Maada Bio: A Presidential SLPP Aspirant with Tainted Records

Since the publication of this article in 2007 to the present in which members of the family of those murdered in cold blood by members of the NPRC, masterminded by the SLPP Chairman, John O. Benjamin the cry for justice had been ringing in the hears of President Ernest Koroma day in day out.  In as much as President Koroma is opting for reconciliation, however, reconciliation without truth and justice yields no real and formidable peace.   Sierra Leoneans can no longer subscribe to the culture of impunity in which individuals who committed atrocities and looted state coffers are seen roaming freely in a country they purport to love.   We have seen former President Kabbah of the SLPP prosecuting members of the RUF, Kamajors that helped restore him to power, AFRC and even going beyond the shores of Sierra Leone by prosecuting the notorious Charles Taylor of Liberia.  (Photo: Joseph Sherman, author)

Why is President Koroma not listening to the cry of the people for justice when major players like John Benjamin, Maada Bio and Tom N’yumah are making mockery of the justice system in Sierra Leone?  In my maiden article in 2007, when President Koroma ascended to power, I cautioned the President, “To Be Aware of Wolves in Sheep Clothing.”   Maada, Bio and Tom Nyuma were the first to congratulate the President when in won the 2007 elections in contrast Maada Bio was the first to publicly make a statement of overthrowing the APC government if the SLPP loses and of course Tom Nyuma attempted assassination of President Koroma in a hotel in Kenema still remains fresh in the minds of APC partisans.  We are in a modern era where respect for the dignity of human lives is respected without compromise.  Sierra Leoneans can no longer sit and allow hoodlums to have their field day in a democratic country.  Members of the family who were murdered in cold blood by the NPRC needs justice and human rights organizations worldwide are demanding justice and transparency.  

By popular demand from families of the murdered victims by the NPRC Junta, I gracefully republished the article below:  

When I read Maada Bio’s presidential aspirant quasi platform for the SLPP, I couldn’t help wondering whether he is man of conscience that easily forgets that his hands are tainted with blood of innocent Sierra Leoneans during the NPRC Junta regime.  Does Maada Bio think that Sierra Leoneans are a bunch of fools that can be taken for granted?     Will members of the SLPP allow a man to jeopardize the party who has a lot to account for his past thievery and participation in murdering innocent Sierra Leoneans with impunity?  I will caution members of the SLPP to select a decent presidential aspirant that will lead the party in the 2012 presidential elections. 

Can we say that Sierra Leoneans are cursed?  I believe the answer is no.  Maada Bio and other soldiers undemocratically hijacked the then APC government of late Major General Joseph Saidu Momo (may his soul rest in perfect peace) and arrogantly murder at least 48 innocent people including a Sailmatu Kamara, a Mr. Salami Coker who was said to be a SLBS Radio Commentator, O/C Sieh Bangura, an SSD Officer from the war front, and the worst of all a palm wine tapper. Not too long after that, Maada Bio launched afresh murderous attack on those they assumed where opposed to their military control.  It was the most ruthless and uncalled for assassination in which Maj. Aruna Jalloh, Col. Kahota Dumbuya, Commander Yayah Kanu, Capt. Hanciles Bangura and many others were mutilated by Maada Bio and his NPRC military thugs

The coup that ushered in the NPRC Junta brought severe social, economic and political turmoil.  The economy was rampage and hundreds of innocent lives were destroyed coupled with corruption, crime, disease, illiteracy, hunger, poverty and misery engulfed Sierra Leone.   This abuse of power by the NPRC Junta should not go unchecked as was done by the Special Court in Sierra Leone against the AFRC, Kamajors, RUF and Charles Taylor because it is corrosive to the democratization that should enable people to direct their own lives.

The NPRC Junta overthrew the APC government of the late Joseph Saidu Momoh with the haphazard notion of stamping out corruption and nepotism.  On the contrary they betray the public trust through abuse of power, corruption and perpetuation of poverty.  They plundered and looted the economy of Sierra Leone and introduce jungle justice to innocent civilians and military personnel.

Is this the same Maada Bio, a plunderer and a man tainted with innocent blood that wants to be the president of Sierra Leone?  An adage says, “Once a murderer is always a murderer.”   The SLPP should be very careful in the selection of their flag bearer because the 2007 elections did not only give APC a victory but 2012 will give President Koroma a landslide and volcanic victory.

No justice, no reconciliation, and no peace: a simple answer to those that believe that reconciliation can substitute for the others, along with pompous self-congratulating discourse of new legality (amnesties) or stability (negotiated peace).  Forgiveness is not enough because the world is ruled or is supposed to be ruled more by a state of legality than one of morality.  Most worrisome, in our day and age, is the apparent retreat of morality by way of the pseudo- reconciliation discourse leaving legality to flounder and become “holier than the Pope”.  Turning the moral consciousness of the unacceptable into law has and continues to be a driving force of humanistic advocacy, particularly in the face of the multiple atrocities witnessed over the course of the last few years- justice taking the form of law and universal norms.   But is some of the misplaced concern with reconciliation pushing both law and justice to retreat along the path of impunity and unaccountability?  Here lies the heart of the matter.

Our concern here is not only the denial of justice to the victims, but its denial to society and future generation.  Must the movement against impunity clash with the movement for reconciliation?   The question must be framed properly, and failure to do so will only add to legal and moral confusion undermining the much needed will to take clear and committed stances on the issue of peace and peace building.

The NPRC military government was an illegitimate government that swindled illicit promotions. In that they were tweaked out of brute leadership, their self defrauded promotions should be quashed off the civil services. From this point I’ll not attach any title or rank to Maada Bio. As such, whenever you see the name Maada Bio in any of my article I am referring to the so called vile and perfidious power-voracious military contract killer.  This is a war of historical reporting, therefore, any person defending Maada Bio and should use any public network to tell the truth about Maada Bio’s deviance while serving the NPRC. Maada Bio should not go unquestioned about his role in the killing of innocent civilians and some military personnel after he and others hijacked the APC party. Maada Bio is not different from Tom Nyuma because they were all murderers during the NPRC although Tom Nyuma murders more civilians than his colleagues even if compared to Saj Musa, which story will follow later. Sierra Leoneans deserve to know who killed who and why the killing.

Joseph Seidu Sherman, Washington, DC

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