Despite official request by the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry (SLCCAI) led by President Christo Forster and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), James Koroma to give account of their stewardship, they have   remained defiant to do so even after two years of the expiration of their tenure.

This shady situation has led to the apparent collapse of once Sierra Leone’s vibrant Chamber.

Since the current executive took over office from Madam Gladys Strasser-King’s led administration whose mandate expired in 2015, its operations [ Forster’s executive] have largely remained ‘shrouded in secrecy’ and have deliberately refused to give account on their operations.

The mandate of the current executive expired over two years ago but the leadership has refused to conduct elections to give way to another body much to the chagrin, indignant and annoyance of the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

This prompted the ministry to write the so-called weak, expired and corrupt executive to do the needful as enshrined in the Sierra Leone Companies Act (CAP, 249), Memorandum and Articles of Association of Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture.

Appalled by its nonperformance, the Trade Ministry in a strongly worded letter to the executive sometime in September last year, stated “that the ministry was of the view that Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industry being one of the oldest trade unions in Sierra Leone, could have been one of the champions to promote the ethos enunciated in the national corporate governance Code (NCGC) but this has not been the case.”

The ministry lately insists that it has become evident that the spirit and intent of this code are being flouted with impunity by the Chamber over the years in a number of ways including but not limited to its inability to convene Annual General Meeting (AGM), to lack of audited annual statements over the years, inability to conduct elections, lack of team work, poor information flow, lack of transparency and accountability, conflict of interest, poor decision making, lack of compliance with policies and procedures and lack of dialogue and engagements with its constituents and the general public and Ministry of Trade.

It’s reported that it took the executive three months to reply after receiving the letter with the promise to fixing the problems within some months, but has refused to do so till date and for which inactions by the executive that have made many people following this development to describe as gross affront and disrespect not only to the ministry but also to the government in general.

In addition to the numerous claims made, the outdated executive is also accused to have refused to account an allegedly 1.7 billion Leones they’d previously received from Gladys Strasser-King’s administration following the handing over of office to the new administration.

Our sources said the executive, for the last three years, has failed to represent the interest of the Chamber, culminating into the abrupt end of annual agricultural show events in which farmers all over the country have the opportunity to exhibit their produce.

And to prove that there is lack of transparency, accountability and a bridge in information flow by the embattled executive, reports say two senior members of the executive recently clandestinely met with the new Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Senge and the outcome of that meeting has been kept in secrecy.

“In fact, we only came to know about it when the minister himself posted it on his facebook page,” a despondent member had voiced out, insisting that no responsible executive can behave that way. Another dejected member added: “But that has been our own situation here over the years where those who think they are in charge and not answerable to anyone take decision on their own without informing or consulting others.”

This growingly frustrating issue has now remained a serious challenge to government which is left with two open choices – either to force out the defiant and expired executive to relinquish their powers or to allow the total collapse of the Chamber at the detriment of the public.

Keep tuned for more developments as we keep digging the facts on this matter.