Issues at Large 11-02-09
Politics: Between Benjamin & Bundu
The Sierra Leone People’s Party, the opposition party that hopes to replace Ernest Koroma’s government after 2012, has been making the wrong moves all this while, and this has not been of any benefit to them.
The SLPP has two great names which are secretly eyeing the prize of being the flag bearer and this has already sent mixed signals to the supporters, causing what can only be described as a constitutional warfare. Incidentally the two names being considered for the plumb job, John Oponjo Benjamin and legal luminary Abass Bundu, seem to be making vague moves and in the process baffling their potential supporters as well as even the ruling party of their plans  to contest.
Both Bundu and Benjamin have not made any public acknowledgement of their political aspirations. While Benjamin is hiding behind the cloak of chairman of the SLPP, Abass Bundu has come out in a fighting mood, claiming to be protecting the SLPP constitution.
The fact of the matter is that the two men are eyeing the same prize and as such, the warmth that used to exist between them has noticeably chilled with politics, the same politics that had earlier brought them together.
Sierra Leoneans, from all parties, or none, are watching the scenario with bated breath, and the SLPP members are working behind the scene to ensure that their party does not get torn apart as occurred when Solomon Berewa was forced on the people by former president Tejan-Kabbah, resulting in their failure at the polls.
Meanwhile, it is being whispered that John Benjamin might as well be the flag bearer for the SLPP in the 2012 elections while Abass Bundu will be by his side as the Running Mate.
But Kadie Sesay is also hoping
But Kadie Sesay is also hoping. John Benjamin and Abass Bundu are not the only individuals hoping to have the Excellency title added to their names after the 2012 elections.
Dr. Kadie Sesay, the linguist from Fourah Bay College who abandoned politics for academia has also shown an intention, it has been stated, of being the first female president of Sierra Leone.
Dr. Sesay has set her eyes on State House, and not even an offer of a Running Mate, dangled in front of her eyes has enticed her away from the bigger and tastier dish.
Veteran lawyer and SLPP politician Bu-Buakei Jabbie is said to have tried to solve what is clearly an impasse has instead only succeeded in ruffling feathers, while not making headway in a fight involving preening cocks and an equally determined hen.
Kadie Sesay is said to have unlikely allies among the womenfolk in the Sierra Leone; APC women who have traditionally been regarded as praise singers and mistresses from within their own parties, the 50-50 Group, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Zainab Bangura and even highly placed diplomats like the US Ambassador to Sierra Leone are in support.
“This is not about APC or SLPP or PMDC, it is a woman matter,” said Sia Sunduwa.
Forced Marriages – crime against humanity
The Special Court for Sierra Leone has made history in several ways, but the latest one has been the conviction of Revolutionary United Front commanders for forced marriages, as a crime against humanity.
This is the first time such a conviction has been made by an international tribunal.
Former RUF Interim Leader Hassan Issa Sesay, Senior RUF Commander Morris Kallon and RUF Security Chief Augustine Gbao were all convicted of this crime.
The Appeals Chamber of the Special Court has upheld the sentences.
Return of witchcraft
While other countries are moving within the scientific stage, Sierra Leone is still grappling with the mysteries of witchcraft, and the ills of a fictive conscience caused by a backward outlook and orientation.
During the war, several people lost their lives, as they were killed by civil militias like the kamajors, who were claiming they could smell out rebels and rebel sympathisers through witchcraft.
After the war, the life expectancy of the average Sierra Leone, which had not been remarkably low, dropped alarmingly. This grim statistic was not considered as the death toll continued to rise with alarming proportion in the country, especially among the young.
The spread of the HIV/Aids pandemic, adding to the hunger, the poor or non existence of health facilities compounded by other diseases like malaria, were all blamed on witchcraft.
Recently, a spate of stories have been appearing in the newspapers, claiming among other matters, that witchcraft is very much in existence in the country.
The stories tend to bring back echoes of the Spanish Inquisition and the dark days of European civilisation. Matters are not helped by the fact that Sierra Leoneans are now going en-mass to witchdoctors and other shrines to receive protection from imagined and perceived harm while seeking support from amulets and other supernatural accruements. Even senior functionaries, including highly placed officials of the government are said to be engaged in the act of seeking this supernatural fetish for protection.
Obama’s Sierra Leone snub rankling
The decision by US President Barrack Obama to by-pass Sierra Leone during his past African tour is still a festering wound in the mindset of the ruling party, as well as the people of Sierra Leone.
Obama’s preference for Ghana and Egypt, among countries visited did not sit comfortably with the people of Sierra Leone.
