By Felix Khonte
“If the only things that are keeping us from rejoicing, or being happy; are the facts that we have been seduced to continue to the dance of the fools, then, the foundations of civility that are embedded in us as a nation, have lost their ethical morals.”(Random Thoughts)
Distractions always visit the faithful and honest people in society, during their exploits to discover the sincerity of those elements surrounding them. But their ultimate cherished desires of good will could not be discovered easily under these circumstances; where the forces of evil are hell bent on destroying these chances of displaying their nurtured God-given potentials!
Their aspirations so are eloquent, dynamic and full of progressive innovations that; it hurts the unprogressive individuals within the system that supports the rotten status quo. They could go at lengths to sabotage such ventures with vigorous propensity.
PATRIOTISM: “This Country Will Not Be A Good Place For Any Of Us To Live In, Until We Make It A Good Place For All Of Us To Live In.” (Theodore Roosevelt, former US President.
This has been the unfortunate situation that has confronted the Presidential Flag- bearer of the opposition All Peoples Congress APC, Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara. Since his first appearance into the political limelight in 2018, this man has become a beacon of hope for many Sierra Leoneans across the political divide.
His emergence from nowhere to become, the favorite among the galaxy of interested candidates that have had the blessings of Ernest Koroma and to become a talking point within the corridors of the convention hall. Within the shortest possible time, they coined the phrase, “you sabi am? Meaning, do you know him?
THE TRIUMPHANTLY ENTRY: The triumphant entry into the city after that memorable convention in Makeni, where he was single-handedly picked by president Koroma to contest under the ticket of the APC; spoke volumes of confidence among the populace that sent signals of victory and hope for a better future.
It took the motor cade that accompanied the chosen one twelve hours to arrive in the city, because of the throng of enthusiastic and eagerly awaiting supporters and admirers along the route that wanted to have a glimpse of Dr. Samura Kamara.
THE MAGNUM OPUS OF POLITICAL BETRAYALS: The 2018 elections were organized in order to burn down the bridges so as to roast Dr. Samura Kamara, the presidential flag-bearer of the APC in the inferno. There was not a day that President Ernest Koroma had joined his chosen candidate during the campaign periods across the country. That attitude sent shock waves among political observers that something was wrong somewhere.
The controversial announcement of the presidential elections results by Mr. Nfa Alie Conteh, the head of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) on the 4th of April 2018 was masterminded by no less a person but Ernest Koroma.
He influenced the then United Kingdom High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Guy Warrington to be by his side as Ernest told the nation that the international community had wanted to see a regime change in the country. That was how Ernest fulfilled his own first part of the bargain between himself and Mr. Bio of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party SLPP, to hand over the governance of the state to the loser, because the presidential runoff elections were clearly won by Dr. Samura Kamara.
PATENT INJURY: That was how it started, like a patent injury inflicted on some boby from whom you least expected that lethal weapon of betrayal to come from. Dr. Samura Kamamra, the presumed winner, who was willfully denied his victory, swallowed the bitter pill with courage and determination; after receiving; and been hypocritically and with crocodile tears, consoled by the perpetrator, that he would make sure he brings the All Peoples Congress back to governance in 2023.
Judging by Ernest Koroma’s statement by then, “he never said he would make sure Dr. Samura Kamara reclaims the presidency back in the ensuing elections of 2023, but that it was the APC Party.” He treated his chosen flag bearer like a tragic fool who thought “loyalty could resurrect a corpse.”
His narcissists’ tendencies of not mentoring successors were the foundations he laid bare for the anticipated destruction of the All Peoples Congress Party before and after his second term came to an end in 2018.
Ernest Koroma turned the party to a “Zombie Franchise” where even the most corrupt and inexperienced candidates could show up for presidential interest without proper scrutiny. The build up to the 2022 convention for the anticipated 2023 general elections was again another thorny issue of savage irony.
The man who had once been referred to as not being a politician, has today become a house hold name across the political districts of the nation. He massively defeated all the contending aspirants for the flagbearership of the APC party at the convention in Makeni with flying colors.
While Ernest Koroma’s legacy was scrubbed clean by his Public Relations and diplomatic photo-ups, Samura Kamara remains the APC’s eternal scape goat that was sweeping up the debris of a once formidable party; that the autocratic outgoing leader and chairman, has sold its soul for his ego of greed, selfishness and abject wickedness!
GREAT BETRAYAL: The June 24th 2023 events was another manipulated and glaring great betrayal of trust; from the man who had retired as a statesman, but could put his house in order, because of his hidden agenda of retaining president Bio to the presidency at all cost.
Ernest mastered the art of weaponising power, even at the detriment of his perceived destruction of the party, and supporters that made him who he is today. The elections were conducted; within three days, results were announced under dubious circumstances declaring the incumbent president Bio as the winner.
SABOTAGE ON COURSE: Before the elections, Ernest Koroma’s strategy was visibly clear: “Sabotage the APC and Dr. Samura Kamara, and then vanish like a thief in the night!” While Samura Kamara sought all means to address the errors of the announcement, as he was actually seen as the winner, Ernest was busy behind closed doors playing Judas by brokering back channel deals with the SLPP.
SAMURA’S MISCALCULATIONS: Naively believing that the APC party was still a party of comrades and not Ernest’s personal ATM, he consulted him on many issues about the way forward for the party. Before the elections, he wore the corruption allegations levied against him like the New York Chancery building, which turned out to be a laughable façade; like a crown of thorns that did not hurt him.
Dr. SAMURA KAMARA’s CREDENTIALS: His checkered history of zero compromise against corruption has been the greatest threat he had committed to his fellow party executive members. That is why he has been lonely sidelined by the former president, who has become the “King Midas of Corruption!” Ernest has also succeeded in injecting bad blood into the executive, to distance themselves from the woes of their presidential candidate.
Having worked for reputable organizations for several years, like the World Bank, Common Wealth, and the IMF, he was recalled home to come and head the financial institution during the precarious days of the rebel war. His performance was matched with success as he made tremendous efforts to manage the economy during the war.
It was on this basis that the late president Tejan Kabba retained him to serve under his administration in the finance ministry. Dr. Samura Kamara was very instrumental in the setting up of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) program by the late president Kabba’s administration after the end of the war. He also advised on the merger of the Income Tax and Customs departments to the National Revenue Authority (NRA).
At the end of his two terms in office, president Kabba recommended him again to his successor as a very reliable and trust worthy individual. During his services to the erstwhile president Koroma, he served as Finance Minister, Bank Governor and later Foreign Minister.
It was during his days as finance minister that he helped to develop the Agenda for Change and later Agenda for Prosperity with great success. And it was also during his tenure at the finance ministry that the country was classed as one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
A man of seasoned and excellent accolades of corrupt free credentials has been reduced to a pawn by his party executive members, including the ring leader, Ernest Koroma; using him as a human shield to protect their ill-gotten wealth.
“The Fates Open Their Hands So That The Hearts And Spirits Could Embrace You. Accept Your Conviction In Good Faith To Get Used To The Life You Will Most Likely Be Leading Soon. Get Rid of Your Low Class Trappings and Show Some Eagerness for the New Upscale Life Style That’s Awaiting for You, As You Symbolize ‘A New Legacy Of Hope’ For Our Dear Nation!”