It further begs the question whether the same is being experienced in other Districts beyond the North West Region. This ugly development also has the potential to frustrate those who had factored a lot of time and resources in ensuring that People of the stipulated age, do turn out in their large numbers to be registered and become legible voters in the 2023 General Elections.
It is crystal clear that a lot of frantic efforts were made by well-meaning Indigenes, Civil Societies and Non-Government Organisations including Political Parties, who have been crisscrossing the length and breadth of District, Sensitizing People to refrain from all forms of violence and to as well see the need to get registered for voting in the pending general elections. This is being followed with surplus assurance by Staff and Workers of the Electoral Commission / Sierra Leone – the body charged with the responsibility to conduct General Elections in this Country, that the Commission is committed to the conduct of a credible electioneering process.
Mr. Augustine Mohamed is the Commission’s Manager in Port Loko District. He said in an interview I had with him on the eve of the Voter Registration exercise that, Port Loko is comprised of 10 Constituencies and 31 Wards with a total of 298 Centres. He said the Exercise is slated for a period of one Month which is being partitioned into 2 Phases. He said the 1st. phase starts on 3rd September to end in 2 Weeks, while the 2nd. Phase kicks off on 18th. September 2022, adding that only 149 Centres will be opened for each of the phases.
But the assurances for a credible conduct of the Electioneering Process by the Staff and Management of the Electoral Commission seemed to have been tainted with a lot of reservations if the versions of the People of Constituencies 076 and 077 on the first day of Voter Registration are anything to bank on. Although most People departed their homes as early as 5 am to queue up at the various Registration Centres with the fervent hope that they would be quickly serviced for them to proceed on their daily activities.
The bulk of them were not only confused in trying to locate where they should go for the registration, but were baffled to realize that there were no Staff of the Electoral Commission in any of the Centres. No Registration Centre was actually opened before 9. 30 am. Many People could not get started until close to midday despite the 7am time stipulated for the official start of Voter Registration across the Nation.
I am told Inhabitants along the Coastal Areas – such as Baillor, Peppel, Gbainty –Wallah, Kortimor and Kiragba might not have been operational until the following. Registrants at the Baptist School – Masoila ‘Lungi where Registration had begun moments before my arrival, complaint about unnecessary delays and less consideration for both the Aged and Physically Challenged were made. At the Masoila Community Centre along Lungi Airport /Ferry Road, concerns were levied on disorganization with regards Electoral Staff and Equipment. These observations were shared by the Member of Parliament for Constituency 076 – Hon. Ibrahim Aziz Bangura popularly known as ‘Hon. Kelli’. Besides the late start of the Process in most Registration Centres, he said most of the Machines were not functional.
The Member of Parliament said there was also a problem with the registration of both New Registrants and those on Confirmation from NCRA. They were unable to access their information as there was nothing in the system to provide the required details. As for the Computers, the Member of Parliament said there was no power in most of them. ‘Even when we wanted to provide Generators to help recharge the Machines, there was hardly any cord to connect to the Computers’ – Member of Parliament reiterated. Hon. Kelli said he is poised to improve the number of Registrants from the 25,000 Votes he secured in the last General Elections to 30 or 40, 000 stressing that this is a serious challenge which requires immediate attention.
Similar observations were made by the Port Loko District Chairman for the Ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party – Mr. Edward L. Williams. He said his Party has also conducted series of Sensitization Engagements with Stakeholders across the District for People within the required brackets to go out and registered in large numbers. Mr. Williams said Party has deployed Agents to monitor the Process and admonished all to operate within the provisions of the Law for a proper conduct of the Process.
Meanwhile the Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom Pc Bai Koblow Queen has opted to hire Generators to ensure that the Batteries for the Computers and other Gadgets are properly charged to enhance effective operations in his Chiefdom. He made the declaration to offer a helping hand to the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone, at the Prince Allieu Junior Secondary School where he went to be registered. The Paramount Chief was puzzled in knowing that the Gadgets being used by the Staff of the Commission were not effective enough.
The main problem as identified by the Centre Registration Officer and confirmed by People on the registration queue had to do with Power Supply especially when EDSA is not functional in Lunsar. ‘This is my Chiefdom and it is a responsibility as the first gentleman of Marampa Chiefdom to render support to the Commission for a successful process. I have dedicated the duty of going in search of Generators for rent to Mr. Abdul Osman Turay – one of my Ambassadors and his Team. I am sure the problem of Power Shortage on Registration Gadgets will soon be a thing of the past in Marampa Chiefdom’ – Paramount Chief Koblo Queen assured. Below are some photos of Pc Bai Koblo Queen of Marampa Chiefdom….
