Residents and different political parties and various organizations in the northern part of the country have assured the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Oliver Somasa, of peaceful and non violence elections.
This assurance was given to the DIG during a peace tour to that part of the country to chart the way forward for peaceful and non violent elections.
Addressing participants in Port Loko Osman K Kamara, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ruling Sierra People’s Party (SLPP), said his party had been doing well in Port Loko.
He added that, “our party is tolerant to others and we have been always comporting ourselves”.
The PRO noted that with the help of the vigilant police deployed in Port Loko, his party had opened doors to other parties and treated them as equal in order to develop the community in which they lived.
Abdul K Kamara, the district’s secretary general of the All People’s Congress (APC), said his party “has always been working with other parties in an enabling atmosphere through the work of the police”.
He noted that, “violence is not part of our party’s aims,” and therefore assured the DIG that the forthcoming elections with full cooperation of the police in Port Loko would be free from violence.
A representative from the United National People’s Party (UNPP), Amara Kargbo, pointed out that their party would always follow the message that John Karefa-Smart once told them that “we should strive for peace and progress”.
He stated that the UNPP would work according to the rules and regulations of the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Joseph Momoh from the People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) pointed out that their party stood for peace and unity, and echoed that political activities would never divide the people of Port Loko.
He assured the police that their party would work strictly with the police to ensure that party supporters did not go above the law.
Civil societies, drivers’ unions, masked devil associations, traders, the Sierra Leone Teachers, students’ unions and administrators also gave their support to the police to ensure peace elections come August. In his keynote address, the DIG Oliver Somasa said the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) had developed a mid term strategic plan 2006-2008.
He noted that the strategic plan outlined the SLP’s vision, mission and values, incorporating key goals, priorities and strategies to achieve the mission and vision.
DIG Somasa opined that the police would respect and protect human rights and freedom of individuals, and assured them that “we will be honest, impartial, caring, transparent and free from corruption”.
Outlining the medium-term strategic plan 2006-2008, he maintained that the police would deliver its services through networking with communities and other agencies.
He stated that this relationship would rely on the affective gathering and use of intelligence to detect and prevent crimes.