Government calls on SLPP to apologize for misleading the nation and the international community

Yesterday, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo (in photo) made a lengthy statement to the Government’s International Media Network in New York, USA in which he addressed acts of lies, defamation and misleading of the International community and the nation by the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) as well as the lawlessness being perpetuated in the nation by supporters of the party.

WE BRING YOU THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW :

The false allegation made by the leadership of the Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) when the party circulated false news globally that their members were deliberately run over and killed by a vehicle hired by the ruling All People’s Congress ( APC ) Government has proven to be a deliberate act to create a state of anarchy in Sierra Leone.

Members of the APC were nowhere near the activities of the SLPP two days ago when they staged their rally in Makeni and it has now been proved that the driver who lost control of his vehicle and hit members of the SLPP was actually a known member of the SLPP called Mr. David Keili , whose elder brother, Mr. Andrew Keili , contested the party’s elections for presidential flagbearer .

Observers on the ground in the Makeni area have made it categorically clear that the incident that caused the death of 2 people while wounding 21 others was a normal accident that had nothing to do with the present political activities in Sierra Leone. According to the Makeni Police , confirmed by the Inspector General of the Police, Mr. David Keili was driving from Magburaka towards Makeni when he ran into a crowd of SLPP supporters in a village called Makump , 7 miles from Makeni.

The statement made by the SLPP leadership that their supporters were attacked and killed and wounded has proved to be totally wrong. The Police have decided to charge Mr. Keili to court for manslaughter and the Government of Sierra Leone would insist that such a charge be preferred against Mr. Keili for reckless driving.

The point has been reached since the electioneering campaign started where the SLPP have developed the habit of violating the rules of the National Elections Commission ( NEC) as they continue to campaign well into the night and the dark, sometimes up to 11 pm to 12 midnight. The NEC rules state categorically that the rallying time and politicking during the days allotted should last from 7 am to 7 pm, but even after the Makeni accident , the rally continued well in the dark until 9 pm.

The Government wants to make it clear that the SLPP leadership must withdraw the false allegation and come up with the truth of the matter that Mr. Keili is their supporter and not a member of the APC. In fact, a member of his family said in Freetown today that all members of his family are SLPP .

One week ago, though it was not the allotted date for the SLPP to campaign in Bo, the interfered with the activities of the People’s Movement For Democratic Change ( PMDC ), triggering confusion between their supporters and the PMDC, whose time it was to campaign.

In Kenema, three days ago, the SLPP attacked the residence of APC supporters at 50 Blama Road and one of the victims , Amara Sillah , is now undergoing treatment. The habit by the SLPP of violating the law has the potential to threaten the security of the state .The Government’s standpoint is that the Rule of Law should prevail at all times.

The SLPP is now also engaged in slanderous activities and the assassination of the character of individual citizens by making frivolous allegations against them . For example, even though the Indian Government awarded a contract to an Indian company to procure tractors and also to install solar light systems , the SLPP insists that the company that supplied the solar lights and tractors belonged to the sister of the President. The company ANGELIQUE is registered in Delhi and this company is owned by Indians. They won the contract because the Indian Government insisted that the contract must be given to an Indian company.

As if they do not understand the value of money, the SLPP continue to circulate false information that the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, purchased a house for two million pounds in London –an allegation that the President laughed at, though he took it seriously. This was what President Koroma said on hearing about the allegations : “I actually saw an article about the house in London but I did not read it because I thought somebody was trying to defame another minister as is now the case .I know nothing about a house in London “. However, the President’s family intends to take the matter to court.

With the great popularity of President Ernest Koroma , a President who has worked very hard to bring socio-economic and political developments to Sierra Leone, many people are now fully convinced that he is likely to win the presidential elections at the first ballot. Some observers now see the vicious activities of the SLPP as an effort to put in place negative mechanisms to discredit the outcome of the forthcoming elections. Even before the conduct of the elections, the SLPP is working on the theory of power-sharing and would therefore want to put as many spanners as possible into the works to attract the international community , pretending to be the whipping boys .

On the Makeni issue, the Government remains firm that the matter be taken to court.

Leeroy Wilfred Kabs-Kanu. Minister Plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the UN, NY, USA

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