APC Veterans hail minister
The All Peoples Congress (APC) party Deputy Chairman and Leader, who is also Mines Minister, Hon. Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray on 18th September, 2013 held discussions with the party’s Veterans Welfare Association in the conference room of the Mines Ministry, Youyi Building, Brookfields in Freetown. (Photo: APC Veterans Chairman, Thomas Conteh, Deputy APC CHairman & Leader, Minkailu Mansaray & APC Veteran Sec. Gen., Sobonikeh Sesay)
Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray stated that bringing the veterans together could yield stronger roots not only for the party but in solidarity with the entire membership, an indication that the veterans should not be precluded from participating in the present Government strategy plan for the development of the party and the country.
He added that most of the veterans held high positions in the previous APC Government affirming, “I strongly believe that some of their previous engagements and best practices could be used even if they might have to be upgraded to maintain stability within the party hierarchy.”
The APC Deputy Chairman and Leader further informed the veterans that President Ernest Bai Koroma wholeheartedly appreciates their initiative and promised to support the association revealing, “the APC recently celebrated its 53rd Anniversary that some of us were fortunate to witness. May the souls of the founders of the party rest in peace as we are still working with their ideology as a grassroots political party for every Sierra Leonean.”
He also called on the veterans to remember past members with the observance of a minute’s silence after which he said that there is no retirement in the APC party adding, “we must know where we are coming from and where we are going to for the enhancement of the party and the country as the APC party is bigger than all of us.”
He further stated that the APC Constitution must include the veterans as it is prudent for them to work as a team and pledged their support to President Koroma’s Government in the implementation of the Agenda for Prosperity for the development of the country.
Veterans Welfare Association Chairman, Thomas Conteh, aka ‘Tongbeh-Tongbeh’, said the formation of the Association is another milestone in the history of the party and recalled that the Deputy Chairman and Leader was unanimously accorded the position shortly after the death of Comrade Chukwuma Johnson which was appreciated by majority of the members.
He reminded the Minister that the Association solicits the support of Government to undertake its activities and commended the Minister for providing the Association with an office space to actualize their vision.
Sobonikeh Sesay, the Association’s Secretary General articulated that although the elders have contributed immensely to the foundation of the party, most of them have been marginalized in the decision-making process.
He also described the Deputy Chairman and Leader as having gone through the ranks of the party prior to his current position.
The veterans acclaimed the leadership of the party and expressed appreciation for the timely formation of the Association.
Similar sentiments were made by Hon. Philipson Kamara, Chief Yusuf Sankoh, Sarah Brewah, Madam Daisy Reffle and Alhaji Bun Mansaray all of whom made salient contributions among them the involvement of veterans in the Constitutional Review Process.
By Joseph Saidu N’Bompa Turay
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