Sierra Leone Telegraph: 2 October 2017
Presidential hopeful – Alie Badara Sanjan Kabba, whom many regard as a radical progressive nationalist leader, was speaking this afternoon, 2nd October 2017, on the SLBC TV in Freetown.
During the live TV interview, Alie Kabba strongly admonished his fellow SLPP party members to take a big step away from the sapping internal battles that had formally characterised politics within the SLPP.
He reiterated his often repeated view that to win the next general elections, SLPP would need to cement their internal unity and “focus on the bigger picture – i.e. SLPP”.
He therefore called upon members to start moving away from “campism” and see themselves as “SLPP” and to “embrace the party”.
Alie Kabba described himself as a “bridge builder” who has consistently focused on “peace and unity in the party”.
This role, Alie maintained, obliges him “to talk to everyone in the party”. And this, he states, often confuses some observers who would rather prefer to see people attacking one another fighting “narrow battles” which he said he was not interested in.
By “doing the same things and expecting different results”, the straight talking radical admitted that every Sierra Leonean share some level of responsibility in the current negative state of affairs.
Answering a question about the possible winning chances of a “Coalition group” who also want to be known as “progressives”, Alie referred to those whom he said have over the years, felt “let down” by the two main parties (SLPP and APC) and who may be tempted to go and carve a new path of their own. He urged them to join the SLPP to achieve a progressive victory.
Alie warned those whom he sees as the ditherers, that any step that strays away without a conscious formulation of the situation is not a realistic adventure.
Speaking as a political scientist – Alie cautioned that those who function outside the traditional political system and lose, will only have “their ideas existing in their heads”, maintaining that nobody feeds on the ideas in anyone’s head.
Alie also suggested that for ideas to be relevant they must be implemented in the lives of the people. And to be implemented they must find an outlet, through a viable political platform that the people whose lives you propose to change can relate to.
Alie appealed for support to enable him lead the SLPP to a win in 2018, in order to change the lives of the people through his positive vision and to make the country a better place for all.
Alie Kabba characterised his socio-political quest as “a battle for the 99% against the corrupt and greedy political class” that has held the country to ransom for many decades.
What Alie Kabba has done is highly laudable not only in terms of the current politics but in terms of the nation as a whole. A united S.L.P.P may at last start to divert their attention to the real issues which must be addressed in the nation, not least of which is economic stagnation and corruption, from which they cannot absolve themselves, given their past performance.
In any case I wish them and A.P.C good luck despite the fact that I don’t belong to neither of them, and would rather have them in the back benches for the next decade. They are one and the same – siamese twins with identical DNA.
A stint in the back benches should serve as the correction lense which they require to help their vision, for them to see the damage which they have done to the country in the decades following independence.
We need a completely new political direction, devoid of A.P.C. and S.L.P.P characteristics, and I hope Kandeh Yumkella and others will create it in a grand coalition.
May the people of Sierra Leone for once throw emotions and sentiments aside and see that their future lies not with the two established parties but with something which offers hope in a grand coalition.
In 2018 we should say to S.L.P.P and A.P.C that we are not Temne, Mende, Limba, Loko, Fullah, Krio, Soso, or whatever, but Sierra Leoneans who are disgusted of being fooled repeatedly.
We the people of Sierra Leone now have the opportunity to bring about positive change to our country. However our destiny lies in the hands of our ‘trusted’ delegates. I hope they look beyond their little and personal gains and elect the right man to lead not only SLPP but the country as a whole.
Sierra Leone yearns for a true leader, a leader with the ability to change the fortunes of our country. That leader in my humble opinion is no one else but Alie Sanjan Badara Kabba.
Many of us Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora are breathing a sigh of relief with the advent of politicians born after independence appearing on the horizon to steer the destiny of their compatriots.
This has multiple implications: they (young leaders…Alie/Bio etc) know what the majority youthful population are thinking and going through, and hence, can relate and transact better than with older folks…that is fundamental in furthering the overall development agenda of any society like Salone today.
Leaders like Alie Kabba are rare but real. He is CUT OUT to lead. I implore all SLPP delegates to choose this man as flag bearer and see Sierra Leone taking a progressive new direction under his leadership.
The future of our liberation, lies in the hands of the SLPP delegates. Sierra Leone is waiting to vote him in as the next president.