SLPP Supporters and well wishers in the Western Area yesterday braved Freetown’s heavy down pour to welcome their Presidential nominee Julius Maada Bio following his return from abroad.
Party members in their thousands singing and dancing, and dressed in their green party colour, and some wearing a “special” Maada “ashobie” processed from the vicinity of the national stadium through central Freetown to their party headquarters where they were addressed by senior party officials including Mr. Bio.
Hon Tamba Sam started the ball rolling. In few words, the Kailahun parliamentarian summed up the reasons behind yesterday’s gathering. “We are here to welcome the “next” president of Sierra Leone” and “to re-affirm our collective determination as a nation to remove Ernest Bai Koroma and his corrupt team come November 17 2012” he added.
The SLPP as disclosed further by the MP has launched what he termed as “Project Kick Ernest Koroma out of power” and Tamba Sam is the “project coordinator”.
The “deposed” former paramount chief and deputy leader of the SLPP Somano Kapen reminded party supporters of the task ahead of them. “November general elections are the first crucial election since 1962” Mr. Kapen said. The coming race is about “choices” he added. Sierra Leoneans now have the chance to choose between “good and evil, order and chaos, security or lawlessness”.
Despite the challenges ahead, the chair and leader of the main opposition John Benjamin assured jubilating party members that come November Mr. Bio will be in State House. “The assignment you gave to your executive to work towards victory will be done.”
The SLPP is determined to put right the “reintroduction” of “injustices, marginalization, and politicization” of all aspect of public life in Sierra Leone by the APC the SLPP party scribe Tejan-Sie said.
Choosing the “right” candidate Mr. Bio, “victory is assured” Kadie Sesay said. Maada she added “was treated like head of state everywhere he went during his foreign tour”. The SLPP is now “unstoppable, united and stronger than before” to show APC the exit in November she furthered.
Mr. Bio on his part expressed “disappointment” in President Kororma’s leadership for as he puts it “allowing” a defected enthusiast named “coachie” to use an APC defection platform to “insult a major ethnic group in Sierra Leone”.
The SLPP Mr. Bio said has “respect” for all the people of this country irrespective of ethnic background. “If Ernest Koroma was a wise leader as his propagandists say, he should have united this post conflict country but he did not do that”.
The 2007 elections “divided” the country and President Kororma’s “inability” to unite the people of Sierra Leone according to SLPP, further created “mistrust”, sowing seeds of division among the people of Sierra Leone.
His government Bio claims, “promoted divisiveness, blackmail, punishment, dismissals and coercive consensus” as means of “clinging on to power.”
“This is what worries all of us and I have raised our concerns to the world. I have asked them not to forget Sierra Leone as we move closer to elections” the presidential nominee stated.
He further accused the APC of “plans to rig” the 2012 elections. “APC likes naked power, but they do not know how to use power. We will impose democracy, the rule of law and peaceful co-existence on the APC”.
By Solomon Ray Wilson
http://www.awoko.org/2012/06/26/as-thousands-brave-the-rains-to-welcome-bio%e2%80%a6-%e2%80%9cwe-will-impose-democracy-and-peaceful-co-existence-on-apc%e2%80%9d-maada-bio/
