Dr Samura Kamara: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 23 June 2023:
My Fellow Sierra Leoneans, tomorrow Saturday, June 24, is a pivotal day in the history of our beloved nation. It is a day that holds the POWER, THE CHOICE AND OUR CHANCE to shape the future of Sierra Leone and to determine the path we take toward progress, peace, unity, and prosperity. I come before you today, not only as a presidential candidate but also as someone who deeply cares about the destiny of our great nation.
The last five years have been hard for all of us in Sierra Leone. It doesn’t matter whether you are Mende, Temne, Fulla, Koranko, or any of the diverse tribes that make up our nation. We have ALL felt the impact of human rights abuses, state capture, discrimination, loss of our freedom and democracy, high cost of living, and a failing economy.
Sierra Leoneans, at home and abroad, cannot bear another five years of adversity and aggression under President Bio and his Government. The events of this past Wednesday marked another dark day in the history of our beloved country.
The APC party’s match for peace, unity and democracy, and, specifically, in order that the lingering concerns the party has had with the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) would be addressed was interrupted by the usual heavy-handed response from the uncaring Armed Police and Military forces.
APC supporters and well-meaning peaceful citizens were met with violence – they were shot at, tear-gassed and some were even arrested. Regrettably, once again, the life of an innocent poor young man who was surviving by selling scrapped metal was lost; and so many others put in peril.
Our prayers and kind thoughts go out to the friends and families of this fallen comrade. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace! The next day, our National Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya Esq, who went to the Police headquarters on the invitation of the Inspector – General of Police to discuss plans for the peaceful match was instantly arrested and detained.
Additionally, a number of peaceful supporters were also arrested and detained. On our final campaign day in Bo, on Tuesday, June 20, APC party supporters were also attacked by SLPP party activists and their houses including the APC office building burnt down. Many APC supporters including elections candidates were violently chased and forced to flee for their lives out of their residences, making them displaced persons with a possibility of disenfranchising them for the June 24 elections.
I am gravely concerned about the recent spate of physical attacks on APC supporters in parts of the South East, including myself, my Running Mate and entourage. This is NOT what democracy looks like. It is certainly not what democracy should be.
Therefore, to you, my compatriots in the Southeast of Sierra Leone, we are all one and the same. Those APC supporters who are being harassed and molested and some whose properties have been burnt down are your fellow Sierra Leoneans; some are your direct relatives, your friends, or neighbours. Let me appeal to you that these elections are not about tribe or region.
These elections are not even about the SLPP or APC. These elections do provide you and I another opportunity, after 5 years of tremendous hardship and misery on us, to choose a political leadership that will restore our dignity, improve our livelihoods and save Mama Salone from further and deeper decline.
Think of the infrastructural development the APC government implemented in that region. Remember how well we managed the economy, compare your living standards during the APC and the hardship we have experienced during the last five years.
Remember that hunger does not affect people based on their tribe, or the party they support. When you or your seedlings, parents, friends fall sick, or when your wives or loved ones go into labour, survival would not be because of your tribe or the political party you support. We must not be distracted.
Once again, these elections must be about better living conditions, about the peace and stability of the state. Let the lives, the pain, and the suffering of all those who have been brutalized be avenged through the ballot box. Fellow Sierra Leoneans, Supporters, and sympathizers of the APC Let me take this opportunity to encourage you all, to Come out and cast your vote on Saturday.
The Power is in your hands, and you have the chance to deliver this nation. Your vote counts, your vote matters. Come out and come out in numbers and exercise your democratic right. When we vote, our voices are heard When we vote, we inspire change When we vote, we make a difference When we vote, we send a message. A message that the ballot is stronger that the bullet. It is only When we vote, that we can create the future we want.
Therefore, tomorrow Saturday, June 24, 2023: You have one Chance You have one Choice You have one Sierra Leone We must not lose this opportunity. This is our ONE CHANCE as a nation, to free ourselves and change the system and government that has failed us. Voting for the APC is the ONLY choice if we want to bring about the change we so desperately need.
Our Sierra Leone is a nation rich in huge potential, blessed with extraordinary people and resources. We can no longer afford to squander these opportunities. The time for change is NOW!
I, Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, am in this contest with a vision of a Sierra Leone where every citizen thrives with dignity; where our children receive genuine quality education; where quality health and social care is accessible and affordable; where economic growth benefits all including quality jobs and thriving enterprises; where UNITY and Inclusivity prevail; and where lives and livelihoods are meaningful.
Together, we can save Sierra Leone. But this task requires each and every one of us to take a stand, to make our voices heard, and to fulfil our civic duty. Let us go forth, hand in hand, and VOTE for a brighter future for our nation.
Therefore, tomorrow Saturday, as you enter those polling stations across the country, assert your influence, take your revenge by voting for me and the APC. Seek justice for the hardships inflicted upon you by voting for me.
Let your vote stand as a response to the violations of human rights, and let it be a statement against the divisive governance of PAOPA. Vote for me, Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara, and be rest assured that your vote shall be protected and counted manually. Then, together, we will unite our nation, rebuild our economy, and realign our development toward the vision of becoming a middle-income country in the not-too[1]distant future.
Our SIERRA LEONE is Our RESPONSIBILITY LET YOUR VOTE BE YOUR RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, VIOLENCE AND BAD GOVERNANCE – GO OUT AND VOTE FOR DR SAMURA MATTHEWKAMARA, THE APC MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, THE MAYOR, THE CHAIRMAN AND THE COUNCILLOR. VOTE 444 .SAVE MAMA SALONE.
Thank you, and may God bless our Nation.
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