NGC Communications & Media Team
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 November 2017
The National Grand Coalition (NGC), the youngest political party that is today the most progressive and vibrant party in Sierra Leone, successfully held its first convention of founders and delegates to elect its flagbearer and other leaders, yesterday Saturday, 11th November 2017, in the southern district of Bo.
The conference was attended by thousands of Sierra Leoneans from all walks of life, region, ethnicity, and, best of all, Sierra Leoneans in all colours.
The beauty of the convention was defined by its peacefulness and colourful atmosphere that successfully defied the status quo of colour politics.
The convention concluded with the most anticipated moment, the election of the party’s flagbearer for the 2018 Sierra Leone Presidential Elections.
The Chairman and Leader of NGC, Dr. Dennis Bright, acknowledged that the three flagbearers were all qualified to be the party’s presidential candidate, which he defined as a strength for the National Grand Coalition.
Mr. Michael Jalloh, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, and Ms. Daisy Saquee were the three aspirants for the NGC flag. In the end, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella was democratically elected as the NGC flagbearer for the 2018 Presidential Elections.
The NGC Iron Lady, Ms. Daisy Saquee, came second, and Mr. Michael Jalloh was third. People in and outside the convention hall and around Sierra Leone celebrated the election of Dr. Yumkella as the NGC presidential candidate.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella thanked Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad who support his presidential bid and NGC for trusting him to carry the party’s flag for the upcoming presidential elections.
Dr. Yumkella explained his reasons for aspiring to be President of Sierra Leone by highlighting the many socio-economic challenges in Sierra Leone: 70% youth unemployment, politicization of public and educational institutions, lack of access to clean drinking water, electricity shortage, poor quality education, high maternal and infant mortality rates, corruption, etc.
The National Grand Coalition (NGC) thus was established to challenge the status quo that has kept Sierra Leone from achieving its potential, and offer Sierra Leoneans Hope, Opportunity and Transformation, which will be achieved with Dr. Yumkella as president of Sierra Leone. Because Sierra Leoneans deserves better.
Whether its the APC, NGC, or the SLPP, the common Sierra Leonean is still doomed. Nothing will change until the common man realizes that his future lies in his own hands – not in the hands of self-proclaimed leaders. We need to really invest in our youths.
These politicians have been leading us since independence, and what has exactly been accomplished? Nothing. The country is actually worse now than how we started at independence. So when we talk about elections in Sierra Leone, I don’t harbor the same excitement as my fellow countrymen.
Given the history of the country, I strongly believe that change will only occur when we the ordinary Sierra Leoneans exercise our individual power to accomplish progress. The first step to attaining some sort of advancement within our country is to educate ourselves.