APC-NA Crisis: Chairman Conteh Speaks Out

Anthony Abdul Karim Kamara, Jnr.

The North American branch of the All People’s Congress (APC), the governing party led by President Ernest Bai Koroma has been in chaos for a couple of months. This seemingly ongoing power struggle between supporters of Chairman Osman Conteh and his elected executive and supporters of the interim executive handpicked by Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the USA, Bockarie Stevens seems to have frustrated many in the party.

It is the opinion of many observers that party elders must make a conscious effort to resolve the current impasse here in the USA. Regardless of what the issues are and the different messages been propagated by supporters on both sides, a vast majority of the populace both at home and abroad believe that the issue in question threatens the peace and stability that the North American branch has enjoyed. There are those who also believe that considerable damage has already been done in terms of fundraising which was very successful this time last year.

In an effort to understand what the issues are and why it has taken such an awful long time for the problems at hand to be resolved, Chairman Osman Conteh sat down for an interview. Even before we began our interview, he quickly pointed out to me that he saw SLPP North America Chairman, Augustine “Boss” Fallay’s interview on the PV website. “I think Fallay does not know what he is talking about. I am ready to respond to his allegations one by one and he should know that despite our issues, we remain to be a very formidable party. I think he should focus on the problems they have in the SLPP” he maintained.


AK: The past few months have been very challenging for you. From your suspension to your re-instatement and the dissolution of your entire executive, the APC-NA is in disarray. What is really going on?

Conteh: First of all, let me thank you for granting me this interview. You see, Mr. Kamara to be a leader is not easy. First, it is important to note that when one is afforded the opportunity to serve, that he/she does so with humility and serve with all sincerity and firmness of purpose. As a leader, it is also important to have the people you serve on your side.
Our branch has issues but we will deal with them accordingly. It is unfortunate that some in the party have decided to put their personal interest over that of the party. In fact, some are waging what I will call a war or personal vendetta against me. In the interest of the party, I have kept quiet and have showed considerable patience.

Despite our troubles, one thing is clear: we will come out stronger than ever and continue to build the formidable team that we have and work on making sure President Koroma’s agenda becomes a success. Make no mistake, it has been tough but the truth is I have tried my best to work in the interest of the party and of our beloved country.


AK: What is the cause of your problems as Chairman of APC- North America?

Conteh: You would recall Mr. Kamara that during President Koroma’s visit last year to the USA when he attended his first United Nations General Assembly, we held a fundraiser with the proceeds to be used for the rehabilitation of the Kissy Mental Home. I think you actually covered that event.

After the fundraising event where we raised more than $10,000, we as an executive voted unanimously and agreed to spend this money on refurbishing the Kissy Mental home in Freetown. It was clearly stated on the flyers and ads that we distributed.

When the proceeds came in, we decided to do exactly what we had envisaged. That was to use the proceeds for Kissy Mental Home. It is important to note that at the time we met and took the decision, Ambassador Stevens was in Freetown.

Prior to his return to the US, the president of the Texas Chapter, Ms. Nanette Thomas, who was opposed to the idea of sending the money to Freetown and had suggested that we send only $5000, had called and informed Ambassador Stevens that we voted to send $10,000 to Freetown. She also informed Mr. Stevens that Mr. Victor Bockarie Foh, our national secretary general, demanded ten million Leones from the North America branch. However, she did not stop there; she also claimed that because of her opposition, I had verbally insulted her. This of course was a big lie.

AK: Why do you think Nanette Thomas called Ambassador Stevens to convey what took place in your meeting?

Conteh: That is a question for her to answer. I definitely don’t know.

AK: Did Ambassador Stevens know what the purpose was for the Fundraising dance held in Maryland?

Conteh: Yes! He was present at the dance. Don’t you recall seeing him there? He saw the flyers and was fully aware of everything.

AK: What was your response to Nanette Thomas after her opposition to sending the entire $10,000 to Freetown?

Conteh: My answer to Nanette was that the money was raised to help refurbish the Kissy Mental Home. If we raised this amount and the decision had been agreed upon by majority of the members, there was no reason for us to change our original aim. I believed the right thing to do then was to send the money to Freetown. I still stand by that decision today. This was how she began the process of conveying information to Ambassador Stevens in Freetown.



AK: So what happened after Ambassador Stevens’ return to the USA?

Conteh: Upon his return and having learnt that the North American executive had voted unanimously to send the $10,000 to Freetown, Ambassador Bockarie summoned me to a meeting at the embassy. As ambassador and a senior member of the party and because I had so much respect for him, I answered his called.

At the embassy, Ambassador Stevens demanded an explanation about the money we sent to Freetown. Knowing that it was a unanimous decision taken by all members of the North American executive team and the fundraiser was held for this purpose, I informed him how the decision to spend the money came about and our desire to support a struggling government meet some of its challenges.

To my deepest surprise, Ambassador Stevens became very angry because as he stated we made a decision in his absence. He also intimated that the money might not be used in Freetown for the purpose it was intended.

My response to his outburst was that as a party, we had an obligation to fulfill our promise so friends and supporters who attended the event know that money raised was used as they were told i.e. the refurbishment of the Kissy Hospital.

It was at this juncture that he warned me to be very careful with him because what I was doing as chairman was not the right thing to do and not in the interest of the party. I should have consulted with him and must always consult with him or else I could lose my position as chairman of the North America branch.

AK: What was your response to Ambassador Stevens at the embassy when he intimated that you could possibly lose your position as chairman?

