The Deputy Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission has served out his five-year term after his appointment in September 2008. In that time, Morlai Buya-Kamara acted as Commissioner for eight months after the resignation of Abdul Tejan-Cole.
Now Buya-Kamara has been reassigned by President Ernest Bai Koroma to become the Director of the Freetown International Airport Mamamah Project, in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation. Politico’s Fasalie S. Kamara spoke with him about his former and current jobs. Interesting read.
Politico: How was it like as Deputy Commissioner and sometimes Acting Commissioner of the institution set up to fight against corruption in Sierra Leone?
Buya-Kamara: Well, for me it was a divine call. Even before the call, I had personally espoused all the tenets and values that the commission stood for. I was a close watcher of issues bordering on governance, moral uprightness, the integrity of the nation and a high sense of nationalism. So when I was appointed, I saw it as some kind of a divine confirmation in being a part of the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone.
Politico: It has been a mixed bag for the ACC in that it has won and lost cases. What can you say about that?
Buya-Kamara: The mandate of the commission is very clear. And if there is anything we need in this country after the war it is the Anti Corruption Commission. As the TRC pointed out, Sierra Leone had a serious issue bordering on good governance and corruption that engulfed this nation. Therefore, when ACC was established, it was welcome news. But let me say the work of the commission is a very difficult job, certainly not impossible. The question of winning and losing is fact of life. Sometimes you win sometimes you lose. But what is important is the resilience to continue. For me that is what is unquestionable, whether as a nation we will give up the fight or continue. The issue of the commission winning and losing cases has to be looked into. Let me also say the fight against corruption is not a single faceted thing…You have the police, judiciary, media and civil society. So let us not forget an issue that has to do with courts. The commission will only investigate and send the matter to court.
Politico: Did you at any point in time feel or become frustrated by the actions of the court?
Buya-Kamara: Well, I wouldn’t say frustrated. Ah, I believe strongly in the rule of law and I have to believe in the judiciary. But what sometimes I felt personally frustrated about was not so much about the decision of the court, but sometimes the issues that surrounded that [court’s] decision-making, the other actors in the decision-making processes, the pros and cons.
Politico: What do you think those players ought to have done that they did not do?
Buya-Kamara: I wouldn’t want to cast aspersions on anyone or blame, but sometimes I am of the view that we pay a lot of lip service to the fight against corruption in this country. To me that is what I have come to learn in these five years. You know, key players that are supposed to lead the fight are paying lip service to it. That is not helping.
Politico: Many people say corruption is on the increase. What do you think the ACC should do in strengthening the fight against graft?
Buya-Kamara: If corruption is on the increase or decrease, I look forward to a study that informs that. I wouldn’t say for sure that corruption is on the increase or decrease. What I know is that if we are able to deal with the issue of adherence to the rule of law that will be able to help a lot in the fight against corruption [in Sierra Leone].
Politico: Has there been any research by the commission to determine whether corruption is on the increase?
Buya-Kamara: Yes, we conducted one in 2010 called the Public Perception Survey. Part of the question was whether people believed the commission in the fight against corruption or whether people believed the commission itself was corrupt. Yes! There is some element of mistrust but quite a good number believe in the commission.
Politico: Is the commission independent? I mean as far as you know was there a time at any point in time when instructions / pressure came from the powers that-be to do certain things in a certain way?
Buya-Kamara: No! You see, the other thing is this: when you work at the level of a Commissioner, even though Sierra Leone is small, you will see Sierra Leone much smaller than what you really see on the map. We are all very connected. We are all much related and ah, we intermarry and have other connections either through the schools we attended, organisations we belong to and even family ties. It is there. That is not to say one should exhibit the tendency of compromising. For me, I draw a line between all those associations and doing my job.
Politico: Sometimes people frown at the commission in its pursuit of corrupt officials sometimes they even accuse you of “selective justice”. They cite the NASSIT ferry case in which you chose to settle for an out-of-court settlement while you prosecute others. How did the commission reach that decision?
