News Story

FREETOWN: DR. SAMA BANYA - PUAWUI: When will these people rely on their popularity or at least allow the people to confirm their alleged total rejection of the SLPP? When our Party met in Bo last January the APC thugs, at the instigation of Musa Tarawali, attacked our members simply because they wore green and by that demonstrated their continued support and loyalty their Party. I have not taken notice of any of those who are quick to describe the rest of us as political prostitutes make a single reference to this man who wants to appear to "be more holy than the Pope." Our critics had joined supporters of the APC to write the SLPP off as not anything to write home about. But they have been rudely surprised at our stand at the resilience of our people. We've received enthusiastic support whenever and wherever we have assembled.

This has riled our opponents and our detractors. While the latter have tended to accept the situation, the former, that is the APC have reverted to their old habit of intimidation and thuggery. Over the weekend a cross section of our leadership was in Kono. Kono which is supposed to have deserted the SLPP in droves since the last Presidential elections left no one in doubt of their continued loyalty and support. As usual the APC's response was to instigate thugs and hoodlums to attack our meetings to the extent that the Police, to their credit had to intervene. Our own intelligence network reports that the APC is making plans to prevent our candidates from successfully going through the nomination process for the forthcoming local government elections in that district by unleashing violence.

If the reports are true, it will be yet another instance of our people being pushed right against the wall. Should that happen the result can only be chaos and mayhem. Is that what the Minister for Presidential Affairs would like for Sierra Leone? Is it the kind of democratic dispensation under which the APC campaigned as an opposition Party?. And if mentioning a possible future reaction of our people tantamount to incitement in the opinion of the honourable Minister, then I for one will not shy away from wearing the label.

There have been press reports of the President while in Kenema, referring to "dishonest politicians not telling the people the truth.” I would like to know from HE between us and his government who is not telling the people the truth. Since the beginning of the rising price of rice and other basic necessities, this government has played on this and NOT repeat, NOT addressed the real concerns of the people. As I wrote in these columns not long ago, the government has just made one excuse after another while the people continue to suffer. What is the truth here? It is not that there has been a continuous increase in the price of rice on the international market; it is not even that the price, according to international experts, will continue to escalate in the foreseeable future.

The truth is that this government has shown a complete lack of understanding or capacity to adequately address the issue and bring respite to the people. On the contrary it continues to feed them with excuses; in short it is fiddling while the country may be on the brink of a precipice. Did we not face a similar situation in 2004 and did we not deal with it in spite of APC’s negative propaganda? Yes, the government must leave the blame game and take appropriate remedies, not words. For now Sir, your people are not impressed and den nor gladi o!