Dear Dr Samura Wilson Mathew Kamara,
IT WOULD BE GOOD THAT YOU MAINTAIN THE 2018 TEAM TO GALVANIZE INTER PARTY UNITY
I am writing this open letter to you directly because I cannot reach you face-to-face. I am a party ‘porsin’ and like thousands of my compatriots have suffered excruciatingly at the hands of this current SLPP-led Government. The APC party through you, as the Flagbearer-elect, is seen as the only means to salvage this country and the vast majority of its citizens from this administration and governance system.
Let me at this point therefore heartily congratulate you on your election as the Flagbearer of our Great APC Party in the June 24 Presidential Election.
The country has been metaphorically turned into “a jungle” creating a survival of the fittest syndrome. This survival struggle is also being exacerbated by looming price increases, a worsening condition of life, fear-characterized by intimidation and injustice, which is keeping most citizens latently scary and forcefully humbled like cattle in a warren. The lives of Sierra Leoneans are on a knife’s edge and any continuation of the status quo after June 24 will just cause the knife to slit through their lives.
The 2017 APC National Delegates’ Convention (NDC), which ushered you and Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah as Flagbearer and Running Mate respectively, was certainly not a popular one at the time it was announced as was manifested by the spontaneous reaction of delegates muting, “You sabi am?” But the two of you went to give the then opposition candidate a good run for its money; and it is no secret that your loss was machinated as accentuated by a nauseating “regime change” conspiracy.
Had it not been for that, the challenge of the final results at the Supreme Court with evidence beyond all reasonable doubts would have reversed that distasteful outcome. But, again, the nation saw the incongruous ruling that ended up corroborating that election outcome.
As the country forward marches to another national election, the peoples’ hopes have rekindled with a clear determination to vote out this sacrilegious Government and replace it with the APC under your watch.
Despite the unsavory nature in which the lower level elections of the party were conducted, which caused tension and acrimony, that appears to be a thing of the past now following your election at the party’s February 18-20th NDC in Makeni, which to many was a fait accompli.
My hope and prayer, and indeed that of millions of Sierra Leoneans, are that this final analysis would be accepted by all by letting bygones be bygones. The outpour of congratulatory messages from your comrade aspirants points clearly to that direction. I am also looking forward to your reconciliatory reach out to those comrades to ensure togetherness and a consolidated fight against the common enemy.
However, your delay in announcing your Running Mate, Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah already familiar with and known by the grassroots is causing a conundrum within the party. This is now your sole responsibility, even though you have to consult with the NAC. This delay has caused a deep hollow and is causing further acrimony and an apparent division of minds. Too many names and too much contentions alongside too many false assertions against the names coming up; and this is not palatable for intra-party unity in this our current determined move to unseat the SLPP. You have the raison d’etre to this cacophony as Flagbearer-elect.
To me, this mad rush could have been avoided as it is premature, unwarranted and preposterous especially at a time when there is every need for the party’s antagonists to close ranks and be solidly united against the ruling SLPP Government, which the vast majority of the citizenry now consider as the common enemy of State.
If you are not aware, please be aware now that this unfolding situation has the tendency of causing more splits and possible voter disenchantments if by any chance you attempt to deviate from the old status quo under which you contested the 2018 Presidential Election.
It is but morally incumbent on you to now unequivocally announce the name of Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah as your Running Mate so that this divisive scramble is put to rest. Other than that, I foresee a similar, “You sabi am?” question being asked again by the people should you come up with any name otherwise.
Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah has done sufficiently well to consolidate the APC party over the past four to five turbulent years than all of the names we now see flying all over social media claiming to want to be named by you as Running Mate.
The grassroots know him, he has been supportive of their causes; the women know him they are associating with him very well; the youths of course are his playmates, they see him as their kind. His popularity and his reputable selflessness is embodied across the country; from Western Area (Urban & Rural) to Kambia and Koinadugu to Falaba; from Karene through to Bombali to Port Loko and Tonkolili to Kono, to Moyamba, Bo, Kenema, Kailahun and Bonthe Districts, the name of Hon. Chericoco is a household item. He invested in this because you and him had been advertised already. The two of you is a fine mix for the Presidency in the eyes of most Sierra Leoneans.
With much humility therefore, I implore you to put this whole cacophony of interests to rest and call your younger brother and Comrade, with whom together you were asked, “U sabi am?” and you are now together responding, “Yes, dem sabi we. Na dem we want”.
Like you will soon be “The Father if the Nation” who it is expected to be the Fountain of Honour and with the Prerogative of Mercy, I encourage you to put aside all those conspiracy theories that had been built around Hon. Chericoco and let bygones be bygones.
I know, you know Mr Flagbearer-elect that certain people are good at pulling down people to advance their own selfish interests against, as in this case, the collective interests. Be the leader that you are now and see the reason which prompted your predecessor and former President and Chairman Dr Ernest Bai Koroma to name you as Flagbearer as a way to put to rest cascading rush for the Flagbearer, by naming Hon. Chernor Ramadan Maju Bah as your Running Mate.
I rest my case Sir, while looking forward to your consideration of this humble view in the immediate term.
Yours Sincerely,
A Concerned APC Party Porsin.