News Story

FREETOWN: DR SAMA BANYA: Many a time, I have not believed some of the stories in many of our newspapers, but it is said that where so many witnesses agree, there is a likelihood that they are right. And so it is with the story in a few newspapers last week reporting on the PMDC leader Charles Margai's recent visit to Kenema. On the front page of the Premier newspaper of Friday April 4, are photographs of Charles and President Ernest Bai Koroma under the headline 'PMDC Removed SLPP Not The APC- Charles Margai" In the rest of the story Charles is quoted as saying that they as a group decided to support the APC because they wanted to put an end to trbalism in the Country, but regreted that they had not been able to remove tribalism in their struggle. He revealed that now that tribalism had raised its ugly head in our society because if anyone did not come from the North, he or she did not have any credential for any position in the Country.

Did you read that Mr. President, from the man who in his own words catapulted you to power? As far as Charles is concerned, the claims by various praise singers of yours having been popularly elected is a lot of poppycock. It was the PMDC headed by Charles Francis Margai. Christiana Thorpe and her computer expert Carlos Venezuela were nonentities.

Now the President has been telling our people in the South and East that he is President of all Sa Lone and not of any particular group or region. But even as he says that, the sackings of our people continue and they are invariably replaced by Northerners and APC supporters, a policy earlier applauded by Minister of Information I B Kargbo because it was the people of the north who voted for the President. No, not Charles Margai and his PMDC, but the people especially of Bombali district.

Well Charles, how fordo, u get for bear. You had first cast doubt on former President Kabbah's claim to be a Sierra Leonean. Next you alleged that because Kabbah was a northerner all his appointees and development were concentrated in the north. You've suddenly, nay, at last realised that the present APC is trbalistic. What do you propose to do about yor dilemma? Tell your supporters to abstain from voting? Because, be under no illusion, you will not succeed in misleading our people again - a people who have seen their compatriots sacked for no other reason than that they were perceived supporters of the SLPP or hailed from the south and east.

The SLPP under President Tejan Kabbah carried out an even-handed policy of appointments and development. It was during that period that that APC supporter, the African Champion, accused the President of tribalism and that he had removed all the NGOs from the north to the south and the east. I simply laughed and retorted by inviting the editor to open his eyes when next driving to Makeni.

At the SLPP national convention in Makeni in 2005 President Kabbah said, inter alia, "We have acted as a government for Sierra Leone, for the whole of Sierra leone and for Sierra Leoneans without exception. In employment in the public service, our criterion has been competence and ability to perform and in the case of executive positions, we have taken into account the relevant work experience of the individual concerned. Resources have been allocated and services have been programmed on the bases of the needs of the community or location concerned and the availabilty of resources." And in deed we lived up to the above principle.

Those who had been clamouring for regime change must be asking themselves what has gone wrong. Charles has spoken, and believe me, he has only just begun.