Conteh: I was shocked! I thought I misunderstood him. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. I thought to myself this guy was sent to the USA to represent Sierra Leone but here he was meddling in the internal politics of a branch and threatening me about the possibility of loosing my job. I held my cool and told him that the decision we took was made by all members. We held a vote and members voted their consciences. He then told me that he had warned me. Out of respect, I did not continue to argue him. Instead, I told him that I have listened to his concerns.

AK: What happened after your meeting at the embassy?

Conteh: Later that week, as chairman, I called an executive meeting and disclosed to the entire team what transpired during my meeting with Ambassador Bockarie including of course, his threat to remove me from my position as Chairman.


AK: What was the response from other members of the executive?

Conteh: What happened was that those in the team who have always been on his side went on to inform him that I used disrespectful language towards him and Victor Foh. As always, some of these members included Nanette Thomas and Col. (Rtd) Idriss Kamara. Even though these were lies, he never called me to ask as he did when he came from Freetown. Instead, he suspended me. This was the starting point of our problems.


AK: Why don’t you tell our readers what actually led to your suspension?

Conteh: First of, I have to say that I never considered myself being suspended. I say so because I considered it illegal because he does not have the mandate to suspend anyone within the party. It is important to note here that he is not even a registered member of the APC-NA but all he seeks is to become a dominant force within the APC-NA. His actions are illegal because we have nothing to the effect that gives him the power to do such a thing. It is neither in our constitution nor in our North American bylaws. That is why he is getting all the opposition that he is getting from many members of the party. He has succeeded in emboldening all of us.

AK: You might call your suspension illegal but the truth is for some time, you were not able to perform any of your duties as chairman? In fact, your vice chairman, Leslie Allen was acting in your capacity. This was true even when VP Sumana visited the USA. What is your response?

Conteh: I consider that period to be one of gridlock. I say so because the person that ambassador wanted to impose on us was not supported by majority of the North American branch. Out of eleven chapters, nine were totally against the whole nonsense.

AK: Just to be clear here, we are talking about Leslie Allen, right. Is he Ambassador’s preferred candidate?

Conteh: Yes, that is correct. He had no support from members of the party and it was evident in the meetings that he tried to call when folks failed to show up. In contrast, when I call for meetings attendance has never been an issue.

AK: Whether your suspension was illegal or not, the truth is Leslie Allen had represented the party on a few occasions when you were prohibited from performing your functions as chairman. In fact, he also represented the party at a function in Ohio and his team was pretty much left to handle the visit of the VP in the Washington DC metro area.

Conteh: Well, the truth is that was part of ambassador Stevens plans to frustrate the members of our party here in the USA. The event in question in Ohio was not that of a success because many party members stayed away.


AK: How did Victor Foh became a party to this issue?

Conteh: After Ambassador Stevens came from Freetown claiming that he was given the mandate to suspend our executive, rumours have it that some in his team paid Victor Foh’s way to the USA so that he could settle our internal problems. In fact, Col. (Rtd) Idriss Kamara name was mentioned as the one who paid his way.

Now, this was the man with whom I have enjoyed very close relations. Whenever he comes to the US, I am always notified. In fact, I always know his schedule and pretty much work with him when it comes to issues of the party here in the US.

What was strange though was that, during his visit when he was supposedly here to address our issue, he did not even call me to alert me of his arrival. Instead, he (Victor Foh), Ambassador Stevens and a few others held a Kangaroo court without my knowledge and released another communiqué that my suspension will not be revoked.

The strange thing though was that Col.(Rtd) Idriss Kamara who was also suspended because of very strong disagreements we had, had his suspension completely revoked. Remember Mr. Kamara this was after an advisory board was set up to look into the issues in our branch and the board found that the issue in question did not rise to the level of suspension. In fact, we were both fined $100. I paid mine and to this day, he has not paid his.

It was ironic that Mr. Foh came to the US, met secretly with a few members, nullified Idriss’ suspension because he paid his way to the US and concluded mine should continue. I guess my only thought was that I did not pay his way to the US. So, this was what happened.

AK: In essence you are saying that Victor Foh and Ambassador Stevens worked in concert to remove you from your position, right?

Conteh: That is exactly what they did and are still doing and both men claim to have received their directives from Freetown even though their so called meeting included Abdul Bero Kamara, Idriss Kamara, Victor Foh, Leslie Allen and Ambassador. How can these guys behave like this call themselves party elders? How could you hold a meeting and not invite me to hear my side? No sensible person will revoke one person’s suspension and leave the other. Does that make sense to you, Mr. Kamara?

AK: I am not been interviewed, Mr. Conteh. You are been interviewed. I am sure you can answer the question.

AK: Where did the issue of 10 million Leones came from?

Conteh: That had to do with the APC Convention in Makeni where on behalf of members here asked Mr. Foh how much money the party needed from our branch to help with convention expenses. Mr. Foh stated that they need ten million
Leones from us. Upon hearing his response, I asked him to send us a communiqué on this issue as soon as he arrived in Freetown. He promised to do so but never did. Numerous attempts to reach him in Freetown were to no avail.

Shortly after the APC convention, Col. (Rtd) Idriss Kamara who had attended the convention came back from Freetown and in one of our executive meetings, scolded me and accused him of planning the incident in which he, Idriss, was booed by attendees. Of course, his accusations led to chaos and he using obscene language.

AK: What did VP Sumana do to try to solve this ongoing issue?

Conteh: First off, VP Sumana showed leadership skills which we all admired. It was clear he understood that what had happened was not right and not in the interest of the party. He talked with me personally before he called the entire membership for a meeting and asked me to take it easy and he will do all he could to resolve this impasse. He is truly a man that I have immense respect for.

