customs posts. Koindu customs posts used to be the second largest
revenue collection point for government prior to the civil war in
1991. But the place was affected by our civil war. With help from
DFID, the NRA has given a facelift to the posts. But I noticed
something in Kailahun on my way to koindu. When I went to koindu last,
it took me two days to arrive. But last week, i arrived the same day
I left Freetown. Kailahun is a politically strategic area that is
always needed by the powers-that-be, no need denying this point. One
may not be happy that at one point, political tolerance was not in
Kailahun; a case in point being the Segbwema/Ernest attack, but this
is a district that is always needed when it comes to voting time.
This is politics, and one from the African perspective and thus, one
should not be surprised that Kailahun, a strong hold of the opposition
SLPP, is now literally spreading clothes for President Koroma and his
APC party, in welcoming him, during a recent visit by the President to
that part of the country. I was also in Kailahun, and crossed road
with the convoy of the President on his way to Kailahun, as I was
coming from Koindu. I was in Koindu, via Kailahun and I was not
taken aback that Kailahun district was in the waiting for the
President.
Now, let me attempt to take you back down history; when President
Koroma was canvassing the people of this country for their mandate to
lead, he went almost in all the four corners of this country but
Kailahun was not that prepared then to accommodate him, together with
Charles Margai. The story of what happened in Segbwema to Ernest and
team is there so that even the unborn children could come and read of that;
they were chased out of Kailahun, and the vehicle of Ernest was
allegedly destroyed by people alleged to be supporters of the then
ruling, but now opposition SLPP party.
They were chased out of Kailahun district because, for the ordinary
Mende man in that part of the country, just as in the case of the
Limba man in the north for his APC, the SLPP is a religion in the
southeast and so, taking another political religion, in the form of
the APC to Kailahun, was in their view unacceptable, especially so,
when their 'son' Charlse Margai was seen with the APC. This is a sad
but honest reality; the geopolitical arrangement of Sierra Leone has
even accounted for our present status and until something is done to
address this, we shall remain where we are.
I will not write against the people of Kailahun for not accepting the
APC for they have their right to belong to a given political party,
but I will say to them, it was wrong to ambush party leaders who were
also going to exercise their political franchise. I will also say to
them that in politics, there should always be open hands to those who
will vote at the end of the day, for the need result shall only be
determined after polling and when once a candidate you were supporting
failed to win, it becomes politically disastrous.
Despite the reluctance of the Kailahun people then to accept the APC
and Ernest Koroma, together with Charles Francis Margai, Ernest was
all the same voted as President. But that was not the end it was also
time for Ernest Koroma to unite the country and see how those who
never had love for him could love him and cast their votes for him
come 2012. And this, I think this is what he is now trying to achieve.
Ernest Koroma has seen the need to also meet and discuss with the
people of Kailahun to open the way forward for Sierra Leone's
development agenda. He knows the social-economic and political
development of the country depends on not only the people from the
north or the western area, but all and sundry. And I therefore would
want to commend President Koroma for going to Kailahun; at least, it
is better late than never.
And I also now see more reasons why Dr. Sama Banya should also give
credence to the government, if for no other reason but the fact that
the road project to Kailahun is underway. The last time I went to
Koindu by road, the road was seen as a mistake-the roads were bad; but
this is not the case at the moment; though not 90% ok, but the roads
are relatively good, when compared to how they used to be, thanks to
Munda Rogers of SLRA. When I noticed that there is some level of
development now being taken to Kailahun by Ernest Koroma, I asked one
of the several Journalists I went with to Koindu for the Customs posts
re-commissioning what the then SLPP did to give a facelift to
Kailahun, mindful of the fact that the people in Kailahun are always
ready to stake their precious lives for the SLPP.
I always would admire the ability and skills of Dr. Sama Banya when
responding to issues having to do with the SLPP and particularly over
his defense of Kailahun, but may I humbly submit that they left the
people of Kailahun in shambles when they were in power and this is
unacceptable. I think the SLPP must tender their apologies to the
people of Kailahun for 'dumping' I hope I am not misconstrued but I am
saying this because in all my visits to Kailahun, I have always
imagined why the district was never given serious attention to, by the
then government. So, inasmuch as the SLPP is now out of power and are
preparing to made a political bounce back say; in 2017, I look forward
to reading a response to my piece on why the SLPP never constructed
the road to Kailahun, or if they were the ones who started it, why did
they not finish it.
That said, I also think President Koroma now has the Herculean task of
actualizing his 'Agenda for Change' The fact that he was given a
rousing welcome in Kailahun is a pointer that the people of this
country are now looking out for one that can perform. And if he is to
be re-elected, I think he should go the extra mile in meeting the
needs of, especially the people of the south east. I say the southeast
because, these are areas believed to be strongholds of the opposition
SLPP. If the SLPP were in power today, they were also going to give
attention to the north, just as they did when they were in power few
years ago.
The APC should forget of getting a 68% support from Kailahun; not
under the Ernest Koroma APC leadership, but it can get a substantial
percentage that can be used to penetrate into that part of the
country. But all this is possible when the people of Kailahun see
themselves as part of the development process of this country.
Kailahun is a rich district in terms of agriculture and with President
Koroma's attention now turning to agriculture; this can be one
possible ways of penetrating Kailahun. The people of Kailahun want
food, they want good water supply, improved roads network and above
all, quality education and Ernest Koroma must stand up to these
challenges. When President Koroma would have stood up to these challenges, then one renowned columnist in town shall never write
'Kailahun to fake Ernest Koroma?' hahahahahah
