A member and the lead Lawyer of the Renaissance Movement, Francis Ben-Kaifala stated that the group had filed paper to the supreme court challenging authority of the inspector General of Police and the Sierra Leone Police in general with which granted the police authority to give permission to protest in a procession or rather to suggest other route to be used in a procession.
He further mentioned that they have asked the Supreme Court whether the said section which gives the Inspector General the power was not in conflict with section 25 and 26 of the constitution and that the section should not exist hence it come in conflict with the constitution.
Section 25 of the country’s constitution stated that “ Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purpose of this section the said freedom includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference, freedom from interference with his correspondence, freedom to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions, and academic freedom in institutions of learning:”
Whereas section 26 quoted as “Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to any political party, trade unions or other economic, social or professional associations, national or international, for the protection of his interests.”
Executive Director of the movement, Lawyer Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai said most people had misconception coming from various propaganda messages about the group and that they have been called different names such as surrogate of the SLPP, desperate South Eastern Boys and anti APC.
He mentioned that they are not working in consonance with the several names given to them and that they are just a group of young people that accept as true that Sierra Leone was moving towards the wrong direction.
Saffa Abdulai reiterated “when we say group of young people we mean people who belongs to different political and ideological doctrines, so in the Renaissance we have top APC young people whose parent are the founding fathers of the APC who as well believed that things are not going towards the right direction”
