By Hassan Bruz
Northern Bureau Chief
The Foronguya Section Chieftaincy Electioneering Process in the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom has left a total of 5 Aspirants in Police Custody. Foday Conteh, Yanku Kamara, Osman Kamara, Unisa Kamara and Thaim Kamara were arrested after the Senior District Officer in Port Loko –Mr. Abdulai Mansaray filed in a report against them. They were accused of invading the Office of the Senior District Officer and pelted it with stones after they had confronted him with all sorts of abusive languages.
It all started at the ceremony of the declaration of rights to the Foronguya Section Chieftaincy, following the demise of the substantive Chief- Pa Alimamy Kamara. He passed away on 5th. June 2015 and there has been the felt need to elect a successor. Foronguya is the largest Section in the Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom. It comprised the Boria and Makasa as the key Ruling Houses in that Section. Recently, the Paramount Chief declared the position vacant and invited interested members of the aforementioned ruling houses to opt. A total of 4 people declared for the position of which 3 were from Boria while Makasa came up with the remaining one aspirant.
The Declaration Ceremony which took place at the Mahera Local Court Barray, was presided over by a Panel of Local Authorities selected by the Paramount Chief and chaired by the Senior District Officer himself. An objection was raised against one of the Aspirants in the person of Mr. Mohamed Smart Kamara as not being an actual member of the Kamara Ruling House which he claimed to have hailed from. Sources say he was brought in to the contest by some of the children of the late Section Chief.
A Protest letter was filed to the Senior District Officer authored by Pa Foday Conteh, Yanku Kamara and 14 others. The Senior District Officer in consultation with the Paramount Chief, agreed to meet at his Office in Port Loko on 17th.February 2016 in order to address the issue. During that meeting, 2 of the other Children of the late Section Chief went to disassociate themselves from the decision of the others who had earlier presented Mr. Mohamed Smart Kamara as a member of their Ruling Family. It was discovered that 2 signatories to the Petition Letter were forged -an aspect the Paramount Chief promised to handle. The meeting was subsequently postponed so as to enable members of the opposing family go home and resolve their differences against the following Wednesday-24th. February2016.
The Senior District Officer in an interview with me, said he was therefore baffled when the Paramount Chief failed to show up on the agreed date, especially when he could not even task anyone to represent him. He said there was a large turnout of the followers of the disgruntled Aspirants who took offence over the decision to postpone the session owing to the conspicuous absence of the Paramount Chief. This resulted to the rumpus at his Office and the subsequent arrest of the above mentioned persons. The Senior District Officer – Mr. Abdulai Mansaray is very much pissed off by the conduct of these Aspirants. He said he would do his best to put a stop to this act of lawlessness…….