As a result, I conveyed to him that any decision that he came up with that was in the interest of the party, I will abide by it. In our meeting, it was agreed that my suspension continue for another 10 days but Ambassador Stevens manipulated it and it lasted for another month before I was finally re-instated. The VP had set up an ad-hoc committee to deal with the issue and get me reinstated but again, I was not called for any meeting. I was marginalized by the same group of people.

AK: What led to the dissolution of your entire executive team after your reinstatement a week or so before President Koroma was scheduled to travel to New York?

Conteh: Ambassador had traveled to Brazil to meet with President Koroma. Upon his return to Washington, I called to speak with him. Having established the fact that he hates me and has a personal vendetta against me, I wondered what he would have told President Koroma.

During my call, I asked him about the president’s itinerary since we all know he was on his way to New York for the UN General Assembly. This way, we could make preparations like we did last year. This was after four previous attempts made by Abdul Bero and I also made a follow up of our request. Since we got no response and after Abdul Bero’s suspension, the acting secretary general also contacted him. I also called him again and got no response.

It was a surprise later to see an email he sent out after a previous meeting stating that President Koroma does not want to see any member of the North America branch and was going to dissolve the entire executive before the president’s arrival in the US, and he did. He claimed to have his directives from authorities in Freetown but did not mention any names.

As a branch, we strongly believe it is not right for the Ambassador to try to break us. He is not a registered member of the branch and he is not paying monthly dues. We have been struggling with this branch for the past 12 years and to imagine that he is trying to frustrate our efforts is very repulsive.

AK: Why was Abdul Bero suspended recently?
Conteh: He was suspended because of insubordination and because he is also to be blamed among others for all the issues that our branch has encountered. Even after so many conversations with him which other members have done, he has no regard for authority. Since he would not listen to anyone from the party but instead relies on Ambassador and for failing to do what his position calls for, it was unanimously agreed that he be suspended.

AK: Are you concerned that as president Koroma comes to New York, his party in the USA is in disarray/

Conteh: It is unfortunate that we are having these issues at the time. The whole problems emanated from Ambassador Stevens. Sadly, he is even using the president’s name to try to cause problems claiming always that the president said this or that or that the leadership of the party said so and so. We know this is not true and we are determined to prove him once and for all. It saddens me that he is not working in the president’s interest but his personal interest.

AK: Have you tried to reach President Koroma?

Conteh: Well, we will be in New York to meet with him and share our concerns with him. We will present our case to him and will report back to our members.

AK: Let me make sure I understand you. You have not made any efforts in the past to reach President Koroma. This will be your first attempt to discussing the issue with him, right?

Conteh: Yes, you are right. This is our first attempt. We have never tried to reach him. We have never filed any formal complaint against Ambassador Stevens. We did so because we thought the ambassador will change and put the interest of the party first.

AK: What message do you have for friends and supporters of the party who are watching and hoping that this nonsense comes to an end so that you guys can get to work for the party rather than your individual egos?

Conteh: We are going through a period of challenges but all will come to pass. However, we have to fight for the truth. Life is full of challenges and politics is the same. We will come out strong and we will get back to work in the interest of the party and our country. We can no longer stand this nonsense and it is about time we deal with it head on. All we are asking is that Ambassador gets to work with the work that he is charged with and that is representing Sierra Leoneans in the USA. We know he is a senior party member but he has a job to do and he should concentrate on doing just that and let us do ours. Our branch has been in existence for a very long time and we’ve never had to deal with such issues. However, since he came all we have had are issues upon issues and that is not good.

AK: What message do you have for the opposition as you go through these tough moments? They must be happy to see you guys fighting amongst yourselves as they plan a comeback strategy.

Conteh: Trust me Mr. Kamara; they have more issues to deal with. They know that they cannot underestimate our resolve. These things are common in any political party but if they think our issue has made us weaker, they are mistaken. We are a formidable branch and we are ready for them at anytime.

AK: Why is it important for you to do this interview after all these months?

Conteh: There is a time for everything. For far too long, I have suppressed myself in the interest of the party but now I can no longer be silent. This needs to stop and these guys need to know that. All Ambassador Stevens does is to humiliate and disrespect me. This time, I will defend myself.

AK: Thanks for your time with Mr. Conteh. Just so you know I will be reaching Ambassador Stevens and others mentioned here to get their side.

Conteh: No problem, Mr. Kamara.

Editor’s note: When contacted for an interview, Leslie Allen kindly declined stressing that he surfaced in this issue only because he is vice chairman of the APC-NA. “My party is bigger than me and I seek the interest of the party,” he continued.

APC - NA Imbroglio: Ambassador Stevens Responds

Anthony Abdul Karim Kamara, Jnr.

To many Sierra Leoneans, Bockarie Kortu Stevens has done a remarkable job since assuming the office of Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the USA. Whether it is in working with other well meaning Sierra Leonean organizations to refurbish the once dilapidated embassy to the formation of Sierra Leone Arc of Hope, an organization that is working desperately to raising funds for the construction of the state of the art hospital in Sierra Leone, his supporters will tell you there has never been an ambassador like him here in the USA. Many in the community I spoke to were also quick to point out that because he takes time out of his busy schedule to attend to community events and endeavour to know his compatriots by name, it is clear he seeks the interest of those he is here to represent.

Not surprising are his critics, who contend that had he been more focused and not self serving, he could have done more than the little things that he is been hailed for. Being an ambassador is much more than keeping your office clean and knowing your people by name, they commented. It is about helping to improve lives in a country where a vast majority of populace live in abject poverty, they continued. The continued problems at the APC – NA has also not been very kind to him. Many within the party claim he is the source of all the problems.

