Titus Boye-Thompson, London
These elections have had their twists and turns but one twist that keep recurring is the fixation on tribal affinity, identity and supremacy to the extent that what we are slowly watching its built up is an attempt to sustain a Mende hegemony in Sierra Leone. In the discourse thus far, nothing has been more evocative as that of the relationship between the contesting parties and their tribesmen.
The overwhelming presumption is that our people who make up the bulk of the voting population are not as sophisticated to judge candidates or political parties on substantive matters, on the bread and butter issues that they face on a daily basis. The excuse that the war on Ukraine has caused a global economic downturn seem to have been sufficient while fluctuating oil prices are responsible for high cost of transportation and other knock on effects on food pricing. The matters that touch on human rights are not that important anymore, people are basically lawless and this government needs to stand firm to maintain law and order, even if that means killing off some unarmed civilians in the process, that should be a small price to pay because the security of the State was at risk of being overturned by terrorists and insurrectionist.
There are no level playing fields
The concept of a level playing field is totally lost on almost all comers in this big dance of an election hustings period. What we have are dances of wolves, with the hyenas circling for easy prey, the lion keeping his herd at the ready because there is sure to be casualties of this bonfire. The intelligent ones are now under fire for being savvy, professional and skilled on their chosen field. Former Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyer is being parodied because she speaks English with a twang? Many now blame her for being well to do, coming from a Christian Creole background and hence being born into privilege. They fail to mention how mu h she has grown in the role as a politician and leader of the largest city in the country by far, nor have they ever mentioned that her networks has helped her to secure funding and manpower resources far outstripping what has gone to even many a government Ministries because she has been able to demonstrate mastery of the issues and hold court in the arenas of the most powerful men and women in the World. And they want to put Mohamed Gento Kamara in her shoes?
What most people are avoiding to bring up in the debate is the fact that the very same stupidity in thought and perception made Mohamed Gento go pall out to attack the person of the former Mayor, attack her being a Christian and a Creole as if such things are the criteria on which a Mayor is chosen for Freetown. But you must allow the fools to wallow in their backwardness.
They are finding it easy to attack the Creoles because they know very well that the Creoles of Freetown have never had a do or die attitude towards politics. Many Creoles in politics are shunned and at times parodied for being mired in such unworthy adventure. However, some who have understood how these things work in the West, know for sure that unless you make an effort to have your voice in how you are governed, fools always deserve the bad governance that is foisted on them.
Mohamed Gento Kamara should not have taken this fight for the Mayor of Freetown to the Creoles and Christians for one simple reason. If you know Freetown well enough, no true Freetown person would argue with you about the benefits of having a Creole Mayor and in the Majority of times, the Creole Mayors have been Christian. However, Freetown became very easily a beacon for religious tolerance and tribal integration. To the extent that the whole country now speak Creole as the official la guage and lingua franca tells you of the significance of the Creole import to this country and city. So when they start this nonsense about another Creole Mayor and it is time to break down the glass ceiling, you have to ask what do crawling insects and worms have to fear about the intensity of the electric bulb?
There are very good and sound reasons why Yvonne AKI Sawyer should be given another term as Mayor of Freetown. First of all, she is the flag bearer of the main political party in this city. The people of Freetown will ways vote overwhelmingly for the APC in Freetown, no matter who is standing opposite. This invariably is the first mistake that Mohamed Gento Kamara made when he dismissed that fact. The people of Freetown know of how many of their family, friends and loved ones that have been killed in the various struggles against the tyranny of this government. They know how difficult it is to eke out a living, how dismal their prospects for jobs even with those coming away from a University education are forced to stay at home with pictures in their academic gowns as comfort for an otherwise desperate existence. What they have for now is the hope that a change of government would bring prosperity to Freetown. No one wants to suffer endlessly and to maintain that Mohamed Gento Kamara would create just one job if he becomes Mayor, well, unless we could just have to wait for that job to come from the Bread factory that has been under construction in the past five years.
Let this be taken as read, the votes for Freetown will go to APC as sure as the votes for Bo will go for SLPP. This is not something that has been left to chance. This SLPP government has put many people in Freetown to hardship and ridicule and for those reasons, Freetown will repay them with disappointment and ridicule. We will not vote for Gento because he has brought nothing new to Freetown. Making his campaign a clarion call against the values that have made this city good for many to have come here and thrived, telling us about dumping the Creoles and Christians only goes against him. Creoles are no longer strangers to Freetown and if Gento does not know that the Creoles have a hold over Freetown and its people, then Gento does not know anything.
Dis nor to time for monkey dance, nor to damsay damsay, dis nor to Freetown Titi collection, dis nar we elections for udat go represent Freetown. We are APC!
