DEVELOPMENT AGAINST ALL ODDS IN SIERRA LEONE : 1996 - 2001

"Go tell it on the Mountains,
over the hills and everywhere
that President Kabab's policies
have achieved growth, plus change, in the midst of war".

Borrowed from the lyric of a Christian hymn, the above concluding remark in part to a soul-outpouring speech by Presidential Spokesman Professor Septimus Kaikai in Bo Teachers College , Bo on 1st June 2001 on the topic " Development Against All Odds in Sierra Leone : 1996 -2001", establishes that indeed significant development is been achieved under President Kabba in spite of all the problems he inherited.

In candid national reflection and introspection, he identified the bewilderment, blessings, yearnings and hopes in Sierra Leone after forty years of independence in these words;

" … ¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone is no longer an enigma

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone is a nation of contradictions, inconsistencies and insecurities

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone has achieved the notoriety of having experienced one of the most brutal conflicts in human history

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone has defied the economic development theory which states that development cannot take place in the absence of security and peace, by actually achieving some modest economic growth and development

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone is the envy of other countries because of the availability of abundant human and natural resources within its borders

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone has remained committed to democratic principles and institutions

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone is a nation waiting to be re-born with a new sense of values, morals, principles and taboos

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone has achieved notoriety by being at the bottom of United Nations Human development index

¨ at age 40 Sierra Leone has received one of the most significant and longest attention span from the United Nations Security Council.

Pointing out that the mindless rebel war juxtaposed on 24- years of APC misrule provided some of the major bottlenecks in the development process, he reminded the audience of the modest but determined and significant strides, notwithstanding, so far made by the SLPP-led government of President Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabba- MY PRESIDENT , YOUR PRESIDENT , OUR PRESIDENT. Some of those accomplishments and reassurance of more to come were summarized as follows

¨ passage of the minimum wage law that gave pride and respectability to the dignity of labour. This law outlaws the payment of salaries to anybody below the legal Le 21,000 per month base.

¨ Achievement of growth rate of 3.9 per cent with its many spillover benefits

¨ Negative (minus 2.75per cent) or very low inflation continues to be recorded in the country. This significant development is due to the availability of foreign exchange for the import of goods, increase in production of food and some manufactured goods like cement and paint .

¨ Nobody is known to have stood in line to acquire basic food and essential items without Government of President Kabbah making concerted efforts to resolve the situation.

¨ Enrolment in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions continue to increase. Free Primary education, which was available from class 1 to 3, will be extended to class 6 effective September 2001.

¨ Rehabilitation of the health care delivery infrastructure

¨ Rehabilitation and reconstruction of some of the road networks in the country with plans to rehabilitate and reconstruct all the primary roads

¨ Revitalization of democratic institutions like parliament and restructured district councils

¨ Strengthening of the role of paramount chiefs

¨ Housing construction at a high level with special emphasis on the construction of compounds for Paramount chiefs

¨ The institution of micro-credit programme to help in the alleviation of poverty, a malignant cancer that appears to be losing its venom.

¨ The soon to be established social security scheme to also help in the alleviation of poverty.

¨ Increase in the number of new business established

¨ Restructuring of the security institutions - army, police etc.

¨ Reform of the civil service as a catalyst in the achievement of good governance

¨ Establishment of an anti-corruption commission

¨ Establishment of a media Commission

¨ The beginning of the final end to the ten-year rebel war with the benefit gained from the peace dividend to be used in the resolution of social and humanitarian problems.

Professor Kaikai urged all Sierra Leoneans " to help His Excellency consolidate these gains by pledging to create a new Sierra Leone based on the principle of self reliance, interdependence and political tolerance."

And he quoted His Excellency, "this is a new exercise in our democratization and development process which, no doubt, will unite us whilst we plan for the next 25 years in common effort for the common good."

"Go tell it on the Mountains,
over the hills and everywhere
that President Kabab's policies
have achieved growth, plus change, in the midst of war"

( Note: you can find the full text of the speech on this slpp website in the FORUM section under Speeches, Statements etc .. )

NEWS ITEM 00010 : 6TH JUNE 2001

The Launching of NUP in London seems an All - Segbema Affairs

At the recent launching of NUP in London in May this year, some one took the trouble to find out the composition of the gathering. Of the 50 people who attended, 45 ( forty five) were from Segbema, 2 (two) from the rest of Kailahun District , 1 (one) from Pujehun District and 2 (two) from Bo District. That was quite some national spread !

