VIEWPOINT After Self-Imposed Political Hibernation Former Vice President Solomon Berewa Re-Surfaces Posted by Joe Sawan on May 5, 2008, 01:17

The last time former Vice President and SLPP Presidential Candidate, Solomon Ekuma Berewa, spoke publicly was at the swearing-in ceremony of President Ernest Bai Koroma at State House.  Prior to that, he was interviewed by the Freetown based BBC correspondent Umaru Fofanah following the conclusion of the run-off election for the Presidency.  In that interview, Mr. Berewa remarked that he felt “devastated” about what he had witnessed and experienced on that voting day. He Sounded betrayed.  Following his loss to Ernest Bai Koroma, he went into a self-imposed political hibernation, surfacing for several months at Bradford University to proffer some insights into the peace process and programmes in Sierra Leone.  It should have, been a good respite for him in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Berewa had kept a relatively low profile since returning home until BBC’s Umaru Fofanah showed up again to interview him for the “NETWORK AFRICA” programme that was broadcast on Thursday, May 1, 2008.  Mr. Berewa stated that he was disappointed when he lost, but felt compelled to concede defeat in the interest of the nation.  He came across as downcast, but promised to continue to lend support to the SLPP.  He further indicated that it was time for the SLPP to try another person for the leadership of the party.  From the tone of Mr. Berewa’s voice, it would appear that he missed the trappings of power.  This was very evident when he arrived in London on his way to the Bradford University.

When he was vice-president, he was always met at the Airport by High Commission officials and protocol from the UK Foreign Ministry whose responsibility it was to collect his luggage and have his passport stamped.  It was their responsibility to take care of all airport formalities on his behalf.  On his arrival in London as a private citizen Mr. Berewa had to perform all of the formalities by himself.  Can readers imagine the great “Solo B” of the “World Bank Junction” fame pushing his own luggage through customs?  He was, however, assisted to the appropriate train station for his journey to Bradford.

Indeed, what Mr. Berewa experienced is sufficient to remind all of mankind about the statement, “he that is down needs fear no fall but he that is up”.  Humility, which is a virtue, should be practiced by all.

This writer spent the rest of the day visiting the STOP PRESS restaurant, JOVANAS and CHINA HOUSE.  Mr. Berewa’s interview on the “NETWORK AFRICA” programme was extensively discussed in all these three favourite places.  While Jovana’s has a pro-SLPP crowd, both the STOP PRESS and CHINA HOUSE are a mixture of independents and other political parties.  The latter are more conducive for a serious and objective analysis of issues.

What came out clearly in all of the prompted discussions was that they were pleased to see the pioneer of the famous “WORLD BANK JUNCTION” go.  They were also not unhappy that Mr. Berewa, not the SLPP lost the presidential election.

The reasons for taking those positions ranged from Mr. Berewa’s alleged political naivety, leadership inadequacy, arrogance and pomposity, vindictiveness and unforgiving nature, proclivity to threaten alleged non-supporters with disgrace, deprivation and punishment, over confidence to strategic miscalculation.  They all agreed that, Sierra Leone would have been thrown into another chaos and anarchy if Mr. Berewa had won because, according to them, he would have continued to intimidate, harass and vilify his perceived enemies.  His strategy, they observed, was a recipe for another uprising because people would not have allowed him to implement those anti-human rights and anti-democratic policies.  This is a tragedy if those perceptions and allegations are true.  This writer hopes they are not. 

The conventional wisdom is that vice-presidents, all over the world, are a proverbial “heartbeat away” from the Presidency.  In that regard, they are provided with effective and efficient administrators, technocrats, public relation officers and political advisers.  If Mr. Berewa has had such a team and they perceived him to have had characteristics that are contained in the allegations referred to earlier, then, what did they do? 

If they did nothing by proffering some relatively sound advice to Mr. Berewa, they were negligent in their duties in addition to being of disservice to the former vice-president and the country.

The current allegation is that Mr. Berewa, who at one time remarked that, “money does not win elections but can surely influence its outcome “only contributed three million Leones to the SLPP for the re-installment of the radio station.  Alhaji Kabbah bought the radio.

Mr. Berewa, who has been relatively quiet and out of the limelight, since September 2007 appears to be planning a comeback.  The former vice-president and SLPP Presidential candidate appears to be making some efforts to launder his alleged tarnished image as a vindictive individual and as someone with myopic tendencies towards people who put their necks on the line for him.  Alhaji Kabbah is alleged by close associates of both the former president and his vice President that he went overboard in his support for Mr. Berewa.  Image laundering is not an easy undertaking.  In some instances, it may take years to accomplish.  In this regard Mr. Berewa needs to take the first and most important step to privately apologize to the people of this nation for his past activities, including those soldiers who were killed.

Secondly, Mr. Berewa should also apologize to all those he had perceived to be against him. Sierra Leone is too small a country to be constantly vilified by a significant number of the citizens.  Thirdly, Mr. Berewa needs to recognize that democracy accommodates, tolerates and influences positively in order to achieve desired goals.  The above should be Mr. Berewa’s pre-occupation for now.  “A word to the wise is quite sufficient”.  This writer wishes Mr. Berewa a very sincere good-luck as he contemplates the implementation of the above suggestions.