Political vendetta should be taken out of politics

I have heard about vendettas in family circles and not politics. Even at family circles it would reach a point where compromise could be struck. Like in the family vendetta that exists between the two families of Romeo and Juliet in the street of Verona, a point of amicability comes to past when these two great lovers encounter death. It is then that these feuding families realized that they must iron out their difference, and their death prompted them to erect monument in memory of this tragedy. This tragedy in Shakespeare’s work can be likened to the politics of vendetta in Sierra Leone. Every morning one wakes up with pessimism in one’s mind about the future of  Mama Salone, especially when you come across nauseating newspaper headlines that depict political indifference between party ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ as if we are not in the same cauldron yearning for the one development agenda.

When it comes to genuine politics, we as mature citizens should not be immersed in political vendetta that would drag the serene image of this Nation in to the mud (bolo-bolo). We as a post conflict nation had shown maturity in politics in the last 2007 general elections. Thus, we must not be seen practicing politics of ignominy as is fast crawling into the apparent sanity that was demonstrated in the last political battles.  The politics of ‘Pull Him Down’ should be gone, and we must learn to appreciate and commend one another for job well done. When one party does something good we should not look at it with scorn but with praise admiration in national good. Political vendettas will not take this country anywhere except to doom and misery.

When would the “political smoke screen” get off our faces so that we see the future with ambiance and prosperity? But it seems as if compromising politics in favour of National development is not easy to come by due to our backstage preparation As Young generation Sierra Leoneans, the issue of political propaganda and fake promises made by some unscrupulous politicians should not make us stain our beautiful future. I always reiterate this in my writings that government comes and go, but we the people are always there to do appraisal of their good or bad works. The ‘political smoke screen’ thing I am talking about has got to do with how some Sierra Leoneans are too boastful of being ‘deep green’ or ‘deep red’ as if politics is something to be venerated in one’s life time. Even when ‘X’ is doing the right thing party ‘Z’ is always there to make negative criticisms.

If we are to develop, political vendetta must be ‘nipped in the bud’ before it wrecks our nation on a solid rock, wherein its particle would be looked and never be seen to put together in our generation. Political vendetta has eaten up into the fabrics of our society for a long time now. As we all know today, the hard won peace we are enjoying was not achieved in a day. Therefore, we must not allow politics to drag this country into a political fiasco as we must work toward sustainable peace.

Interestingly, most of these deep seated grudges we experience in our politics today have been nursed since school days, some in their tertiary orientation. For instance the ‘Blackman-Whiteman’ thing at FBC; the reproachful manner of journalism practiced among prominent media houses are all part of the indelible grudge in the mind of Sierra Leoneans. It is good for all well meaning Sierra Leoneans to be reminded that petty jealousy and deeply fermented grudge would take this country to nowhere except backwardness. In fact, I perceived some of tertiary institution as a breeding ground for inter-personal conflict which has subsequently interfered with our national politics. This is sad and disappointing anyway, because as institutions of higher learning and as media practitioners, they should be seen as places and people for positive change.

On the contrary, places like America and the UK where genuine democracy is said to be practiced none of such attitude of political venom and vendetta is never seen there. America as my conspicuous example, everybody is free to belong to any political party of his or her choice without any intimidation or victimization. But here in Sierra Leone, one declares his or her political affiliation you become a threat to your opponent. In America and the UK, democracy and politics are like Siamese twins; they co-exist and go on uninterrupted. I don’t know if it is because most their leaders had a very sound moral upbringing or is it due to the fact they were opportune to have benefited from well structured social polices? In view of all these discussion and suggestions, we as Sierra Leoneans must have learnt from our past experience of the war and think positively for a better Salone all. My advice for all Sierra Leoneans is that, we should kick against political vendetta for the prosperity of Mama Salone. 

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