One cannot even be sure whether the bulk of the Segbema people were not there just to show the usual traditional respect for kinship rather than for political or ideological affiliation or out of share curiosity as some others were. Desperate to excite an otherwise unenthusiastic audience, and in keeping with his character, the star of the show, Interim Chairman of NUP Mr. John Benjamin claimed he had been asked by President Kabba to be his running mate in the forthcoming Presidential Election. To that someone humorously remarked after the meeting" let him say that to the birds in the trees, they might believe him.".

NEWS ITEM 00009 : 2ND JUNE 2001

SLPP GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS IN YEAR 2001 IN LONDON ATTRACTS POLITICAL HEAVY WEIGHTS OF SIERRA LEONEAN AND BRITISH ESTABLISHMENTS

27th April 2001 made SLPP 50 years old . SLPP (UK & Ireland) has embarked on a year of celebrations for this all-important landmark. The fantastic SLPP Young Generation Dance of 13th January 2001 gave a foretaste of things to come. The symposium of 28th April and the Golden Jubilee Dance of 6th May 2001 have really accentuated the scale of the celebrations. A summer Extravaganza in August 2001 and an end of year Disco / Cultural Festival will provide great finale to the celebrations.

Some of the high-powered dignitaries who took part / attended the Symposium are:

From the Sierra Leonean Establishment:- Representing the Leader of SLPP, the President Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabba was Mr. Maigore Kallon - SLPP National Chairman; Ambassador Sulaiman Tejan-Jalloh - Sierra Leone Ambassador to United Kingdom who chaired the occasion; Ambassador John Leigh - Sierra Leone Ambassador to USA who gave the keynote speech; Dr Peter Tucker - founder member of SLPP who presented a paper in the symposium; Mr. Emmanuel Grant - SLPP Chairman Western Area; Madam Rugi - SLPP Women's Leader Northern Province.

From the British Establishment :- Hon Simon Hughes - Liberal Democrat MP who in 1998 initiated and led a debate on Sierra Leone in the British House of Commons and has solicited assistance for and supported strongly the British government's help for Sierra Leone. He used a cricket metaphor to declare that he was a Sierra Leonean at heart though he was neither born nor has he being to Sierra Leone, and announced a planned visit to Sierra Leone in August this year; the Mayor of Southwark; Mr. Derek Partridge - a former British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and his wife; Mr. Ron Fennell with his wife - a former British District Officer in Sierra Leone now Consultant on Public Sector Management working in Sierra Leone ; and several other Councilors.

The dance on 6th May 2001 at the massive Brixton Recreation Centre was a joy to behold attracting all of the above dignitaries and more. Representing his Excellency Alhaji Dr Ahmad Tejan Kabba on this occasion was Vice President Dr Joe Demby who in his address thanked the British for their support of Sierra Leone, appealed to the sense of patriotism in all Sierra Leone, pleaded and urged all Sierra Leoneans over the age of 40 to return home and help rebuild the country. The chairman of SLPP (UK & Ireland) Mr Joseph Kallon expressed pride in his Executive and the co-operation of the SLPP members and Sierra Leone community in general. Noting the changes of fortune of the party in the last fifty years, but that whenever there has been a free and fair election SLPP has not lost, he looked forward to the next fifty years with optimism, confidently proclaiming "we are looking forward to the forthcoming elections which we will surely win. We will be the party in government in each and every year of the next 50 years".

