By John Wyse, Freetown.
Solo B has more dark clouds around his person than any Presidential candidate in Sierra Leone’s political history. If the phrase “power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupt absolutely” is anything to go by, then Solo B‘s power thirst must be nipped in the bud.
Solo B’s vision is blurred otherwise he would not have spearheaded the killing of 24 youthful military personnel in one day. This group had well trained and qualified individuals who would have been contributing today to nation building. His sadistic and cynical attributes are still alive and well. Let me cite a few examples:
Omrie Golley was accused by him and he is still languishing in prison. He also accused Margai following an incident in Bo with a PMDC crowd. He said Margai wanted take him out. He accused Ernest Koroma in Bunban in the Brewa chiefdom that Ernest’s alleged bodyguard wanted to gun him down. These examples clearly show that this is a leader who would target his opponents who he sees as enemies and eliminate them at will.
Solo B is very vindictive. Do you remember his argument with J B Dauda over 98.1 Radio about corruption before the Makeni convention? Dauda indicated that it is Solo B who is corrupt because it was he who authorised all payments in government circles. No wonder his pockets have still not run dry. The billions he has lavished on communities in his campaigns in the last 12 months, could have been better spent on at least bailing Freetown out of the enduring blackouts.
Solo B is apparently buying power for him to satisfy an infatuated and vicious ego.
The people of Sierra Leone would have been more impressed if he had retained Dauda and Grant in the cabinet. It is clear therefore that he is thoroughly vindictive because their replacements are worse. One of them is currently moving around with fully armed former combatants. He failed to restrain Charles Margai from leaving the SLPP. He thus visibly lacks what it takes to mend fences.
Solo B had no respect for electoral laws against bad campaigning, and yet he would want people to respect the rule of law.
Solo B treated Foday Kalokoh’s death with callous indifference, in a way that is hard to comprehend. After the accident on 6th May, in which Foday Kalokoh, the former deputy mayor of Freetown and two others died, Berewa was in Makeni the next day 7th May to hold a political meeting. And do you also know that no official representation was made by government at the Deputy Mayor’s laying out ceremony at the stadium?
Berewa has personally told traders to sell their wares any where they choose. The city streets are therefore over crowded and dirtier. He thinks this will win him more votes. He will be shocked.
The writing is therefore on the wall for all to read that Berewa will shatter our hard won peace. His rule would be divisive, tribal and regional. He is a serpent in a shell that should not be allowed to hatch.
WHY ERNEST SHOULD BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT
Any good leader must be seen to posses some agreeable minimum qualities. This paper would therefore present these qualities and how they constitute Ernest personality.
Ernest has a big heart for Sierra Leone and his vision is to take Sierra Leone to an industrial level through a robust energy sector development. This would increase employment at all levels of the population strata, but there would be positive discrimination in favour of youths and women.
His passion for Sierra Leone is second to none. His personal investment in the job market is more than any other presidential candidate can boast of. During the interregnum, though he sojourned in Guinea, was brave enough to visit Sierra Leone regularly just to get in touch with his employees. Staff salaries were regular as in normal times. Only a good heart can make him demonstrate this level of concern for his staff.
Ernest(photo) speaks deliberately and ensures that his words match with his actions. You see him; you see an epitome of integrity.
His courage to stay at the helm of the APC party has been tenacious. The five year impasse in the party was enough to cripple anybody who has not been destined to rule. Humility is a virtue you can easily see in him. Even though Solo B has made derogatory remarks against him in public places, he has never fought back because he respects age. Because of his humility, he has been well received by hundreds of senior citizens in the nation.
Honesty is, for him, a policy; he therefore resonates with any fight against corruption. Ernest has never given his enemies an opportunity to paint him with the brush of corruption. He stands tall and confident as he walks to the polls unblemished.
He is a much disciplined person even in his school days. He was not the kind of person you would see jumping around no matter the excitement. He may seem quiet, friendly and gentle but he is not a push over. Never.
His patience contributed in no small measure to the peace in the party. He promised the nation that the APC would go to the election as a united force; despite all odds, he was able to brave the storm.
In addition to all of the above, he has ensured that every senior and middle management staff at RITCORP Insurance Company holds a professional certificate in insurance. This is because he is highly educated. Apart from a degree from Fouray Bay College, he holds one of the highest professional qualifications in the insurance business.
He is au fait with the stresses in the job market and constraints of the public sector. He is therefore the right man that can lift the nation from the economic quagmire.
He is sensitive to the plight of the suffering masses that hardly access two meals a day. He says he feels pangs of guilt whenever he meets these rural poor and urban slum dwellers.
His disposition would never allow him to treat anybody not even the dead with contempt. He had to cancel a meeting in Kambia when he learnt about Musa Suma’s death; he instead attended the funeral.
We all are aware of how the late Dr Abdul Karim Turay enjoyed himself when he was aide to the late J S Momoh; but we all saw how he quickly transformed himself into an SLPP strong man in Makeni. It would surprise you to learn that Ernest was among the first few people to reach the hospital when news about AKT’s death reached him.
In addition to the deep concern he has for our poverty stricken population, Ernest also believes the physically challenged (disabled) sections of our population who have suffered neglect under the current administration must be treated as human beings, thus he provided them office space in the APC headquarters. And more importantly, an APC symbol has been awarded to one Julius Cuffi, who is physically disadvantaged.
Ernest is the leader that can sustain our peace and take Sierra Leone to the road of economic prosperity and to a healthier and socially integrated nation.
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