It is also usual in Sierra Leone that when a cabinet minister ceases to be a cabinet minister that cabinet minister automatically relinquishes and/or loses all privileges including state security detail, state residence and other privileges offered by the state to serving cabinet ministers. The same applies for Members of Parliament who lose their seats or retire from active politics.
The only two prominent positions that maintain some state privileges even after they are no longer in active service or have retired are the positions of president and vice president of the republic. And when you look at all former heads of state apart from military leaders, they are accorded the trappings and pleasures that go with life for retired presidents and vice presidents of the republic…and so far, all former presidents and vice presidents have and are still benefiting from state privileges accorded to statesman of such caliber.
It therefore becomes a concern when it is bandied about that the SLPP administration has stripped Dr. Samura Kamara of his state security detail. But what the people saying this do not realize is that the security detail assigned to Dr. Samura Kamara and the host of other presidential candidates was on account of them contending for the highest seat in the land and so therefore, each and every one of the sixteen presidential candidates were provided with adequate armed state security for their personal safety.
But now that the elections are over and the country has one president, what is wrong with withdrawing state security detail from people who contested the elections but lost? Must the state continue to waste human resource and funds on people who do not deserve this privilege as such privileges are only reserved for former presidents and vice presidents?
Dr. Samura Kamara with all respect to him knows full well the nature, method and intricacies surrounding deployment of state security personnel. He is fully aware that it is only former presidents and former vice presidents that are qualified for lifetime security provided by the state security apparatus alongside other staff provided by the state such as cooks, valet, driver, gardener, and other essential staff as provided by the constitution.
Therefore, anyone that is angry or disappointed over the withdrawal of state security personnel from former presidential candidate of the APC Dr. Samura Kamara must take solace in the fact that Samura Kamara has never been president or vice president of the republic. They should be comforted by the fact that it is only former presidents and vice presidents that are entitled to such state honor until they die!
Had state security deployment been a right for defeated presidential candidates, then the C4C, NGC, UP, RUFP, ADP and other defeated party presidential candidates would be adamant about having their own security details withdrawn the moment the announcement naming the winner and identifying the losers was made. However, it seems they know better.
At this point in time, it is no use whining and complaining about something which is beyond reach. What most people are expecting of Dr. Samura Kamara at this point in time is for him to refrain from making public statements which have the tendency of destroying whatever chances he might have of a comeback presidential ticket under the APC which die-hard APC operatives say is virtually impossible for obvious reasons.
What is definitely unimportant and irrelevant at this point in time is the withdrawal of armed security personnel from Dr. Samura Kamara because he can after all apply and pay for the service of armed guards if he feels his life is threatened which it is not. This is what people say is important.
