Editor’s Note: This is an open letter to Coalition for Change (C4C) leader Samuel Sam Sumana (photo) of Sierra Leone by a citizen from Kono district in eastern Sierra Leone. It relates to a rumour circulating on social media saying that Sam Sumana is about to endorse the APC presidential candidate Samura Kamara for the run-off election on Saturday. Indeed Sam Sumana had denied doing just that in a press release a few weeks ago when a Freetown newspaper, the Standard Times, published a front page story alleging he had rejoined the APC.
Dear Mr. Sumana,
I am writing you this letter on behalf of not only Konos, but the entire Sierra Leonean community, both at home and abroad, who believe in the rule of law and democracy and stood with you shoulder to shoulder in your time of crisis.
If you can recall, the APC led government did not only sack you, but equally so did it with such callousness that brought you huge embarassment. Of course, this was no coincidence on the part of the APC, considering the amount of time and energy that was involved in putting a strategy in place to get rid of you.
For me to fast rewind, I want to jog your memory regarding the Timbergate allegation mounted against you. This was the initial stage of APC’s plan to get you out of office. When that plan failed, an attempt and plan of contaminating you with the ebola virus was hatched. Again you survived this APC plot. Not satisfied, the APC became even more determined to kick you out. A new plan that involved senior APC party members was cooked, in which you were embarassingly expelled from the APC party, followed by your immediate firing as the democratically elected VP of Sierra Leone. Your diplomatic passport was confiscated, in an attempt to make sure you stick around so that the job of eliminating you from the face of the earth would be completed. You were even chased right up to Lungi International Airport to ensure you don’t flee. As God will have it, you narrowly escaped into exile.
Fast forward. Your sacking as VP of Sierra Leone was viewed by many Sierra Leoneans as undemocratic, and lacked the ingredients that constitute the rule of law. Sierra Leoneans, both at home and abroad jumped into action on your behalf. There were protests on a national and international scale that Sierra Leone had never witnessed. I will not waste time on these massive protests held in your name, as I am certain you are aware of them. In as much as we were not successful in reversing APC’s injustice against you, we were able to bring the APC into disrepute on an international scale. We also succeeded in keeping your political posture alive, providing you with the inner motivation that the people of Sierra Leone were with you.
Continue fast forward. The people of Kono, your tribes men and women, were equally embarassed by your unfair sacking, and the betrayal of confidence reposed in the APC during the 2012 general elections. The Kono people, guided by their traditional principle of "Kono e Kono fah", voted en masse for APC in 2012 merely because of you being on the APC ticket. You quite well know that Kono is a traditional SLPP strong hold. For the first time in decades, they deviated from their belief in SLPP being the best way forward. Your undemocratic and unfair sacking by your compatriots in the APC made Konos a laughing stuck, describing Konos as fools. The Konos were resolute in paying APC back. The recent general elections held on March 7 2018 was an opportunity for the Kono people to reciprocate in kind. They rallied behind your newly formed C4C political party and dealt a huge blow to the APC. You became a hero over night not because of your capability. Infact, during your time as VP, a position you held for eight years, Konos did not realise any benefit from that position. Your tenure as VP resulted into chaos and division among the populace. You became very unpopular, and lacked the will power to deliver any good for Kono. However, the Konos decided to forgive you because of the injustice meted on you by the APC.
The general elections held on March 7th 2018 resulted to a run off between the APC and SLPP. This was as a result of the stance Konos took on behalf of you. The Konos are still hell bent on giving a bloody nose to APC, to send a clear message to everyone that Konos cannot be taken for granted, and were not fools. They saw the run off as a perfect opportunity. It was expected that you will, this time round, rally behind them, and kick APC out. All you were expected to do was to send a strong and final message to APC that Konos should never be taken for granted. Declaring support for SLPP in this run off was all Konos were waiting for. On the contrary, you declared neutrality.
Your neutral stance as declared by you has reinforced the notion among the general populace that Konos are fools indeed. It is quite hard to imagine how a clever and intelligent person can betray his own conscience to such an extent. Those Sierra Leoneans, and Konos in particular, who stood shoulder to shoulder with you are left amazed, disappointed and betrayed by this level of inaction against those who did not only want to get your back, but equally wanted to see you wiped from the face of mother earth.
There have been many conspiracy theories regarding your inaction against APC at this crucial time in our history. While most people believe that your inaction against APC is purely out of fear of APC targeting you, others believe you still see yourself as owing allegiance to APC. No matter the people’s views and interpretations regarding this level of inaction by you, you have indirectly or directly provided support for those who conspired to embarass you on an international scale.
But one thing remains certain. You will go down our history books as one who betrayed those who fought and stood shoulder to shoulder with you. We will never trust you, neither join you in any future political project. Your level of hyprocrisy is unforgivable.
Finally, let it be made clear to you at this stage that, even though you have decided to take a hyprocritical stance in the upcoming run off, the people of Kono have decided to go their separate ways, and will provide all the support SLPP requires to kick your god fathers out of power. The Konos are determined to make it clear that no more should they be taken for granted. Those you have betrayed in this struggle are wishing you well in your political career. But never knock on our doors the next time your wings are clipped.
Viva Kono!!
Alutta continua!!!
SLPP this time!!!!
Yours,
Tamba Etoama,
Concerned Kono.
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