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PONDER MY THOUGHTS
BY Andrew Keili
MAADA BIO: THE EAGLE HAS LANDED, BUT.......
"We have even of late witnessed politically motivated judicial decisions, annulling election results of the SLPP in the last General Elections and flagrantly awarding them to the APC losers. The only saving grace so far is that the people of Sierra Leone are determined not to allow the country to be turned into a failed state for the second time. I want to take this opportunity to appeal to all democratically-minded Sierra Leoneans to do everything under the law to challenge what is happening in the country."
Open letter by Rt. Brigadier Bio to President Koroma- 7 January 2014
"Brigadier Bio commended the effective leadership of President Koroma in the fight against Ebola and also government's proactive stance in helping and catering for the welfare of those affected by the flooding on September 16th,2015."
State house press release on this month's visit by Rt. Brigadier Bio to President Koroma
These statements reflect the "Saul to Paul" conversion of 2012 SLPP flagbearer Rt. Brigadier Bio who has since his recent visit been very conciliatory towards the President, dawning the cloak of a peacemaker and proponent of national cohesion.
Maada Bio has been given the red carpet treatment since his arrival (never mind that he is green). "The Eagle has landed", his supporters proclaimed. He was met by throngs of supporters at the Lungi airport; others joining him in joyous mood in parading through the streets of Freetown. He has held several well attended meetings and is about to embark on a nationwide tour of the country to help in the "Ebola fight". Whereas leaders of other opposition parties and aspiring leaders within his own party have not been granted the same latitude to hold rallies, it would seem the Inspector General of Police does not see any "threat to national security" when it comes to dealing with Brigadier Bio. How healthy our democracy has become that a major figure in the opposition SLPP has been given such latitude in these "troublous times"! He has also reciprocated by extending the hand of friendship to the Head of State, visiting him at State House to confer on "matters of state" with his retinue of advisers.
Rt. Brigadier Bio's statements and actions have so impressed Rev. Kabs Kanu of Cokorioko that he has written in an article titled "Maada Bio's impressive transformation continues" the following:
"Whoever is advising former military leader , Retired Brigadier Maada Bio, is doing a great job. In the past, his utterances and actions suggested that he preferred brawn, intimidation, mixed messages and veiled threats to enforce his intentions to rule Sierra Leone. It is yet to be seen how far Dr. Bio’s supporters will go to allow him to continue with his new style of politics which is also now geared more towards consensus with government and putting the nation first. This is political maturity in full bloom, which must be emulated by other opposition officials, whose hostile and ungrateful rhetoric helps to further polarize the political landscape and threaten national unity, national cohesion and national integration."
Rev. Kabs Kanu even implies that Rt. Brigadier Bio is a moderate and conformist and he lambasts "extremist and non conformists within the opposition". The table seems to have turned. He says:
"This stance will definitely put Bio at odds with extremists and non-conformists within the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ). Supporters of the other SLPP presidential aspirants, many of whom loathe any cooperation with the ruling All People’s Congress (APC ) , would also misread Bio’s signals and portray his move as a cunning ploy to propel himself into the good books of the administration and gain unfair advantage over them, but Bio should follow his heart and continue his re-invention, for there lies the future success of his endeavours. We are tired of poison, disruptive and blood-enemy -politics in Sierra Leone. This message is the sing-song of President Ernest Koroma and any politician that puts it into practice earns our respect."
The State House Communications Unit is also full of praise for Brigadier Bio's initiative:
"The two men discussed issues ranging from the countdown towards a resilient zero, national cohesion and the need for every Sierra Leonean to focus on ending Ebola as now is not the time for politics. Brigadier Bio commended the effective leadership of President Koroma in the fight against Ebola and also government's proactive stance in helping and catering for the welfare of those affected by the flooding on September 16th"
Detractors within the SLPP think that unlike Saul of Tarsus, Maada Bio has not had his "Damascus moment" but is an unprincipled opportunist.
One wrote:
"We all know today who is really colluding with Ernest to the extent of endorsing almost all of his failed policies. This is a shame and must be condemned. I think all the other aspirants should come out with a statement condemning Maada's endorsements of EBK's failed policies and dissociating the party from this completely."