Even as he attends to Sierra Leone’s affairs with his boss, President Koroma who along with his counterparts from around the world meets in New York for the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, he eagerly responded to questions I posed to him about claims being circulated by a majority of members in his party.

AK: The North American arm of the APC has been in turmoil for quite a while. The issues within the party which are supposed to be internal have spiralled out of control with so much name calling. Unfortunately, you as ambassador, who also happen to be a member of the party has been labelled as the one who has created all these troubles? What is going on in the party?

Stevens: As a political party as popular as the APC Party, issues of this nature are not uncommon. The only diversion in this case is when people try to use the electronic media to vent out long harboured grievances and castigate people’s character. My interest in the APC is to see the party fulfill its programme for the development of Sierra Leone.

AK: In his last visit, VP Sumana was able to settle the in party fighting which led to the re-instatement of Osman Conteh to his position as Chairman. What led to his suspension in the first place? And why has his executive been dissolved again a week before President Koroma is to visit the US for his second UNGA in New York?

Stevens: It was not the Vice President that restored Osman Conteh. The Vice President together with the Executive of the branch appointed an Advisory Council of four to look into the issue and plot a way forward for the Branch. I reluctantly accepted the chairmanship of that body.

This committee held four meetings and decided to re-instate Ousman in addition to him be issued with a final letter of warning. In accordance with this decision he was re-instated by the committee with me as chairman and issued with a final letter of warning. There are records to prove all of this.

AK: Some have alleged that you have a personal vendetta against the elected Chairman, Osman Conteh and your only concern is to seek your personal interest. There are also charges that instead of representing SL as ambassador to the USA, all your focus is on the APC. Instead of seeking the interest of the party, you are bent on destroying it. What is your response to these charges?

Stevens: I don’t know where a vendetta comes from. I voted in the committee to have him re-instated, I chaired the convention that brought him in as chairman. I don’t need his job. So where does hate come from. It will be ridiculous of me to spend all my time on APC. APC is part time that is done only at weekends.

My job in the USA is that of an Ambassador and not APC chairman. I have held very senior appointments in the APC party long before now in positions that are more important than chairman of a branch. Those who care to keenly observe my performance in the USA will judge me rightly not from those who do it out of malice. Go to the gates of the Sierra Leone mission in Washington and judge for yourself. Go inside the embassy and you be the judge. Meet ordinary Sierra Leoneans in the streets and you be the judge.

AK: Why is it that a neutral body independent of the current executive has not been temporarily formed so that party issues can be settled? The current advisory committee, it has been alleged, are those that are loyal to you. In fact, it is an open secret that they are all involved in causing the problems of the APC-NA. If they are, why should they be afforded an opportunity to run the affairs of the party and the others not allowed to? Why should all other chapters be banned except for five?

Stevens: The advisory body decided on the appointment of the Interim Committee and not Bockari Stevens. It was done unanimously by the four members of the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee as I have already stated was set up by the executive at a meeting presided over by the Vice President in July 2009.

No Chapter has been banned. Chapters are supposed to be set up in accordance with the Byelaws. Each Chapter was given more than two months to consolidate their Byelaw requirement. What the Advisory Committee did was to include the interim committee and all the chapters that had complied with the Byelaws by submitting their membership list to the Secretary General. When the rest do that they should be automatically included in the interim body.

AK: The press released posted on our website informed our readers of “a directive from the National Party Headquarters in Freetown mandated the National Advisory body of the APC NA Branch for an "Immediate dissolution of the North America Executive Branch of the APC and the formation of an Interim Body that will organize a National Conference within a reasonable time frame is approved." Was this directive from President Koroma, or Victor Foh or party elders?

Stevens: The Secretary General of the Party Mr Victor Foh had ordered the dissolution of the executive and the convening of a National Delegates Conference after conducting investigations resulting from the suspension of Osman Conteh.

AK: What steps are being employed to bring a speedy resolution to this mess? This must not be good news for President Koroma to come to the US and see that after so many months, the underlying issues have not been settled. Is he going to be the only one who can bring this problem to a peaceful resolution?

Stevens: The President as leader of the party of course will not be happy with the media frenzy of some of our party folks. However it is not every issue that arises within the party that should divert his attention from the important task of state. That is why the APC party has structures in place to deal with issues of this nature.

AK: What do you want to say to friends and supporters of the APC who are so angry and disappointed that this is left to happen and has dominated the media headlines? What is your message to the other camp which clearly is not on the same page with you?

Stevens: We are all “APCinnians.” We all belong to mother APC. Let wash our dirty linings at home. We are all humans and there are times that we see things differently but that should not divert us from the bigger picture which is the APC Party.

I urge them to seek redress within the confines of the party structures instead of sing the media to expose themselves. Since these media attacks I have not responded but I agreed to your interview to set the records straight.

My relationship with the APC in North America is a part time one based on mutual respect. The branch is under the tutelage of the party secretariat. I have no special interest in individuals. Whoever provides an effective and sound leadership for the Branch in North America has my total support.

AK: Unfortunately, we will not be able to complete all the questions I have for you due to your busy schedule in New York. Thank you for your time.

Stevens: You are right! Thank you too Abdul for reaching out.

By Festus Tarawali – Rome, Italy.

Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs Dr. Soccoh Kabia recently joined his colleagues from other countries and women victims of violence and activists during an international conference in Rome to explore factors that cause violence against females and how to combat the practice.

