By Ilyasa Baa
It has become crystal clear that the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will no longer waste its resources to conduct by-election in Malambay village, come May 18, when Waterloo and Cole Town will be voting to elect new village heads.
The only candidate that showed up for the race in the vacant Malambay village seat was Ibrahim Kargbo, who has eventually gone unopposed due to the fact that no candidate has surfaced to contest with him. NEC has officially declared Ibrahim Kargbo the new headman for Malambay.
Headman of Malambay village, Ibrahim Kargbo, noted that he was chosen by God, which is why according to him nobody showed up to contest against him.
The new Headman has promised to serve the village by facilitating development activities in the areas of water supply and agriculture. He promised to follow the footsteps of the former Headman, late Alie Conteh, whom he heaped praises on for bringing development to the village.
He assured all that he would lobby support from NGOs and the government of Sierra Leone towards the provision of pure drinking water, which, he noted, is a major challenge.
Malambay is a deprived village in the outskirts of Waterloo and most of the women in the village depend on vegetable growing and petty trading in markets within the Western Rural District.
Its population is a little above one thousand (1000), and these residents are mostly women and children suffering from poverty and poor infrastructure.
NEC, on Wednesday, held its stakeholders meeting for the forth-coming by-elections due 18th May. The Commission has robustly engaged on voter education and according to the District Election Officer, Madam Thomas, the campaign calendar should be strictly followed to prevent electoral violence.
Local Unit Commander, Waterloo Division, Supt. Sylvester Kpovowa, has threatened to take prosecutorial action against any electoral defaulter caught. He said their eyes and ears are wide open to arrest defaulters.
He said they have charged one to court for election fraud, adding that the matter of Ansu Sesay is making progress in the Waterloo Magistrate Court.