In a brief ceremony, President Dr. Julius Maada Bio honoured the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Peter Kakowou Lavahun, and the newly appointed security chiefs including Inspector General of Police, William Fayia Sellu.
He thanked them, emphasising that God had granted them their promotions, while simultaneously making clear that they had a mountain of work ahead of them.
“At a point in time in the world when things are not very steady, we have emerging and overlapping issues. We have to rise to these tasks. The police are at the forefront daily to maintain law and order and keep the peace, while the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces, RSLAF, defend the territorial integrity of our nation. This is by no means a menial task,” he said.
The recent event on August 10 had demonstrated that there were people hell-bent on upsetting the peace and harmony of the nation, according to President Bio, who went on to say that it was expected of the police and the military to defend Sierra Leone‘s citizens and provide a space for everyone to be peaceful.
“Unfortunately, we have our compatriots who are equally determined to break that resolve to keep us safe and united as a nation. They are so determined to even incite the military to take over,” he lamented, adding: “The task on your shoulders is heavy, but it has to be performed with diligence if we are to feel safe and carry on like other decent societies in the world”.
“We must make Sierra Leone safer in the first place because it is in that ecosystem of safety and security that investments and other good things will take place. This is why we are particular about peace and security, and we want to make sure that we can provide the jobs that young people need.
“It takes the collective efforts of every society to create that stable environment, which is why we cannot leave the peace and security of this country in the hands of the police alone,” he noted and assured the police of government’s commitment to investigating the August 10 insurrection that led to the killing of police officers and other civilians.
IGP William Fayia Sellu and CDS Major General Peter Kakowou Lavahun were chosen by Parliament as suitable candidates to take office on Thursday, August 4, 2022, subject to Sections 157 and 168 of the 1991 Constitution, Secretary to the President Dr. Julius Sandy said while administering the oaths to the IGP and CDS.
The gentlemen were permitted to take the oath of their different offices, adorn, and proceed to sign the government register after having satisfied the constitutional requirements.
The swearing-in ceremony and the decoration attracted the decoration of five additional military personnel, including Brigadier General Dauda Fred Alpha, Brigadier General Christian Fahim Marah, Group Captain John Alfred Sahr Gbondo, Group Captain Michael Sorieba Kamara, and Captain Navy Philip Jesbert Juana.