My Vision Is to Reset the SLP: IGP Sellu Launches Sweeping Reforms After Promotion Audit
Sia Lucy Kannah The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr William Fayia Sellu, has reaffirmed his commitment to resetting the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), restoring public trust and strengthening citizens’ confidence in the institution through enhanced professionalism, accountability and people-centred policing.
The Police Chief made this declaration during a press conference held at the Senior Police Officers’ Mess, Kingtom, where he addressed journalists on the outcome of the review of the controversial 2026 police promotion exercise, which was initially announced on 12 October 2026.
Addressing the circumstances surrounding the initial 4,232 promotions, IGP Sellu disclosed that the exercise, conducted under the then Director of Human Resource Management and his team, was characterised by several anomalies and procedural irregularities that fell short of the professional standards expected of the institution.
He explained that, upon assuming responsibility for leading the SLP, he took two major decisions to address the concerns surrounding the promotion exercise.
The first was to cancel the initial promotion list and establish a review committee, headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Andrew Mustapha Kamara, with a mandate to thoroughly examine the exercise and verify the eligibility of personnel recommended for promotion.
The second decision was to initiate an investigation into the conduct of the Human Resource Department in relation to the promotion process. However, he explained that the investigation was deferred to allow the review committee to complete its work and establish the facts surrounding the identified irregularities.
With the review now completed and evidence of irregularities established, the IGP confirmed that investigations into the conduct of the Human Resource Department would commence.
The Police Chief also explained the rationale behind the decentralisation of the 2026 promotion exercise. He noted that the previous system, which concentrated the processing of promotions exclusively at Police Headquarters, undermined the authority of Local Unit Commanders (LUCs), departmental heads and other commanders.
He observed that this arrangement created opportunities for some personnel to disregard the authority of their immediate commanders and bypass the established chain of command whenever promotion opportunities arose.
To illustrate this, he explained that an officer serving in a particular police division could disregard the authority of the LUC but would subsequently approach Police Headquarters directly when seeking promotion.
According to him, such practices disadvantaged deserving officers and weakened command, control and discipline within the Force.
To address these shortcomings, the 2026 promotion exercise was decentralised, requiring LUCs, departmental heads, unit commanders and other relevant authorities to submit performance appraisals and recommendations for personnel under their respective commands.
He further disclosed that the review committee assessed personnel against three principal criteria: date of enlistment, academic qualifications and date of last promotion.
Providing an update on the outcome of the review, IGP Sellu disclosed that approximately 2,500 of the personnel initially promoted had been found to meet the required eligibility criteria.
He further announced that an additional 1,300 personnel would benefit from supplementary promotions, bringing the total number of personnel expected to benefit from the reviewed exercise to approximately 3,800.
He explained that 700 approved promotion positions would remain vacant, as they formed part of the allocation granted by the Government through the Ministry of Finance.
The outcome of the review represents a significant development in the SLP’s 2026 promotion exercise, which has generated considerable debate among police personnel and members of the public.
However, the IGP emphasised that the exercise was not merely about promoting individual officers but was part of a broader institutional reform agenda aimed at strengthening professionalism, internal accountability, discipline and respect for the chain of command.
Finally, he reiterated that his vision was to reset the Sierra Leone Police, rebuild public confidence and transform the institution into a more disciplined, accountable, responsive and professional service.