The Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) has set tongues wagging once again . The National Executive Council delegation of the party arrived in the United States yesterday strangely missing the party’s Presidential candidate for next year’s all-important elections, Mr. Maada Bio, and the Chairman of the party, Mr. John Benjamin. The delegation was to have come here on a sensitization tour. However with the leaders of the party missing, SLPP officials are now saying that the team is here to bring peace to the diaspora branch of the SLPP.
MR. ALLIEU I. KANU
The SLPP delegation is led by the party’s Secretary General, Mr. Suliman Banja Tejan-Sie and other members include former Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN for Legal Affairs, Mr. Allieu Kanu and the Hon. Emma Kowa .
Originally , Mr. Maada Bio was billed to have led the delegation and all arrangements had been concluded when the SLPP announced that he had been dropped from the delegation, leading to speculations in some newspapers that he may have been denied a visa by the U.S. authorities. The SLPP never addressed these speculations . It was expected that the delegation could have been then accompanied by the next most senior official, Chairman John Benjamin. But that too did not materialize.
When John Benjamin arrived here a few years ago, he was detained at the Dulles International Airport in Washington DC by U.S. Home Security officials and was subjected to the most intense grilling on his human rights records . It took the intervention of Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the U.S, H.E. Bockarie Stevens, for Mr. Benjamin to be released.
If Maada Bio was indeed denied a visa by U.S. as is being speculated, then it represents an alarming commentary of the indescribably embarrassing and anomalous fate that Sierra Leone will face in the international community if people with human rights problems like Mr. Bio ever become President . The idea of Sierra Leone not being able to engage in any bilateral relations with the only superpower of the world, not to mention the multilateral fallouts it will provoke with the UN and other international organizations , will be a price too dear for the country to pay for electing a leader rejected by the international community because of his bloody past. We await to hear the truth.
.
© 2011, COCORIOKO. All rights reserved. – Discuss this and other related articles on the Salone Forum
7 Responses to “‘Leaderless’ SLPP delegation comes to the U.S : No Maada Bio, no John Benjamin”
None of your business. P.M.Y.O.B. Please. Mind. Your. Own. Business. APC,why you so worried about SLPP fool?
Lansana Sankoh
Reply
Lansana,
Let me first of say I’m not SPP of APC I’m for the people of Sierra Leone. APC has a rude awakening foucssing on these petty issues. Maada I believe weill come stateside in 2012.
Also APC needs to focus on succession after 2017 coz Sam Sumana cannot lead their party. they are not deep at all in the ranks.
Right now they need to address the illegal timber trading. The press release was GARBAGE!!!!
C’mon Ernest you need to investigate this shit not unless you know more than us.
Ben,
Dallas Texas
Reply
Lasan, APC is a strong political party that is here to politically excell in terms of charismatic leaders like Ernest Bai Koroma. Make no mistake, the blessed son of our land Ernest Obai Koroma will be elected with flying colors and Madda Bio will be
sent to retirement by the SLPP and be in search of another leader, may be it will be you.
Reply
Gentlemen, you all have to face the truth. No one to blame on this issue, but yourselves. Why in the hell you all decided to chose a criminal as a leader common guys. shame on you all.
Reply
Well it says there will be investigations.
I would like to hear the findings and see ACTIONS taken based on the findings – hopefully they’re aren’t faulty findings. Action needs to be taken and the results need to be published for the world to see.
Ben.
Reply
Ben , If you go back to the past records of the SLPP administration, your party did more harm, not only to the present generation of Sierra Leoneans but those yet unborn. Whatever happens today, has already happened during the Kabba administration. The SLPP used to put everything under the rug, by paying the whislte blower. President koroma is trying to be transparent and accountable ok.
From the Voice of Peace,
Umaru Jalloh.
11/26/2011
Reply
I would be greatful if Maada Bio can address certain issues to help us in deciding who to vote for come 2012. Some of us are undecided, so this will help us choose the right person to lead us
1. In his press release after the his victory, he addressed the issue of the execution carried on by NPRC, but failed to make a mention of the allegation made against him for fleeing the country over $400,000 prior to the handover to Tejan Kabbah.
2. Whether he will make tour of the US and UK before the elections, as has been done by all previous leaders.
3. Why did he established business in Ghana when he would have done it in Sierra Leone and create employment.
I just want to make sure make the right choice.