As President Koroma fails to substantiate with convincing evidence his non-performance excuse for sacking his energy minister last week, his regime’s allowing of questionable companies to bid for the Bumbuna Phase II contracts in the middle of international think tank reports about his minister’s reluctance to endorse the deal go a long way in revealing the real reason for the sack.

It is becoming evident that Professor Ogunlade Davidson’s summary dismissal last week by President Ernest Bai Koroma has much to do with a procurement process which Davidson is reported to have been very reluctant to endorse rather than the widely publicized excuse about his “nonperformance” which the presidency wickedly failed to substantiate given that the dismissal, according to Davidson himself interviewed in the Politico newspaper, was not preceded by any prior presidential notice based on a formal and transparent performance evaluation exercise usually needed for fairness and justice in best human resource management practices globally.

Over the past few months, Professor Davidson is said to have been resisting pressure from the presidency to endorse contracts relating to the Bumbuna Phase II dam expansion preferred for two questionable companies, namely, Joule Africa to technically supervise the construction work and Africa Minerals Limited to do the construction work itself. The January 2012 report on Sierra Leone by the UK based Africa Confidential think tank states that “…experts from the Ministry of Energy and Power, including the Minister, Professor Ogunlade Davidson, somewhat reluctantly gave Joule the contract.”

More still, Joule Africa’s capacity to technically supervise dam construction has been recently questioned in the press since this company was first registered in Sierra Leone as a “property developer” not a “dam builder” and has reportedly never undertaken any dam construction work in the world, according to the January 24 2012 edition of the Nationalist Newspaper.

For Africa Minerals Limited, procurement experts are said to be questioning how a company that has never had any dam construction track record in the world is now being allowed to bid for a 750 million dollar dam expansion construction contract while also seeking to be the sole beneficiary of a 450 megawatts electricity to be generated by the expanded dam as cited in its own assessment report (ref Africa Confidential).

What is even substantiating the above reports is the replacement of Davidson with Oluniyi Robbin-Coker who is said to have been advising the president on private sector matters, including emphasizing to the president the need for the president to go in the two above cited contracts. Oluniyi is also a controversial man who has never denied repeated media allegations in the past (2007-2010) about his close association with the notorious Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group which had been blacklisted once by the United States government as a terrorist organization.

This is not the first time the regime of President Ernest Bai Koroma is involved in the controversial engagement of services in the energy sector. Income Electrix Gate was Koroma’s regime first procurement furor. Within a month in office, the regime spared no effort in having a field day with the billions he had inherited from the previous SLPP administration of Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. On Income Electrix alone, the regime of President Ernest Bai Koroma spent 25 million dollars to sole source the rent, rather purchase, of a one-year thermal electricity plant without any competitive bidding which violated with impunity the country's procurement laws. To make matters worse, President Koroma even went ahead afterwards to re-appoint the former Minister, Afsatu Kabbah, involved in the Income Electrixaffair to head the huge revenue generating fisheries ministry, which made it possible for Afsatu to steal more monies from the state for which she was found guilty by the Anti-Corruption Commission and fined by the regime's court 100 times less than the amounts she stole.

... if he continues to perpetrate Political Violence

As the expected ICC evidence collection mission about the main cause of political violence in Sierra Leone draws closer, the leader of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) has added his voice to global demands that no less a person than President Ernest Koroma be held directly responsible for an impunity that is not only resurfacing only under his regime since the war ended in 2002, but also for the deaf ears which President Koroma continues to give to international demands for his swift action in immediately heeding the recommendations of relevant communiques and enquiries into political violence since he assumed power.

Below is the STORY by the Awoko newspaper:

The Founder and flagbearer of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change party (PMDC), in his condemnation of the recent spate of violence in Freetown, has said that if the President fails to address the spate of violence in the country before the elections, impeachment proceedings against the President should be considered in tandem with Section 51 of the Constitution Act No. 6 of Sierra Leone.

He also called for a peaceful demonstration denouncing violence in all its forms and shapes. Charles Margai made this call yesterday, Thursday 19th January 2012 at a press conference at the PMDC headquarters at Prince Street, in Freetown.

Mr. Margai in a disgusted mood, reminded President Koroma of his “sacred duty” to protect the lives and property of Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans alike, noting that this duty should be performed “regardless of political lineage, patronage or cronyism”, failure of which he stated, he can be impeached.

The PMDC fire brand re-emphasized the total prevalence of violence in recent times, especially in electioneering processes and political functions, citing the recent Fourah Bay bye-election fiasco as a glaring example. He said there is no way this country would move towards progress if leaders and their followers do not denounce violence by taking firm actions against perpetrators.

He said the PMDC attributes the continued violence in the country to the lack of political will on the part of President Ernest Bai Koroma to act decisively in matters directly affecting his political cohorts and trouble makers.

The PMDC presidential aspirant went on to called on President Koroma to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Shears-Moses Commission of Inquiry to demonstrate his seriousness, commitment and will to curb the spate of political violence in the country.

