Back to where they left off

Me! I simply can’t wait to read what the African Champion newspaper has promised it would publish to confirm that my old friend the current minister of information and communication Alhajie I B Kargbo has been APC all these years. I wonder if the editor might be referring to the same I B who was the founder and managing editor of the New Citizen newspaper which has had as its motto since its establishment “TOLONGBO.” The Champion newspaper in its usual style of bootlicking and promoting its idols is now about to tell its readers that the motto Tolongbo was a misnomer and that the man was APC through and through. If it’s any consolation to the editor of the champion, only he must believe that I B had been anything else but a member of the Red Sun. And are you there Olu Gordon, and if so may I have your permission to laugh “ha, ha? A popular expression I know of says “you kin form sick, but you nor dey form well. But then Olu is hale and hearty and in his view only the dinosaur Poo and Wee would like to finish him off before His Maker’s appointed time. Come out young man, I really miss your insults and sarcasms, so where are you and what has happened to the Peep newspaper? (Photo: Sama Banya)

Back to the African Champion. It predicts that come 2021 at 12 sharp the APC would have captured over 12 Parliamentary seats from the opposition SLPP. Another of its sensational headlines is that “Maada Bio has locked horns with JOB to destroy the SLPP.” May be all the predictions of doom are the fervent wish of the editor. Let me disillusion him by assuring him and all that the SLPP is NOT about to fall apart. Ours is a democratic party with adequate mechanisms for damage control. There was more than bickering within the APC almost up to the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Ernest went on to receive the Presidency and Carlos Valenzuela and Christiana Thorpe gave our votes to the APC. So what is so peculiar with the SLPP that everything about us is ‘MALUALIZED’ (Consult the Bo School lexicon) as if everything is falling apart? Not so fast Mr. Editor; by the way where did you get the idea that the Mendes have always suppressed the Kissis in the Kailahun district? The last time when a Mende represented that constituency was in the 1960s when along with Luawa and Dea chiefdoms as Kailahun East under the late Taplima Ngobeh who was followed by his son Lamin. But then because of his dearth of knowledge of the area, the editor contradicts himself when he admits that for a long time Tamba Juana represented Kissi Bendu in Parliament. If the paper believes that the Kissis have been under Mende domination in Kissi Bendu he must await the result of the expected Parliamentary bye-election for constituency 4.

Once again I am compelled to reassure readers that old Puawui is very much alive. There have been two deaths in the family recently; first it was Morie Sama Banya in early December and then last Thursday morning it was Joma Sama Banya former Vice Principle of Bo School. It must be the middle same Sama that leads to speculations that it is Puawui. The blame for that must go to my late old man who had more than 30 sons and gave the name Sama to each of us. Many added our grandfather the Kissi warrior named Kailondo’s name while a few like me have not bothered with it. It was friends of my children who had phoned to enquire about their father as some of their friends had called to sympathize with them on the error. Interestingly we are perpetrating what our old man started as most of our sons carry the Sama name. My own son retains both the Sama and the Kailondo. Once again I extend best wishes for a happy year to all. The 40^th day funeral rites of my brother Morie Banya will take place at his Babadori residence on Friday January 14 at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. All his former friends are welcome to the ceremony which will include readings from the Holy Quoran.

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