By Joseph S. Margai, Strategic Communications Coordinator*
Members of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and other political parties such as the National Grand Coalition (NGC) and the Coalition for Change (C4C) political party in Kono District, on Saturday, 4th February, 2023, defected to the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party, citing President Bio’s development strides in the district as the motivating factor.
These former opposition party members, among them 10 C4C councilors who were currently serving at both Koidu New Sembehun City and Kono District Councils respectively, were the architects behind the formation of the C4C political party in Kono District after they were used, misused, abused and neglected by the former APC government.
Speaking on behalf of the 10 defected C4C councilors in Kono, Brima Moigua of Ward 095, said they took the decision to defect because of the transformations they have seen in Kono District, adding that those transformations were championed by President Bio.
“The SLPP is our traditional political party. We left because we thought differently at that time but the political party that we joined disappointed us. So, we have no reason to stay but to return to our root,” he said.
Councilor Moigua noted that in the last four years, the leader of the SLPP, President Julius Maada Bio, has emphasized on the historical injustice that was meted on the people of Kono, adding that the president has begun to correct the historical injustice by embarking on the construction the Kono University of Science and Technology, bringing uninterrupted electricity supply to Kono, constructing the Kono-Guinea Road, among others.
“We are seeing the construction of the Maternal Center of Excellence, where those in the medical profession such as nursing, midwifery, and many more would be trained. We have recently gone to all the chiefdoms within Kono Dsitrict to ascertain what the SLPP government has done there. Fortunately for us, we found out that President Bio’s handwork was all over those places that we visited,” he said, citing that roads were being rehabilitated, culverts were being constructed, water and sanitation facilities were being provided, and the once disgruntled people were beginning to smile again.
Councilor Brima Moigua said many former presidents have married women from Kono but they did not do anything that would improve the living standards of the people, adding that amongst all of them, President Bio has been the best in-law so far.
Former APC Chairlady, Fatmata Fofanah, said the SLPP was a serious political party that would stop at nothing than to develop the entire country, noting that the decision they took to defect was intentional because of the transformation they have witnessed in Kono District.
“I want to let the people know that nobody forces us to defect to the SLPP. We have every reason to move from the APC to the SLPP because of the development strides of President Bio within Kono District,” she said.
SLPP’s Kono District Chairman, Safea Moiwa, said he many supporters of the APC, C4C, and NGC, have told him that they were putting plans underway to defect to the SLPP, a situation, he noted, would be a boost for the party in the district.
“These people have taken this decision because of what they have seen in the last four years. Despite the global economic crisis, Kono has benefitted from the national cake that President Bio has been distributing. The stable electricity supply to Kono was a game changer. This has enhanced economic activities in Kono,” he stated.
The SLPP District Chairman disclosed that the Koidu New Sembehun City Council, which is head by a C4C Mayor, has received a total sum of Le10.5bn for the rehabilitation of roads and construction of culverts in the last four years from President Bio’s government, adding that the Kono District Council received Le18.4bn to do the same.
“Elections are coming. Political party members would soon start to tell you that President Bio is responsible for the hardship in the country. They will never tell you that there is a current global economic crisis. But let me tell you that President Bio has removed taxes from all essentially imported commodities such has fuel, rice and other food items, among others, so as to stabilize prices. Until the global economic crisis is solved, there will still be some challenges in that regard,” he told the people.
The new converts were issued the SLPP party membership cards and were officially welcome to the party by President Bio, who is the current leader of the SLPP.
