Chief Samuel Sam Sumana, former Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, is being counted on as an ultimate Peace Negotiator and Redeemer Sierra Leone and All People’s Congress (APC) yearn for.
As a piece negotiator, he is determined to see unity, cohesion and cooperation in the main opposition, APC.
In the pursuance of a honourable objective within the APC, the determined Chief Sam is leaving no avenue unexplored towards the direction of peace.
He is not bothered even if it causes him to forgo ego, pride and everything to see peace within the party.
The Chief is certainly convinced that after peace and unity is entrenched in the party, the APC will come out strong with Chief Sam Sumana as the ultimate Redeemer of the people of Sierra Leone.
Much ink has been spilled, and thousands of words spoken in available communication channels about the cries of the people for immediate positive change and reform.
Currently, Sierra Leone has reached crossroads making it difficult for the people to know exactly which direction to follow.
Constantly following Chief Sam, over the years, on his style of politicking, one would safely conclude without fear of contradiction that he is a man for the moment.
The Chief has demonstrated qualities that eminently qualify him to emerge the APC strong man ready to take over governance of the state in a quiet, peaceful and respectful manner.
The expected quiet transition from the incumbent to Chief Sam through the ballot box in the not-too-distant future will be one of the greatest moments that is hoped to linger in the books of history for posterity.
The features of calm, composure and peace possessed by Chief Sam are qualities rarely seen in politicians.
He exhibited the greatest restraint in the face of deep provocation ever meted to a noble and respectable politician of his kind.
At the time he was Vice President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the country’s second highest office, he was arbitrarily removed from his honourable post like any minister.
Chief Sam’s removal from the office of Vice President was the hottest subject for discussions in academic circles, professional classes, churches, mosques, streets and other places.
Almost all discussions were in favour of Chief Sam calling him not bow to tyranny, oppression and dismissal. But, he remained calm and unruffled.
Adding his voice to the dismissal of the Vice President was Dr Abdulai O. Conteh, a former Attorney General and Minister of justice and one of the framers of the current 1991 Constitution.
As one of the finest legal luminaries, he wrote a widely read article on the dismissal of the Vice President, Chief Sam.
The article was highly critical of the former President’s actions.
One of the key contentions of Dr Conteh was that the phrase: ‘Supreme Executive Authority’ enjoyed by a sitting President does not include the power to sack a vice president.
He argues that the President and the Vice President are elected officials as they run as flag bearer and running mate respectively in an elections.
Both, Dr Conteh argues, are equally subject to the procedures of removal prescribed in section 50 and 51 of the constitution.
At the time Dr Conteh wrote the article, he was a sitting Justice of the Appeals Court in the Bahamas in South America, one of the finest jurisdictions known to the world of criminal law .
Considering the ferment of beautiful arguments in his favour backed up with the desire to secure justice in the accepted standards, Sam Sumana sought solace in country’s judiciary to restore his right. However, the verdict that emanated from rigorous judicial process at the Supreme Court did not favour him.
The Chief showed patriotism and statesmanship as he maintained the peace, and appealed the Supreme Court verdict to the ECOWAS court in Nigeria.
The verdict from the ECOWAS court consoled Chief Sam who returned home and practised politics within the confines of the law.
The court ordered the then government to compensate and restore Chief Sam to his former post.
It did not come to pass as the government did not comply with the order, and the Chief had no alternative but to swallow the bitter pill.
The humble Chief humbly submitted to the passage of time and trod with caution as President Koroma was still in power at that time.
However, Sierra Leoneans were taken aback when the humble Chief rolled his caravan from his home town of Kono in eastern Sierra Leone to the northern headquaters of Makeni, the home town of former President Ernest Bai Koroma for reconciliation and peace.
The move to reconcile with the ex-President chart the way forward for a peaceful, vibrant and progressive APC. The interest of Sierra Leone was also equally considered during the meeting between the two personalities.
Chief Sam’s warm handshakes, smiles and hugging with President Koroma endeared Chief Sam to a great many Sierra Leoneans.
The love, admiration and respect Chief Sam Sumana is enjoying in Sierra Leone today is not unconnected to the greatest forgiveness and sacrifice of ego he has shown to the APC and the country.
An APC stalwart in PortLoko, the party’s heartland described Chief Sam: “Chief Samuel Sam Sumana is the most peaceful and forgiving personality I have never seen especially when my mind goes back to the manner he was treated by the former President few years ago.”
The Chief’s reconciliatory move with the former President angered the SLPP Government officials who withdrew his security details and stripped him of all privileges due a former Vice President including his monetary benefits.
Chief Sam put up no resistance as he allowed events to occur naturally just for the safety and peace of the country.
The twin situations that unfolded would make one correct to say Chief Sam Sumana has suffered humiliations twice through the withdrawal of security details from him by the Koroma and Bio regimes.
In all of those situations, he showed steadfastness, calm, composure and peace that today makes him the fittest man to emerge as flag bearer of the APC.
It is worthwhile to trace a brief background About Chief Sam Sumana so that Sierra Leoneans can see a clear image of the personality of the Chief.
The Chief was born in the Eastern town of Kono in a reserved and unassuming, ruling family.
His father was one of the greatest and most memorable paramount chiefs in Kono district. The good works of the late paramount chief made his glamour and influence felt on to this day in Kono.
Before his death, the late paramount chief saw the humiliation that could be meted to any APC stalwart at those dark days by the then ruling SLPP.
The late paramount chief, both hands handcuffed, was incarcerated behind bars where he languished for some time.
He barely managed to hold and play with the new-born Baby, at that time, known today as Chief Sam Sumana.
When Chief Sam became an adult, he saw the APC as his home and haven.
The Chief became active in APC politics when he was selected running mate in the 2007 presidential elections by the then leader and flag-bearer, Ernest Bai Koroma.
It was definitely a fundamental turning point in the political life of the young and unassuming Sierra Leonean.
Chief Sam’s favourite saying is: ‘Out of a little over six million Sierra Leoneans at the time, Ernest Bai Koroma held my arm and introduced me to not just Sierra Leone, but to the whole world as the man who, he believed, was a very good choice for a running mate.”
“There is nothing greater than this,” Chief Sam remarked at one time.
Many within the APC family commended Ernest Bai Koroma for giving them a perfect choice.
As a result, the country and party rallied around the two personalities who they eventually elected President and Vice President respectively.
Their victory generated the greatest euphoria the country has never witnessed for years, and the like would hardly be seen for generations to come.
The two great heroes were inseparable for the first three years of their union.
They would eat together, confer and consult with each other on national issues and agree almost on everything.
But, the intimacy destined to last long was cut short when bad blood arose between the two personalities through gossip and blackmailing of the humble Chief Sam to former President Koroma.
The gossipers and blackmailers embark on such diabolical plans when it became clear that the then Vice President, Chief Sam was a potential successor to the presidency.
To prove to Sierra Leoneans that APC is the home of the humble Chief, he is back to cure old wounds and see the party bounce back to power in 2023.
Chief Sam Sumana, a man for the moment, will be a man for all seasons when he is made President of Sierra Leone in the 2023 polls.
He is quite hopeful that when few people stand up for him to get the presidency, a hundred will stand up, thousands will stand up and millions will also stand up for the Chief’s easy and smooth ride to State House.
A Redeemer Emerges Within the APC
