By Sall Tee Jay
In politics, once you begin to read between the lines, just know that something is about to happen.
Since the inception of Multi-Party Democracy in Sierra Leone, there have been instances wherein incumbent presidents will give confidence to their party supporters especially at the end of their second and final term, but will later deceive them.
Ahead of 2007 Presidential Election, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah instilled confidence in the SLPP as if Solomon Berewa was going to be the next president. Because of Kabbah’s confidence given to Berewa, he Berewa, during his campaign made a statement that ” even if na one posin vote for me, na me go be the next president of Sierra Leone”. Berewa’s statement became history after Ernest Bai Koroma was announced President by the Chairperson for the National Electoral Commission Dr Christiana Thorpe. That was where Berewa began to develop hatred for Kabbah. While in Kenema attending SLPP Convention during the era of EBK’s tenure, Berewa told the SLPP mammoth gathering in the hall how he was deceived by Kabbah. The rest today is history. There were SLPP supporters who held the conviction that Berewa would become president in 2007, their hope was shattered after Tejan Kabbah betrayed them.
We saw SLPP supporters fleeing the country afraid of mob justice when the APC took over in 2007. Those who still
have confidence in political leaders should go back to those days and search their minds and then try to work on what they say in public media. Sierra Leone is a small country.
We should rather focus on what unites us as a nation than what divides us. Let us develop the culture of love all and hate none even if we have political differences.
Our utterances in public forums should be carefully examined. We must not say things which will jeopardize our nation. We must ensure our statements are free from public incitement and take Sierra Leone as one nation. There’s no place like home.
Going back to the 2018 election, nobody in the APC would imagine President Ernest Bai Koroma will change until President Bio was sworn-in as President. Ernest Bai Koroma is on record to have made statements upon statements that the APC was going to retain power with Dr. Samura Kamara as presidential candidate. What led to the change of decision is only between EBK and God. Late Momoh Konte, the man I trusted and respected so much once called me and said a few days before the results were announced that “Sall Tee, you have to be careful of what you say in public media. APC is not going to retain this power. EBK has sold us. Bio will be declared president within the next two days. I advised you to stay calm, avoid the media and make sure you are safe. Momoh Konte’s words came to the past. I could recall telling my friend and brother Abdul Rahman Kamara at Star TV that Bio will be announced the new president. Kamara went and told Philip Neville quoting me. Guess who called me? It was Philip Neville. He told me Sall Tee: “I have contacted Hon. Minkailu Mansaray and some other top APC Members, and they told me Samura Kamara has won. There’s no way Bio is going to be announced as President of this nation. Azziz Turay who was also at State House was surprised to hear the same message from me. Exactly a few days after what I told them, Bio was announced President. There and then you begin to hear messages on social media that EBK has sold out. But what I later learned from all that happened was that the APC had messed up the Copper Belt Project which was the interest of the British Government. There was a guy in Sierra Leone by the name of Guy Warrington. He was in charge of the regime change strategy. He pioneered the removal of the APC. To date, nobody knows how EBK instructed former NEC Boss Nfa Ali Conteh in announcing Bio as President. Politics we all know is full of deception. Has members of the SLPP took their time and tried to find out what secret documents and agreements signed between Samura Kamara and Bio ? Has any SLPP supporter read between the lines to know if President Bio will do exactly what his predecessor EBK did to the APC? Do we as Sierra Leoneans still believe in the politics of deception? Let us endeavor to learn from the past and begin to think rationally. I am not saying that the SLPP is not going to retain power but my point of argument is that let’s be careful of what we say on both traditional and social media. Nobody knows tomorrow. What have happened under the tenures of Kabbah and EBK are enough lessons to us as citizens of this nation. Instead of fanning flames of chaos, let’s embark on peace and unity as Sierra Leoneans for we have nowhere to go. Those singing the drums of war should refrain from such messages and preach peace. I am not writing to curry favor from any political party but rather to set the records straight and for us as citizens to see Sierra Leone above party lines.
In his book titled: “Pope Francis and the Mabanta Boy” Sheka Tarawally aka Shekito, my former boss and mentor, explained how the former Resident Minister North Ali D. Kamara asked President Koroma in one of their usual friendly discussions if he is comfortable with a Maada Bio’s presidency, the answer according to the book was in the affirmative. Those who haven’t read that book should take their time and try to have it. There’s a lot in that book which will guide us about politics and politicians.
