Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 January 2016
The SLPP UKI branch is today counting the cost of yesterday’s attempt by a few members of the party to sabotage the general meeting of members held in London.
And as recriminations and counter arguments continue as to where the blame lies for yesterday’s drama, the secretary general – Mr. Ansu Momoh, upon whose shoulders responsibility was ultimately placed to chair the meeting, after the chairman had walked out, has this evening made a statement to clear the air.
This is his account and official statement of what transpired at the meeting:
SLPP United Kingdom & Ireland Branch Handing Over Meeting on the 23rd January 2016
Adoption of Agenda:
Following an extensive discussion between the SLPP UK & Ireland Executive, Chapter Heads, and Council of Elders at the SLPP UK & Ireland handing over meeting, a decision was made in telephone consultation with the SLPP UK & Ireland Legal Adviser Mr. Prince Goba that a resolution to go ahead with the handing over meeting should be put to a vote for the general membership to decide.
Mr. Steven Swaray, Chairman of Council of Elders put forward two motions to the general membership on whether the handing over meeting should proceed or not.
Mr. Tamba Lamina proposed a motion that the meeting should not go ahead because the Chairman was not present.
A contrary motion was proposed by both Mr. Ansumana Sillah and Dr. Jacob Anderson that the meeting should go ahead.
The motion for the handover meeting to proceed was then put to a vote by the Chairman Council of Elders, by asking members to stand up or put their hands up in support of the motion.
The motion was overwhelmingly carried by the general membership, for the meeting to go ahead in the absence of the Chairman.
Mrs Hawa Kallon (member of Council of Elders) said that in the absence of the Chairman as per the constitution, the SLPP UK & Ireland Secretary General – Mr. Ansu Momoh, should chair the proceedings.
The meeting proceeded in line with the constitution and the mandate given by the general membership.
Handing over of documents to the Council of Elders:
Mrs. Rosaline Mamawa Momoh proposed that since the Chairman was no longer here, we should strike out the Chairman’s Opening Remarks, and the Chairman Handover Report from the agenda.
The motion was overwhelming seconded by numerous members present. (Photo: Mr. Ansu Momoh – outgoing secretary general).
Given that the Chairman was unavailable, and the Vice Chairman had resigned, the Secretary General as the custodian of all party documents and properties subsequently handed over all documents to the Council of Elders as per constitution.
This was followed by the Financial Secretary who handed over documents to the Council of Elders.
The Women’s Leader, Organising and Deputy Organising Secretary also completed their handover.
A follow up meeting is being scheduled with the Council of Elders to confirm inventory of all documents handed over yesterday.
At this juncture, the meeting became very rambunctious as members sympathetic to the Outgoing Chairman charged the high-table to disrupt and stop proceedings.
The Chairman Council of Elders then decided to postpone the subsequent agenda item of electing members of the Electoral Committee to a later date.
The Chairman Council of Elders said he would communicate the date to the SLPP UK & Ireland general membership.
Yours Sincerely,
Ansu B. Momoh
Outgoing Secretary General SLPP UK & Ireland
Of all the brouhaha going on in present day Salone, I have not heard, read or seen any corpse yet as a result of politics. At least, if for nothing else, please thank God for this. And remember that: where there is life, there is hope- for a better Salone.
“This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Ecclesiastes 9:3 (NIV).” Pray. Amen.
More on this later as we look at the drawbacks of our politics in Salone.
Its a big shame that SLPP within and in the diaspora remains as divided as ever before. This is an indication the party is not still ready or to govern our beloved nation.
Please put your house in order before attempting to rule Sierra Leone. The nation is yarning for a group of talented and dedicated politicians, united and focused on lifting her from the mess she is currently engulfed in.
You will fight another loosing battle if you contest for presidency with you divided house.
Sierra Leoneans are not fools.
If you can not govern how could you govern a nation?
All members of the SLPP (UK/I) must be preparing now to get themselves highly engaged into organising government activities in this part of the diaspora, because the SLPP is now awaken for the formation of the Sierra Leone government, under the leadership of Julius Maada Bio.
Therefore boys and girls let us be ready to crack on.
Mr Sannoh are you the official spokesperson for PAOPA.
Is this a signal to the bunch of potential crooks who support Bio to begin to design how they would defraud the Sierra Leonean people on an industrial scale, like Bio did with selling Sierra Leone passports to organised crime syndicates with Bundu’s help.
You sound like someone who has had too much ‘omole’. Your faculty seems to be in suspense.
Rather than attempt to re-write what happened yesterday, you need to begin to realise that time is up for both Koroma and Bio.
Might I recommend a few tots of Bloody Mary’ to cure your hangover.