Call for Partnership from Sierra Leone Civil Society Union (SL-CSU), IGP talk tough

© Kembay

Call for Partnership from Sierra Leone Civil Society Union (SL-CSU), IGP talk tough

Police Headquarters, George Street Freetown Thursday 1 September, 2022 Responding to call for a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) from a cross section of the Sierra Leone Civil Society Union (SL-CSU), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), William Fayia Sellu expressed dissatisfaction over the lip service and blind eye from civil societies to the killings, injuries and humiliation of police officers by criminals over the years.

In a sad mood, the police chief stated that their colleagues have been killed in the line of duty on several times but have never seen a release coming from the civil societies condemning the act.

According to the IGP, there is nowhere in the world where police are appreciated, simply because, people he said do not want to be regulated which can never be possible.

Even the police IGP said are regulated by the "2001 Police Disciplinary Act" 

IGP Sellu pointed out that the SLP in those days is not the same today, stating that they have graduates with double masters, degrees and advance certificates that qualifies them for any other jobs.

"But we chose to be police, so let us learn to respect each other's job" he said.

SLP he went on to say is not averse to partnership but that base on experience, they have to be mindful.

He recalled the Local Policing Partnership Board (LPPB), which was use by some people to set free suspects. 

Partnership he added have both advantages and disadvantages but for him, he look at individual energy from two sides, the positive and negative and tapped into the former.

He continued that human beings do not have equal strength and capability.

"Your strength can be my weakness and vice versa, that is why, it is good to relate" he said, noting that we now live in an interdependent world.

He asked them to go ahead and design the MOU which can be looked at and make adjustments where necessary.

He emphasis that in as much as the police want to work with them, they expect them to be frank, sincere and genuine with the police.

He discloses that with his years of experience in the police, he can tell a genuine intention from discussion.

He appreciated their moves to sympathize with the Police for the gruesome murder of their compatriots in the August 10 insurrection.

In his contributions, head of the delegation who double as the acting President of SL-CSU, King Kapr Thalleh Bah commended the police for their restrain in handling the August 10 insurrection.

As civil societies, he said they would want to have partnership with the SLP, to see where they can help in raising awareness on security issues and bridging the gap between the public and police on trust.