Author: Adams Bangura (UK): Sierra Leone Telegraph: 25 May 2018:
The deafening voices of ignored and disrespected comrades are calling for an overhaul of their party. No more room for sycophantic manoeuvrings.
The beginning of our collective defeat was occasioned in 2015, when internal party sycophancy and mediocrity reached a heightened peak.
Even worse, was the re-emergence of the failed ‘AFTER U NA U’ campaigners, supported by the young and restless, who were privileged to roam the corridors of power within the National Youth League.
They cautioned that we must not fall prey to the fate of those who came before us but to continue to do that which would enhance the collective good by deviating from the chosen path riddled with sycophancy, deceit and mediocrity. (Photo: Author – Adams Bangura).
I emphasized that the Young and Privileged few who have been empowered by President Koroma should represent their colleagues so as to solidify the confidence reposed and enhance the chances of others.
It was a distinct, passionate and motivational speech which drew attention from all and sundry within the upper echelons and the general membership of the party. I recall seeing President Ernest Bai Koroma, Leader and Chairman of our party taking copious notes while I spoke.
It became apparent that I was the man of the moment to the admiration of many and expectantly, I made a few powerful enemies within the APC Youth League – from the privileged few who saw me as a threat to the ‘MORE TIMERS’, to those who told us to ‘PAY ATTENTION’ while they were busy massaging the ambitions of a Chairman and Leader for life – thereby giving the impression that they were the harbingers of the divine will of the Almighty; a miscalculation that would haunt us for a very long time to come.
I must emphasize that most of them were opposed to my presence, because at that Conference I was in no mood to sound like a sycophant, but as someone who wanted to see Sierra Leone thrive under the APC party with an insight for a 2018 victory.
I recall telling them that the 2018 elections would be fought on President Ernest Bai Koroma’s legacy, and that we must jealously promote and protect it.
Sadly, those who were indifferent to some of the yearnings of those in charge, were misunderstood and labelled in so many ways to the party’s big bosses. No regrets though.
In the midst of those who saw us as a distraction to their empty aspirations, most people knew it was all efforts in futility.
The rest of the membership watched in awe as the momentum was attacked from all angles by members of the public, who find such yearnings unfathomable and subsequently unforgivable.
We all knew the tide of history was against us and that time would vindicate those who were not enthused with such vain cravings someday.
Despite their persistent hate and bigotry towards those who couldn’t play along with their game plan, we continued to support the Youth League. By this time, most progressives were being treated like outsiders – side-lined, maligned and played like pawns in their elementary power games. Today, we’ve been vindicated. The very things we stood for then are the reasons we got kicked out of power for.
Meanwhile, rather than showing leadership as a party in governance we were busy with internal power struggles. We employed the dog-eat-dog dogma against comrades who had so much to offer.
We forgot that most of our missteps were quietly being digested by the public, and under their breath they fumed and waited for the right time to fight back.
Nobody actually cares about the agitations of an opposition who never failed to dilate on our contraptions, whilst using it to their advantage.
Those obsessed with power dismissed the then Rtd Brigadier Gen. Julius Maada Bio as the 38% guy who would never go beyond that score.
We were led to believe he was so unpopular that no matter how much we took the public for granted they owed us their votes. But, like they say, persistence pays.
In Christendom, we are consistently reminded of the story of David and his legendary sling and stone, which killed the giant Goliath without giving him the opportunity to retreat and rethink a strategy as basic as catching a stone.
Now, how did he (Bio) do it? He did not use sophistication. All he did was surrounding himself with progressive minds under A New Direction ideology and a powerful Paopa theme; fair to say that many of those who bought into that ideology were determined to run with his agenda.
The Paopa cohort would leave no stone unturned to capitalize on every single mistake made by the APC party in governance; from appointments, to projects and matters relating to the constitution. They would make good of it and put us on the defensive. An elementary strategy that sold out like hot ‘akara’ for breakfast to the hungry masses who for once ran with it to State House.
If the APC party is serious about ever coming back to power a complete exorcism is required. A strategic mindset and an overhaul of the way we do things should be incorporated into the grand scheme of things.
Firstly, an amendment to the 1995 APC constitution is a dire necessity thereby giving back power to the grassroots by getting all selection clauses expunged in that sacred document.
The intention of having this clause, I believe, within our constitution was for the purposes of ensuring that the peace and tranquillity of our party is maintained with absolute fairness to all parties.
Sadly, this clause has been abused severally and used as a tool to witch hunt opposing views and people who may have otherwise fallen out of favour with the status quo, and in the process stifling the growth of the party by depriving it of political pundits and fair minds.
This clause continues to breed sycophancy, disrespect and laziness within the party, wherein Comrades will be very much loyal to their godfathers than the true cause of the party and THE STATE.
Lastly, and most importantly, we must separate the position of the Chairman and Leader of our party from that of the Party’s Standard Bearer (Flag bearer). This is to ensure that power is less concentrated in the hands of one particular comrade, should that person be elected the President of the Republic.
It will also give the Chairman and Leader of our party all of the time to look into party related issues; he would be able to understand the needs of our supporters at all levels, unlike having a Chairman and Leader who also serves as President of the Republic with little or no time for internal party engagements.
In conclusion, with the current Chairman and Leader of our party already making his intention of leaving party politics known, and the resignation of Comrade Victor Foh from party politics, it’s about time others call it quit or resign their current positions within our party and do not wait to be pushed out.
The failed, ‘MORE TIMERS’, the ‘AFTER U NA U’ campaigners, and those who told us to ‘PAY ATTENTION’ when they weren’t paying any attention themselves, should do the needful and RESIGN NOW.
And by this, I mean the disrespectful Bai Mamoud’s of this world and his entire Youth League Establishment must start thinking of how to allow progressives to clean up the decrepit state of the status quo and NOW. We have very little time to waste on failed ‘MORE-TIMERS.’
Author: Adams Bangura – UK
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