He referred to the inaction of the President over the Commission’s recommendations as “a despicable act” that should be followed by decisive actions. He expressed sympathy to all those affected by the violence in the Ward 369 by-election.

Mr. Margai made a concerned call to all concerned Sierra Leoneans regardless of party affinity to come out in a peaceful demonstration denouncing violence in any shape or form that may emanate from whatever quarters.

... if he continues to perpetrate Political Violence

As the expected ICC evidence collection mission about the main cause of political violence in Sierra Leone draws closer, the leader of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) has added his voice to global demands that no less a person than President Ernest Koroma be held directly responsible for an impunity that is not only resurfacing only under his regime since the war ended in 2002, but also for the deaf ears which President Koroma continues to give to international demands for his swift action in immediately heeding the recommendations of relevant communiques and enquiries into political violence since he assumed power.

Below is the STORY by the Awoko newspaper:

The Founder and flagbearer of the People’s Movement for Democratic Change party (PMDC), in his condemnation of the recent spate of violence in Freetown, has said that if the President fails to address the spate of violence in the country before the elections, impeachment proceedings against the President should be considered in tandem with Section 51 of the Constitution Act No. 6 of Sierra Leone.

He also called for a peaceful demonstration denouncing violence in all its forms and shapes. Charles Margai made this call yesterday, Thursday 19th January 2012 at a press conference at the PMDC headquarters at Prince Street, in Freetown.

Mr. Margai in a disgusted mood, reminded President Koroma of his “sacred duty” to protect the lives and property of Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans alike, noting that this duty should be performed “regardless of political lineage, patronage or cronyism”, failure of which he stated, he can be impeached.

The PMDC fire brand re-emphasized the total prevalence of violence in recent times, especially in electioneering processes and political functions, citing the recent Fourah Bay bye-election fiasco as a glaring example. He said there is no way this country would move towards progress if leaders and their followers do not denounce violence by taking firm actions against perpetrators.

He said the PMDC attributes the continued violence in the country to the lack of political will on the part of President Ernest Bai Koroma to act decisively in matters directly affecting his political cohorts and trouble makers.

The PMDC presidential aspirant went on to called on President Koroma to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the Shears-Moses Commission of Inquiry to demonstrate his seriousness, commitment and will to curb the spate of political violence in the country.

He referred to the inaction of the President over the Commission’s recommendations as “a despicable act” that should be followed by decisive actions. He expressed sympathy to all those affected by the violence in the Ward 369 by-election.

Mr. Margai made a concerned call to all concerned Sierra Leoneans regardless of party affinity to come out in a peaceful demonstration denouncing violence in any shape or form that may emanate from whatever quarters.

Anti-Corruption Commission Deletes its own Income Electrix Investigation report from its Website

The report on the December 20 2007 Income Electrix scandal investigated by the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) under former Commissioner Abdul Tejan Cole has been removed from the recently revised ACC website (http://www.anticorruption.gov.sl/) under the current leadership of Joseph Kamara (Commissioner) and Morlai Buya Kamara (Deputy Commissioner) who both share the same home district and ethnicity with President Ernest Bai Koroma and who both have continued to pay deaf ears to evidence based media reports about corruption offenses involving the siblings of President Koroma.

Browsing manually through the ACC site or using the site’s powerful google-assisted search engine to locate the report titled “FAULTY LINES IN A FLAWED AND COSTLY CONTRACT: CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY OF THERMAL EQUIPMENT/POWER FOR IMMEDIATE AND MEDIUM TERM BY INCOME ELECTRIX LTD” now leads to zero results. Even the words "Income Electrix" are no longer searchable at the Joseph Kamara-led Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission site.

This means that the ACC under its current leadership has deleted a public record pointing to corruption from its website which may amount to violating the country’s Anti-Corruption Act 2008 that strongly regards as a grave corruption offense any form of the concealment of evidence of corruption or evidence pointing to corruption.

During his first two months in power, President Ernest Koroma’s regime’s first shady transaction pointing to corruption was to violate with impunity the country’s procurement laws in awarding an over 11 million dollar contract to the Nigerian Income Electrix company for a mere one-year rent of a thermal electricity plant which: (1) shamefully witnessed a presidential endorsement of corruption as evident by the President subsequent rewarding Minister Afsatu Kabba with another lucrative presidential appointment to head the Marine Ministry where she was again found guilty of another graver corruption scam; and (2) shamefully raised questions about how the Koroma who had denied ever inheriting any money from SLPP must have acquired such a huge sum of money since no donor had financed the Income Electrix contract.

Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full ACC report below which was downloaded in 2007 long before it was deleted from the current ACC website:

Editor's Note: We have the complete report to follow...

Abu Moseray, Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray, V.V. Kamara and the driver were on their way from Fakunya in a Toyota 4 Runner owned by Councillor Elect Mohamed Kanu-Mansaray, where Abu has intentions of contesting for a parliamentary seat.

On their way through Moyamba Junction, their fuel gauge came on. They decided to try the fuel station which had no fuel at the time. They decided to risk it to Mile 91 where they hoped to buy some fuel.  Halfway through to Mile 91, they noticed a motorbike (Okada) that was chasing them. He chased for another 5 minutes before they stopped, only a few miles to Mile 91.

