Anthony Kamara: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 December 2017
Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, National Grand Coalition (NGC) presidential nominee has named Engineer Andrew Keili as his running mate for the upcoming Sierra Leone elections, slated for March 7, 2018.
Today’s announcement has ended weeks of speculation, and effectively sets the stage for a heated general election against the ruling All Peoples Congress, the moribund opposition – the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) and other smaller parties. (Photo: Yumkella – Keili – NGC winning ticket 2018).
The announcement was made at the Sierra Lighthouse in Freetown. It comes just two days to the end of the year 2017.
Political analysts believe that Yumkella’s decision to name someone with Keili’s calibre, will help him win voters in Eastern Sierra Leone and consolidate his rising popularity among the grassroot population in the country, that could catapult him to State House.
The NGC ticket brings together a total of 55 years of combined professional experience – Yumkella, a distinguished development economist and an expert in agricultural economics with over 25 years of international experience – and Keili, an accomplished engineering and management executive with over 30 years of experience in managerial positions, including private industry, public institutions and parastatals mostly in Sierra Leone.
In addition, the NGC ticket is led by two people from two chieftaincy ruling houses – Yumkella and Keili.
Paramount Chief Bai Sebora Yumkella of Samu Chiefdom, Kambia District and Paramount Chief Kandeh Kolleh of Tambaka Chiefdom, Karene District – father and grandfather (maternal side) respectively of Kandeh Yumkella.
For Keili, his grandfather (maternal side) was Paramount Chief Bai Coomber of Mandu Chiefdom, Kailahun District. Today, his younger brother, Chief David Mandy Farley-Keili-Coomber is the current paramount chief.
During his familiarization tour around the country, Yumkella, in meetings with chiefs in various locations, expressed very strongly his firm commitment to empower chiefs because of the critical role they play in the socio-economic development of their regions and the country.
“I pledge to respect, recognize and empower you to perform your traditional roles. You are closest to the people and understand their needs and sufferings,” said Yumkella.
A practicing Muslim, many have noted that Yumkella’s choice of Keili – son of an Anglican Archbishop and himself a practicing Christian and lay preacher, cements the bond of religious tolerance between Christians and Muslims, that Sierra Leone has enjoyed and is known for around the world.
Keili is popular in South-Eastern Sierra Leone and he speaks fluent Mende – two characteristics that give the Yumkella-Keili ticket a wider appeal in a general election.
Strong in policy making and implementation, Keili is well respected in Sierra Leone. On recent familiarization tours, both men demonstrated a keen sense of humour and strong partnership. Though older and senior at Christ the King College (CKC) – the Secondary School they both attended, Keili has shown a deep sense of humility in deferring to Yumkella’s wisdom and guidance.
He may have to catch up with Yumkella’s youthful energy and agility – as someone jokingly noted recently during their Alma mater’s 2017 annual Thanksgiving parade in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone.
Presidential and general elections in Sierra Leone are due on 7th of March 2017, and today the opposition NGC have raised the stakes. There is little doubt now that the National Grand Coalition is set to win those elections with a Yumkella – Keili winning ticket.
Some people are so lucky that opportunities knock at their door repeatedly, the luck of others comes in spasm and some are outright unlucky- even when they put in the best at everything.
Somebody will have to tell me where Sierra Leone stands in terms of being lucky to get the right leader, who cares only about the progress of the country – anything else is worth nothing, immaterial.
History tells me that luck glanced at us exceedingly briefly with Sir Milton Margai in power, after which it disappeared for close to six decades now.
In Kandeh Yumkella and Andrew Keilli, the Almighty Allah/God has presented us with the rare opportunity of altering the political complexion and landscape of our dear country forever. If we allow this to slip through our fingers, we should never summon the help of the Almighty ever again, and we should quite simply put up with the monstrous repercussions of our actions or inaction.
Let us don’t forget that the human being has the greatest freedom in all of creation, even to the extent of worshiping the Almighty or not. We are the Almighty’s viceroy on earth, with all the senses given to us free of charge to be used to our advantage.
This is the time to use those senses to straighten our country by voting in Yumkella and Keilli. There should be no such thing as God “dae”. We should not behave like the student who does not study but expects to pass an exam because God “dae”. Our prayer should be for the Almighty to take over where our human capability ends.
May God bless mama Salone and may the blessings of Allah be on all those who think negatively of our movement to see reasons to join us for the wonderful and prosperous sierra Leone come 2018 with the great leadership of KKY.
God bless sierra Leone!
God bless NGC!
My country is on the right track and will be even better after March 7, 2018. I want to assure Sierra Leoneans that within 5 years of the rule of Yumkella and Keillie, we are going to be the envy of many nations. Sierra Leoneans wake up.
