Abayomi Tejan: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 16 August 2019:
‘Fortune favours the daring’ is epitome of President Julius Maada Bio’s incredulous, (in the minds of a fairly large chunk of sceptics,) ascendancy to the highest office in the state. Absolutely phenomenal.
It contradicted theories shopped around that any other SLPP candidate, with the exception of Maada Bio, would have defeated the APC for the third consecutive time since 1996, the year President Bio began his arduous, perilous and very eventful journey to the presidency.
That he came out victorious after two decades of trying and failing just once, in spite of all odds stacked against him, proves that it was a walk worth the sacrifice, the risks and hazards. He won. He is now in charge.
President Bio has considerable support in the south east, plus a formidable following in the Western Area in addition to congeries in the northern province. No doubt. No comments. No room for argument. Unless……!
Here’s the catch though: ‘Unless what?’
Here begins the bickering, the banter, slander and propaganda; the scheming. The if-nots and why-nots, the constant gnashing, nagging and whining of the opposition, who would still not concede that they are now on the ‘other side.’
Juxtapose this with the SLPP’s own intra-party subdued tensions and jockeying for more relevance in a crowded house. And to this also, add the great expectations of the people taking the brunt of it all, provide little answers to that ominous question – ‘unless what?’.
In other words, what manner of political contrivance could the opposition hatch that would bring the SLPP down in 2023?
The possibilities are endless, with the exception of a coup. ECOWAS, the AU, the UN and the International Community no longer play ball with coupists. And they don’t tolerate those who want to cling to power either.
The only way as at now, is through the ballot box, in spite of all it’s shortcomings. But nothing is perfect. It wasn’t perfect in 2007, 2012 and 2018; and we don’t expect it to be in 2023.
There will always be sore losers casting aspersions at the elections process, no matter the results.
The transfer of power from one government to another since 2002 is characterized by two distinct factors. One: the ability of the incumbent during his first term to maintain the status quo of the party’s Executive, and keeping the electorate and voter support base in one piece, while ensuring there’s food on the table.
And two: the tendency for the incumbent, during a second term, to endeavour to over-stay. And, the most dominant factor, is the tendency of the incumbent to either influence the party’s process of choosing a successor, or bring pressure to bear on the Elections Commission to ‘cooperate.’
These are no simple chores for a novice, which Mr Bio, is certainly not. So, ‘unless’ President Bio fails to execute the above mentioned tasks with keen discretion, he would be deluding himself to assume a too presumptuous attitude to a second term bid. Anything can happen. Nothing is impossible.
President Bio may have traversed a minefield, he may have subdued his rivals and opponents. He even may have imbibed the shrewdness and skills required for successful political statesmanship as leader and president.
Yet, the president has on his hands by far more delicate and complicated task than all those pre-election adventures.
Running a state is not the same thing as gunning for the presidency. For the former, the consequences of failing are as severe as the rewards for winning are high in the case of the latter.
President Bio now knows what it’s like to win an election and become the president. But he cannot put himself into former president Koroma’s shoes, who now understands the difference between the two.
Looking back all those years on President Bio’s footprints in the sands of time in his political journey so far, he has travelled a long and slippery slope.
But he now confronts an even harder terrain, riddled with all manner of obstacles, but also offering plenty of opportunities.
He must overcome those obstacles and exploit the opportunities in the interest of the people in his new journey to the 2023 elections.
That journey has just begun – but first, he must solve the economic, bread and butter conundrum fast.
I believe that in the next few months the economy will start taking shape, and backed by the success of the free quality education. President Bio will be given another opportunity for a second term. The reality is, if the ongoing negotiation between the mines minister and the mining companies is fruitful, that will eventually stabilize the Leone against the dollar.
With 44 months to the next election, the agriculture and tourism sectors will also help boost our economy which hopefully will give tax breaks to investors and businesses. Let’s continue to hope and pray for the best, because if the government succeeds everyone will benefit.
The article is well written but did not end in a satisfying conclusion.
This is a very balanced article with strong arguments. We need more articles of this nature on this platform.
Sorry about 2023 elections, because I’m none of those two parties – APC or SLPP; but I’m a Sierra Leonean. It’s a pity that no one, or investors want to work with him yet, because he needs a clean and efficient way of doing business for his people. But he’s the first president of Sierra Leone to do a feasibility study on a project and announced that project publicly.
Secondly he is the first to survey the country’s mineral resources, where they are precisely located before making a deal with an investor. I’m waiting for its end report from the surveyors. I hope he will take step like the Botswana government concerning minerals resources control – clean, clear and fair with the citizens of the country.
The bread and butter issues, we can blame both the Reds and the Greens for mismanagement. Our forefathers say’s: “a person that dropped a piece of cloth in the water was not seen; we only saw the person who took it out.” Let us ask ourselves why so soon?
Sorry, but I don’t understand this comment. It is a conundrum for me. A word never heard before. If the normal Sierra Leonean can understand this comment? I like your newspaper, but sometimes I ask myself who is able to read and understand some of these articles?