The Sept. 9-10 meeting was called by Italy, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the G8 countries. Discussions were mainly centered on crimes such as rape and domestic violence followed by panels on female genital mutilation, access to education and violence against young girls.

The conference was officially opened by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano with an appeal for non discrimination. He said “Violence against women as well as xenophobia, homophobia and intolerance are caused, to a large extent, by ignorance, the loss of ideals and moral values and from an often unconscious alienation from the principles of on which our Constitution has based our national democratic co-existence.”

The chief organizer of the conference, Italy’s Minister for Equal Opportunities, Mara Carfagna said there are some 140 million women victims of physical and psychological violence in the world today. She noted that most of the violence is carried out within family units and that some 50 thousand women are murdered each year by close relatives.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said violence against women is an issue of human rights and that the contribution of the G8 countries, which undertook at L’Aquila (Italy) in July to defend health and food security, should also include a realization that without specific actions to promote human rights and combat violence against women, there is a very real risk that the funding agreed will not achieve its objectives.

He said it is to be hoped that all countries, international organizations and women’s associations can work together so that national laws and specific actions against sexual and gender-based violence can be drawn up. He pointed out that gender equality is one of the Millennium Development Goals and therefore, an international Conference on Violence against Women was only to be welcomed.

In his presentation on the situation in Sierra Leone, Dr Kabia said the country has made significant progress in terms of gender-based violence (GBV) and other forms of discrimination against women and young girls. Addressing this phenomenon was among the recommendations of the post-war Truth and Reconciliation Commission; the minister said.

The TRC commission report stressed the need for the then government and successive governments to do more to address the issue of sexual based violence. In response to that recommendation, the SLPP government at the time initiated steps to fight against this practice. A policy framework in the fight against GBV and the empowerment of women has also been included in the APC government’s Agenda for Change, the minister noted. This move he said is significant in a country where many rape incidents happen each year but only 4 or 5 of them are prosecuted.
To a large extent, the policy paper tries to spell out priority areas and ways to combat the phenomenon through the setting up of family support units, investigating abuse against children, women and other vulnerable groups. Included in this fight also is human trafficking, the minister said.

On a more practical note, Dr. Kabia said his ministry has set up the National Commission on Gender-Based Violence (NaC-GVB) which has many stakeholders. The three areas of interest of this body are: mapping out strategies on how to respond to violence and discrimination against women; providing legal assistance and a survival plan which includes counselling; and prevention through education. Education here is also targeted to young boys and girls so that they can grow up fully aware of these issues; Dr. Kabia continued.This has been made possible by the recent setting up of a Directorate for Gender and GBV committees in all districts in the country.

At the policy level, the Minister said there is now what is known as gender main streaming and a policy for the advancement of women issues, both politically and economically. A National Gender Strategic Plan has been developed for the first time to address issues such as empowerment and capacity-building, gender budgeting and accountability, the minister said.

Within this framework, three acts have been passed, namely: the Registration of Customary Marriages and Divorce, Domestic Violence and Devolution of Estates Act.
There are also plans to address the issues of matrimonial causes and sexual offenses, Dr. Kabia noted.

With regards to Female Genital Mutilation, the minister said more needs to be done in the area of dialogue and education. He pointed to the fact that the Child Rights Acts passed in 2007 clearly calls for the protection of children under age 18 and to ensure that they grow healthy, sound and guaranteed basic education. Therefore, any practice that harms their health or physical wellbeing is implicitly illegal. Dr. Kabia said Sierra Leone has obligations towards the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Treaty) and the UN Resolution 1325 on women in conflict situations, among others.

Apart from the recent creation of safe homes for women victims of domestic violence and stalking, the ministry has also teamed up with the UN children's fund UNICEF to map out a referral protocol to protect children who experience sexual and gender-based violence and to continue providing free primary education in the northern and eastern provinces, where it was discovered that children in those two provinces lag behind their counterparts in the other regions of the country and the school drop-out rate is also higher.

In thanking Italy for organising such an important conference, Dr. Soccoh Kabia, appealed to the international community to provide the necessary funding to help especially governments in developing countries to strengthen their prevention and support networks.

He said men and women should work together to combat GBV and to further the cause of women adding that 'bad men and bad systems' are the problem not all men and not all systems are bad.

APC North America in Deep Chaos

Brima M. Turay – Arizona, USA

When the APC North America branch stood firmly and fought vigorously alongside the party leadership before and after the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections, it was with the best of intentions. These intentions were rooted in the common belief that our country needed a new direction.

As a branch, we have always accomplished great things through our willingness and ability to work as a team from the very beginning. People have had to sacrifice time, energy and resources to get the ball rolling toward the direction we have always wanted to go.

However, the last few months have not exemplified these unique qualities. Granted that even during our peaceful moments, we did have occasional disagreements within the branch but the truth remains that such disagreements have always been resolved right there and then. By all indications, the greatest blow to our peace and tranquility as a branch may have been dealt by the honorable ambassador Bockarie Stevens and the party Secretary General, Victor Foh, when they both teamed up in May 2009 to suspend the branch Chairman, Mr. Osman T. Conteh, through very unconstitutional means.

What is perhaps the most important point in their actions is that both men claimed to have received the directives from higher authorities in Freetown to carry out the suspension. To this day, there remain questions about what authority they were referring. Was it the president, Dr. Earnest Bai Koroma; or the Vice President, Alhaji Samuel Sumana? Or was it from the minister of Foreign Affairs since this is a Diaspora issue?

