COCORIOKO report by Kabs Kanu
President Ernest Koroma last night met with supporters of the party who had travelled from all parts of the Continental USA to welcome him to New York and to take part in today’s expected massive demonstration at the UN.
In a one-hour statement to the crowd at an improvised meeting room at his hotel, President Koroma dismissed and debunked the so-called Concerned Sierra Leoneans group.
President Koroma commended the APC-USA for travelling from different parts of the U.S. to come and see him and join the rally on his behalf .This, he said, demonstrated their devotion to the APC.
He said the issues the group is promoting have nothing to do with Ebola funds or the former Vice-president’s issue. Rather, it is all about finding a way into getting back into governance. “They know that through the democratic process, they cannot defeat the APC in elections, especially as we continue to do the things that please our people”, the President explained.
President Koroma disclosed that some of the CSL members are just trying to seek attention while many of them are looking for jobs and opportunities. They are just pretending to be pursuing the Ebola funding and VP’s issues. But President said confidently that they will never succeed.
President Koroma, in questioning the sincerity of the group, said that anybody who wants to be sincere would know two things: firstly, his very government was the one that went all over the nation warning against the misuse of Ebola funds .He taunted the Concerned Sierra Leoneans that they cannot echo the Ebola funds accountability more than his government, which started it.
He said that it was the same government that demanded the audit of the Ebola funds; the same government that ordered the Audit Department not only to audit the Ebola funds, but to make the report public and present it to Parliament for discussion and relevant action. “so how can you come and talk accountability with us who are the ones promoting it ? “, the President asked in a taunting tone. Some of them just want to be recognized and given a platform, President Koroma charged.
He further taunted the group to explain what accountability they demonstrated when they were in power. president Koroma said the Anti-corruption Commission was toothless and ineffective and it was his government that came and gave the ACC strength and power to prosecute corrupt people.
President Koroma also accused the group of lacking understanding of issues. From the manner they are talking, one can conjecture that they do not really understand the issues and are just trying to gain recognition. Continuing to taunt the CSL, President Koroma asserted : “whether you demonstrate or not, you are not going to distract or stop us. Whether you go to the social media or not, you are not going to distract or stop us .maybe that is where you work. We have work given to us by our people and we will continue doing it. ”
President Koroma said his government was very proud of its achievements. Whether people like it or not, Sierra Leone had the fastest growing economy in the world before Ebola struck. He outlined all the achievements of his government in the areas of energy, architectural development, agriculture, democracy, health care delivery and commerce.
President Koroma warned that nobody will distract him and his government and he toughened the resolve of the APC vanguard that they should not allow anybody to distract them. He stated authoritatively that nobody will distract or stop his government. He said that he has just commissioned the 100 buses and he is determined to bring in more buses until the transportation problem in the country had been fully addressed. From America, President Koroma said he is going to commission the Mamamah International Airport project. We have work to do and we are doing it. We owe nobody an apology.
President Koroma appealed to the APC to be united because that is the only way the party will win its battle continuously. COCORIOKO
See pictures in other columns.RESIDENT
