Concord Times (Freetown) :
9 September 2007
Posted to the web 5 September 2007
Mohamed Massaquoi
Freetown
An Eastern region Paramount Chief has denounced tribalism ahead of this weekend’s run-off vote.
Paramount Chief Amara Bonya Vagahun of Nongowa Chiefdom said he hopes Sierra Leoneans avoid regional, tribal and sectional differences which have the potential of creating ethnic tension among residents of the region.
Vagahun, who also doubles as Chairman for the Council of Paramount Chiefs in the Eastern region, made the pronouncement on Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) FM 93.5 in Kenema.
He said it is important to address his subjects on the issue of tribal differences as there have been rumours that people are using intimidation to get others to support their political party.
Vagahun further said that conflict is against development and every individual should yearn for the development of the region and the country at large.
He referred to the September 8 presidential run-off election as crucial and significant, as it will reflect the minds of the people of the country.
“It is very inhuman to ask those who are not indigenes of Kenema and it environs to go beck to their various places of origin after spending a long time in this part of the country,” he said. “By so doing, one may be driving away other ethnic groups who are in total support of the party of your choice.” Vagahun said that despite ethnic differences, everyone is a Sierra Leonean with similar historical background.
“On behalf of other Paramount Chiefs and Sub-chiefs in the district I will not encourage any tribal and ethical difference in this region,” he said.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Jay
To: All
Date Posted: 14:41:00 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: c-69-140-34-194.hsd1.md.comcast.net at 69.140.34.194
Message:
I know Chief Vangahun personally and I am not surprises that he is making these statements.He is one of the most intelligent and decent Sa Lonian I have come across.I hope those who want to destroy the country by preaching hate will take a cue from him.I agree with Kabs that the majority of Mendes are decent people who love strangers,it is only the vociferous few who claim to be educated that are giving them a bad name.
My only beef with the Mendes is that they don’t come out and denounce the John Mannahs or the Kelfala Kallons who are trying to besmirch their stellar image.These squirrels do not represent friendly,peace loving and hospitable people that I know.
I grew up in Nongowa chiefdom and it was one of my happiest days.I remember going to chief Brima Kargbo’s house with my Dad on Sundays to have lunch.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Chez Winakabs Europe
To: All
Date Posted: 08:30:06 09/06/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: host86-134-98-140.range86-134.btcentralplus.com at 86.134.98.140
Message:
As Bra Cornie will call me – DAFT – I want to ask two DAFT questions – who is a mende? Who is a temne?
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Kanka Di Kor (KDK)
To: All
Date Posted: 10:40:19 09/05/07 ()
Email Address: [email protected]
Entered From: master-02.brg.sgsnet.se at 193.11.202.74
Message:
This chief is turning out to be the best mende of modern times after Margai.All mendes including Berewah should learn from him.Intelligent and wise mendes are very few and this chief ranks among them after Margai.Let this be a wake up call for all mendes both at home and abroad.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Like father Like Son
To: All
Date Posted: 20:37:49 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: cpe-74-66-236-48.nyc.res.rr.com at 74.66.236.48
Message:
How about calling your Chief a progeny of the worst Mende of Yester Years…i say this because Margai’s Father Sir Albert is known to have imposed James During his own secretary and the Chief’s Cousin as SLPP candidate against then Party Strongman and critic Kutubu Kai Samba. Kai Samba was forced to contend the elections as an independent Candidate of the Hanga Constituency.. Kai Samba defeated During in a feat that enabled the escalation of the crisis which led to SLPP Loosing the 1977 Elections…What’s good in Loosers?
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: KABS KANU
To: All
Date Posted: 11:56:26 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From:
Message:
This has never been a Mende issue and anybody who tries to make it seem so will come under the wrath of Gov.Clarkson’s prayer for Sierra Leone ( If they do not regret ) . Mendes have always been good people. Nobody is as accomodating and friendly to strangers as the Mende man. People like John Mannah and others do not represent the true Mende man. Infact, if the true Mende man reads what these guys have been putting, he will hold his head and cry. You need to go South or East to know that Mendes are not what they are represented online by these bigots and pseudo-intellectuals.
The Mendes are my “Njagbays ” so I owe them this explanation.
Politics,ofcourse , make people do crazy things. Some of the things happening are caused by incitement by politicians. Joe Blow, lying on his hammock and smoking his pipe in Lembeyma Village, loves strangers more than anything else and is a very good man but it is the vermins who call themselves politicians who incite tribal suspicions and retaliation.
