By Thaimu Thullah
Judging from the latest songs released by a group of musical artists, who described themselves as ‘‘Kenema Boys’’, the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party led Government of President Julius Maada Bio stands accused of being selfish, greedy and stingy.
The greediness of the SLPP has reached its crescendo, to the extent that even their own, can no longer bear the silence of the party’s greediness, and therefore have taken the bull by the horn to sound their frustration and grievances over a system they fully voted for in 2018 elections.
As others have opined in the past, SLPP and greediness are bedfellows, whose culture for being greedy has been echoed before this time. In the words of former Regional Secretary of the SLPP, J. S Wandor, he described the SLPP Ministers in the late President Kabbah’s government as ‘‘greedy and uncommitted’’. He told newsmen at a news conference at the time that the SLPP Ministers only think of their families and relatives, and do not have the party at heart.
A researcher, whose presentation focused on Sierra Leone, has this to say about the SLPP under President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.
Mark V. Kollie, Reseach Associate, Africa Analysis International, AAI, Field Service Network, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa wrote: Corruption, Greed, Injustice And Humanitarian Assistance In Sierra Leone: The Slpp Government A Case Under Review.
In this article, Kollie explained a whole lot of issues surrounding the SLPP corruption, greed, injustice and humanitarian assistance in Sierra Leone, referencing the SLPP as a case study.
As if the assessment of Kollie is anything to go by, the same assessment has raised its ugly head again, and this time, it is when the SLPP is in governance under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio. There are those who believe that greed and greediness is in the veins of some SLPP members, and that majority don’t care about the party, not to talk of its poor supporters.
Referencing the Nightwatch Newspaper publication on the same issue, it reads:
‘‘In a song that can only be described as revealing, Kenema Boys, a group made up of four rap artists from the SLPP stronghold of Kenema, took a bold and honest to God stance detailing their expectations of and disappointments with the ruling party led government and their leaders with regards the hardships they and the Mende people of the Eastern Region are experiencing, under a regime that promised them much, but has been unable to perform to expectations. Kenema Boys said things are so hard and difficult for the people of Kenema that “some dae broke banga.”
In the song “Superman” the artists said, “…di Mende people dem we don suffer for natin; all the promise wae den promise we na for natin; di suffer-ness wae dae now e pass be-foe,” in reference to their economic reality under the previous APC led government of Sierra Leone under President Ernest Bai Koroma. The patriotic Sierra Leoneans, who said although “SLPP nah we party”, “all waetin den talk den nor do am.”