Sierra Leone Telegraph: 06 May 2020:
Dr Kandeh Yumkella – the parliamentary leader of the National Grand Coalition party and a member of parliament of the Kambia district, was on television in Freetown yesterday speaking about the rapidly deteriorating disorder in the country, amid rising political tension, and police arrest and detention without charge of opposition politicians perceived as dissidents by the ruling SLPP party.
Yumkella’s appearance comes as many in Sierra Leone are expressing disappointment at president Bio’s deafening silence and indifference, following the Pademba Road prison disturbance which saw the shooting of dozens of unarmed prisoners by presidential guards, leaving eleven dead and several seriously injured.
The rioting in Lunsar in the north of the country and the increasing rate of transmission of the coronavirus, especially in the capital Freetown, have raised eyebrows, with many now calling for president Bio to come out and show strong leadership by addressing the people of Sierra Leone.
Speaking on AYV TV, Dr. Yumkella is calling on president Bio to reach out to the opposition political parties to find new partnership framework that will bring all parties together to work towards national cohesion, promote peaceful co-existence, unify the nation, as well as focus on combatting the coronavirus.
Various reports yesterday, suggested that president Bio was going to address the people of Sierra Leone after ending his fourteen days quarantine and to review the success of the three days lockdown which ended last Sunday. President Bio was also expected to come out and clearly map out where the country is heading, as political tension mounts. But there was no broadcast from the president.
The president’s continuing silence and indifference, in the face of a rapidly deteriorating security and breakdown in law and order is a serious cause for concern.
This is what Dr Yumkella said:
The president is at the right track to combat the current situation if the country. The infighting is between those political prostitutes.
Unity is strength long live United Africa
I’m not denying that what Dr Kandeh said is wrong but to my own dismay the opposition are using this to make the country ungovernable. Come to think of it H.E did what he thought was best by calling Bintumani 3 for peace to reign but instead the opposition denied that. We’re all opposition but I think HE is on the right track, he knows what he’s doing.
All this fighting and lawlessness at this critical state of this country is influenced by way of undermining the capability of the govt. We all know that things are difficult presently. With this pandemic it has worsened, but that can’t stop the govt from putting restrictions for combating this pandemic as it’s not a one man fight but rather inclusive.
We are asking on the international community to please intervene and arrest and prosecute all politicians including the police and military officers that are guilty of killing those innocent people. Also the international community must thoroughly look into this COVID19 in Sierra Leone, because it sound dodgy and the government is using this to intimidate and arrest the opposition politicians and anyone speaking the truth against the government.
The judiciary, the police and military have been compromised. There is no justice for the poor and vulnerable. Therefore we are asking for the intervention of the ECOWAS and others to please step in before we experience another senseless political war.
It’s a good suggestion from Dr. KKY but, certainly not in this medium. We can all remember that the president created the platform to discuss this in”BINTUMANI 3 conference” when he took over office for the purpose of cohesion amongst all political parties. But rather, most people viewed it as waste of resources (money and time) and some decided not attend for reasons best known to themselves.
Difficult EH. Democracy can be hard to practice, especially when someone was an ex JUNTA head. President Bio and his Bio lead SLPP, have now been stuck in Sierra Leone’s democratic political mud. The only way out of that sticky political mud, is to come closer to the opposition parties and work with them to save the country from a political crisis and an absolute social mess. Have to.
A signal has been clearly sent that coming out of a JUNTA political mud, is not the same as coming out from a democratic political mud. JUNTA politics is the rule of the Junta head, by the Junta head and for the Junta head, whilst democracy is the rule of the People, by the People and for the People. “Tick says the clock, tick-tick. What you have to do, do quick”. So, President Bio and the Bio lead SLPP, be quick and sort the MESS out with the opposition. God bless our opposition.
