By Abdul Martins Foday Amara
In a recent political struggle over who should be the Paramount Chief Member of Parliament representing Kenema District, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, has called on the Council of Paramount Chiefs from Kenema District to an urgent meeting.
The meeting shall include all district chairmen from the Council of Paramount Chiefs across the country, the National Executives of the Council of Paramount Chiefs, and the two candidates, PC Sadiq Kapuwa Matoe of Nongowa Chiefdom and PC Al-Amin Kanneh of Koya Chiefdom, vying for the prestigious position. It seems like the president is not happy with Kenema district stakeholders and how they have been handling the recent unhealthy happenings.
After all the efforts of the Chief Minister, David Moinina Sengeh, to mediate between them, everything proved fruitless. This came after the signing of an agreement among the sixteen paramount chiefs of the district that whosoever emerges victorious in the internal election among them (the paramount chiefs) will be wholeheartedly accepted.
According to the results of the election, thirteen out of the sixteen paramount chiefs voted in favor of PC Al-Ameen Kanneh of Koya Chiefdom, two voted in favor of PC Sadiq Matoe Kapuwa of Nongowa Chiefdom, and one voted in favor of PC Sandi Momoh Fowai of Dama Chiefdom. Thus, PC Al-Ameen Kanneh of Koya Chiefdom was declared the winner. However, PC Sadiq Matoe Kapuwa of Nongowa Chiefdom Kenema District, petitioned the results and called for the normal election to take place, thereby going against their initial agreement. His colleagues, Paramount Chiefs, described a situation as dishonest, a plan to waste national resources, and a means of creating division in the district.
It is understood that other districts, like Pujehun and Kono and others, had their PCMP elections in a simple and peaceful atmosphere. But as for Kenema, things are always on the negative side in terms of leadership, from one drama to another, from one political camp to another.
President Bio once also called all Paramount chiefs to an immediate meeting, and this is the second time for such an ambulance meeting. Why is it that President Bio always has to solve the problem of Kenema as if there are no stakeholders in the district? Power, thirst, hatred, selfishness, and greed are the results of such political tensions.
According to many people within the district, politics has divided our chiefs, even the traditional authorities; they're no longer neutral. Some are also wondering what the outcome of this urgent meeting called by the president could probably be.
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