Who Are You?

By Ahmed Ojulla Bangura, PV Special Correspondent, London, UK.

“I am that I am”, says the Lord. These are the succinct words of the Almighty to his people. He believes in himself that he is perfect, faithful, merciful, omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresence etc.

That is why he boasts in his greatness and requires his creation to worship him. He created man in his image to work in his ways and love their neighbours. Unfortunately, man has hated himself, despised his neighbour, suppressed his subjects, deceived the electorates, substituted the truth with political lies, and replaced development with greed.

In Sierra Leone, like elsewhere in other parts of the globe, men and women have clamoured for the highest seat in the land. They aspire to be reckoned with; elucidate on ‘admirable’ but unachievable promises, criticise personally instead of constructively or logically. In a cowardly fashion, they support partisan decisions instead of national decisions, work like desperadoes to realise their dream, condemn those who patriotically criticise them, overturn their manifesto with a series of excuses and ‘blame transfer’ at the expense of the deprived.

Men and women in Sierra Leone contending for positions of trust should ask themselves who they are before heading political parties and aiming to be president. Our creator has so much confidence in himself and without hesitation he declared:‘I am that I am’. How many of these political creatures would confidently boast before the people of Sierra Leone that he or she is the patriot our beloved Sierra Leone needs? Who can parade the streets of Sierra Leone telling the electorate in their face that their reputation is unique?

These politicians should examine their past and present ‘political contours’ before running for the presidency. How many of them have not embezzled the resources of Sierra Leone? How many have no ‘political blood’ on their hands and feet? How many are really patriotic? How many of them have integrity? What can you account for; the good, or the bad, or the ugly? You politician, have you asked yourself who you are? If not, would you please ask yourself now?

Sierra Leoneans are not left behind in the global revolution taking place. To an extent, Sierra Leoneans started the revolution in the late 1990s. Politicians must know that political complacency leads to a political ‘rise and fall’.

Politicians need to evaluate their political records, their economic pendulum of greed and discontent and social cohesion before facing the ‘political deciders’, who for many years, have seen agony, endured hardship, had been loathed and despised, condemned, abused, overwhelmed with fear and intimidation, and cry under suppression. Therefore, Mr and Mrs Politician, ‘Who are you’? Judge yourself before the people decide. Who are you?

God bless the land that we love, Sierra Leone.