Sam Sumana chases the Kono votes now more than never

Let me firstly say, thanks to President Koroma for this wise decision in maintaining a winning team, by selecting Sam Sumana as his running mate for the pending elections. He finally made it, having literally read for an examination, a process that started some sixty months back, only to take it today.  (Photo: John Pa Baimba Sesay, IA, China)

Sam, a happy family:I just dropped the phone, talking to VP Sam Sumana from Sierra Leone for yet another interview, as well as his wife who was as happy and joyous as my 5 year old daughter receiving a chocolate gift from me. But we could not, because, from the look of things, Sam Sumana was overwhelmed with joy and with friends and supporters around him, but it would be my pleasure if you keep watching this page for an interview with him. But one thing I will for sure tell you is that the man has always been confident and has always trusted his boss who is also, as a matter of fact, a God-fearing and dedicated leader.

In one of my several interviews I had with Sam Sumana, he was as religious as a saint, and almost a reverend type person, in answering to a particular question I had asked him on whether, given media speculations at the time, he was worried about him still continuing his job as the Vice President of the republic.   ‘I am not worried… it is the prerogative of my boss, His Excellency the President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to name his running mate for the 2012 general elections… but I tell you, I have always enjoyed a good working relationship with my boss… I tell you, I have always enjoyed a good working relationship with my boss… what I will want to assure you is that, I am not worried… I have a boss that is God- fearing and one that I should be behind, not at par with him…” (http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/31515). That was almost a year ago as the interview was done on a Wednesday, 26th October, 2011 in his office. The rumors never stopped coming, but he also ensured, he remained silent and kept doing his job and working in line with the dreams of his boss, His Excellency the President.

At one point, I did an in-depth article on him, being an aficionado of Sam and also being a believer in the principles and dreams of President Koroma.  In the said article, I argued, that President Koroma’s chances of winning the November elections are great, more so taking into account what he has done during his tenure in state governance. But I also, at the time, expressed fear that given the crucial importance of the Kono votes, just as the votes from Bo, Kenema and Makeni, there was every need to consolidate those votes by keeping in place Sam.

I also made reference to the vote casts during the local council elections which showed that the Kono people were ready to give their support to the especially given that Sam Sumana has a strong support base in Kono. I have often and again, been arguing, that politics is all about loyalty and so far the Vice President has proved to be loyal to President Koroma. There never has been a situation where he had wanted to be more powerful than his Boss as we have seen in some cases in our political system. (Read: http://www.globaltimes-sl.org/news1818.html). Sam Sumana’s trust and dedication to the political principles and agenda of President Koroma cannot be questioned and so, the decision by the President to maintain him has also just been too exceptionally great and a sign of good things to come. Not only that, it shows the President is someone that rewards people who are committed to working in line with his dreams.

I recall vividly writing, also that despite the good works of this President his if his opponents have their way today, all they would want to see is a divided Kono, in the sense, that a punctured Sam Sumana in governance will lead to a divided Kono, knowing very well, that Sam Sumana has been able thus far to take the ruling APC into the Kono mainland, coupled with what President Koroma has continued to do not just for Kono, but for Sierra Leone as a whole. So, this was the ball game some had been looking for. But alas! They have failed in that. Suggesting that Kono is a rising tiger will be an understatement from me, taking into account the level of geopolitical shift we are seeing our body politics in Sierra Leone and now is the time for the Konos to be united and work as a team and give their best to their brother, son and uncle, in the person of Sam Sumana.

Sam Sumana the unassuming gentleman: Sahr Matthias Bendu once wrote, that Sam Sumana “is a quiet achiever and philanthropist…. he does not believe in trumpeting his kind gestures to organizations and schools such as the purchase of millions of laboratory equipment for the Koidu Secondary School. He has also provided machines and money for clearing the site for the construction of the Youth Centre in Koidu, contributed to the diamond area scholarship for pupils in the district, constructed roads etc. Sam Sumana always says he is privileged to have worked with a man he considers his icon. On many occasion he has tried to woo young people from the district to join the APC party. His current boss has special place in his heart. …” (http://politicosl.com/2012/09/removing-vp-sam-sumana-is-a-political-miscalculation/ ) This is the man running with President Koroma for the coming elections

Let us be realistic here; to want to suggest Sam Sumana should be a saint, whether in the political sense or otherwise is not just unfair, but a completely out of touch idea.   Several theories have been propounded by political commentators in terms of governance in Sierra Leone around Sam Sumana.  But when we look at the real issues today on the ground in Sierra Leone, one may submit that the socio-economic and political development we are going through, under the astute leadership of President Koroma are as a result of the combining efforts we have been getting also from Sam Sumana.  If we today can talk about having done much in the areas of agriculture, in infrastructure, in the provision of free health care, and a host of other areas, they have all come to reality as a result of the help that President Koroma has been getting from his Vice President.

The votes, he will bring: But come back to the strategic votes needed by the President for the pending November elections, it is but urgent to state that the Kono vote is well reserved for President Koroma and Sam Sumana. Take this argument; if when in opposition, Kono gave to the APC 52,908 votes in 2007 and provided 74,458, for the SLPP, it surely will be different thing November in favor of President Koroma.  So, Sam Sumana is now chasing the Kono votes now than ever and he will, as a matter of fact, get those votes for President Koroma. For a moment, put the Kono votes aside and try to get a general picture of what he can do. Need I say he certainly will bring more votes? A game of wait and see! Now that he has been named, all I know is, there are reserved votes for him and the President, come November

Who is Sam Sumana?

Alhaji Sahr Samuel Sam-Sumana (born April 7, 1962 in Koidu Town, Kono District) is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current Vice President of Sierra Leone.  He became the newest Vice President on September 17, 2007, running as part of the All People’s Congress (APC) alongside Presidential candidate Ernest Bai Koroma that defeated Presidential candidate Solomon Berewa and his Vice Presidential candidate Momodou Koroma on the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) ticket. Sam-Sumana is the first Sierra Leonean Vice president from Kono District and the country’s first vice president from the Kono ethnic group. He  holds a Bachelor degree of Science (BSC) in Management Information System from the Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis, Minnesota,United States. He also holds a diploma in Computer Network Support Specialist from Knollwood Computer and Business School, in St Louis Park, Minnesota, United States. Sam-Sumana is married to Khadija Sam-Sumana. The couple were residing in Minnesota, but returned to Freetown when Sam-Sumana was named as the running mate by the then main opposition leader and current Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma on the ticket of the All People’s Congress (APC).(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Sam-Sumana)

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