The Okada rider convinced them that he had 4 gallons of fuel at Moyamba Junction. They (alleged ritual kidnappers) decided a “bird in the hand is worth twice in the bush”. They followed him back to Moyamba Junction. On arrival in Moyamba Junction, he took them to another “brother” who was supposed to be the one selling the fuel.

At that point, the guy who rode all the way to get them to come back had disappeared. When they handed him the money he had requested, he went away into a corner and made a call that he stayed on for a long time. While the accused waited, they noticed that the other folks had gone around their vehicle trying to break in. When they made for these thieves, they ran away, leaving them with the so-called “jebu” dealer.

They then suspected that there must be more to it than the eye could see. They decided to make a ‘citizen arrest’ and to take him to the Police in Mile 91. But by the time they could reach Mile 91, the Okada boys had made their calls to their kin in Mile 91.

When the accused asked for the police station in Mile 91, where they were buying fuel, they showed them a dark corner at night, which made them further assume that there must be a conspiracy in the build up, with the increasing presence of Okada riders.

There is common knowledge that there have been cases when some of these Okada boys have been accused of mindless violence on people in conflict with their peers, including the police.

Because of this, the accused decided to move on to Masiaka took him to Masiaka, where they went to police to make a complaint. The police took statements from them and allowed them to go. It is while they were there that another officer mentioned that they had received a call that people had “kidnapped” a man for ritual murder.

On hearing this, the suspects decided to stay around until the accusers arrived. On arrival, the suspects were able to identify the young man who had chased them to have them return to Moyamba Junction.

But as the police were busy trying to make sense of the incident, Sylvia Blyden, as usual had seen an avenue where she was determined to do mischief. In a very much-coordinated manner, news met Sylvia Blyden on the fracas between the accused persons and the Okada boys. She straightaway picked up the phone and called Masiaka police station boss.

According to Easmon Ngakui, attorney representing the accused, the idea of “ritual murder kidnapping” emanated from Sylvia, who pressed the police in Masiaka to believe her whacky analysis of things.

“She blackmailed the police into detaining the accused persons.” He further noted “in Freetown, she called every politician she could to get them to pile pressure on the police to do her dirty bidding”.

Cocorioko contradicts presidential press statement on last week’s sack of Sierra Leone Energy Minister

Cocorioko, the main online propaganda mouthpiece of President Ernest Koroma’s corruption and violence tainted regime, has contradicted last week’s press release from the president which gave “non performance” as the sole reason for his decision to sack former Energy Minister Prof. Ogunlade Davidson. In its story How Professor Davidson made his exit Cocorioko says “apart from stating that the President has deemed it necessary to relieve Prof. Ogunlade Davidson of his duties no other reason was given for the dismissal”.

A foreign embassy diplomat in Freetown who read the story instantly reacted in total disbelief, saying: “Where on earth can a president worth his salt dismiss his main minister who leads his regime’s number one priority (Energy in his “Agenda for Change”) without any reason”.

However, the Cocorioko cover up came in too little and too late as local and international press houses such as Sierra Express Media, Reuters and Africa Young Voices have been swift in either reporting the president’s “non-performance” excuse as stated in his press release, or investigating with solid evidence the plausibility, truth and accuracy of this excuse as standard practices in professional journalism require.

Questions are now asked as to why the Cocorioko news organ would not only stop at distorting facts as it usually does, but also NOT have the confidence to defend the president’s own “non-performance” excuse as his sole reason stated in his own press release for the dismissal of his former energy minister? If, in Cocorioko’s editorial wisdom, this excuse is not good enough because it is not defendable, what could then have been the real reason being hidden by the government for the dismissal?

The reason as reported in an earlier story by New People is clear from the evidences found in the January 2012 edition of Africa Confidential. Davidson has been resisting pressure from the presidency to: (1) endorse an MOU relating the engagement of Joule Africa, a company that is said to have no past track record in dam assessment and contruction work to undertake a technical feasibility study for Bumbuna Phase II; and (2) the acceptance of a bid from Africa Minerals Limited, a company not having any dam contruction work history and profile, to undertake the contruction of a 750 million dollar dam expansion work while also seeking to be the sole beneficiary of the electricity to be generated by the expanded dam.

To make matters worse, a Sierra Express story is that the last stroke that may have broken Davidson’s back was his recent marriage to the wrong wife, a perceived opposition SLPP woman, an event which according to Sierra Express,had led to “revelations that senior APC members have accused the sacked Minister for betraying the trust of the APC party; and said he is a suspect of an information sell out”.

In spite of all above pointers, President Ernest Bai Koroma’s regime on January 26 2012 publicized another press release which raised more questions than answers in accusing the Africa Confidential(AC) account as erroneous without citing a single line in the AC report that is erroneous. The release also fell short of mentioning the acceptance by the regime of a technical bid from Africa Minerals Limited and about the basis for the engagement of Joule Africato do the feasibility study for Bumbuna II.