Diaspora Unity Campaign Group: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 June 2021:
The government of Sierra Leone is repressive and is denying and preventing citizens from exercising their constitutional right to host public protests, instead using the police to crack down and detain anyone who dares. Therefore, the Diaspora Unity Campaign Group in collaboration with Concerned citizens in Sierra Leone are hosting a Global Virtual Protest on Facebook, Zoom, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, on Saturday 19th June 2021 .
This event is a brain child of a diverse group of patriotic Sierra Leoneans both home and abroad, who are determined to restore Sierra Leone’s democracy, Constitution, and to find ways to ease the economic hardship facing the people of Sierra Leone.
These Sierra Leoneans are supporting the efforts of the Consortium of Progressive Political Parties in Sierra Leone.
Our main aim is to raise awareness of relevant global stakeholders and seek changes to the ongoing violations of Sierra Leone’s Constitution, the ultra-violation of our democracy, massive economic hardship, human right abuses, massive corruption and depletion of our natural resources.
We aim to end and say NO to bad governance and abuse of power; No to massive corruption and hidden financial expenditures; No to the militarization of our democracy; No to inefficient and incompetent Parliament passing bad laws; No to constitutional abuses; No to police brutality, intimidation and harassment; No to regionalism and tribalism.
Come out in massive numbers on Facebook, Zoom, YouTube and other platforms to exercise your right to free speech and constitutional right to protest and raise awareness to the World before it will be too late.
For over three years, Sierra Leoneans have endured a ruthless regime which is tearing our nation apart and suppressing citizens’ right to protest and expression in the face of repeated, unapologetic and targeted kidnappings and killings across the country.
Sierra Leoneans have not seen anything like this since our nearly three decades of multiparty democracy and constitutional governance.
Patriotic Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora and at home from all walks of life; civil society, members from sixteen political parties in the country, the disable , trade unions, market women and Traders , Okada/bike riders , students, media and other professional organizations and Human Rights activists will converge on the 19th of June 2021 in solidarity and together with the Consortium of Progressive political Parties in protesting against the abuses and economic hardship of the Bio’s administration.
We have witnessed a retrogression of national peace and cohesion, the escalation of state corruption, increase in crime including against women and children, senseless killings of helpless citizens by state operatives at the Pademba Road and Makeni, disregard for the rule of law, the reversal of democratic gains and the lighting of the embers of tribalism in our beautiful country.
This global virtual protest will be powered by Facebook, zoom, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter and followed by leaders of Sierra Leone’s development partners across the world.
It will be a protest that has never been seen in our country as it brings participants from five continents.
Everyone is invited to join in to send a message that we jointly and individually reject what is going on in Sierra Leone under the watch of the Bio administration. Our people deserve peace not peacekeepers and the enjoyment of fundamental rights.
We will converge to support the work of the 13 members of the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties (COPPP) in our country to save Sierra Leone from disintegration once again.
Come and join us to save the soul of mama Sierra Leone.
Virtual protest. Bravo. That is good, afterwards, we can have a virtual election, eat virtual food and have a virtual country. The people of Belarus, Hong Kong and others went on the street to protest, even though,,they were aware of the consequences. The media tycoon Jimmy Lai could have moved to Switzerland, yet he preferred to go to jail for his beliefs. To quote brave Horace “Then out spake brave Horatius, The Captain of the Gate: “To every man upon this earth Death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better Than facing fearful odds, For the ashes of his fathers, And the temples of his Gods.”[4]. I am sure with all respect, they would not be so virtual, if it was ministerial positions being handed out.
For this so called consortium to be taken seriously I would suggest that they leave out the APC because so far they have not indicated any evidence that they are a democratic party.
You people cannot even, for once hide your hate for the APC. The APC out of the two parties is deemed to be the most democratic judging from the way they handled citizens participation in the last two decades. So how can you say the APC should be left out? It’s part of the consortium.
Its great to hold this events, and allow every willing Sierra-Leonean to take part in discussing the social, economic, and political discussions in our country.But giving the illiteracy rate, which is the majority in our country, how many of our fellow Sierra-leoneans, will be taking part in a zoom conference call never mind navigating the rest of technology you have to master to take part? Some us can’t even aford one square meal a day. Welcome to the real world of Bio’s Sierra Leone. Help me out, am I missing something here? Anything that promote unity, peace , and justice is welcome. What we can’t entertain and should not tolerate, is to have a faceless organisation to organise this sort of events to create more division in our country. We don’t need it. Enough of division in our country. We just have to look to our neighbours, to know we live in a rough neighbourhood. Nigeria and the Sahel is a prime example. And above all else, what we want is practical ideas about how to move our country forward post Covid19 19 pandemic. Because what the pandemic have thought us, no man or ethnic group is an Island.
In doing so, our collective efforts have to identify, and address the root causes of inequities in Sierra Leone. We shouldn’t have one set of people monopolise power, because they have advantage over numbers against the other ethnic groups that make up our nation.Or the accident of birth. Identifing the roots causes of our problems, not limited to tribalism, could be land, distribution of natural resources, or anything that minorities or majority tribes feel they are hard done by, and no one is paying a blind notice of their complaints. Addressing such complex issues, involves the near impossible task of chipping away a sedimentary layers of history, such as suspcious of one another, tribal royalty, and the systemic injustice people feels.But it shouldn’t be left to Bio and his failed government alone, It has to be a collective efforts by every one. Everyone or every tribe has to bring their problems to the table.The average citizens is very accommodating.
