By Alimamy Issa Kamara
Chernor Abass Bundu is a Sierra Leonean who went to school at the expense of Sierra Leone and its people. He was given the scholarship to study law in Australia. After receiving his first degree, he went to the United Kingdom and got a doctorate from Cambridge University. He worked in the UK for a long time.
In 1982, he was invited by his people to come and make his own meaningful contribution to the development of Sierra Leone. When he came he was given a seat in Parliament and was appointed a minister of the government in the Siaka Stevens APC administration. Through out his tenure as a minister it was alleged that he was involved in acts of dishonesty. In an apparent desire to save the face of his administration, the late Siaka Stevens fired Abass Bundu from his cabinet.
When the late president J.S.Momoh took over in 1985, Dr Bundu became one of his friends. By virtue of their friendship, ex-president J.S.Momoh recommended Dr Abass Bundu for the post of ECOWAS Executive Secretary. While in ECOWAS, Dr Bundu was very instrumental in the formation of the West African peace-keeping force(ECOMOG). This force was sent to Liberia to enforce and maintain peace between the warring factions. Dr Bundu then allegedly awarded a contract to a company formed by his wife Khadija and Mrs Aminata Omega Sheriff to supply ECOMOG with food and other essential commodities. This deal was further alleged, brought huge amounts of money into Dr Bundu’s bank account. Many people believe that Dr Bundu was only interested in creating ECOMOG so that he could receive personal gain. When he completed his term with ECOWAS, Bundu returned to Sierra Leone at a time the NPRC was in power. He then curried favour with the NPRC to the point where he was appointed Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs.
As Foreign Secretary, he was involved in a shady passport deal. When he left the NPRC he contested for the presidency of Sierra Leone in 1996 and lost. His party the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was not even able to win a single seat in the parliamentary elections. All reasonable people would agree with me that Abass Bundu is a national reject.
After the 1996 elections, Dr Bundu was taken before the court of Mrs Naomi Tunis to answer to charges regarding his alleged involvement in the sale of Sierra Leone passports while he was Foreign Secretary under the illegal NPRC junta regime. Based on the evidence adduced before the court, Dr Bundu agreed to refund the money he allegedly received from the passport deal. We are now hearing different things from government officials and Dr Bundu himself. In the interest of the people of Sierra Leone, I call on the parliament of Sierra Leone to conduct a proper investigation into the matter.
During the May 1997 coup, Dr Bundu loudly and clearly condemned the entire SLPP and the Tejan Kabbah administration. Because it is now clear to Dr Bundu that he cannot win elections by himself he recently joined the SLPP. I am sure he is looking for another top position. I am most respectfully calling on the leadership of the SLPP to discard Dr Abass Chernor Bundu and stay away from him because he has nothing good to offer Sierra Leone and its people. Dr Bundu has clearly proved his inability to deliver the goods. He is a little man of no significance to Sierra Leone.
Finally, I call on all my fellow Sierra Leoneans to join me in telling Dr Bundu that there is never a second chance to make a first impression. Dr Bundu, we have had enough of you, please give well-meaning and suitable Sierra Leoneans a chance to help develop our beloved nation.
