Minister charges claims are ‘frivolous’
August 31, 2017 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Deputy minister of Information and Communication, Cornelius Devaux
Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Cornelius Deveaux, has described as frivolous and lack any iota of truth, claims made by Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray that the inferno which gutted his office on Tuesday morning was ‘politically motivated’ and masterminded by the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) government.
The APC cabinet minister said Mr. Mansaray has to provide sufficient evidence that would point directly to the ruling party and not just allegations that are not substantiated.
“In as much as I didn’t have the authority to tell the cause of the fire, but I can categorically say that the claims made by the ADP leader are frivolous and do not have any iota of truth,” he said.
When asked that the claims could have been emanated from the fact that Kamarainba has been the only opposition leader, who has been critical and attacking government on issues of national importance, Mr. Devaux said Kamarainba is just a ‘small fish’ in an ocean of big fishes that are worth chasing.
“We are not worried about opposition, not even the likes of Kamarainba. These are smaller parties. We are not a government that is averse to criticism. We have always welcome criticism because our government prides itself as a listening government,” he said.
The deputy minister said government has always welcome a vibrant opposition that would help them correct their wrongs, noting that the ADP headquarter was gutted down by fire, and that only the national Fire Services that has the authority to tell the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the National Fire Force was yet to make public the cause of the fire, although Kamarainba had claimed that two unidentified men sent a petrol bomb into his office and set it ablaze.
According to Minister Deveaux, the office might have allegedly been set ablaze by the very party members as there were series of internal wrangling in the party.
“And we must also not forget about the fact that the ADP is currently engulfed in series of internal wrangling that could have made it possible for one of their members to have involved in such a diabolic action,” he said.
It could be recalled that a two-story-building that housed the Headquarters of the Alliance Democratic Party on Rawdon Street was burnt down on Tuesday, 29, August 2017.