The upheaval at the Vancouver Police Board continues as another one of its members — Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba — has resigned and its executive director Jason Kuzminski is no longer on the job as of last week.
Sakoma-Fadugba, who was appointed to the board in February 2022, resigned Nov. 22 after screenshots of her controversial Instagram posts were shared on Reddit, the online social network platform.
She is the third police board member to resign since June 2023.
Meanwhile, Kuzminski, who joined the board in April 2023 as executive director, is also no longer on the board. Reached Monday, he declined to provide details of his unexpected departure.
In the posts, Sakoma-Fadugba raised concerns about the erosion of Christian values, immigration and “a woke culture that has led to the removal of Canadian heroes like Terry Fox from our passports, and the erasure of veterans from the same.”
“The implications of an immigration system that allowed for mass immigration without considering cultural integration, combined with a growing aversion to assimilation, are slowly transforming Canada into a place where a shared identity is disappearing,” said Sakoma-Fadugba, who described herself as a proud Nigerian-Canadian.
“I don’t recognize my country anymore.”
'Dominant culture of influence'
She questioned why a judicial system has been created “where parents can be incarcerated for refusing to let their minor child undergo gender transitions and irreversible body alterations.”
Hinduism was also a topic she addressed.
“Recently, my son was invited to participate in a Diwali celebration at school, and it took me some time to realize that the push for secular education isn’t about religion — it’s about erasing Christian values from the lives of our children,” Sakoma-Fadugba wrote.
“Now, those values are being replaced by those of a new dominant group. First, they’re participating in Diwali celebrations; next, they’re drawing parallels between Hindu values and Canadian ones. Before we know it, those values will be the new norm, and Hinduism could become the dominant culture of influence.”
Sakoma-Fadugba went on to say she had “nothing against Hinduism” and she often tells people that Hinduism helped her better understand Christianity. She also made a comment about slavery.
“We often forget that one of the largest slave trades was the Arab slave trade,” she said. “Have the Arabs apologized to anyone?”
'Service on the board untenable'
Frank Chong, chair of the police board, issued a statement on Nov. 22 regarding Sakoma-Fadugba’s comments.
“Recent statements posted on social media by the vice-chair of the Vancouver Police Board do not reflect the values of the board and are inconsistent with our code of conduct,” Chong said.
“While I value the many contributions Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba has made as a member of this board since 2022, these statements have made her continued service on the board untenable. This afternoon, I requested and received Comfort’s resignation from the Vancouver Police Board.”
Glacier Media made unsuccessful attempts to contact Sakoma-Fadugba. She told CBC News in a Nov. 23 story that the screenshots posted to Reddit do not “capture the entirety of the conversation that was being had.”
“I'm genuinely sorry that it has caused so much harm," she said. “That was not my intent.”
Rachel Roy, Faye Wightman
Glacier Media emailed Chong and the police board Monday to learn why Kuzminski was no longer on the job, but did not receive a reply before this story was posted.
Kuzminski replaced Stephanie Johanssen, whose departure in November 2022 was also unexpected. Johanssen is currently the executive director of the London Police Service Board in London, Ont.
In June 2023, Rachel Roy quit the police board over an issue related to a promised vote on whether the school liaison officer program would be reinstated in Vancouver schools.
Faye Wightman resigned in January after alleging interference in board matters from Mayor Ken Sim’s political staff, a “flawed” governance structure, and concerns about potential conflict of interest related to two board members.
