POLITICS Recycled Politicians in Sierra Leone.....Where Lies Their Loyalty? Posted by on Jun 26, 2009, 17:39

Ambassador Sheku Saccoh....APC to SLPP to APC Turn Coat Master

There is always the saying that politics is all about interest and not permanent bedmate, whether it is so or not is subject to debate and depends on who the players or debaters are and what the focus of the argument is all about.  Some political analysts have subscribed to the notion that politics is all about interest and how that interest can be protected. In Africa and most developing countries, politics is about wealth and power; how to make money at the expense of the masses.

In Sierra Leone, the bad side of politics is evident in the behavioural pattern of the politicians, which is identical by every estimation, thoughts and imagination. They are interested in acquiring wealth at the detriment of the state. National development takes the bottom part of their agenda, and in most cases by the time they get to that point it’s already late and would embark on making lofty and unreasonable promises to the voting public.

Sierra Leone, since 1961 to date has suffered from unproductive politicians who only care for themselves and not how to turn the miserable conditions of the masses around. They always capitalize on the level of ignorance of the voters and their limited political education to make gains for their personal achievements, while the lives and social status of this category of people continue to deteriorate. Again, the characteristics of most politicians in the country are not worthy of emulation as it makes no meaningful and positive impact on the lives of the ordinary citizens. Some would say they lack morality, consistency and loyalty.

If we are to accept the doctrine of Hegel, a political philosopher that there is no morality in politics, then we must accept the way they behave, but perhaps Hegel was referring to the unfounded, unreferenced and unresearched morality that is lacking in politics and not the general concept and behavioural pattern evident in politicians. Few days back, news that some members of the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) had pitched tent with the ruling APC party. The shift made headlines on the newspapers and electronic media.

To most people who are conversant with the politics of Sierra Leone, it was no news but a forgone conclusion that they will abandon the SLPP for the ruling APC party where milk and honey are flowing, and that it was only a matter of time; which commenced some weeks back. What description could be used against these politicians is not known, because this is not the first time nor will it be the last to take place in the political landscape of the country.  Dr. Sheku Saccoh served the SLPP for over ten years and was posted to the Republic of Guinea as Ambassador; sadly he has nothing good to say about the party; despite the fact that he was able to sustain himself and family from the goodwill of ex-President Kabbah. Dr. Saccoh recently declared his support for the APC and claimed that his family advised him to become one of the APC converts of late.

The reason advanced by him is not only shallow, but depicts the true character of man as a political animal and also inconsistent. One would have expected Dr. Saccoh to remain with the SLPP and helped built it for the 2012 election, but inconsistency and disloyalty swayed him after he lost the SLPP Chairmanship contest in Kenema. One does not know which family member advised him to join the rank and file of the APC at this time. Whether it was Barba S.Kamara, Company Secretary of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (SLPA), who after having largely benefited from the SLPP largesse suddenly sees the party as a group of tribalist and greedy men or it was his natural instinct.

Dr. Saccoh’s involvement with the APC has unfortunately paid him no dividend as it is rumoured that the party hierarchy is reportedly very suspicious about him. Will he go back to the SLPP? This is the million dollar question left for him to answer. It would be recalled that similar incident took place at the National Stadium some four years back, when the current Ambassador designate to the Peoples Republic of China, Dr. Abdul Karim Koroma (AKK) claimed that his late father advised him in a dream to go back to his root. He went as he claimed, but was not treated the way he had expected and suddenly while in the SLPP, which was the ruling party at the time; he had another dream where he was advised again to return to his “true root” It is not known whether or not he would receive another dream and advise from his late father, now that he is serving as Ambassador under the APC in China.

Last week, the notorious and unpopular Dr. Fatmata Hassan of the late “Harry Yansaneh fame” who received maximum protection from the SLPP in a matter between her and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) turned her back against the party and pitched tent with the ruling APC.She left without reflecting on the past and now focusing on what the APC has in store for her. The question is, did the APC trust her? Or is she going to use the APC as she used to the SLPP to better and protect herself? The All Peoples Congress party should be weary and watchful of these people as they take exit from their original party to the ruling party.

More SLPP supporters, it is rumoured are planning to switch over to the ruling APC party before the 2012 election, because they feel that they can milk some political juice from the APC, which they cannot get from the opposition SLPP, forgetting that they were the people who dried up the SLPP and make it what  it  is today. The APC should treat them like any runaway child/children and realize that they will dump the red sun when its members are no more on the driving seat of political power. One is not saying that the move is illegal or not acceptable in modern politics, the argument is that they should demonstrate gratitude to the party that made them what they are in the eyes of the public.

If the SLPP is not on the seat today, it is not a passport to ferry them across to another destination that their presence would not be appreciated. They should remain where they were and contribute morally, financially and otherwise to rebuild the institution and not to abandon it for another vehicle. Though, there is a saying that political party supporters need no transfer certificate for another party, however for the sake of party loyalty it is good for them to stay where they would be respected among the lot.