News Story

FREETOWN: DR SAMA BANYA - PUAWUI: Hey folks, interesting developments have begun to raise their heads; could this be a sign of repentance and an acknowlwgement of the propaganda sins perpeptrated against the SLPP by the APC leadership? After all, even they must acknowledge that victory was handed to them almost on a platter by the patrons of "regime change," aided and abetted, nay shamelessly perpetrated by the Chairperson of NEC, with the technical expertise of Carlos Valenzuela and others in NEC's computer room. Some day, yes, some day, I shall crave the indulgence of my editors and publish the "Prayer of Governor Clarkson for the new Settlement of the Colony of Sierra Leone," now the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The honourable Dr. Bernadette Lahai has advised members of the Opposition SLPP to read the We Yone newspaper, which is the official mouthpiece of the ruling APC party. I personally find it difficult to put up with blatant dishonesty masquerading as propaganda for the ruling party. But, who knows, I may yet accept the advice of the honourable Member of Parliament and the Leader of the Women' wing of the SLPP and add the We Yone paper as a must-read.

Ah, but I am tending to digress from the theme of this article. From the time Christiana Thorpe handed over the election victory to President Bai Koroma and from the time he appointed his Ministers, both he and the latter have been engaged in an unproductive exercise of trying to impress on the minds of the people of this Country that the SLPP was a tribalistic, unprogressive and a nepotic Party which cared only for its members and the enrichment of its leadership at the expence of the general population. That the SLPP had done nothing positive in its eleven years in order to develop this Country. Their favourite criticism was that the SLPP paid no attention to the suffering of the ordinary Sierra Leone. They, the APC were going to change all that.

In 2004, neither the increased demand for shipping and of freight due mainly to the increased industrial activity of China and India, nor the fact that Freetown was still categorised as a high risk insurance port, would convince the APC in opposition to tell the people the facts. Their story had just one theme, which was that the SLPP had no interest in addressing the suffering of the masses.

The Minister of Finance declared that they had inherited a bankrupt economy; the Minister of Education would not acknowledge the great strides made in education - that there was a phenomenal increase in the number of educational facilities, with universal free Primary education, as well as of great increase in the number ofchildren attending schools with special emphases on the girl-child; that the girl child in the Northern and Eastern Regions and now in the Southern Region and Western area received free secondary education with free supply of uniforms and school materials. Yes, that examination fees for all public examinations were paid by Government.

On the contrary, it was all propaganda to let the country and the world believe that the SLPP did nothing for Sierra Leone. But to their utter dismay, the people are well informed and know better. In addition, the APC government has proved incompetent in dealing with the current increase in the price of basic commodities, including our staple food rice. Would Minister Alimamy Koroma tell this nation whether his "climate change," or "the fall in the value of the dollar" etc. is responsible for the increase in the price of palm oil, garri, or of locally grown vegetables? The Sierra Leonean people would like to know.

Would the President tell us the value of the Contracts with his ministers when the latter lack the resources and the wherewith, that is the resources with which to deliver? His Excellency and his minister of Information have been harping on this Attitudinal Change Campaign; but as someone has reminde them, what needs emphasis is the need to enforce law and discipline. Whatever happened to the vicious attack on Tom Nyuma by Leatherboot in Bo or of the other numerous attacks on SLPP supporters and property? Even as HE continues to preach, there are disturbing reports of his Resident Minister for the South training militias in preparation fot the forthcoming local government elections. By the way could the Police or the National Security be unaware of this or are they turning a blind eye? Sierra Leone has just gone through universally acclaimed elections.

But, there is some sign of attitudinal change in the air. For the first time, His Excellency has admitted (in his Independence Anniversary address to the nation) that they, the APC, are building on an existing foundation. For the first time, the Minister of education who has not been known to say anything positive about the achievements of the SLPP in the field of education, has spoken glowingly about what they inherited. Both he and his boss now admit that they are building on a foundation.What an admission of reality!.