In the midst of this confusion and in moments that could have crippled the branch, the honorable Vice president, Alhaji Samuel Sumana, on his visit to the United States in July this year, graciously and judiciously decided to look into the issues and came up with what we all believed was a very reasonable solution and resolution. He appointed an advisory committee to oversee the affairs of the branch until August 20, 2009 when Osman Conteh’s suspension is supposed to be lifted and be allowed to continue with his chairmanship thereafter. This decision was applauded by all Chapters, especially the ten that were on Chairman Conteh’s side, out of a total of twelve in North America.

But even after what seemed like a very thoughtful and thorough decision by the vice President, tensions continued between the ambassador and Chairman Conteh and all those who supported the ambassador’s previous decisions against the Chairman. Now, to add insult to injury, the honorable ambassador has again suspended the entire APC North America branch and left only five Chapters with three officials to serve as a mere skeletal structure for what used to be one of the most vibrant sources of support for the APC party. This time again, the ambassador is claiming to have received his directives from higher authorities but did not specify whether it was from the president or vice president of our Republic.

One of the three officials that the ambassador appointed to oversee the affairs of the branch is the very Secretary General of the branch, comrade Abdul Berro Kamara, commonly known as “Chief”. It is important to note that Abdul Kamara, during the previous fracas in the North America branch, was on the opposing side against the Chairman, even though he was the Secretary General and was supposed to remain neutral. Of great importance would it also be for our readers and supporters of the APC to know that the same Abdul Berro Kamara has recently been suspended from his position as Secretary of the branch for failing to carry out his duties. In his response to the letter of suspension, he dubbed the APC as a party full of illiterates: “NAR NOW ARE NO WHY DEN SAY, NA SO SO ILLITERATE DEN PLENTY NA APC,” Abdul Berro Kamara stated.

These words translate to one of the most unfortunate statements ever made by someone who professes as the scribe of one of the most powerful political organizations in the Diaspora. Comrade Kamara could give us any interpretation he may want to give for this abrasive statement but what I, and many literate individuals, can deduce from his postulation is the insinuation by this comrade that every mistake someone or a group of people make is equivalent to illiteracy. This, by all accounts, is not only insulting but also goes to tell just how inadequate he may have been when it comes to his deductive reasoning capabilities. Nonetheless, the ambassador still encourages this academic clown on his side and makes him part of his illegitimate team.

Could all of this have been a personal issue turned political? Did the ambassador feel defeated and consequently demoralized by the vice president’s decision in July to reinstate Chairman Conteh? Could the ambassador be waging a war on Chairman Conteh as a way of asserting his authority over the branch’s administration? Could he have missed his primary role as Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the US? Does he really think and believe he has the moral authority to determine who should become chairman in the APC North America branch? Or is this merely punctuated by tribal sentiments? Does he even care about president Koroma and his new APC mantra? Is the ambassador helping or breaking the president? We may not have the answers to all of these questions but one thing remains clear – that the honorable ambassador had the same struggle with the London branch of the APC when he was there as a member. Could this have been a glaring pattern in the political life of the ambassador? What if the SLPP ask the ambassador to serve as one of their advisers in their North America branch - He is Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the US appointed by the APC to do a job for all Sierra Leoneans in that country.

Why would president Koroma instruct the ambassador to dismantle the APC North America branch, which by all accounts, is one of the strongest structures of the president’s political architectures? Does the ambassador truly respect the legacy that president Koroma wants to leave behind? Does he even respect and support the nation-building and inclusive political philosophy that president Koroma embodies? Why would the ambassador want to decide what happen in the APC North America branch if he is not a registered member of the branch? Why would ten out of twelve Chapters of the APC North America branch support the current Chairman? Why has the ambassador refused to acknowledge the fact that he is a paid official of the APC and everyone else is merely volunteering? What happens if all the Chapters that he has deliberately knocked off decide not to morally and financially support the APC? Could he single-handedly propel the kind of support that we all lend to the APC during the 2007 elections?

It is very insulting to the other Chapters if the ambassador is now referring to them as not being part of the North America branch when, as a matter of fact, all those Chapters had contributed time, energy and money to finance the very APC that is paying his salary today. It is also very insulting to all of us for the ambassador to come up with a lame excuse for dissolving the North America branch as a “decision that has no doubt been activated due to internecine rancor within the executive which if not stopped has the propensity to affect the party's image at large”. Is he also honest to himself to say, “While we regret this action, we believe that it is in the best interest of the party”? Would this look like the kind of decisions that someone should make in “the best interest of the APC party”? What best interest would that be? The ambassador’s best interest or the true interest of the APC, which would have allowed the ambassador to conduct a thorough investigation into what he calls “internecine rancor within the executive” and find out who the real perpetrators would be? Well, it is now very clear that the real perpetrators are on the side of the ambassador and therefore conducting an investigation would have been counter-productive to what the ambassador’s true intentions were.

While the opposition SLPP is busy creating Chapters and expanding its base, our ambassador is busy dissolving our Chapters and he calls it “In the best interest of the APC”. Does he even know how hard it is to create a political Chapter in a country that is as busy as the word busy itself? This is not only ironical; it is also politically and strategically ridiculous. The ambassador left the Arizona Chapter out; but I want him to ask, if he did not know, so that someone could tell him that the Arizona Chapter, among other things, championed one of the biggest fundraising efforts, collaborating with the Los Angeles Chapter, in Los Angeles during president Koroma’s last visit to the US before the elections in 2007.

