Sidi Yayah Tunis, Publicity Secretary for the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party, has ambushed President Julius Maada Bio while reacting to his speech delivered on 8th May, 2020.
Mr. Tunis told the popular Salone Good Morning Program at 98.1 that his party does not have a problem with the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Government and are in no way responsible for the high spate of violence and lawlessness as claimed by the President.
He added that they have done their bit, as a party, to promote national cohesion and also to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. He castigated the SLPP operatives for perpetuating lawlessness and other human rights abuses, which are to the attention and knowledge of Government.
The APC, according to Mr. Tunis, has a very good number of cases at the courts since the end of the March, 2018 elections and the Judiciary has flagrantly refused to even allocate to judges the list of cases for hearing.
“We are disappointed that the President would refer to a well-established and formidable political party like ours as a terrorist group,” Tunis recounted.
The APC Publicity Secretary also expressed his disappointment that President Bio would refer to his detained colleagues, in the likes of Palo Conteh, Sylvia Blyden and others, as criminals when they are still to be tried by the competent courts of the land.
“By referring to them as criminals the President has already judged them and we are apprehensive that they would not get the required justice they deserve,” Tunis lamented.
Many opposition figures, in various social media, have castigated President Bio for coming very hard rather than reconciliatory on the opposition. They opined that, by referring to their party as a terrorist party, the President has endangered their lives and properties.
On the 8th May, 2020, the President, in a nationwide address, warned against the spate of lawlessness and indiscipline in the country, naming the main opposition All People’s Congress as responsible for planning, supporting and executing violence on the State of Sierra Leone.
He pointed out that their responses as government are well-informed based on the available evidence from the security and intelligence forces. President Bio ordered his security and intelligence forces to deal promptly and robustly with any incidences of violence using the appropriate laws of the land.
The country has, in the last few weeks, been engulfed with violence leading to the burning down of police stations, private residences and government property.
Even though the Government promised a full scale investigation on the Correctional Service so-called attempted jail break and many others, the public is still to get full details of the incident.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator, the EU and Civil Society Organisations have all called for a full scale investigation into the deaths and carnage that occurred on the 29th April,2020.
The accusations and counter accusations, as to who is responsible, the Minister of Internal Affairs and ten senior Police officers have been shown the exit door.