Daily Archives: April 22, 2012

The unstoppable popularity of SLPP’s presidential candidate – Mr. Julius Maada Bio

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Sheku Lexmond Koroma

Publicity Secretary – SLPP UK/Ireland

23 April 2012    

SLPP presidential candidate - Maada Bio

My recent visit to our beloved Sierra Leone has left me convinced that, our people have fully understood and accepted the ‘New Direction’ vision of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), as the only viable way forward for our country.

What I witnessed there is indicative of a clear victory for SLPP at the polls in November, with our collaborative efforts devoid of complacency.

Moreover, Sierra Leoneans appreciate and respect the fact that Mr. Bio has a disciplined background and that he is one of the few African military leaders to have willing handed power over to a civilian government.

They believe Mr. Bio is capable of sanitising President Koroma’s rotten governance system, after his defeat in the coming elections.

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Opposition SLPP speaks out as violence and police brutality escalates at African Minerals’ Tonkolili iron ore mining district

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22 April 2012

President Koroma and African Minerals' supremo - Frank Timis

The man strongly tipped to help president Koroma win a second term in office is in trouble. He is Frank Timis. He is the chairman of African Minerals Ltd., the largest iron ore producer in Sierra Leone.

Frank Timis, a multi-billionaire whose global financial interests also include oil exploration in Sierra Leone, has invested over $1 Billion in partnership with the Chinese to resuscitate Sierra Leone’s ailing iron ore mines, as China’s industrial revolution cries out for increased supply of steel and other metallic products.

But after several days of industrial strike action and violence in the Bumbuna Tonkolili district – just a few miles from the company’s mining operations, there are questions now as to whether the government will once again review its unpopular mining agreements signed with foreign companies.

African Minerals and several other foreign companies operating in Sierra Leone have been accused of displacing and exploiting vulnerable communities and workers, as well as taking advantage of massive tax concessions offered them by president Koroma.

Has last week’s violence in the president’s backyard and political stronghold of Tonkolili, shaken Frank Timis’ resolve to financially bankroll president Koroma’s bid for re-election?

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