By Ragan M. Conteh
Trucks, of what many people described as hired hooligans led by the litigant on the constitutional matter between Mr. Alfred Peter Conteh and the All People’s Congress (APC) Executive, on Sunday 9th May 2021 reportedly attacked the APC party Headquarters, Brookfields in Freetown.
According to onlookers, who spoke to this medium, Mr. Alfred Peter Conteh’s thuggish and forceful move are a demonstration of his hatred and a ploy to further create tension in the country.
“If it was not for the youths at the Party office, thugs would have ransacked, looted and vandalized the office. This is shocking and embarrassing,” one Salamatu Koroma said.
She stated that the intention of Alfred Peter Conteh is to take this country back to war. He did so by bringing thugs to attack the APC headquarters.
Eyewitness reports state that the thugs were made up of a group of people who went to the opposition office and hurled invectives at the APC and its supporters.
Alpha Kamara, a taxi driver, said the frequent attacks on the opposition office will create serious problems for any country, adding that dialogue and peaceful approach are the most acceptable in modern day democracy.
He continued that the sudden attack on the APC Secretariat, especially during weekend, was unprovoked and a deliberate attempt by Peter Alfred Conteh to cause mayhem and destruction.
“I was standing close to the main gate and saw some drugged youths attempting to open the office. I told them that we are the caretakers, and we are not aware of any meeting that day. It was then some of the youths started unleashing invectives,” a caretaker said.
He continued that this unprovoked attack is a deliberate attempt by Alfred Peter Conteh and team to cause confusion and draw the APC into a fight, even though the APC has remained peaceful and law abiding all throughout the recent constitutional battles between and amongst them.
Against this background, the APC youths are calling on the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and other security agencies and authorities to immediately step in and put a halt to it. If the attacks continue, they have the tendency to reverse the gains made by the APC under the astute leadership of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Speaking to journalists, Alfred Peter Conteh said, before his arrival in Freetown, he had informed the Secretary General of the party, Dr Osman Foday Yansaneh, that he would want to use the Party’s conference room.
He maintained that the Secretary General assured him of making the conference room available to him. “But, to my dismay, this didn’t happen,” he explained.
He furthered that the executive members of the APC party are illegal. He added that a ruling had been made by the court, but the party has not done anything about it.
He accused the party executive of dictatorship and undemocratic leadership, which does not take place in any civilized society. He explained that a group of APC members and supporters descended hard on all his supporters.
Alfred Conteh said some of his supporters were seriously wounded after being brutalized and mercilessly beaten. He and Robin Falley narrowly escaped from the hands of APC supporters.
Meanwhile, the All People’s Congress (APC) Party executive has not made any comment towards the issue.