POLITICS Revealed! How Solomon Berewa Missed Opportunities To Be President Of Sierra Leone Posted by Joe Sawan on Feb 20, 2008, 02:28

The former SLPP Leader /Vice President Solomon Berewa literally had real political visibility thrust upon him by Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah when he initially appointed him as his Attorney General and Minister of Justice.  By all evaluative criteria Solomon Berewa did an excellent job as Attorney General and for that, this author offered him, his felicitations for a job well done as a technocrat/politician.

He was later selected by Alhaji Kabbah to be his 2002 Presidential running mate because he was really impressed with his intellect and propensity for hard work.  Solo B seemed to be loyal, but Alhaji Kabbah failed to pay close attention to Solo B’s leadership style and human relations skills.  Various political analysts have indicated that this unintended negligence by Alhaji Kabbah, the god father created the environment for the dismal failure of the SLPP in the 2007 Parliamentary and Presidential elections.  Alhaji Kabbah’s senior adviser reportedly advised his boss not to endorse Solo B during his visit to Bumpeh in early 2004.  His advice was ignored.

In this case, one astute political analyst is also reported to have observed that “with Solo B as the SLPP leader, the party is doomed to fail”.  The rest as they say is history.  However, it is a history that is worth revisiting in order to delineate valuable insight that will pave the way for a thorough under standing of the unmaking and unmasking of a potential leader who had power given to him on a golden platter.

Over the years, research has shown that very few leaders have succeeded when they adopt a petty, combative, abrasive, vindictive, unforgiving, uncompromising, know it all and punitive leadership style. 

Potential leaders should not only read Tom Peter’s book “In search of Excellence” but should also seize every opportunity to attend workshops and seminars on effective management and leadership.It is widely acknowledged that successful leaders exude warmth, understanding, firmness, decisiveness, tolerance, flexibility, receptivity to new ideas, inclusiveness, visionary and strategic inclination will not only be effective and efficient but will have the chance to win elections and get re-elected.  It is alleged that a significant number of people had identified Solo B. as possessing the trails enumerated in group one.  On the other hand the CKC/Yengema/Serabu” mafia clearly sees Solo B. as manifesting the traits stated in group two.

In the interest of objectivity, readers of this piece are urged to hold on before drawing any conclusions until they have finished reading the entire article.  A strong SLPP member and close friend of the leader/VP often remarked that “Solo B was most anxious to be the party leader/Presidential candidate” yet he frittered away his opportunity to bask in glory when he won the leadership contest in Makeni.  Instead of using the valuable time allotted him to rally and motivate party members, he used his time to denigrate party members (J.S. Kelfala and M.C. Kallon) who had supported other candidates.  He had to be restrained by his premier supporter and mentor, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. 

This incident was broadcast live on radio, about Solo B. an ardent practitioner of the philosophy, “reward thy friends, and punish thy enemies’.  His enemies were legion as was enumerated in an earlier article.  Some of these enemies included cabinet ministers like J.B. Dauda, M.B. Daramy, Prince Harding, Emmanuel Grant, Septimus Kaikai and George Banda Thomas.  With the exception of M.B. Daramy and Prince Harding the remaining four ministers were slated to be immediately dismissed following the 2005 Makeni convention.  The four ministers were perceived to be anti-Solo B’s interest.  With the intervention of Alhaji Kabbah, Septimus Kaikai survived the Solo B axe. And Solo B. was however allowed to appoint his friends, John Benjamin, Lloyd During, and Pascal Egbenda to senior cabinet positions. 

In Solo B’s world, freedoms of speech, association and expression are mere theories.  Since he never made any secret about what he thought about and wanted to do to his enemies, M.B. Daramy fell into his trap.  It should be recalled that Solo B supported M.A. Sandy over Daramy for the position of Eastern Region chairman.  For Solo B. that was not enough humiliation.  So when M.B. Daramy went to discuss some official matters with the VP, he refused to see him and waited for five hours before leaving.  It is no wonder that the government was inefficient and non-productive.  That is surely not the way to treat a cabinet colleague. 

