June 28, 2018
(Standing) BRU Board Chairman Daniel Tucker
The Board Chairman of the Sierra Leone Motor Bike Riders Union (BRU), Daniel Tucker, has in a consultative dialogue meeting held on Tuesday at the Ministry of Youth Affairs conference room, disclosed that the tenure of the current national executive has expired since February 2017, and that there was urgent need to organize an immediate national delegates’ conference to install new executive members.
The meeting which was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs-Lusine Kallon brought together representatives of the Sierra Leone Police, Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Civil Society Organisations and different media houses.
The Board Chairman continued that he was the President of the Union and facilitated the setting up of all other executives in preparedness of the Union’s national election, but that did not materialize.
According to him, the constitutional mandates of the current executives expired over a year ago but that they were still asking for more time contrary to the Union’s constitution.
In his letter addressed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the former Secretary General of the Union representing Lumley Park, Anthony Kpulun ,alleged that because the current executive members have over stayed their tenure, they were calling for a caretaker executive that will oversee their electioneering process.
“Failure by the current executive to account for the two hundred million Leones donated to the Union by the Government of Sierra Leone has warranted an immediate investigation,” he said. He claimed that the current executive has abused and violated the constitution by not being accountable to the general membership with special reference to the revenue collected through the sale of tickets.
The Public Relations Officer of the BRU, Alusine Dumbuya, has denied the allegation of misappropriating the Union’s funds. He admitted that their tenure has expired but pleaded for more time making reference to former President Ernest Bai Koroma who added few weeks to his term limit.
The Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs stated that they intervened to amicably resolve the internal conflict because the matter hinges on the security of the state and members of the sector falls under the purview of the ministry.
He further stated that the dissatisfied members made an official complaint and the concerns raised in the letter needed utmost attention without fear or favour.
According him, all recommendations were adhered to excluding the setting up of a caretaker executive that will oversee the entire elections that will be scheduled for an appropriate date. Among the recommendations suggested by the representative of the Inspector General of Police, he said there was need for an urgent review of the Union’s constitution and the popularization of the reviewed constitution.
He noted that in as much as the current executive has admitted that their tenure has expired, there was need for them to support the ministry in setting up of a caretaker executive that would superintend the electioneering process.
The Deputy Minister said with support from his boss, Hon. Mohamed Orman Bangura, the issue will be addressed to the satisfaction of the two factions.