Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara (JFK), has raised concerns over the role of the First Lady in the official commissioning of the newly constructed Military Hospital at Teko Barracks, arguing that the event should have been handled strictly as a state function.

In a public statement issued on Monday, JFK described the opening ceremony as “an official State Ceremony, not a social event,” stressing that assigning the First Lady to lead such an activity amounted to “a concerning misstep.”

According to him, the First Lady holds no constitutional or statutory authority to preside over state duties of this nature, particularly those involving the security sector. He noted that her involvement could be interpreted as a conflict of interest and a potential undermining of constitutionally mandated roles.

JFK further suggested that the development risked “rendering the Vice President’s role redundant,” especially in matters where the Vice President is constitutionally recognized as the Principal Assistant to the President under Section 54(1) of the 1991 Constitution.

The former Attorney General also linked his concerns to what he described as the growing “Ebema” movement—aligned with the First Lady’s speculated 2028 presidential aspirations—which, in his view, makes her presence at high-profile state functions even more politically sensitive.

He warned that allowing someone with perceived political ambitions to preside over a significant military assignment “poses a serious political compromise, blurring the lines between state duty and political ambition.”

JFK concluded that constitutional prudence should have guided the decision-making process, stating that the Vice President would have been the appropriate official to deputize for the President during the ceremony, thus preserving “the integrity of both the event and the offices involved.”