*By Saikujohn Barrie*
*24/4/2023@16:40*
I have listened to some of the speeches made by some stakeholders during the signing of the family marriage between the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the National Grand Coalition (NGC) yesterday at the Bintumani Conference.
As I would always say; I don’t see any problem with the decision of honourable Kandeh Yumkella to return to his original party ie SLPP, even if his repatriation to the SLPP was done through what they described as Strategic Alliance. But I will come to other issues on the strategic alliance later.
However, I have seen in the joint SLPP/NGC press release, and also heard speeches where speakers buttressing that bringing KKY with is party back to the SLPP will bring Sierra Leone together, the alliance will bring national cohesion, and will also bring peace and unity in the country.
I don’t get my head around this argument because I know KKY was a pure and applied SLPP. According to narratives, KKY’s father was one of the greatest pillars of the Sierra Leone People’s Party meaning it is possible that KKY had acquired his right to the SLPP through birth.
Besides, I don’t think KKY has played any part both in the past or current tribal or regional divisions subsisting amongst Sierra Leoneans or in Sierra Leone.
But I am aware that KKY fled the SLPP and formed the National Grand Coalition because some stakeholders in the SLPP had treated him unfairly regarding his aspiration to be flag bearer of the party.
As far as I know, the political tensions, tribal and regional divisions, and hate speeches that exist in Sierra Leone are mainly perpetrated by the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) or their agents, not between the NGC and SLPP or NGC and APC.
Also, these divisions mainly exist between the SLPP, and APC and it reflects in their strong holds especially during and after elections.
Both the APC and SLPP are responsible for most of the disunity, discords and hate that exist between Sierra Leoneans because of one thing: Power.
When any of these political parties comes to power, Sierra Leoneans who originate from various parts of the country, depending on which of the parties is in power, will highly likely be discriminated against or even sacked just because they are perceived to belong to the other side.
In addition, when power changes hands, you would see how badly the previous government official would be treated wherein there were allegations of former government or government appointed officials being deprived of their state benefits, while others whose tenure of office has not ended would be brutally replaced by the new President.
Based on the aforementioned, I think feigning the SLPP/NGC alliance will bring Sierra Leone together is misleading, illusory, and dishonest.
Thinking that the SLPP/NGC alliance will bring Sierra Leone together is just simplistic and a political hoax.
I know for sure that HE Bio is selling himself as a unity candidate and a man of peace, but I think bringing back a political renegade back to where he belongs does not amount to bringing Sierra Leone together as how the SLPP/NGC politicians want Sierra Leoneans to believe.
On other hand, the surest fact is that HE Maada Bio has almost consolidated his SLPP votes especially in the case wherein the SLPP NGC members have returned back to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) with the expectation of getting political appointments etc.
In my opinion, pretending that bringing KKY into the government if the SLPP wins will bring Sierra Leone together is just a campaign strategy aiming to sell to gullible Sierra Leoneans.
I honestly hold the view that Sierra Leone will only truly come together when the leaders of these two parties, SLPP and APC, decide to put the interest of the country above the parochial interests of their political parties.
When the leaders belonging to both APC and SLPP work together (not forming an alliance) in key areas that bother around national developments, then we will see peace and unity but as long as these two parties (APC and SLPP) continue to pull each other down for political gains, I have diminutive hope in the area of brining Sierra Leone together.
It is on this note, I ask how does bringing KKY/NGC to SLPP equal to bringing Sierra Leone together.
I rest my case.
