Pujehun District Chairman Exalts President Koroma

The Pujehun District – that is famed for political violence – has had its Chairman, Mr. Sadiq Sillah become a staunch admirer of President Ernest Bai Koroma for the latter’s intuition of establishing the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat the country’s centennial problem of her nationals unethical mode of doing things.  (Photo: Pujehun District Council Chairman Sadique Sillah commending President Koroma for initiating ABC Secretariat)

Chairman Sillah who claimed to be a diehard main opposition SLPP member made this gratifying declaration when officially opening a one-day workshop that was organize by the ABC Secretariat on March 6^th, 2012 to sensitize his subjects on the ABC Concept  and Importance of Political Tolerance.

Mr. Sillah recalled how negative attitudes and behaviours have been causing unrest within his district and attributed this to internal political squabbles than the intra-political misunderstandings that most observers always allege to be the main cause. Against this background he called on political party elders to sensitize their members that politically motivated violence is uncivilized, unlawful and punishable.

The District Council Chairman thanked the ABC Secretariat for putting his people on their sensitization schedule and encouraged them to be resilient. He informed the top ABC Secretariat executives to be oblivious of the fact that most Sierra Leoneans are reluctant to change.

This reluctance he maintained is mostly demonstrated by making wishful and baseless allegations to dispirit individuals and institutions that are bent on speaking the truth to effect positive changes.

Talking to his Pujehun District inhabitants Chairman Sillah made a plea for them to espouse President Koroma’s vision regardless of their tribal, regional and partisan backgrounds. This he made known will usher in developments that will benefit all Sierra Leoneans regardless of their partisan affiliations.

He pointed out that people’s belonging to specific political parties, be it the ruling or oppositions, is no justification for them to unleash political unrest.

Welcoming attendees Paramount Chief Samuel Ansumana Saffa Gbonda II of Panga Krim Chiefdom reechoed how inter and intra-politically motivated violence is still not letting the Pujehun District- despite its fertile soil, intelligent descendants, marine resources and mineral deposits – to match up with other regions in the country. PC Gbonda who was elected on February 9^th 1979 called on his people to emulate exemplary role models that have in their own ways contributed to the development of the district. He said in line with the dictate of modern politicking there is no place for violence, jealousy, ungodliness and other inimical things.

During the session the National Electoral Commission (NEC) representative, Alex Saffa informed that professed bad manners by certain political party members are adversely affecting the ongoing Bio-Metric Registration process. He stated that these unethical politicians are in the habit of putting NEC officials attached to that locality to register under-aged relatives and refuse registering Sierra Leoneans who they claim are not inhabitants of Pujehun District.  Saffa described these acts as unlawful and said are real springboards for violence.

On his part a Civil Society activist, Thomas Conteh used the workshop to rebuke civil servants and other government employees that are fond of misusing state assets. He pointed out that such an act is a demonstration of unpatriotic tendencies and contravention of tax payers’ human rights.

Making a contribution on behalf of the Pujehun District Women’s Group, Catherine Burreh said the inferiority complex displayed by a larger proportion of women to their male counterparts and petty palavers within and among Women’s Groups as retrogressive attitudes and behaviours. Against this backdrop she hastened to call on women present to be self-confident in challenging issues not only affecting the district, but the country in general. Madam Burreh stressed that women can only attain their longed for gender equality if they put their former bad ways to rest and champion President Koroma’s Agenda for Change.

The Organizing Secretary of APC in the Pujehun District, Harding Sherriff said if only they can practice political tolerance the 2012 elections can be historic for other countries in the sub- region to copy. The APC representative therefore called on all party functionaries to arrest awful performances that have been grounds for violence.

Similarly, the Secretary General of the SLPP, Patrick Alpha denounced the behaviour of most politicians, especially those bordering around violence and electoral fraud.

In his presentation on the significance of political tolerance, the Executive Director of ABC Secretariat, Dr. Ivan Ajibola Thomas drew the participants attention of how politically motivated violence brought countries like Rwanda and Ivory Coast among others to stand still. Citing these examples Dr. Thomas called on the people of Pujehun District and the country at large to restrain their tempers that have been leading them into violence when it comes to politics. He commended the Chairman of Pujehun District Council, Sadique Sillah for espousing President Koroma for initiating the ABC Secretariat in spite of his belonging to an opposing political party. He described Chairman Sillah as a politician other Sierra Leoneans should copy.

