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Killing for power, the absurdity of hope

Killing for power, the absurdity of hope

Sierra Leoneans should know that a man that is a desperado will ever remain a desperate man even unto his death.  Power, once tasted, will always get you drunk, especially when it is got through crooked means, like forming political coups against a democratic government. President Koroma is a peaceful Leader but his peaceful nature is about to be misinterpreted.

When those childish NPRC boys brutally removed the APC from power in 1992 April 29th, it was out of the desperation on the part of a  selected few who thought at the time, that power should always remain in their hands.  The blood of innocent people murdered during the era 1992 to 2002 as a result of the actions of those childish NPRC boys is still fresh in the minds of people and so it is disheartening, that what we have started experiencing at Fourah Bay rings a bell.  If a man can go that far as stabbing a fellow Sierra Leonean, then it is an indication, that he can use a gun to kill if that gun had been available at the time of using a knife or whatever weapon to kill.  What we are seeing indicates that, some people are ready to exterminate whosoever is linked to Ernest Koroma and his APC government.

There is serious absurdity in hoping for something you are not sure or certain of.  It would appear, some have been told, the Presidency is for them come November and as such they should go the extra mile to secure it.

I am disturbed by news of some wicked and politically thirsty people, going thus far in stabbing and intimidating poor and peaceful citizens just in the name of politics.  When the APC was in opposition prior to the 2007 elections, we never heard of people being stabbed, rather, it was President Koroma who was even attacked and chased out of Kailahun.  According to Sierra Express Media, “The opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) Chairman of Constituency 104 in the eastern part of Freetown, Aziz Carew has on Saturday January 14th 2012 been heavily accused for electoral anarchy that happened during the constituency’s by-elections that left Lansana Fadika- who recently crossed to the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) party – seriously wounded and scores of APC diehards butchered.  The incident at Fourah Bay should be taken seriously by the security apparatus, especially the Office of National Security, the Sierra Leone Police and the Military.  This must have been a premeditated action that must have been influenced by influential people in certain quarters. Fourah Bay, being case study should not be used to tell all and sundry, that political violence is no more a way to securing political power.

What was done in stabbing Lansanah Fadika and others is a condemnable act that no serious political party would want to take credit for.  In fact it is an indication of more things to come if control measures are not put in place and try to curtail the excesses of some politicians back home.  Sierra Leone is no longer prepared to get a repeat of what it encountered over a decade ago, through a senseless civil war.

The world has become a global village with the internet and the world must be following developments in Sierra Leone.  The ICC should take note of this development in Sierra Leone.  They now should be able to know who actually wants to bring about violence in that small West African country even ahead of the elections slated for November.  The peaceful nature of President Koroma should not, for one, be misinterpreted to mean, weakness on the part of government.  Those who attacked Fadika and five other peaceful Sierra Leoneans should be made to account for their actions, they should pay the price and they should be made to spend sleepless nights behind bars.  It is painful to read, according to Sylvia Blyden that ‘Lansana Fadika has been wheeled back into the Operating Theatre at Davidson Nicol Hospital when his stab wound resumed bleeding…”. But this will never restrain Fadika, who believes in the ideals of President Koroma from working hard to ensure President Koroma retains the Presidency.

The government and the ruling party also now have every reason to get to the drawing board and rethink, look at possible reasons that may have led to the party not winning the bye-election at Fourah Bay.  No election is a small election.  Also, the democratic battle to win the 2012 elections should not be left in the hands of President Koroma alone, he has all the attributes of a good and outstanding President but it behooves all and sundry to work hard, in concerted efforts to win. The win, by SLPP in the bye-election should be used to reflect on the strategies of the ruling party. Again, it the SLPP think using weapons to win is the answer, the ICC has a role to play in that direction.

Lansana Fadika receiving first aid treatment at Connaught Hospital

The provisional results, according to Sylvia Blyden put the SLPP ahead, with 423 votes and the APC, second with 407 votes. UMD came third with 27 votes and NDA fourth with 14 votes. But there is need to go with Sylvia Blyden’s analysis that “Fourah Bay was always an SLPP bastion anyway.  What the APC and other Analysts should do is study the voting patterns for these elections at the various polling stations as against the results for 2007 and 2008 elections…” It is like going to win a Parliamentary seat in Kailahun. This is the big task now.

The APC should ensure, their supporters across the country-Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, Magburaka, Tonkolili, Freetown and others strategic places register for the pending elections. There is no way President Koroma will win when his supporters fail to register.  This is just not possible.  Let me repeat what I wrote few weeks ago on the pending elections, that generally, fraud and political violence on polling day are not the most serious threats to free and fair elections.  Rather, more discreet and often more effective ways of rigging take place in the months leading up to elections (Source: Africa Commitments to Democracy in Theory and Practice…).  Political intimidation is just one of several ways of rigging elections.  The governing party should take note of that.  What has been done in Fourah Bay is just one of many ways of rigging the pending elections.

You can’t intimidate people just because you want to win elections. That is a corrupt way of seeking power. May peace prevail in Sierra Leone and may God protect President Ernest Koroma.

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