Thursday November 10, 2005

 By COCORIOKO’S Chernor Ojuku Sesay

Hon. Osman Kamara, the last Minister of Trade and Industry under the ruling SLPP before the 2002 Presidential and Parliamentary elections is crying for government help through the press.

The former Minister who is bed-ridden at his Wilberforce residence in a pathetic tone told journalists that “my brothers, I am bed-ridden for the past two months and I am dying slowly without care.  I want you to make it clear to the government and the general public that I do not deserve to be abandoned.  I need to be rescured out of this predicament.  Don’t sit down and allow me to perish.  Please explain my plight to the Secretary to the President, Sheka Mansaray”, Kamara appealed.

Kamara took over the leadership of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP-Sorbeh} after the death of the party’s former leader, Hon. Thaimu Bangura in 1998.  He was branded at the time as the most vocal Parliamentarian in the opposition which earned him the admiration of the populace.

His reputation became suspicious when he accepted the ministerial appointment from President Kabbah few months to the 2002 presidential elections.  Most observers at the time predicted that the offer was a ploy to silence Hon. Osman Kamara.

And indeed, few weeks to the elections, Hon. Osman Kamara was on radio and television to tell all his party supporters that |after critically considering the popularity of President Kabbah and his role in bringing peace to Sierra Leone, he would not be contesting the presidential elections but his party will participate in the Parliamentary elections.

He further called on all his party supporters to vote for President Kabbah in the Presidential elections and the PDP-Sorbeh in the Parliamentary elections.

This pronouncement by Hon. Osman Kamara eventually resulted to his political demise as his party failed to even secure a single seat in parliament including his own seat at Freetown West III.

He was sacked immediately after the elections and since then life has been very uncomfortable for him.

Secretary to the president, Sheka Mansaray said the government was very much concern with the former minister’s health.  He disclosed that the government had made arrangements for Kamara to be treated in Ghana but it was Kamara who refused to undergo surgery in Ghana but instead withhold the funds.