just monitoring the implementation of government policies through arm-chair leadership. But to use his international face and recognition to guide, support and aligns every institutions mandate with that of the Presidency.

Therefore, for Kutubu Koroma to downplay the importance of the Chief Minister’s office is a disservice and injustice to his readers and listeners.