How disappointed beyond belief they must be

It must have come to them as a great shock and disappointment; they had predicted fireworks and even ballistic missiles during last weekends meeting of the National Executive Council of the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party. The way the protagonists of the ruling APC party  and their organs went about it, the impression was created that after losing power in 2007, and the show of solidarity at the 2009 national convention in Kenema last March not withstanding, they were expecting, in fact hoped and prayed for it, that the National Executive Council meeting would see the beginning of the disintegration of the SLPP. Their only reason for that hope was that Dr. Kadie Sesey the party’s deputy chairman had sent a letter to the Secretary- General expressing concern at certain omissions in the revised party constitution. To this Dr. Abass Bundu had replied that what had been agreed in Kenema could not be altered or amended in any way except at a national delegates conference. An unregistered and unrecognized group within the party calling itself the ‘Think Tank’ had contacted sections of the press to express their position on the issue and such sessions of the press had relied on that for some of their lead stories.

But ours was a regular meeting of the executive council at which the draft constitution was only one item. But because of the treacherous machinations of our opponents and detractors all sorts of ugly rumours preceded the NEC meeting. However once the meeting commenced and the initial reason for misgivings had been heard, the proceedings continued in a calm, reasonable and tolerant atmosphere as could happen only in a very democratic party like the SLPP. The rest of the troubling clauses, especially in relation to the PPRC were very coolly and painstakingly explained by Lawyer Eke Halloway the chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, CRC. The discussions which followed were sober and very friendly. At the end of it all Eke moved a motion which was seconded by Abass that the SANITIZED VERSION of the revised draft constitution be taken to a special national delegates conference which should be convened within a specified time for final amendments,  ratification and endorsement before presenting the document to the PPRC. The motion was passed unanimously amidst cheers and jubilation with all joining in the chorus of “We shall overcome.”  Before then both John Benjamin and Abass Bundu stated unequivocally that they would not be contesting any future leadership positions.

On Saturday while the amplifier was blaring Emerson Bockarie’s  “Yesterday betteh pass tiday,”  NPA suddenly turned off the power in the area and it did not come on again up to the end of the conference late Sunday afternoon. But rather than dampen our spirit as they may have hoped the funny action only as a catalyst for our renewed enthusiasm. Incidentally the fallout from the impact of Emerson’s blockbuster lyrics appears to continue to reverberate within APC circles; they have continued to lash wildly in all directions. Among their latest but predictable actions is an anonymous letter addressed to BW Bockarie of Unity newspaper with death threats to himself, John Benjamin, Kadie Sesey, JJ Saffa and IJ Tejan-Kabbah. The letter which was handwritten was sent by post. In the African Champion newspaper which has now become the repository for APC anti SLPP venom, a self-proclaimed slum dweller writes to Emerson  and only makes a mockery of himself. Under the Eagle Title a Fatmata writes to me and others. Only these people would be in a position to make constructive sense out of what they’ve written. The cowardly threat is very reminiscent of the old APC days. Whoever issued a death threat to Ibrahim Taqi or Thorlu Bangura between 1964 and 1967? Some attitudinal change indeed!

When US President Barrak Obama renominated Bush appointee Ben Bernake as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, I called the attention of the APC leadership that such was the way things were done in advanced societies. Well, Obama has done it again. He was on the BBC’s early morning news last Saturday and given credit for having decided to allow people suffering from HIV/Aids to enter the United States. While accepting the credit, the President said that the process was begun by the previous (Bush) Administration and that HE WAS ONLY COMPLETING IT. I wonder whether the APC leadership digested that piece of news at all. I have no doubt that if it were them they would have rushed to tell the world how our President had taken the initiative of such action and would never have acknowledged that the previous regime had in fact started it all. Isn’t that one of our problems with them, aggravated by our telling them “No, we started it?”

There were things went over the weekend. I had assured my readers that contrary to the wishes, hopes and prayers of our detractors that our meeting was going to be a disintegrating affair, we have come out much stronger and more determined than before  so that come 2012, sharp 12 we shall again assume the rein government of this country en e go bi ma!

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