By Joseph A. Kamanda
Break up of synergies amongst the rank and file of the membership of the opposition Coalition for Change (C4C) party has exposed series of inconsistencies and inaccuracies within one of the country’s formidable potential third force-political entities, to a point that even on significant national interests, the C4C couldn’t work as one house.
Recent among several instances was the controversy over the betrayal of former C4C caucus Hon. Saa Emerson Lamina who was accused of an anti-party move for voting in favour of the approval of the new NEC boss.
The C4C national secretariat came out with a clear position on the contentious appointment and approval of the new NEC commissioner, Kanneh whiles the former leadership of C4C in the House of Parliament unimaginably went the other way, as against the wishes and aspirations of his party.
A decision that has cost him his reputation badly to a point of removing him from the holding the position that earned him so much respects in the political landscape of the nation and Kono in particular.
Sadly for the former C4C leader, he is bowing out the office with his head down, whiles his successor, Hon. Francis Saa Bhendu will soon occupy one of the opposition offices at the New Building at Parliament, where Hon. Lamina shall be reporting to somebody who has been taking directives from him. The table is turned for good, meaning that C4C like all other traditional political parties is bigger than them all.
The issue of internal wrangling within C4C brings the party’s national secretariat and its leadership on the same page over the challenged approval of the new chairman of National Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh which has left the C4C party with a firm disciplinary action against the anti-party conduct of Hon. Lamina.
The former C4C leader in the House of Parliament Hon. Lamina who was expected to have gone his party’s way, actually did otherwise, and voted in favour of the “unqualified” NEC Commissioner as against his party’s position on the whole issue irrespective of its outcome. The action has been deemed by so many C4C members and supporters as an anti-party conduct that required a firm disciplinary action against the young opposition politician for betraying the course of his party.
Besides, even though it received the backing and support of the Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Dr Abass Bundu, on grounds that he didn’t see any reference in the 1991 Constitution and the parliamentary Standing Order that mandate a Secretary General of a political party to write and call for the removal of an MP for alleged anti-party conduct, yet the move has placed the credibility and reputation of Hon. Lamina at stake as the then leader of a whole opposition party, only to revenge against the main opposition All People’s Congress-APC for the loss of his mayoral seat in the last administration. The same head of the House Hon. Bundu after considerations finally accepted the letter from the C4C national secretariat and ended up accepting the new C4C leader in parliament in the person of Hon. Francis Saa Bhendu.
Come on Hon. Lamina you should have calm down and follow the path of your party, irrespective of the fact that you were the leader and forget about unnecessary and extreme retributions the against interests of your political opponents, for APC and C4C actually made you what you are today. So next time leave vengeance to God as it is, for vengeance is not yours at all but might. And as a Christian such is exactly what is expected from moving forward with your embattled political career.
Now that you have lost the position of the leadership to another person in the House and in your party, you need to also close ranks with other members including APC and National Grand Coalition MPs, work collectively in national interests and not just ruling party law makers because of incumbency rights.
And for you to continue on a peaceful and smooth reputational drive, no need for you to have taken brutes to Kono, with pranks intents that you are still the C4C leader in parliament, whiles you are not as your successor is busy putting his new office in place to start work.
That in itself is deceitful on your part and you must be seen accepting that fact that you have been removed from such position by the C4C party. A party is bigger than you and all others in the statute political organization you still belong. And thank God your seat was not taken away from you.
It is no secret that C4C plays critical role in the contemporary democratic dispensation and its strength should not be underestimated, considering the stake it presently holds in government. The outcome of the 2018 elections saw C4C entering the well of parliament with eight seats along with other key administrative stakes, in the district and city councils, making the party very much strong with a political base in Kono.
A number the main opposition APC initially underestimated but later mend fences with a key figure in the C4C party, and convinced former vice president – Alhaji Chief Samuel Sam Sumana to return home. An action Hon. Lamina should have welcomed as coming events to save his political career as a young man, rather than continue to pose challenges against those who made him what he is now Kono politics.
One thing Hon. Lamina and any other politicians with no exception of Hon. Mohamed Bangura of the APC, a mere flip-flopper should be mindful, of is that one person cannot fight a dozen of united house. You will be always defeated which is what exactly happened to you in the former C4C party leader and hope Hon. Lamina has learned some lessons from that and will surely work with his party next time such issues emerge in the House
