Monday November 21, 2005
For all intents and purposes, the Sierra Leonean Vice-President , Mr. Solomon Berewa , will not forget in a hurry the hostile reception he received in Bo last Friday. Our Provincial correspondent , Soribah Kalokoh, who has been following up the story , said that throngs of people in Bo did go all out to prove to the Vice-President that he was not welcomed on Friday.
Berewa left Bo on Saturday still stunned and traumatized by the reception he received. Though he entered Bo in high spirits on Friday, determined to sell his candidacy for the Sierra Leone Presidency , the Vice-President was in the doldrums when he left Bo last Saturday .
KALOKOH REPORTS :
Many residents of Bo are still worried about what they saw and heard on Friday when the Vice-President drove through the streets in Bo. Certain people went out of their way to make catcalls at Mr. Berewa. It seemed that they had developed some deep-seated resentment against the Vice-President.
The climax of the hostile treatment was at the Christ The King’s College .Mr. Berewa , an alma mater of the school, was invited to serve as the Guest of Honor and to distribute the presents at the school’s Prize-Giving ceremony for which he was also invited.
However, hundreds of people barricaded the school gate and prevented the Vice-President’s motorcade from entering the school. The crowd really misbehaved to the Vice-President . The Police escort travelling with Mr. Berewa wired the Bo Police headquarters for reinforcement , but the crowd was determined to defy even the troops that were sent to disperse them. The standoff escalated into a clash later between the Police and the crowd and many arrests were made. Only by teargas was the Police able to break up the crowd.
The infuriated Vice-President later retired to the Resident Minister’s Lodge at Congo Valley where he held an important meeting with dignitaries of Bo and members of the SLPP.
Charles Margai , whose supporters put up the angry demonstration, was then arrested and brought to the Police Station. The tension, which had cooled down, escalated once more when the crowd learnt about this latest development. They came to the Police station to demand the release of their party leader and more trouble started.
Central Bo Town looked like a war zone But the Police was able to contain the situation well. Statements were collected from Mr. Margai who was asked to leave later, but he must appear at the Bo Magistrate Court No. 1 on Tuesday to answer charges of Public Misconduct and Disorderly Behavior.
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