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By Abrahim Alimu Jalloh |
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My Teacher in High School was always advising, at the beginning of the academic year, that “… students must make haste slowly, or else you will end up saying ‘ had I known’ ”. This is the very political scenario the SLPP government is facing.
The people of Sierra Leone had high expectations when His Excellency the President, Dr. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabba won the elections in 1996.
The people of Sierra Leone had high expectations when His Excellency the President, Dr. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabba won the elections in 1996.
It was not too long when the hard core SLPP members started to grumble about the attitude of the Pa.
He was quick to embrace politica opponents into the SLPP government; he was quick to ‘ build bridges and railways’ in the country; his Government was quick to take Dr. Abbas Bundu to court for embezzling the Nation’s passport money; he was quick to disband the military when the lives and properties of millions of Sierra Leoneans were at stake; he was quick to tell the Nation and the World that he knew about the AFRC military coup three days before he was overthrown, he was quick to heap praises on the Kamajors for a job well done. In exile in Guinea, he was quick to ask his cabinet Ministers to resign their ministerial positions when ECOMOG ousted the junta government from Freetown.
He was quick to embrace politica opponents into the SLPP government; he was quick to ‘ build bridges and railways’ in the country; his Government was quick to take Dr. Abbas Bundu to court for embezzling the Nation’s passport money; he was quick to disband the military when the lives and properties of millions of Sierra Leoneans were at stake; he was quick to tell the Nation and the World that he knew about the AFRC military coup three days before he was overthrown, he was quick to heap praises on the Kamajors for a job well done. In exile in Guinea, he was quick to ask his cabinet Ministers to resign their ministerial positions when ECOMOG ousted the junta government from Freetown.
Before they could finish fastening up their political seat belts, Thorlu Bangura, who was the vibrant mouthpiece for the SLPP during earlier campaigns to bring the Party to power, was asked by the Pa to disembark the SLPP train for receiving ‘excess money’ from one of the passengers. Dr. Harry Will was silenced and thrown into the political wilderness till thy Kingdom come. Momoh Pujeh was relieved of his Ministerial duties before he could be judged for dealing in diamonds.
During the 2002 Bo SLPP Convention, John Ernest Leigh, who was very outsdpoken against the AFRC junta government, was not given an invitation, for his intention to contest for the vice presidency. It was clear that Charles Margai was outlawed to enter Bo for the Convention to challenge Pa Kabba’s presidency.The Convention went on as it was planned in Freetown. The wu-te-teh reigned supreme!
The President and his Vice, Solomon Berewa, who was Attorney General and Minister of Justice; both astute legal luminaries were quick to sign a document with the UN to open a Special Court in Sierra Leone to try people who committed the greatest war crimes against humanity during the rebel war, deliberating forgetting that some of the ‘ witches and wizards’ they were hunting were lurking in the SLPP House.
The most poweful UN can not tell us were Johnny Pul Koroma is.They can not remove even the button from Charles Tailor’s shirt to bring him to face the Court in Freetown. Foday Sankoh, Sam Bockarie- Mosquito, and Denis Mingo-Superman can only be remembered in the dark pages of our history. Hinga Norman and his colleagues, who were hailed by President Kabba, are counting their remaining days in prison for the SLPP Government’s commitment with the UN.
The SLPP would have capitalised on the appeals made by the candidates, who contested for the Party leadership during the 2005 Makeni Convention, to defer the convention to a CONVENIENT DATE. That date would have been eight or six months to the 2007 General Elections which would have left no TIME space for a disgruntled member to form a new political party.
But when you have Advisers in the SLPP with the former APC political acrobatic styles in mind, they would be deaf and blind to the ‘Sorriest Part’ of ‘ Pa we nor glady ooh’.
The SLPP would have capitalised on the appeals made by the candidates, who contested for the Party leadership during the 2005 Makeni Convention, to defer the convention to a CONVENIENT DATE. That date would have been eight or six months to the 2007 General Elections which would have left no TIME space for a disgruntled member to form a new political party.
But when you have Advisers in the SLPP with the former APC political acrobatic styles in mind, they would be deaf and blind to the ‘Sorriest Part’ of ‘ Pa we nor glady ooh’.
The Convention in Makeni was hastily organized after Hinga Norman lost his case against the SLPP. Out of the three hundred delegates, no body could remember the good work of John Ernest Leigh for the Party and Country to nominate him for the Party leadership. Dr. Lansana Nyallay of the Tegloma fame was lucky for one of the delegates, either by mistake or sentiment, to nominate him. But who would have dared, even delegates from the Kailahun district, where Dr. Nyallay hails from, in the presence of the almighty Dr. Puawui Sama Siama Banya, to second Dr. Nyallay’s nomination?
Contestants and delegates came from the Convention with mixed feelings. Dr. Banya had this to say after he lost the Party Chairmanship to Dr. U.N.S. Jah: ‘ I am not sad, but disappointed’. He remains to be the Chief Adviser to the President.
Just two days after, J.B.Dauda Finance Minister, Ernergy and Power Minister Emmanuel Orisejolomi Grant, and Internal Affairs Minister George Banda Thomas were fired which has left tongues and tails oscillating.
The arrest of Charles Margai for the failure of the Inspector General to provide adequate security for the Vice President Solomon Berewa in Bo during the CKC anniversary has left many sympathizing with Charles Margai. This was not the first time for such security lapses.
Just two days after, J.B.Dauda Finance Minister, Ernergy and Power Minister Emmanuel Orisejolomi Grant, and Internal Affairs Minister George Banda Thomas were fired which has left tongues and tails oscillating.
The arrest of Charles Margai for the failure of the Inspector General to provide adequate security for the Vice President Solomon Berewa in Bo during the CKC anniversary has left many sympathizing with Charles Margai. This was not the first time for such security lapses.
The Palm oil is spilling down very fast from the Palm-tree that the Custodians are finding it difficult to mop into one Mill. Some of the oil is changing its colour slightly into orange to camouflage the custodians which is the Sorriest Part.
Let it be known that Sierra Leoneans are not in the same school of thought with Jonathan Swift ( 1667-1745) who believed that ‘ Promises and pie-crusts are made to be broken’. Therefore, we should learn to MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.
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