Commentary
By: Mohamed M. Sesay
The drama saturated around the former Chief Immigration Officer Andew Jaia Kaikai who also doubles as the Executive Director of the National Drugs Enforcement Law and Agency, Chief Andrew Jaia Kaikai, has left so many Sierra Leoneans perturbed. The country is left dumfounded regarding the missing link between parliament and the Anti-Corruption Commission regarding the former Chief Immigration Officer being gifted with three vehicles.
It constitutionally incumbent on the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment and the Public Service to vet and scrutinize all Presidential Nominees before they consensually sail through parliamentary approval during the plenary session in the main Chambers of the house. The focus of the parliamentary vetting of Presidential Nominees is tailored around competence for the job being nominated for, and further probe into the tract record of the nominee to ensure that the nominee has a certified and sanctified clean record before he/she goes through the crucibles of Parliamentary approval. This is exactly what happened in the case of Chief Andrew Jaia Kaikai, former Chief Immigration Officer.
The commonsensical notion which my uncle in the village tapping palm wine will have is that, once Chief Andrew Jaia Kaikai went through parliamentary approval, it becomes a general perception that there was nothing hiding under carpet of Chief Andrew Jaia kaikai.
During the Parliament interview of Chief Andrew Jaia Kaikai by the appointment committee, one would sense the sincerity in his articulation when responding to questions posed on him by the committee. He was unhesitant and unremorseful by honestly telling the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments and the Public Service that part of his assets, including a G-Wagon Mercedes Benz, Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Fortuner all gifted to him by a friend. Had it not been a man; nobody would have known about the gifted vehicles.
Just after his approval, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) issued a press statement indicating that it has instituted an investigation into the allegation of receipt of vehicles as Gifts by the former Chief Immigration Officer, Andrew Jaiah Kaikai.
What is more unfathomable is the impetuous apprehension of the three vehicles which are in the custody of the ACC pending investigation. Prominent among the many questions people are now asking is whether Chief Andrew Jaia Kaikai is being penalized for the request his father Paramount Chief Ibrahim Jaia Kaikai made to President Julius Maada Bio during the launch of the ‘Feed Salone project in Pujehun; Or it is because Chief Andew Jaia Kaikia might be misconstrued to have Presidential Ambition which has precipitated his unjust indictment so that he could be ostracized from the 2028 race?
Let me ponder my thought in my Andrew Keili’s voice.