Another wrote:
"Here is the thinking. If it happens that the Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio is granted access to travel to Bo and Kenema and Kailahun, whilst Dr Yumkella was denied travel to same locations, then the conclusion that the APC is at best playing their political hands and meddling into our internal dynamics and choice of FB would be proven beyond any stretch. What they are looking for right now in an opposition is a clear alternative to the kleptocracy we have now in APC. What Maada just did is to endorse APC to continue in governance. He has endorsed the worst liabilities of the APC that they will use against him, should we have the misfortune of making him our flag bearer again"
Someone else called his actions flip flopping:
"When we were in court after the dismal performance of Maada, he looked EBK in the face and told him the results were not in contention. He was going to protest without a bulletproof vest for the rape of our constitution and now he is endorsing the Supreme Court verdict. He was unhappy about how Ebola was handled but now he is heaping praises on how EBK handled it."
Talk about transformation? Even the derogatory "Paopa" terminology has been undergoing some transformation in its meaning. Instead of disowning it, one supporter has turned this into a positive:
"Paopa, Ebola go don
Paopa, SLPP go unite
Paopa, Salone go betteh"
To many it is rather Maada Bio's venomous attacks in the past they will recall. In his open letter to President Koroma of 27th January, 2014 he wrote:
"Under current economic conditions afflicting and dehumanizing the vast majority of the poor, Sierra Leoneans are justified to feel extremely anxious about the direction the country is taking under your Leadership. Under your watch, the citizens have been reduced to suffering a life of excruciating poverty and are increasingly finding it difficult to eke a daily existence, whilst members of your Government, members of your family and close associates continue to stumble upon untold affluence and unlimited resources. Under your administration, law and order have virtually irretrievably broken down and lawlessness is reigning supreme; state institutions are stuck and are being steadily emasculated; and increasingly the citizenry get the feeling that all the gains of the post-conflict Sierra Leone are being systematically eroded."
It is apparent that we now seem to have a more open engaging Maada Bio, "the Prince of inclusiveness and peace" as espoused in a press release by his communications team who stated:
"The return of Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio will also give SLPP the opportunity to "continue internal dialogue and peace efforts in the party. Like Rtd. Brig. Julius Maada Bio has assured in his interview to radio democracy, he is committed to a peaceful and united SLPP and will always play his part""
SLPP badly needs peace and as a major figure within the party, Rt. Brigadier Bio needs to be in the avant garde of this process. He has decided to reach out to the government for now. The suspicion however of how receptive the government and its cohorts might be in the future will still linger. Even the UDM leader Mohamed Bangura, not to be outdone was effusive with praise for Bio. It would however seem that the only people who may think there is a sinister motive behind the olive branch are his opponents within the SLPP, who are now being branded "extremists". How times have changed!
Indeed, the eagle has landed! Time will tell what kind of eagle has landed. It is worth noting that some may argue that comparing Bio to the eagle may not be a misplaced notion. After all eagles are powerful birds. Some facts about eagles are however eerie. Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful, having up to 3.6 times human acuity for the martial eagle, which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. Many eagle species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. Adults do not intervene. On the positive side, Eagles are admired the world over as living symbols of power, freedom, and transcendence. Although most eagles are carnivorous the African Vulturine Fish-Eagle is primarily a vegetarian, feeding on rich oil palm fruits.
The question many people would like to ask for the SLPP is what kind of eagle has landed. It is also worth noting that before his conversion Saul ravaged the Church, entering the homes of believers and committing them to prison, but when he changed he had a tremendous influence on Christianity.
Many questions come to mind with this issue. When will the government welcome other opposition leaders and their supporters with open arms and allow them to publicly express themselves, without IG Munu's spanner in their wheels? How long will he and his new found friends continue to pat each other in the back? Will his supporters continue to label those within his party who have cooperated with government on national issues as sell-outs? When will Brigadier Bio publicly extend the same hand of friendship to other opponents within his own party?
The eagle has landed, but what type of eagle has landed? Time will tell however whether we are seeing a Saul to Paul conversion. Ponder my thoughts
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Response to Pondering my Thought - Andrew Kelly
From: JOSEPH L. AMARA- SLPP PARTY MEMBER, UK
{Courtsey: Voices of Sierra Leone: Francis Garrick (www.VOSL.net)}
Dear Mr Kelly & SLPP
I can see, smell and touch, the annoyance and frustration in your writing Mr Kelley. In politic, there is nothing more distasteful or distressing to every party faithful, to every loyal citizen, than the hard, mocking ghost, which treats the allegation of dishonesty in public office as a cause for laughter or a game of music and chair. The end result of such inexcusable behaviour is that it hardens the general attitude either of cynical belief in and indifference to public corruption or distrustful inability to discriminate between what is good or bad for the party and the nation as a whole.
