Samuel Kallon 
By Ibrahim Karim Bangura (Tanko)
One of the leading disability rights activist campaigners, Adama Team Foundation-US-UK-SL and the Sierra Leone Association of Deaf (SLAD) has strongly condemned the recent violation of the Sierra Leone Persons with Disabilities Act 2011, specifically regarding the attempted removal of Dr. Vandy Konneh, the current Chairman of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD).
They highlight that the Minister of Social Welfare, Melrose Karminty, misinformed and misguided the government by recommending a new chairman despite there being no vacancy, a clear breach of the 2011 Disability Act. Dr. Konneh was duly appointed on May 16, 2024, and approved by Parliament in June 2024.
The Act outlines clear procedures for the appointment and tenure of the Chairman, including a three-year term and specific conditions for removal (Section 4), relating to lack of performance, incompetency, or criminal behaviour. But Dr. Kanneh’s situation does not fall under these conditions, rendering the sad attempted replacement unlawful.
The National Alliance for Persons with Disabilities, which this Foundation is a part of, demands immediate action: Dr. Konneh should be allowed to complete his term, an investigation into the minister’s actions initiated, policies modified for future compliance, and the unlawful appointment letter retracted. Parliamentarians are urged to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
Osman Amadu Fofanah, Public Relations Officer, SLAD, described the decision of government as unfortunate. “Dr. Konneh is highly proactive and hard-working. We believe in Dr. Konneh despite the challenges. Parliament must reject the so-called new Disabilities’ Commissioner that the Minister and Co. are trying to impose on us,” he explained.
Unfortunately, Africa-24 Newspaper and HotSpot Online TV strongly made all efforts to reach the Minister of Social Welfare, Melrose Karminty, to respond to these sad allegations through her WhatsApp Contact +23278227407 but to no avail.
