After a successful nomination process that saw the flagbearer of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC), Dr Samura Kamara, and his running mate, Hon Chernor Maju Bah, officially nominated for the 24 June presidential elections, Hon Bah, in an exclusive interview with this medium said the people of Freetown have assured the APC of 100 per cent votes.
Speaking in an upbeat mood, Hon Maju Bah, the man who will become Sierra Leone’s next vice president after 24 June, reminded that in 2012 the APC sweeping Freetown translated to all the parliamentary seats which resulted to EBK winning the elections with a clear majority in the House.
Hon Bah said they are confident of winning and rescuing the people and nation from the past five years of hardships, passing of bad laws, and violence from above.
He said: ‘The people of Sierra Leone are like sheep without a shepherd. They are hard pressed and confused without anyone to give them the sense of direction they so desperately need. Sierra Leone is aching for a leader who will seek the people and nation’s interest as his or her saving grace. The nation wants leaders that will come to the fore with the people’s work as their number one and most important agenda in governance. So far the people say all they have been getting for leaders are politicians whose sole interest it is to play politics with issues with the potential to destablise the country.’
According to Hon Bah, the people have had enough of promises. ‘Actually they don’t want any more promises. What they want is someone that will do before talking; not someone that will boast about what they plan on doing, without or before doing them. They didn’t even show a slight interest in getting the job done; this is their idea of “tok n do”. It is more talking than doing because the talking is about what they intend on doing, not what has been done and dusted.’
The signs of change are real. The people have shown that they want change by the way they welcomed Dr Samura Kamara after the Makeni delegates’ conference, where he won the party’s flag, and coming back from the US on the locus visit to Sierra Leone’s Chancery Building in New York.
‘With today’s nomination we have been assured of 100 per cent votes from Freetown,’ beamed Chericoco.
Speaking to a cross section of people across Freetown yesterday they said they are tired with the present regime and cannot wait for 24 June. They said President Bio more than anything opened their eyes to realise that governments should work in the interest of the people, not the people working to please government.
‘For a long time we have been very traditional when it comes to our elected leaders. From the traditional standpoint a leader is never wrong, we don’t question or disrespect him, they rule for life. Traditionally we do the will of the leader. But in the modern sense of leadership, the executive does the will of the people if he wants to be re-elected. The people shouldn’t dance and sing for politicians, it should actually be the other way around,’ said a youth who will be voting for the first time.
He said with Freetown being the seat of power and the people being more aware of the issues of the past five years since 2018, they expect the rest of the country to take their cue from Freetown. If the APC sweeps all the parliamentary seats, they said that will provide the basis for the party changing all President Bio has done since 2018.
‘Our eyes have been opened. This regime has made us aware of our shortcomings as a nation by exacerbating our problems. We now know what we want. We want regimes that will work for us, not for their party and families. We will make sure we give APC all the tools they need to take Sierra Leone back to the path of progress,’ they promised.
The 24 June election is building up to be one of the most interesting in the history of Sierra Leone. Will the people finally start seeing leadership in terms of delivery as they are now demanding, or will we see a return to the status quo after the incumbent would have calmed them down with gifts and favours, or with threats of violence from state security?