POLITICS Too Early to Catch the Bird....Andrew Keili's 2012 Presidential Race Preparation Begins Posted by on May 24, 2009, 13:18

The talk about politics continues to dominate every discourse at the Stop Press Restaurant, drinking spots and other places. Some political parties have started mopping up and would appear that the focus is not centered on national development, but how to grab political power and be at the top of things. Although the road to the 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary elections is far and thorny, politicians are on the move, visiting places in the provincial towns of Bo, Kenema, Makeni and other villages making self introduction and trying to ginger up support.

One individual that has come out in the open to contest the 2012 election is the proprietor of the Salone Times Newspaper Mr. Andrew Keilli.  Few weeks back, the Salone Times Newspaper published the autobiography of Mr. Andrew Keilli, but left out details about how Cematt, another company owned by Mr. Andrew Keilli left huge debt behind at the National Power Authority when it was contracted under a World Bank programme by the Sierra Leone Government to manage the institution. Also, the paper failed to mention the number of months their proprietor has refused to pay them their full monthly salaries, only paying them in bits.

To them these are not important issues to bring to the knowledge of the public or are waiting for the right time to inform the reading public of the true nature of their proprietor. The issue of Cematt dumping NPA into more debt, according to a staff member of the paper would be properly analyzed, but for now the focus of the paper is to start marketing their boss for the next election.

Both the editorial staff of the paper and the brother of Andrew Keilli are thinking alike, David Keilli has presented an analysis of the results of the 2007 elections under the caption “Elections 2007 by the numbers: A case for the SLPP optimism” With this document in his possession, Andrew Keilli has gone wild thinking that there is high political prospect for him to grab come 2012. As the current General Manager of the London Mining Company (SL) resources may not be his problem as huge amount of money would have been accumulated for the election exercise, which could be used to upkeep his political campaign that will take him to victory.

The political enthusiasm demonstrated by Andrew Keilli at this initial stage when the road is still long is to prepare a safe landing, which requires a lot of funding to keep up the momentum. London Mining Company can be very instrumental in achieving his dream. But there are so many questions for him to shed light on when the time is ripe, questions bothering on Cematt’s relationship and poor performance at the National Power Authority, the performance of NASSIT under his Chairmanship and why he refused to take his late brother Christian Keilli for medical treatment to Ghana, even when he can afford the medical expenses. The issue about late and non- payment of salary to his staff is another matter he would need to respond to.