Abdul B Kamara: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 13 April 2021:
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Local Government – Mr. Tamba Lamina has been instructed by president Bio to immediately suspend the people’s Mayor – Her Worship the Mayor Mrs Yvonne Aki – Sawyer (OBE).
As I write, a committee has been established by President Bio to investigate Her Worship on allegation of gross misconduct, one of the ways in which a Mayor could be removed as per Subsection 2(d) of the Local Government Act 2004.
Interestingly, that brings up the million-dollar question as to what constitutes gross misconduct as defined in the 2004 Local Government Act.
I hope the authors of this Act will do the public a favour by coming out with an explanation as to what they meant by “gross misconduct”.
It is evidently clear the people’s Mayor is not guilty of what she is accused of, yet the SLPP Bio administration is in a desperate move to suspend, and subsequently remove her because she is currently one of the iconic faces of the main opposition APC party.
You may recall two years ago, ten elected APC members of parliament were illegally removed from parliament after APC won majority of parliamentary seats at the 2018 elections, an action that could have created instability in the country.
This time around they are after the people’s Mayor and they are determined to remove her at all costs through all illegal means.
Let me hasten to remind President Bio that 60% of Freetonians voted for Mrs Aki-Sawyer, hence any subversive means to remove her could undermine our fragile democracy.
READ THE LETTER HERE SENT BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER LAMINA TO MAYOR AKI-SAWYERR:
The reality is that Local Councils Election is less than a year away, Mayor Yvonne Aki- Sawyerr who is unfortunately a member of the destructive APC party was left with no option but to make this “Tribalistic Statement” which she referred to as “Flippancy” but deeply regretted. That flippancy was music for most APC party members and supporters because the only political card available to them at the moment is TRIBALISM. The working relationship between Mayor Sawyerr and President Bio was too close for comfort for the lifetime leader of the APC based on the fact that Freetown which traditionally considered as the stronghold of the APC party was slowly changing. I personally believe that Mayor Aki-Sawyer has no “tribalistic bone” in her body and soul but she was under tremendous pressure to sing that music for her party members and supporters just to appease their lifetime leader and chairman for the 2020 party symbol. The links below are my evidences:
https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/journey-to-transform-freetown-has-begun-says-mayor-yvonne-aki-sawyerr/
https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/freetown-goes-green-as-president-bio-boosts-national-cleaning-campaign/
https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/30-green-garbage-collection-trucks-arrive-in-freetown-from-china/
Finally I personally believe that she should continue to collaborate with the central government and formally apologize for her “Flippancy”, which might have offended majority of the Mende Tribe who are probably the majority voters. The Fact is her party supposed to stand for UNITY, FREEDOM AND JUSTICE.
Yes brother stargazer this mayor is a good woman and Bio should leave her alone. she is very popular and thats why they are afraid of her.Tenky tenky for supporting her. God bless you.
Gentlemen – my reliable sources in Freetown some of whom are the toughest street boys that have walked our busiest streets have just informed me that word on the streets is that the Criminal SLPP Cabal wants the innovative Mayor of Freetown gone at all cost so that they can reshape the political atmosphere in Freetown to their own advantages. I was right on the money – the Takeover of Freetown is in the works – now you can all call me a Prophet! Its now time for Madam mayor to prepare and not wait to be taken by surprised by a pack of ruthless wolves. Firstly,the Mayor must not be
timid but alert,prepared to fight back and not sit like a lame duck in a pond within full range of a snipers rifle.
Folks,if our Mayor is going to remain passive and let injustice prevail then all I am about to utter is a wasted effort. Listen,its all like a game to them so the Mayor should be able to match every assault that comes boot for boot. Its like a game of spades – in order to win you must takes your tricks early and only take tricks with the cards you intend to use to achieve your desired goal – victory.
