The Ohio APC-NA Convention Rocks the Political Bedrock of our Nation – While Hon. Al Aziz Turay wins big as Chairman APC-NA

The Day’s Inn Hotel at 1212 East Dublin-Granville Road, Columbus, Ohio, 43229 was the venue that set the annals of history for all APC NA. Consequently the hour came. Delegates from all walks of life including party heavy weights, technocrats, celebrities, party gurus, hosts of august visitors, and the rank and file of party faithful representing milled around in the oval auditorium. The crowd was unprecedented and the atmosphere was tense. The hall was filled to capacity. It was no exaggerations to state that a grain of sand tossed in the atmosphere will drop on somebody’s head. (Photo: Al Aziz Turay)

The prayers of Muslim and Christianity were said to a mammoth crowd. Hon. E. T. Kamara, H.E. Ambassador Bockarie K. Stevens and Ms. Yabom Sesay of the Washington DC Chapter were seated in the high table. A minute of silence was recognized for the late Joseph Cole “Super Delegate” of Washington, DC. The moment of anxiety and haste shows in other delegates faces and party advocated look up to their chapter presidents.  

The size of the delegation underscored the description of this Ohio Convention. A befitting nomenclature would have been a national convention at home. Attendees sat by their chapters of origin. The high table dressed in impeccable red and white was distinctive. The flag bearers and executive functionaries at the helm of the institutional cog of each were all ushered and seated according to party protocol. 

In his capacity as an Ambassador and acting as a party elder, Ambassador Bockari K. Stevens called the party to order. The pandemonium immediately came to halt. Delegates took to attention to sing the APC Victory song. Amidst a sea of cheering hands, the nucleus of the occasion, the chairmen and the national executives extraordinary of the APC North America were introduced and voted individually.

There was reverberation everywhere. The atmosphere became even more charged and electrifying. Fanfare swept the gathering as if trees were loosing their turgor.  The cheers were deafening, trading back a broad smile, the whip gave the signal and order was immediately descended on the crowd.

The Electoral Commissioner and the Convention Chairman (Hon. E. T. Kamara) introduced the Interim chairman (Leslie Allen) elaborately. In his remark, he recalled that the party under the chairmanship of Mr. Conteh how he had undergone tremendous transformation since the latter assumed office two years. As chairman of the APC North America, our members of the high table reiterated that during those days, Mr. Conteh has revolutionized the party to higher heights. The party he said has seen visible innovation, democracy, and transparency. Amidst a thunderous approbation, he maintained that that as a result of his infectious leadership, the party membership has increased in geometric proportion. Consequently, the creation of new chapters has increased leaving members with greater motivation and a spirited propensity to do more. 

With a clenched fist in the air, the able chairman of the Accreditation Committee (Col. (Rtd) Idrissa Kamara) submitted that an elevated spirit of morale, discipline, and renewed enthusiasm has characterized the party both here and home. Col Idrissa Kamara concluded that our party leader – President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma is very strict, principled and a no-nonsense leader who has and his leadership has indeed resurrected the party. “I hand you over to the chairman,” he said. 

In his response, the convention chairman thanked Mr. Rashid Bangura, president of Ohio Chapter for the encomiums lavished on him. He said that Mr. Rashid Bangura’s introductory remarks and brief characterization of the party and his personal contribution is stern testimony that President Koroma is indeed a party faithful and is aware of where the party has come from and where it is going. Once again he reregistered his appreciation for a man of such caliber for hosting this convention.

In his usual graceful manner, Mr. Rashid Bangura thanked all members, attendees and well wishers for taking the onus to be present at short notice. “The magnitude of the crowd manifests your deep and profound support of the ideals of this organization and our shared values and responsibilities’,

“By and large, it shows the degree of unanimity between members of each chapter, the leadership and consequently the entire organization both local and continental wise. For my part as Commissioner of this Ohio Convention” he said, among other things, my job is to facilitate, and hold our chapters together and to ensure that each subgroup is working within the framework of laws, bylaws and guide lines.  Night and day, snow or shine, I am either on the phone of physically visit different chapters as conditions dictate.” He reiterated a point by the last speaker on the growing numerical strength of the party, the level of organization and respect among members. “I will share this success’, he said “with the presidents and all executives of the different chapters whose propaganda machine and public relations have been superb.” 

The Convention chairman expressed satisfaction that in spite of our individual and increasing family responsibilities, members continue to live to their financial obligations. A murmur of approbation swept the crowd. The Convention chairman’s speech was punctuated from time to time with tremendous ovation. Our sacrifices have never gone unnoticed by the government at home. One compelling example is the number of executive positions some of our members were offered and called upon to return home to serve our people. We also have great influence at various levels.

The Convention chairman advised members to continue to be diligent, dedicated and disciplined and to continue to hold their country at heart for peace and prosperity. In another engagement, the presidents of each chapter gave a brief synopsis of progress and issues as is unfolding in their different chapters. The issues were common. Some chapters no doubt have problems in recruiting new members.

Finally, the hour of this the elections came which was conducted in the open as free and fair. Here is the New APC-NA National of 2010-2012: 

1                 National Chairman – AL-HASSAN AZIZ TURAY- AZ

2                 Vice Chairman – SALLIEU H. CONTEH- NE

3                 Secretary General – HASSAN KAMARA- DC

4                 Asst. Secretary General – SAMUEL D. LITTLE- PA

5                 Treasurer – ABIE BANGHALI MANSARAY-DC

6                 Financial Secretary – JOSEPH B. KAMARA-DC

7                 Organizing Secretary – EDDIE BANGURA-OH

8                 Fund Raising Director – VICTOR SIMBO – NY

9                 Asst. Organizing Sec. – BRIMA BANGURA-NJ

10             Asst. Public Relation Officer – BRIMA MICHAEL AZIZ-TURAY

By: Essa Thaim Kurugba, Columbus Ohio, USA

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