The problem is the so called educated few, that fan the flames of divisions in our country, for their own selfish reasons. When we come together and people are allowed to air their grievances, listen to and find answers to their problems, then I think we are in the right track of progress. Right now Bio and his government is sailing against the winds of change that we want to promote in our country. Now as for this faceless organisation, that seems to pop in and out, like a Hippo coming out of the water grasping for breath, they will do us a massive favour, to name just one individual who is heading the organisation. You can’t institute change whilst you are hiding behind a Mask. We Sierra Leoneans want a Mandela type, like Dr Sylvia Blyden that we can tie our mast on. She have shown to be a true champion of the people. Like Mandela, she went to prison for her belief. And she is a true patriot. Our country is one of the smallest countries in the world. A population of seven million people,with seventeen different ethnic groups. Our country is rich in history both in human culture, and abundance natural resources.
Abraham Amadu Jalloh, don’t you think you made series of contradictions in your write up? On one hand, you asked for patriotic Sierra Leoneans to come together and voice out their grievances. And ironically you’re also aware of the fact that it has been impossible to do so due to the undemocratic high handedness of this regime which is the sole reason that gave rise to this only viable option. On the other hand, you seem to be condemning the planned event. As you put it, it will further undermine national cohesion when it’s clear that doing nothing against this regime is in itself undermining our peace.
What’s also very intriguing in your write up is the demand to know who the leader is. Does it really matter to know who is leading this event, as long as the main aim of drawing the world’s attention to the plight of Sierra Leoneans is achieved. You emphasized on finding out the root cause of this behaviour by this government. How can we ever find out when non supporters of the government are being marginalised and why are these things only happening when this party is in power. I have to say, when I read your piece it sounds suspicious that you’re doing a covert work for the regime
Thanks Mr Ahmed Rashid Sesay, for pointing out my contradictory statement. Totally agree with you. I think our country has been on a contradictory fit for the past sixty odd years since we attained independence . That might just explain my reasoning. Or how well does one explain, a country that is blessed with human, and natural resources, and was once called the Athens of West Africa, where African liberation leaders,came to gain knowledge, and even the the former British Prime Minister’s father Tony Blair, once came to lecture at our university. Then one look at the obscene poverty, lack of developments, lack of opportunity for youths, good health care so women will stop dying whilst giving birth, good roads, and electricity, education for all from primary to University level, and we are fed a daily dose of corruption allegations , committed by our own fellow Sierra-leoneans, not Aliens from outer space, and say Sierra Leone as a country is not the very definition of what we called contradiction.
I Think the Oxford English dictionary, should have define Contradiction, as synonymous to Sierra Leone. A country blessed with every thing under the sun, but cursed with corrupt politicians. Our country is full of contradictions. Our political classes are full of contradictions. Maybe I have the Sierra Leone contradiction bug. Concerned Sierra Leoneans, or not so concerned Sierra Leoneans, every Sierra-leonean is concerned about the state of our country.
Seven million of us that majority of which can’t afford one square meal a day. Whether you live in the cities, towns or the most remote parts of our country, the level of poverty affects all of us. But at the end of the day, whether you are a supporter of APC, SLPP, or no party affiliations, we cannot develop our country on division. We have tried it for the past sixty years, it hasn’t worked and is not going to work period. There will always be divisions, but we keep it at minimal level, not at the expense of trying to berg each other, instead as one people striving for the common good.
Thanks Mr Rashid Ahmed Sesay. Accusing me of working or supporting this inept Bio government, is one of the most unlikely insult anyone who reads my comments for the past two years will throw at me. I Will wear it like a badge of honour. I have never and will never support a government that has pursued divisive policies, and ran our country ‘s economy to the ground. Whether that government is headed by my parents, or anyone for that matter. My loyalty lies with Sierra-leone.
Gentlemen – A Gaze of Raccoons looking for food in the depths of a virgin forest somehow found themselves in a vast territory ruled by ruthless wolves; The exhausted raccoons saw them coming from a distance and took off like bullets from a gun to a place of safety; Then their guide said to them; “For centuries we have been playing Hide and Seek with these wolves; we’ve seen all the vicious tactics and are now deeply familiar with them; Climb those tall trees quickly and wait patiently as they go away for wolves hate trees because they do not know how to climb.” So the timid raccoons began to climb, swiftly and with great skill they climbed like mountaineers ascending towards the Peaks of Everest. The cruel pack of wolves came, sniffed around, looked up, and saw the raccoons staring down at them and went away feeling totally defeated because they couldn’t climb trees.
Gentlemen and organisers of this Global Virtual Protest the same thing applies to the Big Bad Wolf and his ravenous pack in State House; We have been dealing with the notorious, inept SLPP since our Independence, we’re not ignorant of their shady tactics, ploys and underhanded strategies. This President is an opportunist, a tribalist and an anarchist that promotes thievery and rampant corruption in all its despicable forms; They are getting fatter and richer but still cannot solve bread and butter issues of the poor, struggling people in Sierra Leone.
Your Virtual Protest has come at a time when our people feel voiceless, confused and traumatized by despair – This corrupt, inept President and his pack of wolves are going to have their hands full trying to deal with some of us; You can count on it! (lol)