By Brima Siaffa

Until the constitution of Sierra Leone is reviewed; with some clauses expunged, the President of the Republic remains the only elephant in the room.

The current 1991 Constitution refers to the president as “The fountain of honour and justice and the symbol of national unity and sovereignty.”
This implies that the president, by virtue of his position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry on Sierra Leoneans, with the Office of the Auditor General of Sierra Leone not been an exception.

The interpretation of the Rule of Law by the Supreme Court of Sierra Leone in the case of Alhaji Samuel Sam-Sumana Vs The Attorney-General & Minster of Justice & Others (SC 4 of 2015) [2015] SLSC 1205 (5 May 2015), remains an explicit clarification of the extensive powers of “the executive authority” of the president as enshrined in our 1991 constitution.

Up to date, many still continue questioning whether the president was right to set aside Lara Taylor-Pearce. Their argument is that the Office of Auditor General of the country is protected by national and international laws.
But many of these people forget the fact that “He who comes to equity must come with clean hands”. Meaning, Lara who make claims on equity must be free from any taint of unprofessionalism with respect to that claim as a professional.

The outcome or impact of our actions goes a long way to determine whether our actions are timely, effective, or warranted. The sanity and professionalism maintained in the work of Audit Services Sierra Leone under the leadership of the acting Auditor General, Mr. Abdul Aziz is testament of how true professionalism can be. His work shows that emotions shouldn’t adulterate our professionalism and job. And when we allow our emotions to enter into our professions, we expose the institutions we head to derision.

The Auditor General’s role is to provide independent oversight and to ensure that public funds are used efficiently and effectively, and this can actually strengthen the credibility and accountability of the government.

The Auditor General’s Report should not be intended to criticize or undermine the President or government, rather, to provide constructive feedback that can help improve public services by identifying areas for improvement in government operations, which can lead to more effective and efficient use of State’s resources.
It is an independent body that should operate devoid of political influence, so as to maintain unbiased and impartial findings and recommendations that help all. When this work is done with utmost professionalism, it can build trust between citizens and government, by demonstrating transparency and accountability.
Reports of the Auditor General should not be seen as threat by any responsible administration as it is a vital component of a healthy democracy.
However, the Auditor General is not above the President or government. The role of ASSL is only essential when it ensures good governance, transparency, and accountability.

The tone of language of the report of the Auditor General has not changed at all even with Mr. Abdul Aziz at the helm, only Chernoh Bah of the Africanist Press, has been made redundant as Mr Abdul Aziz has not unprofessionally leaked content of his reports before publishing it

Believe it or leave it

Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Monday, June 24th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)