– SLPP Chairman
The National Chairman of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Jimmy Batilo Songa, has described the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) as one people, emphasizing the need for national unity and peaceful coexistence.
He made the statement during the 40-day memorial ceremony of his late father, held in Bo City.
Songa explained that during his campaign for the position of SLPP National Chairman, he promised to promote national cohesion by creating an environment where members and supporters of both the SLPP and the APC could sit, dine, and interact together as one family. He noted that this vision is gradually becoming a reality.
“Sierra Leone is all we have. We must see ourselves as brothers and sisters who belong to different political parties, rather than as enemies,” he said.
Batilo Songa thanked the Acting Chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC), Osman Foday Yansaneh, and his delegation for joining him, his family, and the SLPP to observe his father’s 40-day memorial ceremony.
He stated that their presence sent a strong message of national unity, which is essential for the growth and development of Sierra Leone.
“What we are portraying today, I believe, would make great national heroes like Bai Bureh, Kai Londo, and our forefathers who sacrificed so much for this country will now rest happily, knowing that we are now united as one family rather than remaining rivals or enemies,” Songa said.
In his remarks, the Acting Chairman of the APC, Osman Foday Yansaneh, said the APC is a party that strongly believes in unity. He stressed that Sierra Leone becomes stronger when its leaders choose unity over division and noted that the gathering would inspire renewed efforts to reduce political tensions and preserve the peace for which many Sierra Leoneans have sacrificed for.
Yansaneh recalled that during the funeral of the late APC National Chairman, Hon. Minkailu Mansaray, Jimmy Batilo Songa and His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio stood firmly with the APC and supported the bereaved family. He said the APC delegation was attending the memorial service to reciprocate that gesture.
He thanked President Julius Maada Bio and the SLPP for electing leaders who are always willing and ready to engage in dialogue for the betterment of the country.
The Acting APC Chairman concluded by extending his party’s sincere condolences to Jimmy Batilo Songa and his family. He prayed for lasting peace, harmony, and national unity, stressing that Sierra Leone belongs to all its citizens regardless of political affiliation.
