By Titus Boye-Thompson
President Bio confirms his partiality is founded on his limited knowledge of Sierra Leoneans. He stresses that choosing mainly Mendes to man public offices is because they are the people he knows and whose work ethic he is accustomed to.
He made this revelation at an interview with AYV this week. He argues that choosing mainly Mendes- he has chosen nearly 80% for his cabinet, and many more in other public positions – does not mean that he does not like others whom he had not chosen nor should that be a mark of favouritism or tribalism as alleged against him.
Commenting on the President’s interview, a lecturer in Sociology at one of the leading Universities in Sierra Leone pointed out that the President of Sierra Leone may not have intended to be tribalistic in his choice but may have been denied professional political advise to secure tribal and regional balance. He furthered that the President may have acted in good faith but if he has based his actions on a personal circle of people he has prior experience of, he would have painted himself into a corner that may be adjudged inherently tribalistic.
A human rights lawyer who did not want his name mentioned had this to say about the President’s comments. “President Bio had inadvertently lowered the bar on national cohesion by arriving at decisions that have been so heavily influenced by tribal considerations or otherwise by neglecting to consider other tribes and regions in the apportioning of state functions and the employment of state officials.
It is interesting that the President would have come ip with these comments that shows his skewed decision making based on tribes. Thisnis because his party officials and supporters are now seen as hypocritical in their public outcry against the Mayor of Freetown when she was alleged to have stood against the proliferation of one tribe against others in the functions of the Freetown City Council.
Many who heard the President’s position on tribes and how this has influenced his decisions on the appointments of people to public office have asked that he should apologize for such a statement that is construed as being against the Constitutional provisions of defending the rights of all Sierra Leoneans and that as fountain of honor, he is duty bound to be fair and impartial.
Titus Boye-Thompson Freetown 09.04.2021
