By Ragan M. Conteh
One of the vibrant female Members of Parliament, representing Constituency 113, Hon. Rugiatu Rose Kanu, in her submission in the Well of Parliament during the debate on the Presidential Speech, said the political tension in the country is as a result of the persistent police intimidation mostly on the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party members in the country.
Hon. Rose Kanu also doubts the reformation of the proposed Peace Commission, citing that several peace conferences have been held in the country without the representation of the main opposition party. She added that this is due to the witch-hunting on opposition party members in the country.
She continued that the recent systemic attacks on Sierra Leone, especially on the opposition strongholds by irate youths, is a manifestation that the country requires serious political dialogue rather than continuous attacks on innocent people who have worked hard to rebrand the country in the last 10 years.
Hon. Kanu narrated on the invasion of war in the country wherein two rebel groups later emerged, including the AFRC and NPRC that she accused of primarily responsible for the backwardness of the country.
She also highlighted the chasing of opposition members where female politicians were “raped in Kailahun after the 2018 elections, killings throughout the country, attacks on opposition political parties, booting out and beating of opposition MPs and illegal arrest of opposition officials,” the MP alleged.
The MP revealed that, with all this happening in the country, President Julius Maada Bio is silent, while also cautioning the neutrality of the police and the country’s judiciary.
She concluded that, “without the inclusion of other political parties in the governance of Sierra Leone, there will be no peace”. Hon. Kanu however called on the authorities to change their way of ruling Sierra Leone for peace and cohesion to reign.