Welcome Maada Bio indeed, the SLPP has shown its true colours
The long awaited SLPP elective convention is now history. The outcome of the convention, which many of their supporters had predicted will unite their party as ever before to face the incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma, has left the party more divided than ever. The convention has clearly exposed the true nature of what the SLPP is and where it belongs. (Photo: Julius Maada Bio)
In 2009, after Dr. S. B. Saccoh (former Sierra Leone Ambassador to the Republic of Guinea under the rule of SLPP) lost the SLPP Chairmanship contest to John Benjamin, he reacted by describing the SLPP as a “Mende man party”. According to Dr. Saccoh, since the formation of the SLPP, nearly sixty years ago, no Northerner had ever given the opportunity to head the SLPP and furthered that, no Northerner will ever head SLPP. He gave a graphic example of past SLPP leaders and their origins; Dr. Sir Milton Margai (100% Mende), Sir Albert Margai (100% Mende), Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah (50% Mende-his mother), Maigore Kallon (100% Mende), Dr. Sama Banya (100% Mende), Alhaji UNS Jah (50% Mende-his mother), John Benjamin (100% Mende) and now Julius Maada Bio (100% Mende).
Let’s take a closer look at the composition of the newly elected SLPP executive with special reference to the key positions and see whether Dr. Saccoh’s insinuations are correct; Leader/Presidential Candidate, Julius Maada Bio (Mende); National Chairman, John Benjamin (Mende); Secretary General, Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie (Mende); Financial Secretary, Gertrude Karimu (Mende); Treasurer, Joe Kallon (Mende); Young Generation Leader, Joseph Sengeh (Mende); Women’s Leader, Isata Jabbie-Kabba (50% Mende). With such a blatant tribal composition of a perceived national political party, can anyone in his right senses challenge Dr. Saccoh’s assertion?
The tribalism in the SLPP was glaringly demonstrated further by the ridiculous votes the so-called Northerners scored in the Flagbearer contest. Dr. Alpha Wurie, with all his so-called public lecture before the convention and his rampant bragging of haven introduced the infamous SABABU education in Sierra Leone, could only score 2 (Two) votes. This is unbelievable. I’m sure Dr. Wurie himself will be so much ashamed of himself after considering the contributions of his late father, brothers and even himself to the SLPP. For him to score just two-single votes tells a lot more. The same could be said for the likes of Momodu Koroma, Obai Kabia, Alpha Timbo, Kadie Sesay and Umaru Dumbuya. The scarifices these people have done for the SLPP to be as it is today, they deserve better treatment than this. But oh, yah! They are cursed to lead the SLPP, because they are simply from the north. The total votes scored by the six Northern Aspirants is half of what a relatively newcomer, Usman Boie Kamara scored. This is a shame to the SLPP, a party preaching against tribalism and priding itself of its democratic credentials.
As for Julius Maada Bio, all I can do is to welcome him to the political ring once more. But please remember that you have just entered a democratic political contest and not a military junta rule. The rules of the game must be strictly adhered to. Any funny games to bring mayhem on the people of Sierra Leone will meet the greatest resistance from the people themselves. Lonta!
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mike idris
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O Kay guys, let get serious, Ojuku is right, not only because he was my teacher at GIMSS, he’s right because the SLPP is so possessed by Menda’s they don’t even encourage other tribe to participate.One Saturday evening I took my girlfriend to an SLPP meeting in California who happens to be Mandingo, I was so embarrassed after the meeting. I wasn’t embarrassed because of my tribe which happens to be (Menda), I was embarrassed because every one in the meeting was speaking in Menda even the chairman, now I have to translate to my friend what been said. my friend never attends another meeting. The truth is we the Menda tribe, “SLPP is for us” period, you either live it or take it. When we start sharing I believe we will start caring, until then Sierra Leone have a long way to go. Good luck and God bless Sierra Leone.
