…says ‘It doesn’t reflect my character’
March 16, 2016 By Alhaji Sulaiman Kargbo
The Director of Agric-Engineering Services Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security has taken great exception to a newspaper publication which, according to him, was a clear misrepresentation of his true character as a dedicated and loyal civil servant of long-standing repute.
‘The Reporter’ newspaper had published a lead story in its Friday February 19, 2016 edition headlined: “New Agric Minister in witch-hunt?”, alleging that the newly-appointed Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Patrick Monty Jones, was deliberately targeting officials that were deemed to have been very close to the erstwhile minister, Dr. Joseph Sam Sesay, and that one of such officials is Mr. Sheku Tejan Kamara.
According to the newspaper report, Mr. Kamara was – prior to the appointment of Prof. Jones as minister – serving as Deputy Chief Agriculture Officer and Director of Engineering alongside one Idara Sheriff, but that the advent of the new minister had seen “the demotion” of Kamara “to just Director of Engineering”.
“I take great exception to this publication because the author of the story never spoke to me before going to press,” said a very disturbed Mr. Kamara. “Reading through the story people might be tempted to have the inclination that it may have emanated from me. But the reality is, I have no hands in it. Besides, the editor of the newspaper could have demonstrated more professionalism by talking to me first on the allegation before publishing that story.”
Mr. Kamara further told this reporter that he has served in the Ministry of Agriculture for decades without his integrity and commitment ever being called into question.
“I’m a civil servant that is always ready to serve. I don’t determine whether I should be promoted or not, or in what capacity I should serve; I discharge my duties with due diligence and always willing to serve my superiors to the best of my ability,” he said.
Moreover, Mr. Kamara reiterated that though the said story may have appeared to have been written in his “favour”, he takes the strongest exception to it as “it does not reflect my true character as a honest, humble, dedicated and loyal civil servant”.