While lecturing participants on the role of positive attitudes and behaviours towards peaceful coexistence, national cohesion and development the National Coordinator and Second-in- Command of the ABC Secretariat, Madam Nanette Thomas urged the Pujehun District residents to realize that bad manners are the major cause of not only personal destruction, but national decadence equally. She called on the participants to live peacefully, because according to her the driving force behind development is peaceful co-existence. Madam Thomas said although naturally people are reluctant to change because of their love for comfort zones, they should visualize the dividends of weeding out bad manners within themselves, their immediate surroundings and the nation. This she explained must be done without fear and favor as there is no alternative to it and added that it is this reality most former leaders of Sierra Leone failed to imbibe. She ended by terming all Sierra Leoneans who see the rule of President Koroma being unique for forming the ABC Secretariat as real nationalists and upright citizens.

The workshop was climaxed by an interactive session where answers were provided by the ABC Secretariat bosses to critical questions asked by important personalities including the Principal of St. Pauls Secondary School, Mr. Sam S. Abu, Mr.Kakpama Lansana and Hassan Kainesie among others.

Bike Riders, Traders Mob ABC Secretariat Bosses

The headquarter town of Pujehun District was on fire past March 7^th this year as members of the most populated occupations in that part of the country came out in drove to catalog their positive reception of the visitation of the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change (ABC) Secretariat to sensitize them on how the country’s course of development could become positive by them altering harmful comportments that are rampant in their respective engagements.

Like other parts of the country where unemployment, lack of agricultural subsidies and delay in the payment of incommensurate salaries have forced able men and women into private ways of making ends meet Pujehun is no exception; most youths are either in petty trading or ‘okada’ riding, but their desire to maximize profit is at the peril of gullible inhabitants.

During the ABC Secretariat’s stop at the Okada Riders Union office and Big Market in Pujehun Town to inform them about current moves the Secretariat has taken to elevate their social and economic statuses vis-à-vis their requirements to be law abiding the Secretariat’s Executive Director, National Coordinator and Second- in-Command, Programme  Manager and Southern Region Deputy Regional   Coordinator, Dr. Ivan Ajibola Thomas, Madam Nanette Thomas, Ishmael Cole and Sheku Sheriff  were literally mobbed by their hosts for a job well done since their appointments into offices less than a year ago.

At the Okada Riders office, Dr. Thomas informed the youths about a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in Freetown among the ABC Secretariat, the Sierra Leone Police, Sierra Leone Roads Authority and their National Executives that witnessed by no less a person than the Minister of Information, Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo in February this year. He admonished them that although the riding profession has eased a lot of transportation problems it is creating more acute ones including fatal accidents, evasion of taxes and security threats.

Dr. Thomas urged them to abide by the terms of the MOU since according to him they are of national benefit rather than few unscrupulous individuals who for personal aggrandizement have been putting others lives and properties at risk.

In her statement to the okada riders Madam Thomas called on them to transform their trade into a respectful one. She said this can be attained if they drop their bad ways of doing the business. She assured them of the government’s recognition for their contributions towards national development and added that it is as a result of this acknowledgement that her institution made it a point of duty to address rampant anomalies within their field of operations.

Nonetheless, Madam Thomas called on the bike riders to consider switching from their over competitive trade to areas like agriculture since Pujehun District is blessed with fertile land and pointed that those that might not fancy agriculture should use their proceeds for better education.

The ABC Secretariat later on provided the Pujehun District Okada Union with copies of the MOU and advised them to make it accessible and comprehensible to its members.

Upon receipt of the MOU the District’s Bike Riders Union Chairman, Rashid James Tucker commended the Secretariat for relaying what he described as vital news to them. He however implored the visiting ABC Secretariat to fast track the issuance of licenses to them. According to him although most of them want to be law-abiding to obtain these documents the system is too centralized.

To the traders the executives enticed them on how selling substandard goods is not only unlawful, but very ungodly.

The ABC Executives called on the traders to stop charging over exorbitant prices.

Madam Thomas urged them to register for the forth coming elections as their votes are very crucial in determining the next set of leaders and called on them to prioritize educating their girl-children.

Responding the ‘Mammy Queen’ of the market, Kadiatu Sheriff thanked the Secretariat for calling on them and assured that they will serve as agents for positive change in the south of Sierra Leone.

On his part the Secretary General of the Traders Union of Pujehun District, Abdulia A. Conteh entreated the ABC Secretariat not just to stop at the district levels with their sensitization exercise, but take it down to chiefdom levels because according to him most of the wares they sell are bought from localities within these range.

By Momoja Lappia

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