John Pa Baimba Sesay :
I have often got difficulties in understanding the extent to which some people would go, in seeking political power, especially through the use of force and violence. There is no way you can intimidate the people’s will and this is one simple fact that we should have in mind. This was done in 1992, when some childish boys under the banner of the NPRC seized political power in Sierra Leone and in the process, killed dozens of people whom they suspected to have been political opponents. That is history today, but we should now be on the watch, keep our eyes open and ensure, we curtail whatever evil plans people are now developing.
Power is given by God, through the people. President Koroma was in opposition for years but because he was confident of becoming President one day, he relied on the people’s power and in 2007; he was elected by majority of Sierra Leoneans. And from the look of things, he has again been repaid by the people in the just concluded elections. But that should be determined by NEC. What we have achieved in years; from our efforts to restore peace, build up institutional reforms,(legacies of President Kabba(h) ) to our efforts in reshaping the country today as we have seen in the last five years in agriculture, in health, in infrastructure, amongst other areas,(President Koroma’s legacies) we just can’t afford to allow a selected few to undermine those efforts. Sierra Leone is bigger than any individual and political party.
The main opposition SLPP have started complaining even when results have not been announced by NEC, the body charged with the statutory mandate of declaring elections result. What they have been doing is to prepare the mindset of a few Sierra Leone as to the direction they want to take, in the event the elections are not in their favor. This discussion or email exchanges below between two Sierra Leonean students studying in China, Dr Moiwo and Marcus Margai is case study of what is being planned ahead of the declaration of results by NEC. And the International Criminal Court should see this as an example of people calling for trouble in Sierra Leone. The following is some of the exchanges on their secret BBI discussion group hosted by Dr. P.K. Muana on TAMU listserv in Texas. Read below:
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“Re: Press Release and a Dossier of Elections Malpractices in Sierra Leone
FROM: Patrick Robin
TO: BBI@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU
SENT: Monday, 19 November 2012, 23:57
Right on point with that. We need to act now.
From: Dr. Moiwo Juana Paul <jupamo2001@YAHOO.COM>
To: BBI@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: Press Release and a Dossier of Elections Malpractices in Sierra Leone
It’s no more time to be shy of this thing about using violent means to achieve our goals. We must now be circulating violent strategies and get the people make up their minds for such. If for any reason we do not use it and we are still able to get our victory, then fine for all!
Dr. Moiwo J. Paul (Hydrologist) Institute of Geographical Sciences & Natural Resources Research (IGSNR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 11 Datun Road, Beijing, P. R. China. Tel: +86-15210427088.
From: Margai Marcus Margai <secretworld_2009@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: BBI@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 1:59 AM
Subject: Re: Press Release and a Dossier of Elections Malpractices in Sierra Leone
My concern is, we have complain a lot, who are we complaining to? NEC and the security officials have all connived with APC to disenfranchise our people, rigged the elections and forced us into becoming mere spectators and voiceless class of complainers in our own country. We have failed to act like a true and natural citizens of Sierra Leone, we are acting like mere strangers or second class citizens of Sierra Leone. We are not acting out of fear, but we are sending miss signals to the people of Sierra Leone and the criminal APC party. I am not advocating for violence here, but if that’s the only message APC can understand, then why can’t we man up in defense of our natural and constitutional rights?. If we lost this legitimate battle so worth fighting for, APC will turn Sierra Leone into another one party state and they will be in power for half a century, until another revolution comes into play. Take Ivory Coast case as an example, if they had relied only on diplomatic re solution and mere complaints, the opposition would have lost that battle. That been said, I am so disappointed in the Sierra Leonean people,( the suffering masses, people that we have been fighting for, people that we have sacrificed for, people that we thought deserved a better life, people whose children are on street corners fighting each other for dirty edibles, the non school goers). This elections teaches us a lesson and maybe unearthed the principal reason why Sierra Leone continue to be amongst the least underdeveloped country in the world. Tribalism, shortsightedness and immediate cheap benefits have taken the center stage. We have a long way to go.
Marcus Margai “
I know these two people very well. They are both students, reading in China, one on his own and the other with government support. One of them has been writing unacceptable articles under the pen name; ‘Better Truth’. What they have suggested, about the use of violence by the SLPP Leadership in Sierra Leone as a way of forcing NEC to announce results in their favor speaks volume of other plans they must have developed. For Dr. Moiwo J. Paul to suggest the use of violence is not just unacceptable, he should be asked to apologize to Sierra Leoneans. As a educated Sierra Leonean brother, he should be seen making a difference in society in terms of what he says and write. Hear him properly: “It’s no more time to be shy of this thing about using violent means to achieve our goals. We must now be circulating violent strategies and get the people make up their minds for such. If for any reason we do not use it and we are still able to get our victory, then fine for all!
I am also equally disappointed at Marcus Margai; He has been a critical fellow, which is part of democracy, in my view. But I am disappointed at his call for violent means of coercing NEC and the people to give a result in the favor of SLPP, even when we are yet to get a single result from NEC. Hear him: “I am not advocating for violence here, but if that’s the only message APC can understand, then why can’t we man up in defense of our natural and constitutional rights?. If we lost this legitimate battle so worth fighting for, APC will turn Sierra Leone into another one party state and they will be in power for half a century, until another revolution comes into play. Take Ivory Coast case as an example, if they had relied only on diplomatic re solution and mere complaints, the opposition would have lost that battle. That been said, I am so disappointed in the Sierra Leonean people,( the suffering masses, people that we have been fighting for, people that we have sacrificed for, people that we thought deserved a better life, people whose children are on street corners fighting each other for dirty edibles, the non school goers)…”
This is simple to understand as suggesting that both men are calling for violent means of winning election should they not be declared winner. The ICC should be gathering these pieces of information for future reference. Sierra Leone cannot afford to go to war any longer; we cannot afford killing people for the want of political power. I hope we are all watching, we are all listening and reading and I hope our love for Sierra Leone will be kept intact but those suggesting violent means of capturing power should be brought to book and be made to account. Elections cannot be won through violent means. What wins election is being able to perform when given the opportunity and being part of the people. And this is what we saw in President Koroma in the last five years.
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