Kailahun remains firmly SLPP

The ruling All Peoples Congress party (APC) said they would, the pro APC party newspapers said they could, we in the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) said they won’t, and they didn’t.

The African Champion newspaper, the Exclusive Newspaper, Shekito Kamara the deputy minister of information and communication’s own newspaper the Torchlight, the party’s official mouthpiece the We Yone newspaper, together with uncle Joe and his makuta jokers in the For-di-people newspaper had carried regular reports from time to time deceiving President Ernest Bai Koroma that the SLPP was in disarray while the APC had made strong inroads into the opposition SLPP stronghold of Kailahun district. A

lying liar calling himself Sahr Mokuwa who claims to hail from Kailahun continued to deceive his Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma about the large number of people who had joined the league of ‘Friends of President Koroma’ to ensure that Kailahun district was now definitely APC. His latest published figures were of some 5,000 people of Pujehun and Kailahun district who had crossed over from the SLPP to the APC.

We on the other hand who knew better kept assuring our readers that Kailahun district remained firmly in the grip of their beloved SLPP, an action that a Brima Sannoh had once described as primitive loyalty. As I wrote yesterday the second gentleman of the land, the honourable Vice President Alhaji chief Sam Sumana had made three visits to the strategic town of Mandopolahun in Constituency 04, in Kissi Tongi chiefdom of Kailahun district. Huge sums of money had been poured into the district and the constituency not for the development of the area, but as naked and unashamed bribery to individuals.

Paramount chief Sahr Nyuma Sengu San Kallan, his speaker Brima Kendor aided and abetted by the Paramount chief’s son Victor Sengu who is also the APC district chairman even displayed the new Paramount chiefs’ staff of office as evidence of the APC’s plan of development. As always my loquacious friend the minister of information and communication had attempted to ridicule me on the SLBC’s Tea break programme by alleging that we in the SLPP had been in office for eleven years without developing my district, a feat that they in President Ernest Bai Koroma’s government had undertaken. But after nearly FOUR years in office would the minister be bold enough to point out a single successful development project in our district, compared to what we did, some of which I have regularly catalogued? Ask the people of Kailahun district and the answer will be “Nothing other than propaganda lies.”

The question that continues to baffle many people is why the APC chose Constituency 04 to get a foothold in the district. The party had originally set its eyes on the Kailahun central constituency honourable Alice Mamei Foyah but were advised that it would be an impossible target. The story was the same with the adjacent constituency of the fiery honourable Tamba Musa-Sam. Who better then to make their bait but the inconsistent, unreliable and politically dishonest Tamba Bobor-Sawyer, a man who had not supported a single SLPP position in Parliament? A man who though born in Kissi Tongi and having been a senior police officer for many years cannot boast of a roof over his head in the chiefdom. The man whom he recommended to the APC as a suitable successor was even worse because his name is hardly mentioned in his own village.

The plan was carefully concocted; it was to poach the recalcitrant Bobor-Sawyer from the SLPP, make him a junior minister to impress the Kissi people and Fallah Sewa would have a smooth ride to Parliament. My critics would do well to read my past opinions on that constituency and agree that it has happened like I had told.

As for the millions poured into the constituency by the APC we had advised our people to accept every cent as it was free money and vote according to their conscience which is what they have done. They did remember that “NA DIA TENGAIN NAR MAALA TENGAIN.” or “MEMEI GBA KULAMEI GBA.” (Where we eat is different from where we vote)

The APC must learn that the way to people’s heart is by persuasion and certainly not by threats, intimidation, or downright bribery.

Postscript: The deputy minister of health and former Member of Parliament for Constituency 04 the Honourable Tamba Bobor Sawyer reports having being ambushed by three unarmed bike riders. The honourable gentleman was using an official ministry of health vehicle marked “Free health care delivery, Supervision” with armed OSD security, which vehicle nearly drove over innocent people now reports of attempted ambush. Thank goodness the matter is in the hands of the police. Kissi Tongi remains calm and peaceful.

by Dr Sama Banya

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!