Our Mayor must be prepared to go the whole nine yards with these SLPP criminals; Lady,don’t remain complacent,let every International media be aware that the tentacles of authoritarian rule is out to remove you ‘ILLEGALLY’ from office. Next inform every Mayor across the globe in advance about your the challenges you are facing and begin to muster their support and solidarity in your corner. Finally,let the people and your employees be duly informed that the Criminal SLPP Cabal is on an all out mission to subvert the will of the residents of Freetown. Madam Mayor this is Stargazer representing the people of Brookfields and Tengbeh Town to the fullest – have no fears we got your back.
The worst thing to happen since the war is Bio as president. #SaloneCry
Arrested for expressing ones heartfelt opinion huh? I thank you for revealing to us that there are still some weird people that think with an authoritarian mindset discreetly lurking in the shadows with daggers drawn in my fragile, tiny struggling Sierra Leone.
Now, I am not supporting the Mayor of Freetown, as I have not been privy to the said recordings. However, if a sitting Mayor has been accused of malfeasance in a public office, specifically related to tribalistic comments, it is not within the remit of the local minister to be the judge. The issue at hand here is, that the Mayor should be informed of what crime, civil or criminal has been committed. Furthermore, the appropriate procedures should be followed, based on the jurisdiction of the crime. All appropriate evidence should be noted, such as who was the whistleblower, what was the motive for the recordings, as clandestinely recording the Mayor of a city is a crime.
Finally it is left to the judiciary to determine, if a crime has been committed. Note: His excellency Maada Bio, in his testimony to the TRRC stated that he overthrew Strasser because the Creoles wanted to take over the state. He should be investigated as well. Truth be told, the guy down King Jimmy, who says that Fulanis are stingy should be arrested, anyone who says Temnes like to fight or Mendes like women should be arrested.
I am not one for calling for demonstrations or protests, but if the Bio government goes through with the threat of removing the Mayor Freetowners should rise up to defend their Mayor. The position of mayor is not effected by selection but by election. President Bio and his team have a tendency to interpret the constitution in a deranged and sudden fancy manner. It is a syndrome which takes hold of them whenever they have somebody in focus that they don’t like.
In the post colonial period Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyer is the most progressive Mayor Freetown has had the fortune of electing. It’s her personality traits which SLPP have become hateful and envious of. In her daily functioning as Mayor, she does not cover her trail because she is not a thief, the exact opposite of the Bio government departments or ministries where billions of Leones go missing everyday like salt into sauce. The chief minister snatches rice from children’s mouths, Bio and his wife have become professionals tricksters in swindling the nation of millions of dollars and billions of Leones. Please Bio leave the Mayor alone. She outclasses you in everything – including leadership.
These Criminals that are ruining our country most be made aware that the civil war that started in 1991 by Foday Sankoh, didn’t happen at the spur of the moment. The genesis of the civil war started with Stevens government implicating and jailing of Foday Sankoh in the 1970s. Just think about that for a moment. Then in 1985 the president of the Student union at Fourah Bay college Allie Kabbah, and a small group of students, Samuel Foyoh, Mohamed Jabbie, Abdulia Jalloh, Olutumi Brown – Mark, Kai Banya and Haroun Boima,were expelled for unruly behaviour. But not after spending 46 days at Clarkson House at Pademba Road prison . Overall the cases were thrown for lack of evidence. But a point has been made. Their crime, was the protest they organised for better students accommodation, and the buring of the car of prefessor C. P. Foray. From the government point of view their demands were unacceptable.
Some, not all of these Students that were already members of PANAFU and The Green Book society, found their way to Ghana. And inevitably, some of them ended up in Colonel Gaddafi’s Libya were they met like minded Sierra Leonean dissidents like Foday Sankoh. One thing they shared in common was the perceived sense of injustice they suffered at the hands of the government of Sierra Leone. Now I am not suggesting our Mayor or anyone else for that matter will start a war in our country. But these are the things that a country like ours should always try to avoid. Bio who is steeped in Sierra Leonean history is doing the same thing. Bio and is government are like a runaway train, an accident waiting to happen. And we don’t want that for our country. Since he took office he has arrested and tried two high profile opposition leaders Major Poalo Conteh and Dr Blyden. The police have ejected elected members of the APC. Hon Lawrence Lai Lai has been caught threatening people with a gun. Hon Abu Abu has threatened to kill youths.
