By: Saidu Jalloh
The Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Mr. William Fayai Sellu has on the 11th October 2023 presented Sierra Leone Police proposed budget for fiscal policy year 2024 to run their activities with a total sum of five hundred and one million, four hundred and seventy five thousand new Leones (NLE 501,475.9) at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, George Street, Freetown.
The Budget hearing was organized by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development to discuss with MDAs and Key Stakeholders the bilateral budget of the Fiscal Year 2024.
Before the hearing, the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Mr. William Fayai Sellu used the opportunity to welcome stakeholders, distinguished guests from all Ministries Departments and the fourth estate. In speaking at the occasion, Mr. William Fayai Sellu gave a brief background of the Sierra Leone Police. He stated that the Sierra Leone Police is the principal security agency that is constitutionally charged with the responsibility of ensuring a safe and secured environment for the people of Sierra Leone. “This is a critical challenge for the organization as policing demands have increased over the years,” he said.
He also maintained that the provision of a safe and secured society is invariably intertwined with the socio economic development of the country. He explained that they also believed that the safety and security are factors that bring economic development. In the process, the Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Mr William Fayai Sellu also denotes the strategic Development plan from 2020 to 2024; he outlined the organization’s mission and vision statement, and strategic objectives to achieve operational efficiency and effectiveness in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities.
“The mission of the police is to work with the public to enhance access to criminal justice, security and stability conducive for economic, social and political developments in Sierra Leone and also highlighted the vision in which he said is a friendly, fair but firm organization which the people can trust, A Force for Good,” Inspector General of Police said.
In the course of promoting the Sierra Leone Police, he explained the strategic priorities and outcomes of the Police in which he maintained that they have improved accountability framework, maintaining and improving partnership and community relations, strategic innovation and welfare conditions of service of police officer.
He also added that they have enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of SLP for professional services delivery and implementation of national l, regional, divisional and departmental monthly and monitoring regimes to increase citizen’s participation through cooperation and enhance inter- institutional relationship.
Mr. William Fayai Sellu also takes the audience through the police Fiscal Year of 2022 revenue generation. He highlighted the amount of revenue generates in each month of that year, and also the budget performance and performance and expenditure profile of 2022.
He also stated the key delivery variables of the police in 2022 in which he said they acquired and enhanced the Sierra Leone Police Communication Network nationwide and 30% advance payment for the supply and installation of a Digital Radio communication systems has been made and delivery is ongoing also the construction of Mattru Jong Regional Head Quarter which 95% completed and 30%advance payment was made and further payment is in progress. He added that they acquired 100 (4×4) Land Cruisers and 150 Trucks for 2023 election preparedness. He said that they have recruited 2,500 police personnel.
According to Mr. William Fayai Sellu he said that the Sierra Leone like any other institution has challenges and those challenges are meant to be overcome.
He stated these challenges which he said are increasing personnel gaps created as a result of the attrition rate, increasing demand for policing services with emerging communities and contemporary security related issues, budgetary shortfall and untimely disbursement of budgetary allocations, inadequate communication equipment’s.
The existing communication system had been with them since 2000 and even the residue of the equipment’s are no longer useful, inadequate patrol vehicles including special traffic operation vehicles and motor cycles and inadequate barracks accommodation for personnel across the country in which most of the barracks quarters are in deplorable conditions that require urgent attention.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. William Fayai Sellu also highlighted the achievement of the Sierra Leone Police. He said their achievement is remarkable in which one of them is de-escalating the August 10th protest which disturbed public peace in Western Area and some other parts in the provinces.
“Six police officers were killed by protesters and some civilians lost their lives. Police stations and government vehicles were burnt down and destroyed,” Mr. William Fayai Sellu stated.
He furthered that they had over the years worked relentlessly to mainstream gender in all fronts (operation, CDIID, CID, Traffic, OSD, and FSU).
He added that they had also established two policies which are Gender mainstreaming and the Sexual Exploitation, abuse and harassment policies, and also enhanced the collection and provision of crime statistics reports in 2022 to develop strategies to tackle youth violence, lawlessness and indiscipline in communities.
The Inspector General of Sierra Leone Police, Mr William Fayai Sellu climaxed the program with the amount of money or budget the police needs for 2024 to run their activities in which he said is five hundred and one million, four hundred and seventy five thousand new Leones (NLE 501,475.9).