4th August 2011Mus Wai
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Mr. Seasay! Are you with the assumption that all the delegates who voted were also mende including those delegates from the north and western area? Injecting unfounded tribal claims in our political process is not a good idea.
4th August 2011Emmanuel "Shelley" Conteh, Mankato, MN
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It is silly that Ojuku’s haters haven’t still addressed themselves to the charges he raised in his commmenatry – namely ethnism/tribalism and regional exclusionism. These are the complaints that Ojuku raised, citing Dr. S.B. Saccoh in the wake of the Sierra Leone people’s Party (SLPP) executive elections in 2009.
These charges seemed to have hit a nerve in some of his detractors like Sanusi, Gabba, Fofanah, Mojo and others, who are desperately trying to distract us away from the SLPP’s use of identity politics.
A word of advice here: please guys, don’t try to trivialize the debate. Have it focused on the issues/charges made and not on Ojuku’s personality!
4th August 2011Jon
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Ojuku works for a Government, which is full of Koromas,Kamaras,Kargbos,Sesays and Kanus, and I am amused that Ojuku should write such a silly article.
4th August 2011SI Koroma
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Ojuku Sesay, I would appreciate your helpfulness by kindly providing us the tribal composition of the National Executive of the APC and the tribal composition of the CABINET of the APC led government of Sierra Leone and compare it to the tribal composition of the last SLPP cabinet of Tejan Kabbah. I guess this will lead us to get to the truth or non truth of your article.
3rd August 2011Mind you, of all the so-called Information Attaches at all of the Sierra Leonean Embassies non is either from South or Eastern Provinces or is a Mende. How about that?
Foday Bangura
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mo-jo stop being a coward and reveal your true identity and I bet you are not a a northerner as you claim to be. Usman boie was cheated out of being the flag bearer for president, just because he was not of a particular tribe. And for your information, most of us in the north do not believe in tribalism or else we would not have voted for kabbah in 96 and overwhelmingly in 2002. If the tables were turned would anyone from the South-East do the same for us?
3rd August 2011mo-jo
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I believe Ojuku Sasay is more tribialistic than the people he is crying down.I am from a northern background who believe that SLPP is the only non-tribial party in our country. They are the only party that convoke people from all the four coners of the nation but because most of us from the north believe in tribalism so we want to use the as an opportunity to cry the the newly elected regime that will definatly take our worthless and regionally baseed APC out of power.
3rd August 2011Sundimah Fofanah
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But Usman Boie is a Northerner or are you suggesting he is from Kailahun?
3rd August 2011Alpha Wurie scored 2 votes which is unfortunate but have you asked yourself why he did not get some of the northern delegates votes after all, the SABABU programme which you are referencing and which by all truths is one of the post war success programmes in Sierra Leone benefited mostly the north where girl child education was made free and which said action increased the girl child school enrolment in the north to a proportion more than never before? Do you want to say all 602 delegates in the SLPP convention were Mendes? I know Mendes dominated but just 57% so why are you now castigating the Mendes for the choice of the SLPP? Is it because you have been doing it and no body has ever lynched or taken you to task for it? You are inciting tribal hatred because you are safely in Europe representing just one segment of the Sierra Leone population. Why is it that some of you do not want to see anything good come from a Mende man and you will cry foul? Are you trying to say Mendes should just be followers and not leaders? Dr. SB Sacked that you cited is one of the most tribalist. He left the SLPP to join the APC thinking his Loko brother President Koroma is now in power and therefore he will be given position when he has no track record of performance
Emmanuel "Shelley" Conteh, Mankato, MN
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Mr. Sesay must not be attacked for reiterating what Dr. Saccoh, a former SLPPer raised in 2009. These are of course serious charges, painting the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) as an exclusive party, instead of an inclusive one. To attack Mr. Sesay’s personality rather than debate the issues he raised in his essay, clearly shows signs of paranoia schizophrenia on the part of his detractors.
