Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya: Possibly, Next APC Sec. Gen

Lawyer LansanaDumbuya who has twice contested for the APC National Secretary General position is the reinvigorated hope of the party to power in 2023.

This legal luminary who has been in the APC since his teenage years has an enviable profile both nationally and internationally. His international assignments inter alia span from serving as part of the initial defense team of Charles Taylor in the Special Court for Sierra Leone to being a prosecutor in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda a UN Court established in Arusha to prosecute the genocide against the Tutsis. In fact, he was working with the United Nations in Tanzania when he decided to come home and serve his party and by extension, his people. He has  represented the party in several legal matters viz. Edie Turay, Serry Kamal vs Ernest Koroma, Koita, Daramy and Herbert  vs the State, the Commission of Inquiry and many more, He was part of the Nine-Man Committee and the Constitutional Review Committee formed by the party after the 2018 elections. He has practised law for over two decades after earning his Master in Human Rights Law and Democratization in Africa in one of the best universities in Africa, the University of Pretoria. Suffice it to say that he is not only a human rights lawyer but a democrat as well. Comrades will agree with me that there is no better time of having a democrat at the helm of affairs than this time. He has respectfully waited even when the party in two consecutive delegate conferences did not give him the mandate to serve in that capacity. Even though he was one of the contestants for the Party’s Secretary General position in 2013, he boldly nominated Osman FodayYansaneh for the position he was vying for, in that convention and he (MrDumbuya) is always remembered for fondly remarking in that Convention that, “Dis APCnesskiŋmɔnasɔmtɛm o” taking into consideration the resources he had invested in mounting a thorough pre-convention campaign. He has done so much for the party in addition to his legal services. He was the Head of Litigation for LAWCLA where he won so many high profile cases for that institution. Mr.Dumbuya is an honest, reliable, and transparent gentleman with a profound sense of responsibility. His dedication to the party is quite refreshing especially as one considers his willingness at all times to oblige. He is very keen, sharp and analytical in his responses and presentations. He is certainly very intelligent and extremely critical about issues. He is pleasant and very respectful with an endearing and trusting attitude. This must not suggest a weakness in him but conversely, a discerning character capable to psychoanalyze those whom he reveres and respects. This piece will not be enough to outline all his activities for the party.

MrDumbuya is fearless but respectful to all who have served in various capacities in the party including the current National Secretary General. This young and brilliant gentleman has what it takes to improve on the unity of the party and add to the gains his predecessor.

Pademba Road Prison to be Relocated

By Bampia James Bundu

The Minister of Internal Affairs Mr. David Panda Noah has revealed that his Ministry is working on relocating the Pademba Road Male and Female Correctional Centers to Songo village. He made this disclosure at the weekly government Press Conference held at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Communications 8th Floor Youyi Building in Freetown on Thursday 26th August 2021.

The Internal Affairs Minister explained that the current location at Pademba Road in Freetown is not ideal to maintain a maximum correctional centre. He said the Prison has become part of the central business district and other buildings are overlooking it, making it unfit for its present location.

He furthered that It is also not good for the general public living around that area, in the event of a prison break or attempted prison break.  Often times, it is difficult for security personnel to effectively man or cordon the area as required because of other residents around the area. Inmates can mostly be difficult to control in such eventualities.

Minister Noah revealed that the maximum prison was built for 324 inmates but it is currently housing over 1,500 inmates. He gave a breakdown of the current occupancy as follows;

Howard 72,

Blyden 72,

Clarkson 72,

Wilberforce 72,

Condemn and separate cells 14,

Remand 22,

Total= 324.

“Separating inmates is difficult due to the lack of space in the center. That and many other reasons have prompted us to relocate the prisons to a more suitable location where they will be categorised,” he said.

Mr.Noah added that they have already secured a piece of land in Songo and by December of this year, all ground work would have been completed for the start of the construction of the new prison.

He revealed that relocating the center will also decongest the central business area, and allow for the construction of modern facilities in the CBD. More development programs and projects in the community such as schools, market, electricity, water supply, courts, etc. can be undertaken without much headache.

Minister Noah promised to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that a buy-in for the relocation of the Pademba Road Correctional Centre is sought. In order to avoid any problem and backlash, government will conduct land surveys, produce draft conveyance for signatures, install beacons, and negotiate and determine compensations for land owning families.

The Minister used the opportunity to caution all government officials who are in the habit of covering their number plates as they move around the country to desist.

He described such an act as a chargeable offence and called on the police to arrest anyone in contravention of the law.

“I have instructed the security sector to arrest anybody caught in the act of covering their number plates. Irrespective of who the individuals are, they will face the full force of the law,” he said.