Yumkella Snubs SLPP for Coalition
Former UNIDO Boss, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella has officially pronounced his resignation from the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) to join the Grand Coalition Movement on Tuesday 5th September at Sierra Light House Hotel in Freetown in presence of media practitioners. Se resignation statement below
On the 3rd July, I publicly announced my decision to suspend my bid to contest for the presidency of the republic of Sierra Leone under the Sierra Leone people’s Party (SLPP).On the same occasion, I promised to keep the public informed of the next steps in my political career.
Your meeting here today is in fulfillment of that promise exactly two months since that decision.
Permit me to state at the outset that my candidacy for the presidency of our country has always been about seizing an opportunity to reset our people on a progressive trajectory by improving governance, reducing mass poverty, curbing corruption, fostering national cohesion, providing hope and opportunities for them to translate their needs and aspirations into reality and using our abundant natural resources for sustainable development.
I have had profound sentimental attachment to the SLPP since my childhood when father and family made huge sacrifices as their contribution to the establishment of the party.
Thereafter, many great men and women each did a little so that the SLPP could survive including, to name only a few, Sir Milton Margai,Bai Farama Tass,Bai Shebora Yumkella, Ella Koblo Gulama,Bai Koblo pathbana,S.B.Mara,Sir Albert Margai,Salia Jusu-Sheriff,Teacher Lagao,Lamina Sankoh,R.G.O.King,John Nelson Williams, Gideon Thomas,Honourable Mana kpaka,John Akar,Honoria Bailor Caulker,pa Sansui Mustapha.
The SLPP party to which my parents belonged was a party of these dignified and respectable men and women who, together with my own parents, were committed to working for the progress of their country and compatriots. They strongly believed in the core values of the primacy of rule of law, preservation of unity, guarantee of freedom and justice.
It was this tradition that I felt duty bound to preserve and contribute to with my own talents, time, energy and resources.
Regrettably, as you are all aware, that party is no more. What we have today is a caricature of the SLPP of our founding Fathers Suffering as it is currently under a mis-leadership that continues to thrive on violence, lack of respect for elders, falsehood, betrayal, violation of rules, manipulation of people with messages of division, dark schemes and designs, lack of focus and loss of credibility.
When I announced that I was suspending my aspiration for the position of SLPP flag bearer, I strongly believed that the conflicts and tensions within the party would be at least reduced if not eliminated since some people had, wrongly though, attributed those tensions and conflicts to my presence in the race.
However, the whole country is now aware that since I suspended my bid for the flagbearship, the camps have multiplied; the internecine squabbles have intensified, whilst the divisions have become deeper, and the confusion has continued.
Yet the party mis-leaders are still in denial that they are the real architects of the ongoing conflicts, dysfunctional nature and eventual demise of the party.
People who supported me and continue to do so have been marginalized and wrongfully excludes from mainstream party activities while the quarrels over delegates’ list continue unabated.
Today, the SLPP is in a suspended state of re-animation due to the greed, selfishness and wickedness of a few characters as majority of the people of good conscience in the party are being led down the path of destruction of a party they have been loyal to and made sacrifies for. There is no red or green Sierra Leone; we are just one people bound by a common heritage in the land that we love.
A political party is a vehicle for contesting elections and attaining power, but loyalty to party must never take precedence over loyalty to country. Our country must always come first and no interest should supersede national and public interests.
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