“SIERRA LEONE CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVISTS FAIL THE PEOPLE” – OPPOSITION CHIEF WHIP
On Tuesday 15th July 2025 , Opposition Chief Whip, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, appeared on Liberty Online TV to discuss the shortcomings of the recent Institute of Government Reform (IGR) report.
During the interview, Opposition Chief Whip questioned the credibility of the IGR, describing it as a partisan civil society organization. He criticized the report’s claim that the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) effectiveness had dropped by only 14%, calling the figure baseless and misleading. According to him, the actual decline in performance is far worse.
He further alleged that the ACC has become a political tool, used primarily to target opposition leaders accused of corruption while ignoring allegations involving those affiliated with the ruling party. “When it’s the opposition, the Commission is quick to act. He noted, but when it’s one of their own, the response is the complete opposite.
Opposition Chief Whip lamented the growing normalization of corruption, stating,q Corruption has taken center stage with no clear effort to curtail it. He recalled that while the President initially spoke strongly against corruption, it has since become widespread across all sectors, as highlighted in successive audit reports.
To his dismay, he claimed that even the Office of the President has been implicated in embezzlement scandals. Despite overwhelming evidence, the ACC has allegedly failed to conduct any meaningful investigations. ” If these allegations were against the opposition, we would have seen swift action intimidation, harassment, and incarceration* ,”- Opposition Chief Whip made this statement as it has become a habitual practice of the SLPP administration against the opposition members.
Drawing a comparison between the current administration and that of former President Ernest Bai Koroma, Opposition Chief Whip remarked that the former president maintained a strong stance against corruption, ensuring public officials were held accountable. In contrast, he believes the current administration has made little progress in tackling the issue.
What he found particularly disturbing, he said, is the silence of civil society organizations that were once very vocal under the previous APC government. He noted that many of these groups have become inactive or politically compromised. “Some of them are now politicians themselves,” he said, citing CSO activist Mambu, who is now reportedly contesting for the position of SLPP Publicity Secretary.
“It is a shame, that civil society organizations, once champions of accountability, have now contributed to the erosion of our democracy .”
He reaffirmed that the opposition will continue to stand with the people of Sierra Leone, offering itself as the only viable alternative for good governance.
Media and Communications Unit
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