Excellent choice Dr KKY! We are super excited in having AKK as your VP and we have no doubt that you both will make Sierra Leoneans proud again by God’s Grace. Our 1st and 2nd ladies in waiting are surely the best!
Thank you Jesus for a winning team! Go NGC! “You touch one, you touch all”
Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkellah’s selection of the Engineer, Brother Dr Andrew Kelly as his NGC Running Mate is a brilliant, mature and balanced national move! Above all, it shows that the NGC is a real and a true Sierra Leonean Political Movement.
The NGC is a party of progressive minded, future focused Political Minds with a willingness to embrace every Sierra Leonean that yearns for a change of political direction. Dr Kandeh Kolleh Yumkellah’s well thought out decision will surely yield quadrupled political dividends that will surely send political shockwaves to his distractors who have left no stone unturned in their baseless and hopeless attempts to thwart and “debongolise” Dr KKY’s campaign for the Presidency of Sierra Leone.
Ngoh Andrew Kelly’s choice as running mate debunks the fallacious political gossips championed by his enemies that the NGC is not a nationally represented political mosaic; that the NGC is “this en that” party. Also, this singular move beacons other Progressives within the APC, SLPP and other political parties to jump onboard the KKY’s NGC Party wagon to help in the Holy National onward political thrust to politically decapitate and dismantle the APC & Pa-O-pa SLPP of exhausted self seeking minds.
Well done KKY, well done Ngor Andrew Kelly, well done NGC Leadership and Membership; well done Democracy and well done Sierra Leoneans!
Abu Kamarah
It is sad that the quality of candidates do not still matter to people who should help redeem Salone from unpatriotic politicians. Thank God for his mercies, we will have two God fearing and honest technocrats to lead our country, if given the opportunity. God bless the Yumkella and Keili Ticket for president through the NGC.
I am a neutralist not supporting any Political Party in Salone Politic. It made me to rethink the statement made by SLPP members during the flagbearer race, I believe members of APC are jubilating now, because the NGC came with a slogan CHANGE, and they are saying they came with new blood of Politicians.
SLPP, APC and some others are saying there is nothing new with the NGC party and there are lots of doubt about engineer Andrew Keili’s performance during the Tejan Kabba Administration when his company CEMET was given lots of money to electrified Freetown. In view of that, civil society and Journalists made lots of protest for the arrest of engineer Andrew Keili but to no avail.
I think you guys are looking through the mirror to see the present image of Andrew Keili, than cross checking his last Professional Performance in the country. As Philosopher say: YOU CAN TEACH FROM EXPERIENCE, BUT YOU CANNOT TEACH EXPERIENCE. The supporters of NGC are looking at the face value of his family background, not his reputation.
So why are you guys talking about Maada Bio’s past performance during the NPRC regime? There is nothing new in NGC. You guys disbanded the SLPP just because you hate Maada Bio. What about Dr Dennis Bright as minister of Youth and Sport? The Bo stadium Project never started until the APC administration accomplished that project. In life we dont need to hate but to see things in a proper way fora brighter future.
This time you will learn another Political lesson after 7th March election, when APC will win the election. There will be lots of cries of foul play and you will not blame yourselves for creating the scene for such situation but the APC administration.
Most of you who disbanded the SLPP because of Dr Yumkella sometimes describe your membership in the Party as son of the Party. In respect to your actions, how in future will you describe your membership of the Party?
I know I´m hurting some people here but that is the reality, when comparing the massive infrastructural development implemented by the APC administration. I dont see any good result for the NGC come March 7. Based on the division the NGC created in the SLPP there is going to be a clear win for the APC. Politics is performance not family background at times.
Congratulations on a brilliant choice. Please get the wife of the VP actively involved in the Campaign in the North. With this Team changes are bound to happen for a better Sierra Leone. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Two CKC boys on a presidential ticket. The Reverend Father Jeremiah Lambe, the man that admitted both Andrew Keillie and Kandeh Yumkella to CKC will be very proud of the work that he did in that school. Father Lambe always insisted that CKC does not only give an education but also produce leaders.
Keillie was my senior at the CKC while Yumkella was my junior. Both were excellent students who studied at that school for seven years – Form one to Upper Six. Both men also became senior prefects. I am really proud of these two great alumni. Having said that I am prepared to vote against Yumkella, Keillie and the NGC come March 7, 2018. They are going against my party.
You might be right but my common sense tells me history is in the making and you happen to be on the wrong track. As a well minded Sierra Leonean come and join us and for sure you won’t regret it. It not too late!
Dr. Kandeh Yumkella always choose the right person for the right job, to do the right thing at the right time for the right way – and to the entire satisfaction of all.