Why the President’s Portrait?

In spite of the series of anti-violence campaigns and sensitizations carried out in this nation, the culture of violence continues unabated. Many Sierra Leoneans still have the erroneous belief that riot and other forms of violence to display their grievances, especially on the political arena.

Fanatic supporters of both the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), and those of the opposition, Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), have often been resorting to violence when aggrieved, a behavior which we categorically condemn, more so when we have noticed that, on many occasions, the disgruntled supporters direct their violence at their leaders or their portraits or properties.

Very recently in Mile 91, Tonkolili District, apparently discontented APC supporters vandalized the portrait of His Excellency the President, Ernest Bai Koroma after perpetrating a series of other violent acts in the town as a way of registering their grievance against the party’s failure to award symbol to John Sallu Gbla, their preferred candidate. What crime did President Koroma’s portrait commit to deserve such desecration? Is that the way we honor the president we elected to lead us? Why keep on molesting our leaders? What also warranted the razing of the president’s portrait in Bo City? Is that the only way to register our discontentment.

Sometime ago, disgruntled SLPP fanatics attacked the party leader, John Oponjo Benjamin and deflated the tyres of his vehicle, accusing him of not supporting the retention of Julius Maada Bio’s retention as the party’s flagbearer. In a related development, SLPP  supporters reportedly hurled invectives and booed at the party leader, calling him the big thief who kept stealing the party funds.

We believe that molesting our leaders, especially our president, is equivalent to molesting our country and our very selves. Why should we not use a civilized way to register our dissatisfaction over issues or to show our vexation with our leaders? This press is with the opinion that violence is not the best method of settling our scores.

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