Lahai Lawrence Leema, Sylvia Blyden and Emerson Lamina are weeping more than the bereaved as they foresee signs and symptoms of a regime change in Sierra Leone. They are smelling the rat before time. The three are becoming more catholic than the pope himself as they are more voiceferous in attacking diplomats than President Julius Maada Bio himself.
It is often said that uneasy lies on the head that wears the crown, but it is a different situation is seen here. Instead of uneasiness falling on Bio’s head, it falls on his officials. Sylvia Blyden who is a former minister in the past government holds no post in the Bio’s administration, but is nervous about the regime change plan. Emerson Lamina too is not an SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) member, but is jittery about an imminent change of government.
Leema is who a deputy minister in the Bio-led administration is the most frightened owing to signs of a change of government. Out of fright, the deputy minister does not hesitate to say he would crush anyone that stands in SLPP’s way in June 24, 2023 elections. Leema’s unguarded utterances portrays him as one who has no cue and clue about an international manipulation to see Bio out of power after June elections.
Nobody can stop the people when they need a change of regime, says one of Sierra Leone’s artist, Lansana Sheriff aka Steady Bongo. The long-time musician released such a wonderful and attention-catching music just after March, 2018 elections that brought President Bio to power. The music’s message was appealing, and it went a long way in helping the stabilisation process. The transition from ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma to President Julius Maada Bio was a bit turbulent but manful control kept the country well afloat.
Apart from music, the involvement of key stakeholders: the EU, UK, US, Russia and China and others calmed down nerves. Today, the tables have turned as the country’s political situation no longer favours President Bio. Too many protests especially the August 10, protest are indicators that Bio is no longer needed by Sierra Leoneans, and the will of the people must be respected. The diplomatic community too is under obligation to respect the will of the majority.
However, British High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney, the EU Ambassador, Manuel Muller have come under attacks by SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) sorrogates who do not want Bio’s government to go. Former Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Sylvia Blyden, Coalition For Change (CFC) parliamentarian, Emerson Lamina, and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema have constantly subjected the British and EU diplomats to pressure and verbal attacks as they suspect them of facilitating regime change in Sierra Leone.
Dr Blyden, few days ago, hit the British Commissioner hard during a press conference over allegations of supporting former Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki Sawyer. She accused Lisa Chesney of hiding behind the cloak of women’s empowerment to back the former mayor who is fighting to come back to power. Dr Blyden’s fury towards the diplomats is stunning and shocking. Only few Sierra Leoneans will expect the former APC minister to take on the diplomatic community on behalf of SLPP, a party that humiliated her to the worst as a woman.
Blyden’s rights were nakedly violated for minor offences of sedition and publication of false news. She was detained for three weeks in a police cell without granting her bail. the former minister was also denied bail while in prison custody although the offences were bailable. Instead of fighting for her rights and the rights of other women in the country, Blyden is busy fighting for a government which has no future in the ballot box in June, 2023.
Sierra Leoneans have raised large eye-brows on the former minister as she continues her leap in the dark. Joining in the verbal attacks against the foreign diplomats is the Kono Member of Parliament, Emerson Lamina who is at the throat of the EU Ambassador, Manuel muller. He levellled a litany of allegations against the EU Ambassador revolving around political interference.
The CFC parliamentarian seems not pleased with the statement uttered by Ambassador Muller that more crowds of people turned up at registration centres in the North-West regions while few showed up in South-East. Emerson Lamina was also not happy with the diplomats’ deployment in Tonkolili district during a bye-election.
He saw these actions as meddling with Sierra Leone’s internal affairs, a move, he says, that is quite unacceptable in international relations. Emerson Lamina is therefore calling on government to declare a persona non grata for the EU Ambassador. In international relations, persona non grata means a diplomat’s service is no longer needed in a particular country. He hopes that once the persona non grata is pronounced by President Bio, Ambassador Muller will leave the country, and the election goes to SLPP’s side.
He gives no thought to the fact that even if Muller leaves and another Ambassador comes today, the plan for regime change remains intact. However, it is yet to be confirmed whether Leema has attacked any member of the diplomatic community. Such evidence is not yet available, but his incessant threats to the people of Sierra Leone leaves much to think about. It is clear that Leema’s objective is to intimidate to have his way again in June 24, 2023 like the way they did in March, 2018. As a key official in the Internal Affairs Ministry, he hopes to use the security forces against the people of Sierra Leone before, during and after elections.
However, Sierra Leoneans seem determined to put up the toughest resistance against SLPP and their officials to ensure that the elections are free and fair. SLPP government fits into the axiom that what goes around, comes around. The move adopted today to respect the people’s will in 2018 is the same they have adopted that the people’s votes are protected in June, this year.