SLPP and Political Extremism in Sierra Leone – A Rejoinder

An article has appeared in the last two days in a number of newspapers. It is allegedly written by “A Concerned Citizen.” Just as it is anonymous, so he is faceless and well nigh he should be. This faceless writer accuses the Sierra Leone Peoples Party, SLPP of all political parties, of introducing extremism into the body politic since the APC assumed office in 2007. I continue to say that a number of people appear to write as they do either out of a share desire to be counted among the faithful, or out of ignorance or more correctly as a deliberate attempt to run away from facts, or to run away from reality into the realm of naked falsehood. It is a pity that the writer has hidden behind the mask of anonymity because it would have been interesting to see his response as his shallowness and hypocrisy are exposed. Be that as it may, it is necessary to educate our faceless friend by defining EXTREMISM.

The following are excerpts from Webster’s definition of ‘Extreme’ and the various derivatives from it. “Extreme: furthest out; furthest from the centre. Extreme view: views and opinions etc. and those who hold them; not moderate, especially far to the left. To go to extreme: to adopt extreme measures, views or take extreme action. Extremism: the quality or state or habit of going to the extreme. Extremist: going or inclined to go to extreme in views or action.”

The anonymous citizen shamelessly asserts “President Koroma’s administration had barely gotten into office before the SLPP began planting fears in the minds of Sierra Leoneans about the return of violence, corruption, tribalism and the raping of women at the resurgence of the All Peoples Congress.” 

Could this faceless individual really be serious in uttering this statement?  Did mayhem, lawlessness and all he has said above not occur on day one? The miserable sycophant even has the temerity to compare us with Al-Qaeda or the Taliban and then contrasts our behavior with that of the APC. I am sure readers must have laughed their sides out with that single sentence.

Where was this concerned citizen on Monday September 17, 2007 when Christiana Thorpe declared Mr. Ernest Bai Koroma as the President of Sierra Leone? In case he feigns amnesia, I refer him again to the attack, vandalism and looting of the SLPP headquarters on Wallace-Johnson street, in Yele, in Kambia; to the attacks on SLPP supporters in the city and in different parts of the country. The subsequent attacks on the SLPP sub regional office in Bo; the violence in Kono on former Vice President Solomon Berewa and the SLPP delegation that went to launch the SLPP local government elections campaign in Kono. Did the leader of the so-called Kono task force not claim that the former Vice President had entered the city as if he was still Vice President?

What about the first attempt at the Sorogbeima ward local government elections in Pujehun district, were they not cancelled because of the introduction of violence by the Resident Minister, South and his notorious yeti yeti?

Has our anonymous concerned citizen forgotten the March 2009 attacks on the SLPP headquarters, the burning of two vehicles and the assault on the people there, including rape of some women in broad daylight like what happened in Conakry? Was the party’s Unity radio equipment not completely vandalized and carted away?

Compared to the allegedly extremist SLPP, the anonymous citizen presents the ruling APC as angels who are constantly extending the olive branch to an extremist opposition party. I know that in their heart of hearts both our President today and the PMDC leader will acknowledge that the Segbwema fiasco was initiated by their body escorts, especially Leather Boot and the others who were dressed in black. I challenge Mr. Citizen to come into the open and make his spurious insincere allegations, preferably after he would have educated himself on the meaning of extremism. It would be interesting to see the face from which such high handed rubbish emanates.

As for Emmerson Bockarie’s “yesterday better pass tiday” whether Arolyn Koroma and other APC apologists like it or not, it is an accurate description of today’s situation under the APC.

Those who say that under the SLPP there was no economic crisis are only begging the question. And if they think that their anti-Emmerson propaganda has diminished the young man’s popularity, or put food into the stomachs of starving people, they must have another think.

Yes, we have had Bumbuna commissioned and we applauded it very sincerely even as there is persistent irregularity in the electricity supply. What we criticized is the colossal amount of money wasted on the HIRE of Thermal generators simply to beat a record. We were not the only critics of the deal unless Arolyn claims to be ignorant of them. The electricity supply to the city of Freetown and the recent conference to showcase the country are in my opinion the only positive original APC achievements. But may I remind him and his type that our donor conference in Paris yielded much more. And the boast about the country being peaceful and how our elections were conducted satisfactorily are to be credited to the erstwhile SLPP government.

Arolyn Koroma may be anxious to get a job at home. All he has to do is to apply to the office of the Diasporas; his name, his region of origin and his leaning to the APC is all that would be required. The office may challenge this assertion by publishing a detailed analyses of those employed to date, a gauntlet that I have repeated thrown to the director.  

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

---

© 2009, https:. All rights reserved.