By Chernor Juldeh Bah, IEC Officer – WARDC
On May 8th, 2024, the Western Area Rural District Council (WARDC) officially inaugurated a team of seven Metropolitan Officers at a commissioning ceremony held at the WARDC Council Hall. These officers are tasked with leading the rebranding efforts within the Council’s metro policing division.
Mr. Festus Kallay, the Chief Administrator, emphasized that this initiative underscores the Council’s commitment to maximizing revenue, improving waste management, and enhancing domestic sanitation across the district. He noted that updating the officers’ uniforms marks the beginning of a comprehensive rebranding effort aimed at empowering them to enforce council policies effectively.
WARDC Chairman Kasho J. Holland Cole expressed his satisfaction with the creation of this rebranded metro unit, which will act as the public face of the Council. He highlighted the unit’s crucial role in revenue generation, waste management, street trading regulation, and domestic sanitation enforcement.
Chairman Cole described the officers as agents of good service delivery within the district, urging them to collaborate closely with the Sierra Leone Police and Armed Forces.
He stressed that the values of respectability, unity, and decency must define all Metropolitan Officers under the rebranding initiative.
Commissioner Fudzi TC Agbewanu, who heads the new Metro Police, delivered a brief but impactful vote of thanks. He expressed gratitude for the Council’s trust and pledged to lead the unit with utmost respectability, emphasizing its pivotal role in Council service delivery.
The commissioned Metropolitan Officers include Deputy Commissioner Posseh S. Conteh as Deputy Head of Metro, Assistant Deputy Commissioner John Albert Simbo as Head of Operations, Chief Superintendent Mohammed I. Mansaray as Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Phillip Dalton Taylor as Media Officer, Chief Superintendent Saidu Rashid Dumbuya as Training & Disciplinary Officer, and Superintendent Eric Koroma as Admin/Support Officer.
Representatives from village heads, councilors, the Sierra Leone Police, Armed Forces, Office of National Security (ONS), Civil Society, Freetown City Council Metro Unit, and the media attended the commissioning ceremony.