On another occasion, Solo B is reported to have told M.B. Daramy’s spouse that he would not attend her husband’s funeral upon his demise.  That would be the re-payment for Daramy not allegedly participating in his late wife’s funeral.  George Banda Thomas and J.B. Dauda were alleged to have been initial members of Solo B’s inner circle who later deserted him.  For behaving in the way in which they allegedly did, Solo B vowed never to forgive them.  Incidentally, Solo B’s sister is married to J.B. Dauda, who it is alleged supported hard working Prince Harding and Alhaji Cole over Emmanuel Grant.  Prince Harding is reported by Solo B’s CKC/Yengema/Serabu” mafia to have committed the crime of suggesting at the 2005 national convention to vote for a leader that would be “elect able” Solo B did not like that because he knew himself rather well. 

The BBC reporter Lans Fofanah was a friend of Solo B. and he is also a good friend of Ahmed Kanneh of the New Storm newspaper.  On the other hand, Solo B is said to have despised Ahmed Kanneh for allegedly writing a critical article about him.  When Lans Fofana took Ahmed Kanneh to Solo B’s office, he chastised him for taking his nemesis to his office.  He asked Kanneh to leave his office immediately.  By the way, Ahmed Kanneh is a staunch SLPP member. Sheka Mansaray, the immediate past secretary to the president is also alleged to have angered Solo B. because he was reportedly caught talking with Charles Margai in public at the Balmaya restaurant.  Solo B refused to see Sheka when he went to see him on official business.Alhaji Momodu Koroma was not spared either by Solo B.

 After his selection as Solo B’s running mate, he organized a group of prominent northerners to go and express their appreciation to Solo B. for selecting him, the VP’s office and Alhaji Koroma agreed to an 8:00a.m meeting.  They waited for almost five hours before the VP could see them and when Momodu and the northern dignitaries finally entered the VP’s office, he immediately started berating Momodu for selecting an “Ashobi” for the Mile Ninety-one rally which he did not like.  This happened in the presence of one of his youthful support groups.  Alhaji Kabbah is the godfather for Solo B and Momodu.

Alhaji Ansu Kaikai supported Solo B in 2002.  He however fell out with him because his brother, Moijueh Kaikai was a thorn in Solo B’s side. 

When Alhaji Ansu Kaikai suggested at a mammoth SLPP meeting at the party office for the newly elected leader to make overtures to woo Charles Margai and other disaffected SLPP members back, Solo B got incensed, berated and embarrassed Alhaji Kaikai.

When Solo B was asked to represent Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah at the non-aligned meeting in Cuba, Alhaji Momodu Koroma and others formed part of the delegation.Solo B had such a soft spot for certain individuals within the SLPP that made him to he completely ignore protocol.  He asked Alhaji Sesay to ride in the official car with him instead of the foreign Minister, Alhaji Momodu Koroma.  Alhaji Koroma had no alternative but to beg for a lift from an unknown British citizen.

He is widely reported to have stated that he would win even if only two people voted for him.  1.8 million People were registered to vote in the 2007 elections.  On the basis of these manifested characteristics and behaviour pattern, could the conclusion be drawn that Solo B’s leadership style was a disaster waiting to happen?  Solo B made the extraordinary achievements of the SLPP government pale in the face of a relatively weak opposition.  His undiplomatic utterances and inordinate concentration on the destruction of his so-called enemies was misplaced.

The arranged deal that led to the selection of Solo. B. as Alhaji Kabbah’s running mate was for the VP to also select Momodu Koroma as his running mate for the next presidential election.  Solo B. almost reneged on that promise because he had promised the main financiers of his election campaign (Justin Bangura, Allie Bangura and Alpha Timbo, Dr. Kadie Sesay) the much sought after position of running mate.  The political godfather, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was definitely not amused by Solo B’s antics and “snake dance”.  It is usually not a pretty sight to see when “friends fall apart’.

Haja Memunatu Koroma’s alleged public disgrace at Waterloo was uncalled for.  Human beings should and must be treated like human beings.  The litany of venomous activities unleashed by Solo B. should not be undertaken by any future Presidential aspirant.  The Solo B. jury is now out and the unanimous verdict of guilty as charged with the characteristics enunciated in group one.