The Obama-mania which had gripped Sierra Leoneans and had resulted in expectations of seeing the first African-American US president ‘live’ has ‘impacted badly’, as stated by a local newspaper in Sierra Leone.
“Obama is not the issue anymore with us, let him solve the problems of the United States and leave us alone,” said one disappointed Obama fan in Freetown.
V P Sumana in fraud and bribery scandal?
The news that Sierra Leone’s Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana has been allegedly indicted by the Circuit Court of Perry County, Arkansas Civil Division in the USA needs to be properly ascertained.
The news about the Vice President’s involvement in what has been described as a ‘Fraud and Bribery Scandal’ was published in the opposition SLPP Unity newspaper of Thursday October 29th, 2009.
Although the information was published by an opposition party newspaper in Sierra Leone, the truism in the report, or the lies, can only be proved by investigations and confirmations from the courts in the US.
Meanwhile, there are concerns being raised from several quarters both locally and internationally that the Government in Freetown has not made a statement denying this allegation.
The Office of the Vice President, his Minister of State and even the Ministry of Information has not made any official statement. The result is that apart from a couple of commentaries made by an independent newspaper in coming to the aid of Mr. Sam-Sumana, there has been a resounding silence.
Is this the way to run a government? But who really cares in this failed Banana Republic?
APC Victor Foh still in corruption
Notwithstanding the claims made by President Ernest Bai Koroma that his government is a new change from the failed and corrupt All People’s Congress administration of the past, investigations reveal it is essentially the same games being played.
One such individual still dabbling in corruption is APC Secretary General Victor Bockarie Foh, the man who was once indicted for corruption under the infamous ‘squander gate’ scandals in the early nineties.
Now, although there is a new leader in the person of Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Mr. Foh has still shown he is a master in corruption. His latest foray has been his seizure of the house of retired prominent Sierra Leonean Dental Surgeon Dr. Abdallah located at 129 Hangha Road.
Using the power of the state and his nearness to Mr. Ernest Koroma, Victor Foh continues to be intransigent in handing over the dental surgeon’s house, claiming falsely that he bought it, even though all documents prove other wise.
To ensure that the house is left in his power, Victor Foh has painted the house red and has decided that it be used as the headquarters of the APC in that part of the country.
Repeated calls for Mr. Foh to hand over the house has proved futile, and the venerable dental surgeon who is residing in the United States where he is undergoing treatment for a protracted disease has made all attempts to have access to his house with no success.
The reality is that people are afraid of Foh, saying he has the ear of President Koroma. What has become a matter of concern to the venerable doctor is that President Koroma has not made any attempt to bring this culprit to book, or at least, to ensure that the matter is looked into. It is rather sad that there seem to be a system of lawlessness permeating the government of President Ernest Koroma, who seem to be speaking with one tongue while accepting wrongs in practicality.
Dr. Abdallah has repeatedly shown a willingness to the APC to purchase the house if it comes to that, but yet still Victor Foh, in his usual antics and corrupt prone habits continues to maintain the lie that he is the owner of the house even though Dr. Abdallah is still paying the bills for the house as owner to the Kenema City Council. All documents prove that the doctor is the owner of the house.
Dr. Abdallah can be contacted on telephone: 001-17575468988 in the US. He has a story of woe to explain under this present government even though he is one of the leading original supporters of the APC. “This just goes to show that corruption has no friends or relatives,” one observer said.
It is important that the present government looks urgently into this matter as this is a house the doctor built out of his own honest labour together with his American wife who was seen toting head pans of sand and cement to ensure they have a house in Kenema.
A court case will soon commence if President Koroma does not put his scribe under control. Anti-Corruption Commission should also take note for this blatant case of corruption, with the office of the president being blatantly used to perpetuate a heinous crime against a personality who has served this country with diligence and uprightness.
Victor Foh was once jailed for corruption while working in the civil service and carries a criminal record making it impossible for him to occupy any position of trust. This is the man that is today the scribe of the ruling party in government.
And can President Koroma explain?
While President Koroma’s vice president and the secretary general of his party have been named in a series of corruption claims, his brother and sister have also come under the limelight for their alleged roles in corrupt scandals.
First has been the brother of the president who was, together with his wife named in the theft of Bumbuna cables. The president has not made any statement on the matter. Then came reports that his sister has also been given fabulous contracts, including feeding State House. Again there has not been any answer. As the saying goes, silence means consent.
Clearly, President Koroma has a lot of answer to give to the people of Sierra Leone as well as the international community about his role in ensuring that the past days of the corrupt APC is not replayed in the present reality. Those days are gone.
There is no space for a repeat performance for any leader confessing failure. President Koroma should not only talk, but should also act, and should not only act, but should be seen doing his act.
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