Moijueh Kai Kai; politics from his own perspective

Sometime last week, I had a brief, precisely 7 minutes/22 seconds interview with Moijueh Kai Kai deputy Minister of Labour. Kai Kai from the political front was with the Sierra Leone People’s Party and that was prior to the 2007 elections.  But later, he left the SLPP for the PMDC and again, left the PMDC of the APC. Within the APC, he is now enjoining some level of political importance. (Photo:Pa John Baimba Sesay)

Kai Kai, in my opinion is like the Mohamed D. Koroma type of politician. The typical grass root politician, who would always want to interact with the common man at Guard Street, just to ensure his party gets the needed support. Mohamed Koroma is one of the hardworking deputy Ministers, and an extent I am beginning to see Kai Kai ion the same direction.

I have over and again maintained that politics is all about making gains, irrespective of how one may attempt to look at it. Not only that, when someone gets into politics, he or she does that with the conviction of benefiting something at some point. And this is exactly what we have kept seeing in the political setup of Sierra Leone. Politicians keep moving from one point to another all in an effort to survive.

Therefore, when Kai Kai moved from the PMDC to the APC, it was in my opinion a way of fighting for political survival, although a colleague recently pointed out that politicians must always try to demonstrate some amount of political steadfastness. This is one aspect that has been lacking from within our political class.  And Moijueh Kai Kai could be one of the politicians who have not shown ‘political steadfastness.’ (Photo: Moijueh Kai Kai)

Granted that the SLPP had its own internal problems, what was wrong in all those who left it for other parties to have helped in mending fence or least what was also bad for them to have been strongly committed to even the PMDC they joined rather than also leaving the PMDC for the APC? And this is more the reason the APC should be careful.

This even brings to mind recent statements by one Phillip Lukulay of Maritime Administration that the recent past party in power (SLPP) is to be blamed for the recent sea disaster which left several people dead, and NOT THE APC.

The APC should not take Lukulay for granted because, this would be the same thing he will do if the APC is to be sacked by the electorate and he happens to be heading the SLMA. And who does not know what people like Lukulay did during the days of the SLPP in financing the Berewa campaign? Why should he now taunt the party (SLPP) that made him what he is today?  I shall look at this in subsequent piece, as I am doing some investigations into the SLMA. Lukulay should resign for even politicizing the demise of those people.

Back to my topic on Moijueh Kai Kai; during my brief encounter with him, I asked him to state whether as a government they have scored anything above 10%. Yes, that was deliberate, and he was very enthusiastic and from his facial expression, perturbed and taken by consternation over my rating. I asked him not to expect me to rate them above 50% but that he should give convincing reasons as to why one should think they have scored above 50%. Mark you, this gentleman is from Pujehun, the heartland of the SLPP and so he could be in a better footing to elaborate on the successes or failures of his government 

Quickly, he said, ‘we have scored above 90%.’

He pointed to the Bumbuna Hydro and the provision of electricity in Freetown by his government. ‘There was no light when we came but we have ensure there is light today; Sierra Leone,” he went on, “is a business friendly country;” he said “they have as a government given attention to the construction of major roads in the country,” and he specifically stated that “when the SLPP were in power, they failed to rehabilitate a bridge in Pujehun but we have done that… “The government,” he said, “has given priority to the development of the country by working with the local councils.”

He went on and on and on like any politician would do when asked to talk on achievements; but there was this issue of his government not creating the needed political environment and being hostile to members of the opposition. He quickly, though politely interrupted by saying ‘the SLPP have still not accepted that they lost the elections… all victimizations are being done by SLPP against APC and PMDC members…’ Well, I wonder if the SLPP have not accepted that they lost elections since 2007.

I told him that for the success of an effective democracy in a given state, all parties to it, including the opposition party(ies) should be seen functioning properly and that this is only possible when the ruling party allows that to happen.  I also pointed out that most often than not, the opposition has accused his government of being a one sided one-‘northern based’ ‘Is that true Mr. Kai Kai? I asked; – ‘No’ he said in brief but attempted to elaborate by saying that ‘a manager puts his best team together and if that team comes from one area, then so be it…’  Now, Kai Kai alleged that ‘there is no opposition in Sierra Leone’ and that the ‘SLPP is sleeping and in a slumber mood…’ So be it? Really? In a democracy?  You see, in a democracy, there is need for inclusiveness. I am not inferring that it is not happening, but we need to do more in that direction.

I have attempted to look at the current cabinet setup of President Koroma. I completely will not say it is a northern based cabinet as we have ministers from other parts of the country, and that besides, there are other positions of trust where we have people from the south-east occupying. However, we still have a long way to go. 

My brief 7 minutes, 22 seconds encounter with Moijueh Kai Kai left a lot in my mid that politicians would demonstrate their best to speak or talk on issues of party interest and to as extent looking at things from a nationalistic perspective.  I was not able to decipher during this encounter with him whether politicians are people working for the masses as they normally would tell us.

I also saw in him the traits of a politician who is always ever ready to join the wagon of another party especially in moments of political pains and disasters.  However I look forward to seeing him having what I have been referring to as ‘political longevity’ in the APC family, after all, many of those today in the SLPP and  even APC have cross carpeted from one party to another.

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