I was listening to a radio on-line interview just a short time ago with Mr Abdul Fatoma, a Human Right lawyer from Sierra Radio which is a diasporian median outlet concerned for Mama Salone and Mr Fatoma narrated certain lapses and weaknesses within the various Correctional facilities in Sierra Leone such as the lack of Close-Circuit-Televisions within any such facilities, the lack of fire fighting equipments in any of those facilities and the tendencies of casualties in prison riots/breakdown etc depending on the forces applied
To me I will lament since time immemorial within the Black/Negro leadership the lack of leadership structures to proactively speculate trends such as population growths within the communities and what needs to be down to address that. For instance, post independence until 1974 Sierra Leone was producing and exporting rice which is the staple diet of our people, but not now since 1974. What are the Social Progress Indices (SPI) which we inherited since independence such as clean drinking water, sanitations, free quality medical treatments and facilities, and other Social Indicators and we should ask our selves when/what went wrong and how can we fixed them so that future generations can be proud of being Sierra Leoneans
I dont believe that violence is the best way to rule the people. There is a saying that a hungry man is an angry man. Tribalism should not be encouraged in Sierra Leone. As Religion is always unifying the people of this Nation. Please lets dont forget that next year this Country will be sixty years since we gained our Independence. Up till now we are worse than when the White people left us. It is time for us to unite and not to devide.A word to the wise is sufficient.
“The president’s continuing silence and indifference, in the face of a rapidly deteriorating security and breakdown in law and order is a serious cause for concern.” Indeed it appears our nation is currently being ruled by a ghost president, who only comes out of his ‘hibernation mode’ every now and then to read well polished speeches full of unrealistic achievements and ventures. From the eve of his winning declaration, our nation has continuously been gripped with violence, thuggery and lawlessness orchestrated for the most part by elements of his supporters.
One will think a former military leader will step up and demand decorum across the nation. However, he remain muted and missing in action. Gradually our nation is experiencing the most turbulent and instability for decades, drawing us closer and closer to the brink of a civil war — with extremists groups in both SLPP and APC camps jeopardizing our hard earned peace. A strong and good leader leads from the front not from the back. Please ex-military president Bio, put into practice what the military taught you. Don’t allow politics or tribal extremists within your inner circle to ruin our nation.
Dr Kandeh Yumkella calling on President Bio to build “partnership framework” to unite the country is a tall order as the latter lacks the credentials to do so.
The President failed to build on Bintumani 3 – Conference on National Cohesion, which should have laid the foundation for what Dr Yumkella is calling for now.
The fact that you left SLPP because of president Bio, you are still not happy but hiding behind something. Let us be honest to ourselves and the nation.
Indeed. What were they looking for at Pademba Road Prisons in those “wee wee” hours. A dangerous and scary situation, if not checked now through dialogue, will result in an uncontrollable situation. The question for an independent commission of inquiry has been proposed since day one of the killings at Pademba Road Prisons on this glorious platform. I will be a bit moderate with my choice of words for the time being, to answer the call to dial down the rhetoric.
My worries now is this – what will the government do if violence erupts everywhere in the country? The police and the military will be overwhelmed if a countrywide violence erupts. I don’t think the police or the military will attempt killing demonstrations/people everywhere. President Bio and his Bio lead SLPP must listen to what Dr. Kandeh Yumkella has proposed and talk to the opposition. Things are going in the bad, rather than in the new direction. How can the Bio lead SLPP fight Coronavirus with such political tension and violence? God bless Dr. Kandeh Yumkella. May the souls of our prisoners and prison officers who died on that dark day rest in peace.
It goes without saying that what is happening in our country is providing enough mileage to the opposition and other detractors of the current government to criticize the government unfairly. As we battle the Coronavirus around the world, a lot of countries are experiencing disturbances and a show of public outrage because of the restrictions, and our country is no different. We have heard about attempted prison breaks and rioting all over the world. But if you are to listen to some of our countrymen you might think it’s only happening in our country.
With respect to the rioting, I will say that when folks are deprived and uncertain of the near future they are bound to react and that is what we are witnessing at Tombo village, a fishing community that is facing restrictions and a ban on their fishing activities. However, certain actors in the opposition APC party have taken advantage of the current situation to unduly criticize the government, and to incite their followers to show defiance against public safety measures in an effort to paint the government as incapable of ruling.