In every political party, there will come a time for someone to be brave enough to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly and nothing but the truth for the good of the party. This was lacking in 2012 elections and still lacking in the SLPP party as I write. When are we as formidable party going to access the credibility, trustworthiness and electability of our own candidates before assessing others? SLPP failed to this in the 2012 elections, APC did it for us. The party lost hopelessly. We are failing to do it again. APC is already doing it for us. When hustling for positions comes before jostling for winning post, that party will always remain in opposition.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Transposing the quotation into a political game may read as- what shall it profit the party, if the wrong man were to buy the entire delegates to be come the flag bear only for the party to lose the next elections?”
But, brutally stupid nonetheless, regardless all the land mines laid down by the APC party in the previous elections and even now, this once highly educated and level headed party is still parading 14-16 people running for the same post knowing quite well, only one candidate will every represent the party. The only true winner in this contest will be deepening animosity within the party whilst APC emerge victorious by helping us to select the wrong candidate again Bio. Bio wins, APC wins full stop. No ifs and buts.
Our common sense tells us only one person will be carrying that flag. The same common sense must reminds us that in every competitive contest, especially in politic, every ruling party wants to face the weakest candidate with more buts & ifs just as it is in every other competitive sport. The down side with common sense is that, it is very bad at dealing with complex social phenomena like political conflicts and marketing campaigns. Why blame EBK & APC for toying and mimicking around with their golden ticket (Bio) to the state house?
One major reason SLPP lost the last two elections was our over reliance on common sense. What most seems to effortlessly forget is that we lost not because we forget to use our common senses, but rather because the incredible effectiveness of common sense in solving the problems of everyday life misdirected us to put more faith in it than it can carry? The end product in politic is, you will always lose hopelessly.
Having despairingly lost the 2012 elections at all levels, Bio is determined to still become the flag bearer for SLPP by all devious method necessary working on the plans below:
Plan A: Falsely raising his own profile to APC as the people’s choice to succeed EBK
Plan B: Buy internal delegate to vote for him.
Plan C: Use intimidating and violent means to achieve his goals at the expense of the party image
My question to all is, what is the point of winning the battle and losing the war? As a chess player, I know what that means. Hope as Retired Brigade General, Bio knows the meaning of the phrase from his battlefield experience.
For those delegates and loyal party members still preoccupied over why APC is toying around with Bio as their preferred candidate to represent SLPP, I feel a bird’s eye view of the last election results may be a good place to start.
Firstly, in 2012 there were almost 1 million registered voters in the North. The official election result shows the SLPP presidential candidate - Boi got just around 2000 votes in the whole Northern region. I mean 0.02% from one third of the entire national electorates. At that rate, is going to take SLPP with Boi as their presidential candidate 25 good years before getting just 1% of the popular in that region (10,000). How cool is that for APC? This is reason number one why, APC will spend million to see Bio elected as the SLPP flag bearer rather than any other candidate. Bio wins, they win - an example of simple elementary classic political strategy. Why blame EBK for the doing the right thing for his party?
Secondly, APC will do anything in their power to get Bio elected because, amongst all contestants vying for that post, Bio have more ifs and buts against him than any other candidate. Points against Bio’s suitability for that post can be easily be explained to even the most illiterate voter and easily accepted by the international community than any other contestant. APC will spend millions to get him elected, spend tens of thousand of dollars to indirectly initiate an international court proceeding against him for his horrendous human right record during his presidency via third parties, and spend few hundred dollars on campaigning. The idea behind this strategy is not geared at even getting a pre-hearing trial at the international court, but to show the international community the past record of a man preaching democracy whist he has once used gun to undermine the rules and principles that are the basic fundamental pillars of democracy. SLPP will be on its toes constantly defending their chosen leader rather than campaigning as it happens in the last election.
Thirdly, knowing quite well now Boi was refused visa in 2012 to enter USA- a country that granted him and his comrades’ asylum in the first place, APC and its supporters are going openly invite Bio to visit USA to have an open debate about his vision for the country. The idea behind this strategy is not to actually have a debate but, to directly tantalize and ridicule the credibility, reliability, and trustworthiness of the party’s chosen leader about his visa scandal.
Two days ago, Bio openly denied in an interview with Radio Democracy in Freetown in person that, he has never committed a single offence in USA. But the USA will only refuse entering visa to any applicant using section 212(a) under the ineligibility section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in USA on the grounds below. All of which, are classed as crimes the exception of (212 (a)(4) health grounds) that may hamper anyone’s visa application for fear of endangering the national security interest of USA. This is in fact softest INA section where waiver of ineligibility is possible in some cases. That also was not considered in your own case.