The honorable ambassador need not grapple with these common sense facts if he truly intends to see the APC succeed in 2012. In as much as I respect ambassador Stevens as a Sierra Leonean and as my country’s ambassador in the US, his actions are not looking very pleasant and certainly not very helpful to the APC party. I would also hope that these actions are not the result of any directives from president Koroma because they are not representative of the president’s attitudinal change philosophy. The last thing we want to see in this branch is the negative effects of anyone’s personal vendetta. Granted that Chairman Conteh sometimes comes across as verbose in presenting issues but he is truly a patriot – one that loves the APC and wants to see that the party succeeds. He may have fallen short of the expectations of other people but he has made many sacrifices along the way. He is a mere volunteer – an unpaid servant of the APC party. The least we can all do is to let him finish his term of office in peace.

I am therefore calling upon all lovers and supporters of the APC North America branch to stand firm in the face of this uninvited nightmare and wait until we hear from the legitimate Chairman, Osman Conteh who would be airing a press release soon! Until we receive a letter from State House or from one of its officials, we will continue to operate as a branch under the leadership of Chairman Conteh. Let us remember that the voices of the majority must always be the true voices to which the government must listen because that would be democracy at its best!

NATION BUI LDING OR DESTRUCTION?

Edward Tedson Sesay, London, UK

When outside of our country and we hear the Sierra Leone National Anthem played, because this is a rare occurrence, the impact on us can be extraordinary. Our hair stands on end and strong feelings of nostalgia or patriotism are aroused. Sometimes we can’t help saying to ourselves, “ oooh Sweet Salone.”

When however we take a careful look at the way we deal with the motherland, one is tempted to ask whether the average Sierra Leonean is truly patriotic. Is our patriotism merely a frenzied outburst of emotion or a genuine dedication of a lifetime to the things that should hold us together as a nation?

While serving as a teacher in The Gambia during the Sierra Leone war years, I taught the following poem “BUILDING THE NATION” by a Ugandan poet, Henry Muwanga Barlow. The poem has applicability to many African states where public service has largely become self-service and a destruction of the nation. Each time I go through the lines of this poem, I visualize the typical Sierra Leonean boss in his dealings with state affairs and those beneath him.

Building The Nation by Henry Muwanga Barlow

Today I did my share
In building the nation.
I drove a Permanent Secretary
To an important, urgent function
In fact, to a luncheon at the Vic.

The menu reflected its importance
Cold bell beer with small talk,
Then fried chicken with niceties
Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs
Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes
Coffee to keep the PS awake on the return journey.

I drove the Permanent Secretary back.
He yawned many times in the back of the car
Then to keep awake, he suddenly asked,
Did you have any lunch friend?

I replied looking straight ahead
And secretly smiling at his belated concern
That I had not, but was slimming!
Upon which he said with a seriousness
That amused more than annoyed me,
Mwananchi, I too had none!
I attended to matters of state.
Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,
And friend, it goes against my grain,
Causes me stomach ulcers and wind.
Ah, he continued, yawning again,
The pains we suffer in building the nation!

So the PS had ulcers too!
My ulcers I think are equally painful
Only they are caused by hunger,
Not sumptuous lunches!

So two nation builders
Arrived home this evening
With terrible stomach pains
The result of building the nation -
- Different ways.


HOW DOES THIS POEM RELATE TO OUR SWEET SALONE?

In the poem, an African government executive claims he goes to an important government meeting, and whether it was really meant to be a government meeting or a get together with his friends, all that happened at the so called meeting was eating and drinking at the expense of the tax payer. What was actually meant to be an agenda for an important government meeting turned out to be a menu for a sumptuous dinner: cold beer, fried chicken, wine, ice cream and coffee. What a grand style of planning for the lives of the people of a nation!

Sadly, being a subordinate in the African work setting is like a curse. The boss in the poem feasts in a luxury hotel with his friends while his poor driver is condemned to sitting, drowsing, yawning and fasting in the government vehicle. Remember one of the lyrics of the late reggae maestro, Bob Marley? “Dem Belly Full, We Are Hungry.” While the driver drove the boss home, the boss developed stomach upset (due too much food and drink) while the driver developed stomach ulcer for obvious reasons.

On the return journey, the greedy, insensitive, shameless and hypocritical boss mocked his driver by commenting, “the pains we suffer in building the nation”.

The poem is a grim reminder for us of the stark realities in our motherland: the unfairness, injustice and corruption in the corridors of power. While the average citizen famishes and languishes in abject poverty, our top government officials bask in opulence.

Is this the promise of independence? Do we really feel a sense of pride when we sing, “Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.” We asked for the destiny of our nation to be put into our hands in order to discontinue singing “God Save Our Queen” (the British Anthem), but do we really demonstrate that the “ High We Exalt Thee” has any real meaning for us ?

Ours is a rich country yet we fall in the ranks of the failing nations of the world. With our rich natural resources, it is no exaggeration that even the unborn in every family deserve to have a healthy bank account. Our failing nation needs fixing and here are just a few of the things that might help the fixing process.

Integrity and Discipline

It cannot be denied that one of the reasons why we do so poorly at Nation Building is the lack of discipline in whatever that has been entrusted to us. This is not only about political leaders. At every sphere or level, the canker is rife: legislators, the judiciary, police, and other institutional heads. If we wish to do well at Nation Building, we must as public servants respect everything that belongs to the state: money, property, work hours etc. The so called public servant in Sierra Leone sees nothing wrong in using what belongs to the tax payer for his private use in the most unbelievable circumstances. For successful nation building, there should be no room for a negotiation of principles. “In matters of principle, stand like a rock” (Thomas Jefferson ) and William Arnot says , “ If honour be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime.” Let us thus carry out our public services honourably.