Let us all resolve to fight these tribalists wherever they are because they don’t represent our people.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Samsung
To: All
Date Posted: 11:48:04 09/05/07 ()
Email Address: [email protected]
Entered From: at 209.116.81.187
Message:
The chief statement is not just for the Mendes. It should apply to all tribes. He shoud communicate with other chiefs in other chiefdoms. Good Job Chief.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: M. Alieu Iscandari Esq
To: All
Date Posted: 11:05:07 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: cache-ntc-ad04.proxy.aol.com at 207.200.116.198
Message:
“Intelligent and wise mendes are very few”
This is not true. If you look closely many Mendes are nationalsitic and pro sierra leone, there are a few exceptions who would rather see us go down the road of Rwanda and most of them live comfortably outside of sierra leone.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: KABS KANU
To: All
Date Posted: 12:04:37 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: host-24-225-159-104.patmedia.net at 24.225.159.104
Message:
Well said, Alieu. It is our duty to identify these inspirers of tribal hatred and put them in their place. These tribalists do not even love their people. If you make them ministers today, they will never go to Lembeyma Village to develop it. They will stay in the city and tif and tiff and tiff and chase fine women and booze . Look at the pictures of Kailahun and Segbwema. With people like John Benjamin, John Karima, Patrick Foyah etc. holding such top positions in the SLPP government, it is a disgrace that Segbwema and Kailahun look what they are in the pictures.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Jack
To: All
Date Posted: 15:10:04 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: static-70-20-197-79.phil.east.verizon.net at 70.20.197.79
Message:
So can the good rev now stand up and present his party card? I mean the forumite rev, not the journalist.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Tamba Moiwo
To: All
Date Posted: 13:52:46 09/05/07 ()
Email Address: [email protected]
Entered From: gateway-303.energis.gsi.gov.uk at 62.25.109.196
Message:
Revo, you jis shot yourself in the foot badly….
Read this:”If you make them ministers today, they will never go to Lembeyma Village to develop it. They will stay in the city and tif and tiff and tiff and chase fine women and booze”.
Then try to reconcile this: “With people like John Benjamin, John Karima, Patrick Foyah etc. holding such top positions in the SLPP government, it is a disgrace that Segbwema and Kailahun look what they are in the pictures.”
Man its a NO-WIN situation.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: John Kamara
To: All
Date Posted: 12:49:22 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: bzq-84-108-238-7.cablep.bezeqint.net at 84.108.238.7
Message:
Kabs Kanu, Why u did not also mentioned BINKOLOR? Because their own son also rule Sierra Leone in a peaceful atmosphere for seven years. All he did was drinking, chassing women around untill one day as a Brigideir General was awakened by junior officers from the war front. What did he and his government did in BINKOLOR? Mind you! John Karimu and John Benjamin are not given government opssition to serve where they came from but to serve the interest of the country.
So Please stop attacking the personality of those two asset of our country. Do you know what it takes to convince the international system to be qualified for debt relief? Do you know how difficult it is to run a national revenue authority? If they are not qualified enough we shouldn’t had been where we are now interms of economic progress.
Alow me to ask you this question: is this how you think Sierra Leone must be developed? Those who are in Government from Makeni should developed Makeni? And those from Bo developed Bo. Kenema and Bo have good electricity because they can afford to pay. So let each and every Sierra Leone start asking theselves how and what are they going to do to developed Sierra Leone? Not just the vilages they came from. The people in freetown are still waiting for the central government to inside their houses and cleane it for them let alone talk about the streets. Why do we have a municipal city council? What have they done so far? They are still playing the blame game on government.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: The Truth
To: All
Date Posted: 12:28:21 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: f298781.ga.unc.edu at 152.4.31.217
Message:
People like John Manah and others are only interested in supporting SLPP so they could secure top management positions back home so they could enjoy lavish life styles like their Mende peers currently holding top positions in Sierra Leone They became visibly angried when they realized their fading lock and resorted to bigottery and tribalism. It has nothing to do with their apprehension over APC but rather the chances of them securing a job under APC. Most of them are under-employed in the US and would like to return home.
But preaching biggotery and tribalism so SLPP could win will only endager the lives of the ordinary fellows in the very villages the tribalism is being preached. Their plans wont bear fruit.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: M. Alieu Iscandari Esq.
To: All
Date Posted: 12:26:18 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: cache-ntc-ad04.proxy.aol.com at 207.200.116.198
Message:
Did yu know that John Benjamin has a street named for him in Lumley called John Benjamin Drive?
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Tamba Moiwo
To: All
Date Posted: 13:48:24 09/05/07 ()
Email Address: [email protected]
Entered From: gateway-303.energis.gsi.gov.uk at 62.25.109.196
Message:
“called John Benjamin Drive?”
I do not think there is anything wrong with that.If the man pays the Council for use or he was the first who built there,I see nothing wrong.You can re-name a little corner of Mountain Cut Iscandri Drive-its a question of affordablity bra and the Municipal Council agreeing NO?
Tamba
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: M. Alieu Iscandari Esq
To: All
Date Posted: 14:06:25 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: cache-ntc-ad04.proxy.aol.com at 207.200.116.198
Message:
I actually would like to name a little corner of Segbwema which I might soon purchase free and clear, as Iscandari Drive. After all if a man from Segbwema can own land in Freetown why cant I do the same in Segbwema.
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: False Prophet
To: All
Date Posted: 12:38:57 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: 65.107.153.146.ptr.us.xo.net at 65.107.153.146
Message:
So what? What about all the streets named after APC folks in Freetown and the Provinces?
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: Sorie Konkodie Yai
To: All
Date Posted: 12:44:33 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: cache-ntc-ad04.proxy.aol.com at 207.200.116.198
Message:
He is not talking about that. He is talking specifically aboyut John Benjamin. You hear that man. Your problem is that yiu never understand what you read
Subject: Re: Good For You Chief – A Must Read
From: False Prophet
To: All
Date Posted: 12:53:37 09/05/07 ()
Email Address:
Entered From: 65.107.153.146.ptr.us.xo.net at 65.107.153.146
Message:
You need to shut the fuck up. Next time allow your brains to work instead of your ass..
You APCers will not let others call you on issues…
Don’t we have streets named after Stevens, momoh, Kamara, Abdulai, etc all APC folks? it was never wrong. Was it?
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