He has every reason to raise red flags, as he did in his essay, against the SLPP – a party whose history is deeply rooted in identity politics. Sesay did well in calling the SLPP out on this, citing the heavy Mende and southeastern presence in its executive composition and other power institutions.
Of course even diehard SLPP supporters would tell you in private that, Bio is a controversial politician, with a murky track record. This alone would have discouraged some politicians to withdraw their candidacy from the SLPP presidential hopeful race long before it was held this past weekend. But Bio didn’t because he had read the pulse of identity politics very well, and knew that ethnoregional factors would play decisively in his favor!
It is this and other charges against the SLPP that constituted the message of Mr. Ojuku Sesay’s reaction to Maada Bio’s SLPP leadership victory. His detractors mustn’t try to distract us away from them by attacking his dignity instead of answering the charges of identity politics and ethnism associated with the SLPP.
3rd August 2011Fatorma Gabba
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It wont do any good to disagree with your comment from your misguided perspective. From your name, it’s hard to determine whether your are a Sierra Leonean with Nigerian Igbo ancestry , a Fulani (Fullah) Themne or Madingo.Whoever you choose to be is as confusing as your article.If you knew the meaning of the word Mende , you would have had a better theme and substance to your article. I’ll leave that to you to research without referencing Dr S.B. Saccoh.SLPP is the mother of all political parties in Sierra Leone.Southeastern is the stronghold of SLPP but over 30% of southeastern residents are of northern Sierra Leone origin. No wonder the Banguras, Sesays,kamaras, Koomas, Jallohs,Kargbos and many more are considered Mendes in most parts of Sierra Leone.If I were you, my best uption should be to join the SLPP for Unity & progress.
2nd August 2011VANDY MOMOH
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Please let us all help build this our beloved nation. We are all Sierra Leoneans first. We have no choice to which tribe or race we should all belong. It is the work of God. We are stronger together and playing the tribal dirty politics will only poison and breed hatered for one another. No tribe is better than the other and we are a big family and we should remain that way. I pray the Lord we open our eyes to this truth. I will thus plead with the few educated in Sierra Leone who has the power of education and the pen to stop this kind of deadly game. Know for sure that it is very easy to start a conflict but difficult to bring to an end. Remember Rawanda,Bosnia,Kosovo etc. Stop stop stop for the love of mama Sierra Leone. I dont really care who rules the country be it a temene, mende, limba, a Freetonean, norhterner, easterner etc. The important thing is what they do while in office. Let us debate the issues that people care most about:food, accomodation, health care, roads, transportation,education,and above all end to corruption. Organise presidential debates, let the people make their choice which candidate to vote for based not on tribe but on merit. Finally bretheren we are all Sierra Leoneans and so shall it ever be like it that way or not. Let us stop playing with fire that can burn all in the end. Time to put in reason and not tribal sentiments. It is and will lead to self distruction and not nation building. Think twice brother before you write again.
2nd August 2011Joseph Sanusi
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Ojuku, one can only understand your desperation and dismiss your rantings for your lack of knowledge and understanding. You’re no doubt, in a very desperate mood. You’ve had the wieldiest shock of a life time. The likes of you never thought SLPP will come this far. The race has only began. It has not even become a battle yet. You just wait and see. Come 2012, you’ll start counting Bobson Sesay, Kadi Sesay, Alpha Timbo, Osman Boi among others, as Mendes. You ain’t seen nothing yet.
One can understand your reason for writing this senseless piece. Its not that you have faith in all your claims but you need to satisfy your financial benefactors. You have to prove to them that you’re doing something even if it amounts to nonesense. One can only ignore the likes of you because there is no more self-pride left in you. Everything has been mortgaged for ‘brown envelopes’. But you can’t be blamed, perhaps thats how you choose to help yourself out of the current economic hardship plaguing Sierra Leone. Remember however that the days of reckoning willsurely come.
2nd August 2011