Paranoic frenzy and fear of politics of revenge owing to serious human rights abuses in their six years of governance holds back PAOPA regime from handing over power to the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).
The PAOPA politicians fear that they would be paid in their own coin for the seizure of property through what many referred to as Kangaroo-styled commissions of inquiry, killings in opposition strongholds, political intimidation, harassment and mass arrest and detention of opposition members and supporters.
The waves of intimidation started since SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party)/PAOPA took over the reins of state command in April, 2018.
In months, the Bio regime set up an all-out commission of inquiry to investigate those who were President, Vice President, ministers and deputies and heads of agencies in respect of the management of public money and resources.
The commission came into being owing to recommendations of the Governance Transition Team report of April, 2018 which convicted APC politicians by referring to the government as “a criminal racketeering enterprise.”
At the end, none of those accused was freed except former government officials of South-Eastern backgrounds who later crossed over to SLPP.
Majority of APC officials forfeited their estates to the state without sparing the dead even when it is clear that cases of those who die in the process of adjudication should see their matters closed.
Families and relatives of former Education Minister and the Chairman, National Telecommunication Authority, Minkailu Bah and Momoh Conteh respectively were posthumously driven out of their homes as a result of the findings and recommendations of the commissions of inquiry.
Other ministers slammed with corruption and treason charges were also arrested and incarcerated for months or years before they were allowed to see the light of day. Ex-Defence Minister, Alfred Paolo Conteh, Social Welfare Minister, Sylvia Blyden, Political and Public Affairs Minister, Karmoh Kabba and others were trapped.
Even former President Ernest Bai Koroma too was also politically harassed and intimidated for alleged corruption and money laundering offences. Lately, he was accused of treason for which he was brought before a magistrate court in Freetown.
The harassment and thuggery against APC started off the day Bio was pronounced winner of 2018 elections as a group of thugs linked to SLPP launched an operation to recover stolen assets especially government vehicles.
The capital city was no safe place as several ministers lost their lives in the brutal raids while the security apparatus were totally helpless.
Killings were also carried out in opposition strongholds in the early days of 2018, and the worst side was government’s failure to hold accountable those who killed colleague Sierra Leoneans.
Rosenge, a tiny village in Tonkolili district, was the first to wake up to fatal shootings in early 2018 in the guise of a raid for a harmful drug called Canabis. Dwelling houses were also allegedly broken into by security forces with allegations that they carted away assorted property on allegations that they were proceeds of the sale of the drug.
Next to follow in the array of killings were Lunsar, Tombo and Kambia in the Northern province where protesters were allegedly shot dead by security forces to suppress what they called riots.
Similar killings were also seen at Pa Demba Road main correctional facility in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown where 31 inmates lost their lives in April, 2019 according to official reports. Unofficial sources however suggest a higher figure, but the controversy is yet to be proved by way of investigation. These incidents will male APC panic jittery and panic stricken about transferring power to a group of people who they have hurt so much.
SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party)’s Chairman, Dr Prince Harding has sent a loud and clear message to the people of Sierra Leone and the international community that his party would not hand over power to the APC, and that only Bio would decide who should be the next President.
Dr Harding also treated the international community with the greatest contempt and disrespect by referring them as “academic dwarfs.” Such radical move by the SLPP chairman might have a link to death threats made against international and local election observer missions forcing them to leave the country earlier than expected.
President Julius Maada Bio himself is on the same page with his chairman as he had also assured his party members and supporters that he would not transfer power to APC come what may.
In a democracy, it would be difficult to convince the people with such statement, but his tactics became clear owing to the alleged election rigging in June last year.
According to reports by local and international election missions, no candidate won the elections, but President Bio was declared winner and sworn in surrounded by war tanks, armour cars and well armed guards.
In his swearing in speech, he promised to work with the opposition, APC, but treated the international community with disdain especially when he accused the United States of inciting him to interfere with the elections.
The world was stunned and shocked to learn that the US which purports to guard and secure democracy would descend so low to destroy it.
The scathing allegation was made during Bio’s visit to a Washington university in the United States although the real motive remains unclear.
He was the African President to make such allegations against the Super World Power, and wonders still abound about what Bio actually tries to achieve.
The United States however has been defended by a document containing the terms of reference for the election probe as it stated that the US called on President Bio not to allow the election boss announce a flawed results.
PAOPA’s action, according to political commentators, was a real defiance by local and international laws facilitated by the Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh.
Konneh heads the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, an agency mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda, and the tilting of scale in favour of the incumbent has plunged the country in its dire state.
The move of not giving up power is also made clear as sources say the PAOPA regime is carrying out a clandestine constitutional review process to extend the presidential term limit from five to seven years.
If it works, according to PAOPA members, the elections will be held in 2030 and not 2028. Information is also trickling in that if the worst comes to the worst, the presidential term will be made limitless so that Bio would run as many times as possible.
It was the case with ex-President Yayah Jammeh who had a constitution whose term for the presidency is limitless although the sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS was against even third-term bids let alone running many times for the Office of President.
It was however such constitutional loophole that Jammeh capitalised on to rule for two decades, and such political maneuvering is now a template for several African dictators.
President Bio has also reportedly built strong relations with several African dictators among whom is the late Namibian President who had gained notoriety of rigging the polls to rule.
As the resistance to power transfer gains pace within SLPP, low cadre members and supporters peddle such information to ensure that it reaches the last man in the last village.
It is often not strange to hear threats of an all-out conflict by SLPP supporters if the international community forces President Bio to give up power just to avoid APC’s revenge if at all there will be one.