Ø Criminal & Related grounds
Ø Terrorist Activity grounds
Ø Security and foreign grounds
Ø Public Charge grounds
Ø Misrepresentation grounds
Ø Stowaways and Allen smugglers
Ø Aliens previously removed and Aliens unlawfully present.
Why then did the US Embassy in Freetown refused a prominent democratically elected political opposition leader - Bio from entering USA?. By denying this claim in person in a radio interview, Bio has just complicated things for himself and makes victory easier for APC. These things are recorded. Those party members who accompanied you to the US embassy in Freetown to boost your visa application chances are still alive. It was an elementary media trap that you easily walked into Bio. By so doing, you have just smeared the image of the whole SLPP again. You have just catastrophically encased yourself into a straight political jacket. A jacket, no sober minded politician may want to buy. You have just hazardously played in the hands of APC unknowingly. It should have been better for you to still remain as a mumu leader, rather than facing the press and other media lets (Radio Democracy) to deny the undeniable and documented facts. You were tricked into believing EBK loves you by granting you free access to go up and down the country. You were wrong.
No one including myself is expecting total perfection from any human but, I do expect at some stage some genuine and sincere effort towards being decent and cleanly in thought, in words and in deeds at some point to your supporters and, especially when you are running for a public office in particular to become president of a nation with almost 6 million inhabitants.
These are just some of the basic political strategies APC advisers in London are advising their paymasters in Freetown to explore. These are, sadly some of the strategic traps our party hierarch is failing to see. Our leaders are still working on the false premise and assuming that no one, including APC and the entire electorates do not know the past and present records of our won candidate especially of Bio. The party leadership is wrong.
The choice for the party this time is very simple. You can decide to stay with the status quo-select Bio as the presidential candidate for SLPP and lose both elections even going to the polling boots or, selects any other candidate that may give the party a fighting chance in the next elections. Your chosen leader is your character, your image, and every thing that your group ideologies represent. How unfair is that in a true democracy?
This is one of the biggest disadvantages advocates of democracy do not want to talk about. One person’s character or behaviour (Your chosen leader) becomes a reflect mirror image of the group regardless 99.999% of ordinary members in that group are genuine, trustworthy, honest, reliable and gentle. This is the strategy behind spending more time and money, on alluring and ensnaring your opponents into selecting the wrong person before the contest starts.
The second downside of this most beautiful game (democracy) is that, 50.01% is always right. Even when, they are all mentally insane, physically blind and politically daft whist, the remaining 49.99% is wrong even when the 49.99% is level headed, mentally sound people that can distinguish good from bad is wrong.
After the 2012 a dismal general elections, Bio came to England allegedly to study. What? God alone knows. But, if for any reason it was political science, I presumed he must have failed again hopelessly or, must have learnt nothing different from what he came with from Sierra Leone. The timing for his arrival in England was too bad for anyone dedicator wishing to study democratic political science. Unfortunately, he must experience the true meaning of democracy in England by witnessing a peaceful and successful general election.
With in a space of 12 hours after the result were announced in the UK, he must have witnessed a seismic dramatic shift in the political landscape in a perfect democracy. Both Nick Cleg and Ed Milbank resigned as leaders or flag bearers of their respective parties in less than 12 hours after loosing the elections for their parties. Did Bio learn any thing contrary to his stance after loosing hopelessly as flag bearer? In fact, Bio did precisely the opposite. Whist SLPP was in the process of challenging the results, he invented the slogan PaOPa- he must be remain as the sole flag bearer regardless the out of the results. This is actually what Ponders and bewildered my thoughts and many other sober minded party faithful Mr Kelly. He supposedly, came to England to learn. But he learned nothing.
The honest and most frequent counter answer to the above point from most of his half-baked educated elites will be, the writer is a stupid elementary secondary school boy as you can read from his writing, comparing western democratic politic to Africa demo-crazy politics. They are 100% correct. But, all of them want their votes to be counted to western democratic standards when elections are held. How analytical are they? You can’t have it both ways in true democratic politic group Pa-O-Pa.
This is what actually another mystery that ponders my own though Mr Kelly rather than what EBK and APC are contemplating on. They are just doing what I should have done too if I were in power.
I for one sincerely do hope common sense will now prevail after your incredible and insightful letter at all levels to formulate a cohesive political strategy to counter APC manipulated choice to represent our party. This is the epicentre of the power of positive thinking not common sense because, it makes wise men see the invisibles, feel the intangibles and achieve all the impossible.
Thank you all
For blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of truth in waves change that leads a group to a true direction.
God bless Sierra Leone and Save SLPP from going into obscurity
Joseph L. Amara
Party Member
United kingdom.
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