By Jonathan Abass Kamara
Politics in Sierra Leone in post-colonial era to date has historic analysis of good governance, bad leadership, violence resulting in lost of human lives and property, and above all a senseless war that gave birth to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) after the signing of the Lome Peace Accord between the Late President Kabba and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) Rebel Leader, Foday Sankoh.
Sierra Leone, during the fight to restore democracy at the height of the struggle for power between unpopular coup makers the Johnny Paul Koroma led Armed Forces Revolutionary United Front (AFRC) government saw bloodshed, killing of innocent civilians, arson, destruction of meaningful government infrastructures, and the painful devastation of agriculture, health, education and human resource development to zero.
During the fight to bring back democracy, it was saddening to see brothers killing brothers, friends and neighbors violently using weapons against each other, all because of politics that has no benefit to their existence. Those that fought the 1991 senseless rebel war for a leadership that has no vision, where are they today. Hands chopped off, innocent people killed, houses burnt just for one useless power-drunk politician. Prominent people that were not politicians and have helped in nation building were seen set ablaze by rough irrational supporters of useless politicians because they were rather brothers, friends or good neighbors to a particular politician.
Those fallen victims could have contributed immensely to a country internationally tagged as one of the fastest economy under the leadership of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.
Let me now hasten to come to my story: ‘The 2018 General Elections, Looking at the height of hope’. Sierra Leoneans are hopeful in getting a good leader like Dr. Eernest Bai Koroma after taking his political exit. We saw a lot of development during his reign, and even as he is about to leave the mantle of leadership he has tied up his Ministers to performance contracts within his Presidential Recovery Priority on health, agriculture, education, infrastructure, social protection and the likes. Sierra Leoneans are even more than hopeful to get a leader that would triumph over Ernest Bai Koroma’s good leadership.
MESSAGE OF HOPE AND DESPAIR
In as much as we are hopeful and never want to give away our optimism, we are worried with the political incidences seen among party members, their supporters, the youths, and the growing trend of our once fast growing economy. The Ebola war has come and gone. The wars at hand now are the irrational Clique and Five Os war which if not controlled before 2018, the security of the state during political campaigns would be at stake. Bad politicians may engage these boys with what they used to hypnotize them against state security for their selfish interest. That is why for me I say kudos to Internal Affairs Minister and the Police for the present action now taken to weed them out from society.
The other war for state security and for a conducive atmosphere for the 2018 General Elections is the challenge to control the social media. We have seen a lot of ugly things posted on the social media that if not controlled would be another recipe for trouble come 2018. Credible groups and the bad ones on Whatsapp and Facebook have to be identified, monitored and if possible controlled by the Regulatory Body NATCOM. This situation is an urgent ocean depth that needs an urgent exploration.
Our aspiration is that the 2018 General Election is a journey looking at the height of hope, the apex of peace and tranquility, and a smooth-sailing election with a God-fearing leadership.
