On Saturday 14th September, 2023, at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA), Hastings Campus, the Inspector General of the Sierra Leone Police – Mr. William Fayia Sellu officially welcomed the fourth batch of Formed Police Unit Contingent who had successfully accomplished their peacekeeping mission in Somalia, to now brace up for policing services here, at home.
According to IGP Sellu, lots of accolades were showered on them with regards their performance, noting that the exemplary performance they exhibited in Mission should now be replicated here at home, he added.
IGP informed them that they will be kept together as a unit for some time, to help undertake special policing assignments, especially during the yuletide period.
“You are going to be a reserve force, as we need this manpower to support operational activities,” Mr. Sellu stated, while assuring them that they would not be put under pressure but rather emphasized that they must always expect and be ready for a call to duty as and when the need arises, IGP Sellu noted.
The Police Chief went further to sate that management had arranged an easy-to-do duty system so as to enhance their service delivery.
The Police Chief maintained that lots of things had changed during their absence, citing the conduct of the multi-tier elections among other things, and that even within the corporate structure of the organization (SLP), a lot had changed.
December 1st to January 15th, the IGP noted, is a critical time when we shall have our brothers, sisters and other tourists coming from the diaspora to enjoy with us in Sierra Leone.
In a thoughtful mood, IGP Sellu reiterated that the SLP has developed a zero-tolerance approach to drug abuse; citing some personnel that were sacked and others that were charged to court for drugs.
He also warned against politics, stressing that Police Officers are on oath to serve the nation, and for which their loyalty must therefore be to the organization.
Keeping you for the special assignments, he said, comes with other benefits including training like the FPU-5; as they benefited from lots of trainings which helped them to be rated highly by the AU Assessment Team as the best FPU. That group, he noted, were used to restore law and order in places like Makeni, after the killing of one of our officers (Banya), Magburaka and other places. This, he said, made them strong and fit for whatever duty, they were engaged in.
IGP Sellu implored all and sundry to do their best for the safety and security of the country and wished them a pleasant stay in the job and their respective homes.
