The ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) is facing the biggest disappointment in the North-Western Headquaters of PortLoko. A credible Source has intimated this press that certain communities in PortLoko have vowed not to vote for the SLPP in the coming elections.
But, the source says, they will not hesitate to benefit from the party’s purse when the opportunity arises hoping to disappoint the party in the ballot Box.
To realise their objective, secret meetings are being held ahead of the elections to strategise for an APC come back in 2023. The political game in PortLoko is deep and largely unpredictable.
The source went on to state that the Resident Minister for the North-West Region has been helping communities with material and financial resources to strengthen the support base of the SLPP.
Despite the aid and support, the source said, the people of PortLoko seemed not ready to pay back the SLPP in the 2023 polls. “The politics of survival for which PortLoko is well known still continues,” the source says.
Most of those who wear green party clothes, the source, said were deep red in the hearts. In Spite of the claim of disappointment, some indigenes of Portloko still remain loyal to the SLPP.
Some who spoke to this press indicate that the party is one of their forefather’s as it was founded in prominent northern chiefs. SLPP quite recently has hoped to make impressive inroads in the town considering the contributions the party has made towards the development of the township.
Portloko has seen some facelift in the sphere of infrastructure and other forms of assistance since the New Direction took governance of the state. Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh who hailed from PortLoko district has showcased development projects there especially in agriculture. Rowala in the Lokomasama Chiefdom in PortLoko district is seeing some agricultural projects being unfolded in the community.
Farmers and some residents in the community are quite happy to see the revamp of agriculture after many years of neglect. PortLoko town is also among several districts in the country that have greatly benefitted from government’s Free Quality Education.
Quite Recently, President Julius Maada Bio was in PortLoko to commission the Dr Kadie Sesay New Girls School to improve education in the country. The school was constructed by the country’s leading sport-betting company, Mercury International out of an initiative of government.
Mercury before this time paid attention only to the award of scholarship to deserving students. Upon the coming to power of the New Direction Government, the Mercury International’s method of operation changed from the award of scholarship to the construction of schools across the country.
PortLoko district is the first to benefit from Government’s gesture. Dr Kadie Sesay whose name is on the new girls’ school was the running mate to President Julius Maada Bio in the 2012 elections.
The former running mate also hailed from the town making PortLoko town one of the President’s most frequently visited district in the country. The girls’ school is the first in PortLoko, and it is widely expected that the school would improve education of the girl child in the district.
At the opening and handing over of the school to the PortLoko Community, former Minister of Information and Communication, Alpha Kanu catalogued a number of developments which the SLPP has brought to the PortLoko community.
The SLPP, according to Alpha Kanu, is a party that tremendously contributed to education in Portloko district. The contribution dates as far back in 1964 when Alpha Dawson Wurie of blessed memories headed a project that led to the construction of the Port Loko Teachers College now one of the campuses of the Ernest Bai Koroma University.
The party still continues its education drive in the district alongside other projects. Despite contribution to the development of the human capital, Portloko still remains APC in the hearts, but put on SLPP colour to reap benefits.
The hatred towards President Bio was made clear when the portrait of the President was erected in one of the central and visible places in Portloko called Agip. Residents in PortLoko made repeated attempts to destroy the President’s portrait. To stop them, Police officers were routinely deployed to keep guard.
On most of his visits to the township, President Julius Maada Bio has appealed repeatedly appealed to the people of Portloko for councilor’s seat.
But, the appeal remains dead in the waters.