Buya-Kamara: We do not always use the policy of one-size-fits-all, and certainly not in this case. By that I mean you don’t have to take the same decision in every case that comes before you. Every case has to be treated based on the evidence before you. There would have been a major implication which I am not at liberty to explain on record [if we had charged that ferry matter to court]. Sometimes as a Commissioner you will be in a very difficult position and you will have to weigh the pros and cons. That is not to say you should not take a decision you have to take. And let me say this, may be for the records, in decision-making you don’t get it always. And one thing you must not always shy away from doing is to take a decision. As a leader sometimes you get it right sometimes you get it wrong. If you get it right, bravo! If you get it wrong, you learn from it and move on and try again next time.
Politico: You worked under two bosses?
Buya-Kamara: Yes! Very much so [Laughs].
Politico: What is your assessment of the two?
Buya-Kamara: Wow! Honestly I need to be enrolled again for another university to answer that question. What I am not certainly going to do here is to talk about their style of leadership especially when one of them is a serving commissioner. But what I will say is that it has been very, very interesting and a very good learning process. The experience of two will always be greater than the experience of one. So that is a benefit for me. Certainly we may have disagreed in some decision-making because we all come from different backgrounds but we had a very good working relationship and I learnt a lot from them.
Politico: Now you have been appointed to a new office, what does the new job entail?
Buya-Kamara: After 50 years, we are now going to do a new airport as a nation which is called the Freetown International Airport Project Mamamah. It is almost 38 miles from Freetown. It is going to be a very important airport. As you may know an airport is the gateway to any country and we need to reposition ourselves to be very competitive in the international business world. One of the ways is to build a new airport that fits that purpose. That is the project I am going to be heading. Over and above that we are also planning a new airport city ensuring that the airport doesn’t sit there alone but there are other facilities and the place should be an infrastructural outfit that should be able to facilitate the operations of the airport.
Politico: How many hectares of land are we talking about?
Buya-Kamara: I cannot give you the exact figure because we are yet to do the final survey. What I can say is that it spans from Songo just after Waterloo, right up to the Okra Hill end.
Politico: The project will affect dozens of communities and perhaps thousands of people?
Buya-Kamara: That is correct.
Politico: What will you do for these affected communities to ensure they get a better life?
Buya-Kamara: Honestly a lot of work has been put in place. We have set up inter-ministerial committees, technical committees, etc. Definitely relocation is key. It is very early to give answers to these types of questions. But if you can come back three weeks down the line I will be able to give you concrete answers, tangible road maps in terms of how we will address all those issues.
Politico: and the cost of the project?
Buya-Kamara: The cost is still work in progress. I cannot give you figures now. I know quite many figures have been flying here and there but after my review in the seven days I have been here, I would rather say: give us some couple of days.
Politico: And the duration of the project?
Buya-Kamara: Between 4-5 years.
Politico: Kick off time?
Buya-Kamara: The kick-off time is almost here. It doesn’t mean when you start building concrete blocks. The kick-off time will be when we start engaging communities and start relocations and compensations.
Politico: Where will the funds come from?
Buya-Kamara: The government has been in contact with the Chinese government, through the Exim Bank, that shall be funding the project. But again all the ramifications of that funding shall be made clearer in subsequent interviews.
Politico: Which means you have not yet agreed on terms with the Chinese government?
Buya-Kamara: No! What I can say is that we still have some i’s to dot and t’s to cross. But we are getting there.
Politico: Is the Chinese government doing this for free?
Buya-Kamara: All of this is still early time…But…There must be some costs attached to it. We are still on the negotiation. Give us some time.
Politico: What will be the Sierra Leone Government’s contribution to this project?
Buya-Kamara: Already government has established the PIU Office which I now head. Government will also put aside seed money for compensation.
Politico: Thank you very much sir.
Buya-Kamara: You are welcome.
© Politico 07/11/13
