By Titus Boye-Thompson, Accra Ghana.
In a drivel that is not easily excused, Foday Morris lays the blame for what he calls a “distressing narrative of betrayal” on the shoulders of Dr Samura Kamara, the “face of the All People’s Congress” in the June 24th elections in Sierra Leone.
Foday Morris was wrong to have judged a man who has garnered support from the people by being himself and has shown countless times that his commitment to the issues facing the ordinary grassroots of Sierra Leoneans have been the driving force for his entry into politics? Foday Morris would be equally wrong to assert that the 2023 flag bearer had that much sway and control over the APC to have run roughshod over more sane voices in the party.
What is more true is that in the mileu that has now followed the discussion after the elections, Samura Kamara has been vindicated throughout and that those who made it a strategy to highjack his campaign have now triumphed. Samura Kamara, in stark contrast to Foday Morris assertions has been the greatest loser in all of this and conspicuosly, the greatest winner has been Ernest Koroma, a man who is undoubtedly Foday Morris’ Godfather and capo di tutti capo in the party.
The negotiations supervised by the Commonwealh Secretariat, ECOWAS, and AU had made it plain that their focus was to instigate a return to normalcy within the political space. True to form, the only route left open to the APC delegation was to, horse trade for concessions and a saving of their skin. This dialogue was never going to result in a re run or cancellation of the elections results and to buttress that, Mohammed Konneh knew that no power other that state authority would force him to release the disaggregated results. So in a case wherein the judiciary and other institutions were stacked up against thee APC, the agreement to have entered into these talks was wrong ab initio.
Samura Kamara is the only one who would not gain from this decision because there has never been any mileage in prosecuting an innocent man. Whereas, many of those who were under travel bans and threats of property seizures now smile to the bank as they have caused Samura Kamara to take his hands haul coal from the fire.
Foday Morris castigates Samura Kamara for “not calling for investigations or compensations for the victims” of the various SLPP violence. This is not only untrue but the party has a hierarchy and a structure which mandates the executive to take a stand on such matters. The rogue assertion that it was the duty of the flag bearer who himself was under stricture right up till the eve of the elections is laughable.
Samura Kamara should vie for one of the seats that are sure to become vacant imminently when disciplinary action is taken renegade MPs Bangura and Thompson so that he can take his true role as the leader of the party in Parliament but from the game plan that some have discerned, the party heirarchy would not allow this. Sadly, Samura Kamara has been made the sacrificial lamb twice and personally, I blame those around him who have shielded the man from best advice. Many had highjacked a very humble man to sequester his attention for their personal gains but all in all, the die being cast sounded the death knell for such a brilliant politician and a masterful leader. Those of us who know him in other spheres would look forward for him to walk away from such cut throat politics and take on his truer destiny for charity and brotherly love!