At the symposium, the Vice Chair SLPP ( UK & Ireland) Mr. Abdul Kargbo Jr. observed that of all the political parties that took their countries to independence in West Africa in the 50's and 60's, SLPP is one of the very few surviving parties despite its vicissitude. Such resilience, he commented, demonstrates that SLPP is like a religion in Sierra Leone, which connects with the people. The National Chairman, in a reception held earlier for him and his delegates embellished the same theme and urged those who are interested in contesting in the forthcoming parliamentary elections to connect with their intended constituencies, noting that it is the constituencies that will select and present their candidates to the party headquarters and not the other way round. He urged unity in the party and reminded the gathering that SLPP is bigger than any one person. Launching the SLPP website, Mr. Ansu Momoh, the Publicity / Propaganda Secretary SLPP (UK & Ireland) Branch did not only point out the significance of the event on SLPP's 50th birthday but signaled that SLPP has entered the new technological age big time. He entreated all Sierra Leoneans to use the opportunity through the Forum discussion section on the website to make serious and meaning contribution to policy development and governance of the country. He reminded the gathering that one does not need to be a member of SLPP to take part in the Forum discussion.

The topics on which papers were presented in the symposium can now be found in the Forum section. SLPP members are invited to present their own ideas on these topics through the forum discussion..

NEWS ITEM 00008 : 18th MAY 2001

DR ABASS BUNDU, A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE ATTEMPTS TO DISCREDIT VP

SACKED AS MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE FOLLOWING A MASSIVE CORRUPTION SCANDAL INVOLVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AT THE SUGAR MILLS IN AN APC GOVERNMENT OF KLEPTOMANIACS, DR ABASS BUNDU ENDEARED HIS POLITICAL WAY INTO THE GULLIBLE AND IMPRESSIONABLE HEARTS OF THE LEADERSHIP OF NATIONAL PROVISIONAL RULING COUNCIL (NPRC) AND LANDED THE PLUMP JOB OF FOREIGN MINISTER.

DR ABASS BUNDU UNSUCCESFULLY TRIED TO BE A MEMBER OF JOHNNY PAUL KOROMA'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMEMNT, THE ARMED FORCES REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL (AFRC).

IN HIS POSITION AS NPRC FOREIGN MINISTER, THIS TRAINED LAWYER, DR ABASS BUNDU WAS AGAIN LINKED TO ANOTHER MASSIVE CORRUPTION AND DISREPUTABLE CONDUCT OF SELLING SIERRA LEONE PASSPORTS TO FOREIGNERS IN COUNTRIES AS FAR AFIELD AS THE FAR EAST.

WITH THE RESTORATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT IN 1996 , DR ABASS BUNDU FACED CHARGES IN REGARD TO THIS FRAUD. DR ABASS BUNDU ADMITTED GUILT AND WAS ALLOWED BAIL. WHILST ON BAIL AFTER PAYING $103,000 WITH A FURTHER $103,000 TO PAY , DR ABASS BUNDU FLED SIERRA LEONE AND HE HAS REMAINED FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE EVER SINCE.

THIS IS THE CHARACTER WHO IS SUING IN A BRITISH COURT, A VERY REPUTABLE AND HONOURABLE MAN, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SIERRA LEONE, FOR STEALING AND CONVERTING A LAND CRUISER TO HIS USE

THE EPISODE BEGS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

I) IF DR ABASS BUNDU HAS A CLAIM, WHY DIDN'T HE INSTRUCT HIS SOLICITORS TO PURSUE IT IN THE COURTS IN SIERRA LEONE ?

II) WHAT IS THE LEGAL JURISDICTIONAL POSITION OF THE BRITISH COURT TO HEAR A CASE OF AN ALLEGED OFFENCE OF PURELY A MUNICIPAL NATURE THAT TOOK PLACE IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY - SIERRA LEONE IN THIS CASE ? ( NOTE THAT THE PARALLEL OF THE CASE OF GENERAL PINOCHET OF CHILE WITH THE CONTENT OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME, DOES NOT REMOTELY APPLY HERE.)

If it is established that the British courts have such jurisdiction, the people of Sierra Leone would want to pursue the case of the government against Dr Abass Bundu regarding the illegal sale of Sierra Leone passports and other matters, as well as pursue other ex-public officials who are hiding in UK and other places following the plunder of Sierra Leone

III) There is also the human right angle - Dr Abass Bundu represented Johnny Paul Koroma's government that joined the RUF at several international meetings. The human rights abuses from that rule are indescribable. All Sierra Leoneans would then want to know whether Dr Abass Bundu who played some role in a regime with such heinous record of atrocities should not face charges of war crimes and human right abuses either in the British courts or in the international court to take place in Sierra Leone.