Bio has made false statement accusing the APC without a shred of evidence of working towards making the country ungovernable. Recently he was asked to apologise to a woman journalist. Which led me to believe, that is what triggered the demand for an apology from the Mayor, which she has already done. So since we are now in the season of apologies in Sierra Leone, where is the applogy to the families of the unarmed prisoners killed at Pademba Road prison. Where is the apology for the killings in Makeni, Lunsar, Tumbo, the more recently in Kailahun for the youngman lynched while Bio was in town. What about the violence by Bio suppoters in the Funeral of the Chief in Kono District. And more recently his SLPP thugs he unleashed on the unsuspecting Belgian market traders. We call on the international community to intervene in this affair between Bio and the Mayor. Bio’s actions are real and present denger to the security of Sierra Leone. The United Nations and our international partners like ECOMOG and the British that helped retore peace in Sierra Leone, I will suggest its about time you read the riot act to Bio and his undisciplined ministers.
Any attempts by the Criminal SLPP Cabal to remove this resourceful innovative Mayor from power against the will of the people of Freetown will be looked upon as an act of sabotage against the Democratic principles that we cherish and hold sacred and dear. Government of Sierra Leone please be reminded this is not a country under authoritarian rule, although most of you strongly believe that it is. Since the SLPP assumed the reins of power they have been on an all out mission to remove the productive Madam Sawyer from office by any dubious means necessary.
These are new and progressive times that call for decency and mutual respect. Now here’s a word of caution – Any questionable tactics,ploys strategies,stratagems and tricks that the Criminal SLPP Cabal will pull out of their bag of dirty tricks against our Mayor will be frowned upon,resisted and treated decisively with the contempt that it rightly deserves.O mercy,mercy me I mistakenly thought and believed that Minister Tamba Lamina was a man of good judgement and integrity – I was dead wrong – way off the mark. His actions against the Mayor have now removed all doubts that he is just another puppet on a string, another YES man that shrugs off blatant injustice against people with untainted hands far more cleaner than his own. Who would have thought,or even guessed that all these people have already sold their souls to the devil just to be able get their own yucky,slimy share of FILTHY Disgusting SLPP money?
Our Mayor is going nowhere so take your tribalistic hands off her – Let me quickly reiterate with better clarity so that these dummies will be able to understand; Any illegitimate,unethical,corrupted,criminal,crooked,shady attempt to remove our highly resourceful Mayor from her esteemed office will be met with a stubborn resistance from patriotic citizens of Sierra Leone that you never thought or imagined was possible – We are watching YOU…Therefore be advised.
On the 9th of May 2020,President Julius Maada Bio went on national television and radio broadcast and threw the gauntlet by making wild accusations against the APC party leadership . This is what he has to say to a stunned Sierra Leonean public “Evidence emerging from investigations have named known local leaders and members of the APC as being responsible for, inciting, planning, financing, mobilising, and in some cases actively participating in violent terrorist attacks against the people of the country ” He on to state” The silence of the National APC leadership on the active participation of their members and executive members in acts of terrorist violence, senseless loss of lives, injuries and wanton destruction of public and personal property is truly disconcerting “During that period we will recall forty unarmed prisoners were killed by Bio’s security forces at Pademba Road prison, later we had the killings at Lunsar, Tumbo, and Makeni.
All the while few months earlier his thuggish residence minister for Northern province was threatened to kill youths and their families. At the time the use of the word ‘Terrorist ‘was to gain support from the western diplomatic corps. So once again he is using word ” Discrimination’ so the fight he is starting with the hard working Mayor will be seen in the western context, so the American and British Ambassadors in will stop working with the Mayor. I hope they don’t buy into Bio’s vendetta politics. Which is the priority now . working with the Mayor for the recontruction of Susan Bay or satisfying Bio’s alter ego?Who are this nameless SLPP supporters that are complaining. I don’t think the voters in Freetown will swallow that lie against their elected Mayor.
it’s time for a woman to be the next president of your country.