Supporters of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) have been stunned and shocked again as ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma resumes duty of AU/ECOWAS Chief Election Observer.
The former President who is currently residing in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja will soon start his international assignments, reliable sources have told this press.
In such capacity, Mr Koroma will lead AU/ECOWAS delegations to several African countries to observe elections as he has been doing in the past. The ex-Head of State used to fly from Sierra Leone to observe elections but this time, he will fly from the ECOWAS headquarters, the first Sierra Leonean President to be so honoured. His office facilities are being prepared and the former President is taking brief rest for the daunting task.
Currently, former President Koroma is discussing and interacting with top African leaders on the road to peace and democratic consolidation in Africa.
Recently, US Foreign Secretary, Anthony Blinken reportedly met Nigerian authorities who he held discussions with. Former President Koroma also took part in the discussions. Africa and the world count on the former President when it comes to building peace and democracy on the continent in light of his great contributions to several African countries where he has observed elections.
Mr Koroma led election observation missions in Togo, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, Zambia and most recently Nigeria. As a peaceful statesman and democrat, the former President displayed his mediation skills to forestall post-election security crisis in Zambia, a country where he observed elections over a year ago.
Outgoing President, Edgar Lungu had ruled Zambia for only a term and was in no mood to hand over power to his successor, Hakainde Hichilema who he intimidated and harassed. It was former President Koroma who prevailed on Mr Lungu to hand over power to the winner, Hichilema who he advised not to revenge if peace, stability was to reign in the country.
The two leaders accepted Koroma’s advice and applied it to state governance and Zambians had been benefitting from it. The former President also has been preaching peace to other political leaders in Africa including his own country, Sierra Leone.
In recognition of his peace effort on the continent, Mr Koroma was reportedly invited to the United States elections held in November, 2020. As he sits in ECOWAS headquarters, Koroma would be executing noble assignments for the continental body and the sub-regional bloc.
Such great news for the former President is a thorn in the flesh of SLPP members who wanted to see him either jailed or killed by the Bio regime. They have always wanted Bio to have bones to pick with the former President even when great nations continue to honour the great man.
Back home, Ernest Koroma does not seem to enjoy the recognition and respect Africa and other world powers offer him as he has been battling with a four-count treason charge brought against him by the state. Police alleged that the former President orchestrated, financed and fuelled a coup against Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio by harbouring the coup plotters, failing to report subversive activities to the appropriate authorities, aiding and abetting and taking part in the coup itself.
The political situation in Sierra Leone became tense when Mr Koroma was summoned by the police and placed under house arrest after a 40-hour interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Department.
Fearing further deterioration of the country’s peace and security, two West African leaders, Senegalese and Ghanian Presidents, Macky Sall and Nana Akufor Addo respectively landed in Sierra Leone and discussed with President Bio about the detention of the Former President appealed for his release and temporal relocation to Nigeria.
A document seen by this press indicate that all charges against the former President be dropped, his benefits and medical expenses paid and his assets and estates secured by the Bio government.
Sources said Bio accepted the terms of the agreement but changed his mind within a twinkle of an eye when he humbled the former President in a magistrate court in Freetown. The act which was a clear threat to peace and security prompted ECOWAS President, Dr Allieu Touray to visit Bio once more for diplomatic engagement.
It was reported that Bio was given a 72-hour ultimatum that he either produced evidence of coup or released the former President from detention. It was the expiration of the 72 hours that prompted an ECOMOG (ECOWAS Monitoring Group) force to airlift the President to Abuja on temporal relocation, but sure to come back most likely after Bio’s presidency.
At the moment, Bio has come under threat and intense criticism for allowing Koroma to leave the shores of Sierra Leone with most of his key officials resigning from his government. One of Bio’s senior media advisers, Solomon Jamiru has laid kits without explaining why.
Currently, President Bio is being threatened by most of his supporters for what they referred to as a “daylight betrayal” for letting go the former President. Staunch SLPP members especially those in the diaspora are threatening to fight President Bio as they see the release of the former President as one of the most fatal blunders.
An SLPP member resident in the US too threatened Bio that he would wage war against him for disappointing them.
For many in the SLPP, former President Koroma is already guilty before trial and must be put to death making reference to the execution of Vice President Francis Minah in 1989 following his conviction of treason.
Minah hailed from the South-Eastern Town of Pujehun, and was a senior APC member who served President Joseph Saidu Momoh as a second gentleman. Although Minah was not an SLPP member, South-Easterners were highly sympathetic with him and had called for revenge.
Such retaliatory calls are always heightened at any time a prominent Northerner falls foul of the law, or most times create entrapments for them.
The concocted treason case of former defence minister, Alfred Paolo Conteh was a case in point. The former minister was invited to State House by President Bio after the outbreak of Corona Virus in March, 2020. Paolo’s role was to help roll back Corona in the same way Ebola virus was defeated but mistakenly taking a loaded prison to the President changed the entire course of his political story.
He was arrested, detained and tried for treason, and South-Easterners loudly called for speedy trial and execution of the former minister in revenge for Minah’s hanging at Pademba Road correctional facility.
However, Conteh walked free owing to a robust defence put up by a seasoned criminal lawyer, Dr Abdulai Osman Conteh. Public criticisms and media satires and lashes Bio received at that time for making false coup claims against the past government official did not water down SLPP’s penchant for making several coup allegations against APC officials with former Koroma’s case being the recent in a series.
However, a great many Sierra Leoneans still remain perplexed about government’s witch hunt of the former President owing to the high degree of tolerance. Koroma’s kindness to members of the then opposition SLPP now the ruling party was second to none with Bio taking a fair share.
The former President started the tolerance project when he worked with former ministers for three months will full pay and allowances. He retained top civil and public servants left behind by SLPP government and honourably recalled and replaced Sierra Leone’s ambassadors, high commissioners, consuls and principal representatives representing the country abroad.
He did not embark on a spree of rapid dismissals, intimidation and harassment of SLPP supporters, and did not pay tit-for-tat. When APC’s office in Bo city was set ablaze by youth linked to SLPP, the former President protected then opposition offices in the country, a move that earned him the honour of a democrat during a summit of world leaders.
No doubt, former President will continue to lead from Abuja at the dismay and shock of SLPP supporters.