Acting President Meets Government Ministers

Acting President, Honourable Justice Edmond Kadoni Cowan, met formally with Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers on Thursday 16 October at State House.

Acting President Justice Cowan told the Ministers that since he took the oath of office on Monday night, 13th October, he said he had thought it necessary to have a formal meeting with Ministers who according to him "run the affairs of State".

He informed the Ministers that he was acting because of a constitutional provision that provides that when both the President and Vice President were not in the country, it was the Speaker of Parliament that should act as President. Acting President Cowan therefore called on the Ministers, government officials and all Sierra Leoneans to co-operate with him during the absence of President Kabbah and Vice President Solomon Berewa.

"If I succeed, it will be the success of all of us and I therefore call on you to help me since I have to rely on you for government to succeed," the Acting President entreated.

Acting President Cowan drew the attention of Ministers to be alert and said the absence of both the President and Vice President demonstrated that peace and security were now getting well entrenched. He called on them to help strengthen the country's security even further.

The Ministers were presented to the Acting President by Mr. JPK Lamin, Secretary to the cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, while a statement of reassurance was made by Professor Septimus Kai-kai, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, on behalf of all Ministers