A widely circulated audio recently released by ex-President, Ernest Bai Koroma shows that he is eager to return home and stay with his people as usual.
On some of his media appearances, his pale face and somewhat sickly looks portrays the former President as just a shadow of his former self as compared to the time he was in Sierra Leone living the life of an up-country gentleman in his hometown, Makeni.
In his statement portrayed by the audio, the former President called on colleague members and grassroots of the main opposition, All People’s Congress (APC) to hold a platform where he and Samura Kamara, the party’s current flag-bearer and leader could argue on what transpire between them that leads to the defeat of the APC in June, 2023 polls.
“I want the party to invite me and Samura Kamara as well as Osman Yansaneh and Minkailu Mansaray so that we can explain to the grassroots about why APC fails to win the election,” he appeals to the APC grassroots as he hopes to have a smooth sail as usual. In the supposed debate, he is also quite hopeful of defeating Samura Kamara; a man known for little words and not well grounded in the intricacies of Sierra Leone’s politics which many call, “dirty politics.”
It is clear from the outset that Kamara is not cut out for such politics which has pervaded Sierra Leone’s political landscape for decades.
Records show that Kamara believes in clean politics owing to his work experiences at World Bank, IMF and the Commonwealth. He showed such clean record even in his political career where he held key ministerial posts of Finance and Foreign Affairs.
He has also told the truth bluntly in several political forums and will also call a spade a spade in the forum proposed by the former President.
Such forum, if held as the ex-President advised, will see him again in Sierra Leone after two years of residence in a foreign country and also expect to get an arousing welcome from the public especially so-called unwary and clueless APC members, supporters and sympathizers.
The former President is banking on the love and good relationship that once existed between him and his people in the APC and the entire Sierra Leone paying little attention that times have changed.
By their disposition, the people seem to have come back to their senses after years of what many call deception and trickery, but little does the former President know this.
Ex-President himself said in one of his most relaxed moments that “the people are no longer fools; the last man in the last village is now highly conscious.”
Mr. Koroma made the statement while addressing a jubilant crowd of APC supporters during a burial ceremony of one of their deceased APC members in a small village in Northern Sierra Leone.
What he said few years ago had come to hunt him as the people’s response to the audio means a disfavour since they made it clear that they are no longer ready and willing to see him.
Many grassroots say it is better for Koroma to stay in Nigeria than to come to Sierra Leone threatening that he would see the worst of his life in his home country.
The party’s social media journalists who have constituted into a body called the Council of APC media Bloggers have done much in spreading negative news about the former President particularly the role he allegedly played to leave his party in the political wilderness.
They always bring back memories of promises which the former President had been offering his people while he was President.
While in power, ex-president Koroma used to say that “I will never leave my party outside State House like other people.’
This assurance was well received by the vast majority of APC members who trust his worlds but later turned out the other way. APC, a party known for big crowds, was surprisingly kicked out of power in the 2018 elections, when President Bio ran with Samura Kamara. The defeat left almost every APC supporter in shock and awe.
With this situation, the President still calmed down nerves when he also consoled his people at the APC headquarters in Freetown that they should exercise patience and self-restraint as in, five years, APC would come again.
He even called on the people to hold him responsible for APC’s defeat, but his good promise was one that made the once hopeless supporters look up to him for another election opportunity.
He also assured the supporters that he would bring back the party to power in 2023 without failing or faltering, and such message spread like a bush fire in the harmattan through the party’s rank and file.
Little wonder that the phrase ‘One-Term- President’ was used for President Bio after Ernest Koroma dropped it for them with only little knowing that it was a mere hoax.
The appointment of Ernest Koroma as lead AU/ECOWAS Election Observer raised the people’s hope to forbidden height believing that the former President is dominant in African and world affairs, and that APC would bounce back to power in the next election, that is, June, 2023.
The former President has observed controversial elections in various African countries including Nigeria where he currently resides.
He consolidated peace in the Eastern African country of Zambia where Edgar Lungu who haD ruled his country for only one term refused to hand over power to the opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema either out of fear of political reprisals or power addiction.
As lead election observer, Ernest Koroma was reported to have cautioned the two main political actors to act with care and caution for the country’s peace and security.
He advised Mr. Lungu to give up power and cautioned Hichilema not to retaliate if Zambia is to move along its current trajectory of democracy and development.
Koroma was successful as the two political leaders listened to him, and Zambia’s peace and democracy was preserved and protected.
Such effort alone was not enough as the former President also enjoyed a very good relationship with the diplomatic community in Sierra Leone which also transformed him overnight into a global icon.
Frequent visits made by diplomatic officials to his residence in Makeni also bolstered the people’s hope.
Visits by Former UK High Commissioner, Lisa Chesney to the former President were not infrequent.
Britain is Sierra Leone’s former colonial power, and the voice of a British diplomat carries heavy weight here although the country is now sovereign.
Even when the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth passed away, former President Koroma was made to speak on behalf of Sierra Loeaneans raising questions about what was the role of the current President.
Mr. Koroma ruled Sierra Leone for two consecutive terms (2007-2018) and left behind legacies that placed him in the list of successful Presidents Sierra Leone has ever seen.
These achievements are seen in infrastructure, energy and health as well other areas of national development.
Despite such glorious achievements, the former Head of State is currently in Nigeria after falling foul of the law as he is accused of sponsoring a failed coup against his successor, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
For many supporters, it is better for the ex-President to endure his home sickness than to come to Sierra Leone because of the importance of peace and security.