By Sorie Sudan Sesay, Freetown
There have been a wave of scathing attacks on the
government of the All Peoploe Congress (APC) in recent
days - beginning from the delay in the appointment of
cabinet ministers, to the calibre of men and women
appointed, on to the dismissal of some heads of
government parastatals.
For obvious reasons, the so-called critics have fixed
minds that cannot be changed and a different agenda
which is not only to discredit President Ernest Bai
Koroma’s leadership, but his entire new APC
government.
About a week ago, Kemoh Sesay’s competence was vigorously
questioned, but his critics were not sincere enough to
say the only reason why the SLPP witchhunted him was
to silence him for his outspokeness in Parliament
against the SLPP’s corrupt deeds.
Imagine, Zainab Bangura of all people, is still being attacked by some
sections of the press despite her critics deliberately
refusing to admit the fact that she is one of Sierra
Leone’s most highly acclaimed women of local and
international repute.
Mr. Sweet Talk Presidential
Spokesman, Alpha Kanu, was also not spared on his way
to Parliament. The criticisms go on and on and on...
However, for all we know, the men and women appointed
by President Koroma are people of high standards and
credible reputations and the fact that they are all a
new set of people and not new wine in old bottles (as
the case had always been) make the President’s choices
most welcome.
The critics did not only stop at that, but have now
taken a new line in lambasting the new government over
the termination of service of certain state officials.
Obviously, we do not expect the new government to be
perfect which is where we expect our colleagues to
halt them with constructive criticisms and meaningful
suggestions.
Come to think of it, those who know what regime change
means would definitely not expect the President to
keep the likes of NACSA’s Kanja Sesay and Justin
Bangura or even Dr John Koroma, his former opponents for
the presidency. That could be a dangerous political
risk.
Similary, we should not be surprised if people like
Joseph S. Kelfala of SLRTA or even SLRA’s Kebbay,
follow up in the firing line the next minute. Apart
from the fact that these two men bankrolled the SLPP
campaign fund, it is obvious that their tenure
was marred with high level allegations of
corruption and that their stay in those parastatals
was long overdue even before the elections.
The rolling of heads in major governmental
institutions is very much inevitable in a regime change
and not something the press must raise eyebrows over.
The President can only be comfortable with his own men
around him and at strategic points.
Therefore, our criticisms must be borne
out of nationalism and patriotism and not out of party
differences as is the case at present. Those days are
gone at least for now and all what we need to embark
upon now is to give the President and his team the
support they so need in his drive to take Sierra
Leone forward. Lontha.
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