When the job doesn’t get done

Dr. Sama Banya – Puawui

The Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 April 2014

One of my favourite quotable quotes, is the one about when something has to be done by everybody, and everybody thinks that somebody will do it. And in the end, it isn’t done, because nobody has done it.

How I wish I had the full quotation in my head. There we are then, for those who unlike this aging Puawui, still have all their grey cells intact.

The reason I wanted the full quotation so badly, is that I had wanted to use it as a supplement to my exhortation of the gallant men and women of the Torkpoi family, who are dying to do something about actualizing the repeated clarion calls for party Unity, but are being held back by that enemy of mankind referred to as INERTIA.

We had a brilliant opening during the impressive laying-out ceremony of the former Leader of the SLPP party – his Excellency President Ahmad Tejan-Kabbah.

Who can forget the loud applause that greeted the wife of the former president -I.J’s famous statement, that many people (party members of course) had wronged her in the past, but that out of consideration to her late husband’s memory, she had forgiven all and was ready to work to promote unity in the party.

So what is stopping Maada Bio from following up on his public gesture, when he and I.J warmly embraced each other after the statement?

Take a trip to the head office of the Sierra Leone Insurance company (SLICO), along Sanders street – whether invited or not, and say to Alie Bangura and Joe Blell: “Look gentlemen, where do we go from here?”

I am still hopeful that Alfred Bobson Sesey – “the Machine”, would take the initiative and invite Maada, Alie Bangura and Somano Karpen for drinks at China House.

Come on Bobson, you know what space you occupy in my esteem and admiration.

How about that Tonkolili magic that you are capable of displaying?

As I pen this column, Dr. Peter Tucker may just have landed in Lungi, fresh from Britain.

I am an optimist, and I have a feeling that Peter Tucker, as soon as he has unpacked, would invite some of his former colleagues on the Advisory Committee to map out a way forward.

In the process, we may recall the magically reassuring voice of teacher Richard Lagao: “Gentlemen (and Ladies naturally) you are both right, but here is the best course of action for the SLPP.”

My young nephew – Kandeh Yumkella, if he chooses, could ignore the unpleasant names that he may have been called recently, and play a direct role in the reconciliation process.

And believe me, Kandeh could do this equally, without losing his right to contest any future leadership position within the party.

The possibilities are enormous. And all we need is the courage to take the first bold step.

In the meantime, I would advise the young man to also ignore the murmuring, that he is not a registered member of the party.

Those who are engaging in that speculation, have not stopped to wonder that he is currently an international public servant.

And in any case, have such people bothered to ask themselves whether Kandeh Yumkella is not in fact registered in a’ nom du plume’?

Having said all this, I will go to the beginning and ask Alpha Timbo to take the initiative. This Bombali man has often clearly demonstrated that when it comes to speaking his mind, he is nobody’s pushover.

This was demonstrated when the amendment vote was being taken to enable Maada Bio and Kadi Sesay continue as ex officio members of the national executive committee, until the outcome of the court case.

Timbo stood his ground, and asserted boldly that the procedure WAS WRONG, and that he would not support it.

That is in marked contrast to my other nephew, who kept quiet, only to scream later that his attention was elsewhere when the vote was taken.

Whom did he think he was fooling?

We now have various possibilities. It is for somebody to appreciate that, unless somebody does it now, nobody is going to do it.

We certainly do not need that situation. We must use the coming 40th day ceremony of our former leader, and start the process in his Blessed memory.

Back to that quotation that I mentioned earlier; yes, how I wish I had the full quotation in my head. But knowing my readers, it would not surprise me if one of them came up with the full quotation, and Puawui would gladly have it published in this column.