I want to say that I am touched by the action of First Lady Fatima Bio who to spoke out and demonstrated for better pay and services from Koidu Holdings for aggrieved workers, an entity that has been here for a very long time. The first lady, who is the ‘komra’ of Mama Salone, should stand up and defend her children, and that’s the right thing to do.
Such is significant because what the first lady is saying is that Saloneans should stand up for what is right, just and fair. But will she carry it through? Some have done the same thing she is doing now; but got killed. But during the Fatima-led protest, no-one got killed, like the pro-SLPP demos in the south-east.
Why do you discriminate your children by saying that if you are not SLPP, you are not a true Salonean? Remember when you ignored Passover Sunday for cultural rites in Kenema, putting culture first instead of God, or whether you believe that God does not exist in politics.
But let me caution the first lady that she is not President Bio, as the constitution does not grant her any power. To act under the orders of Bio is not right. We saw that in Zimbabwe under Mugabe.
Bio cannot delegate any power to Fatima, especially above his ministers and other government officials.
To call your husband’s ministers and other appointees dogs certainly reducing them to the level of bestiality. To also call them empty bluffers who have failed the country and your husband means you have also castigated Bio and the entire SLPP Paopanista into disrepute.
In some places where integrity and character is the order of the day, officials denigrated by the first lady will resign if Bio does not restore their integrity and reputation.
And how can Bio request his wife to take over negotiations with Koidu Holdings without an official state house notice? And even if is it true that his Vice President and Chief Minister (CM) Failed Bio, it is no reason for Bio to bring his wife on board. Did Bio communicate it to them that he is grooming Fatima to take his place?
And why should the first lady deal only with the Minister of Labour and Employment for serious discussions with Koidu Holdings in the absence of the line Mines ministry and CM Sengeh? And why should Fatima be offended if Koidu Holdings wrote a letter she describes as disgraceful? Does Fatima work for government, or is she not the wife of Bio?
She also accused those Bio gave the task to negotiate on behalf of Kono people of receiving brown envelopes as bribes?
And then, Sylvia, your ‘loving sister,’ in her Awareness Times newspaper, wrote that when the first lady demonstrated, elite paramilitary were with her. But the same paramilitary will storm Pademba Rd and so many other places leading to untold deaths. Will Fatima lead a youth demonstration to protest because of foreign exploitation, or to protest against the intolerable hardship and bad governance of the Paopanistas?
Fatima made it clear that the CM would never be the successor of her husband, President Bio, unless over his dead body.
CM is hated by Sylvia Blyden the best sister of Fatima. She has denigrated Sengeh for no justifiable reason. He endured every shit that was thrown at him; with no one to tell Sylvia that the CM never abused or denigrate your late mother.
Suppose, Fatima would’ve told striking workers to burn down Koidu Holdings. No security personnel would’ve said phnnnn!
Again, we are not too sure of the fate of Koidu workers. Is the previous deal between Fatima and Koidu Holdings now null and void? Are Kono workers back to square one? Will Koidu workers get their just due or not? There lies the million-dollar question.
If Fatima wants to wage war against all those evil people that put Salone in misery, then I am ready to fight with her.
SALONE MANDELA