Accountability and Responsibility

In our sweet Salone, people do not want to be responsible for their actions or failures. Even when we fail the nation, we expect to be rewarded rather than being asked to quit office. To evade accountability, it is common for those in power to surround themselves with sycophants: those who support their actions without question. “We must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty rather than the law breaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” (Ronald Regan). If those in positions of authority commit crimes or fail to deliver the expected goods, they should be shown the RED CARD.

Sensitize and enable our civil society

Our civil society is weak and ill-informed and does not have the enabling environment to operate in and challenge wrong doing in high places. This creates fertile ground for collusion and exploitation. If priority is given to enabling civil society, this will have an impact on the effort to curb corruption and it will increase transparency in official positions. Benjamin Franklin wrote: “A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins”.

Though ranked among the world’s failing nations, it is still not too late for us to fix the problem of our Sweet and Beloved Salone. Can I then conclude this article by asking whether you see yourself as the PS mentioned in the poem, or are all Sierra Leoneans (home and abroad) blood relations of the PS in the poem ?

VP Sam Sumana & Foreign Minister Frattini of Italy

VP SAM-SUMANA LECTURES ON AFRICA’S FORGOTTEN CONFLICTS AND PROMOTES FIRENDSHIP AND TRADE TIES WITH ITALY

Festus Tarawalie - Rome Correspondent

Sierra Leone’s Vice President Samuel Abu Sam-Sumana and Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini have pledged to bolster ties between their countries. The two men were speaking during a packed joint press conference on Sunday in the Italian city of Rimini. Earlier discussions between Italian officials and the vice president centred on major bilateral economic aspects, including prospects for an investment promotion and protection agreement for Italian companies operating or planning to operate in Sierra Leone and a donor conference for Sierra Leone before the end of the year.

VP Sam-Sumana is among four African leaders invited to the annual meeting for friendship among peoples, commonly known as the Rinimi Meeting, named after the city on the Adriatic coast of Italy in which it is held around this time each year. The week-long meeting of debate and dialogue on major political and socio-economic issues affecting our world is organised by the Communion and Liberation Movement. This year’s theme is ‘Knowledge is Always an Event’ and according to the organisers some 700,000 people attended the various sessions.

The first roundtable discussion of the encounter on Sunday focused on the challenges facing the African continent. Among the panellists were, VP Sam-Sumana in the place of President Ernest Bai Koroma, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, National Security Minister of Uganda Amama Mbabazi, Foreign Minister of Tanzania Bernard Kamilius Membe, Italy’s Foreign Minister and Carl Bildt, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs. He currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.
The Vice President delivered a paper on ‘Africa’s Forgotten Conflicts’ in which he outlined some of the continent’s present trouble spots such as Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and northern Uganda. He lamented that most of these conflicts are under reported in the international media. This he said may make conflicts drag on for years and sometimes exploited by unscrupulous arms dealers and others interested in pillaging Africa.

The VP also spoke of some of the terrible things that happen during conflicts such the raping of women, abduction of Children and their use as child soldiers, not to mention the hundreds of thousands and even millions displaced internally or rendered refugees.

He added that conflicts pose a big problem to development and can spread to neighbouring countries if left unchecked, therefore the need for the international community to intervene in a timely manner to nip them in the bud and to provide necessary humanitarian aid.

On a more positive note, H.E. Sam-Sumana, pointed to some of the encouraging signs from Africa as far as conflict resolution is concerned. He gave the example of Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Burundi, Liberia, and Rwanda as countries that have made significant progress in consolidating their hard earned peace.
Meanwhile, during the joint press conference with Italy’s Foreign Minister, the VP once again spoke of how Sierra Leone has made big strides following the end of the civil war in 2002 and also highlighted the opportunities the country now offers for investors. However, he citied youth unemployment and the need to revamp the economy as two of the many challenges facing the country in this post-war period.

On the sidelines of the gathering, the Sierra Leone delegation also held several bi-lateral meetings which fell within the context of the Italian government’s special foreign policy focus on Africa. The Italian Foreign Minister visited four African countries including Sierra Leone earlier this year. On his return, his ministry organised a country presentation for each of the four nations he visited. Italy is currently working to promote initiatives aimed at reviving economic/trade relations with Africa.

In the press conference, Minister Frattini reiterated that the continent represents an opportunity for Italy and is a key political player in the world affairs of the 21st century. The minister therefore discussed with the his African quests issues of both bilateral and multilateral cooperation and, among these, reform of the UN Security Council rand the initiative that Italy is poised to launch at the UN General Assembly to ban female genital mutilation worldwide.

Other key speakers at the Rimini Meeting this year are Tony Blair, former British prime minister and Jeb Bush, former governor of the US state of Florida.
The vice president was accompanied at the Rimini Meeting by Minister of Trade and Industry David O. Carew, Minister of Energy and Water Resource Professor Ogunlade Davidson, and the Director of Attitudinal Change Philip Conteh. Others are Mrs Chrispina Wright, the head of Chancery at the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Berlin, Germany, Sierra Leone’s Honorary Consul in Milan, Alessandro Rosso and his assistant Captain Edward Yamba Koroma.

Meanwhile, Italian Trade Enterprise, a company formed in Sierra Leone last year to promote trade and investment ties with Italy is preparing a travel mission of prospective investors to Sierra Leone before the end of the year.

The writer works for Vatican Radio and is also a member of Sierra Leone’s Permanent Representation at the UN offices in Rome (FAO/IFAD/WFP)