THE JAWEI POLITICS: WHO IS BLAMELESS AND FRESH?
By Bockarie
My name is Bockarie, I deliberately leave my surname out to avoid dragging my family name into a disrepute at this hour of unpleasant and involuntary silence. I am a native of Jawei Chiefdom, who has lived for over two decades away from my chiefdom, but have always followed stories and news about my home, the Great Jawei.
As a professional in my own discipline, knowing the excesses of people, especially when desperate to do or achieve something, in most cases, they care less about what happens next. I’ve always responded to worrisome information about my chiefdom by saying “it will be over some day” and take no side, especially when it comes to controversial issues involving people with opposing views.
I’ve never been privileged to have an independent and unbiased view on such matters, but always sense biases occasioned by petty – petty grievances among people of same interest in politics.
However, the Wednesday January 25th. 2023 publications on three different newspapers and online publishers caught my eyes, to see a semblance of objectivity and genuine love for our chiefdom – the Great Jawei.
On Wednesday 2th. January, 2023, the Focus 24/7 Newspaper published an opinionated article titled “JAWEI CHIEFDOM SUFFERING FROM INTRA-PARTY POLITICS” written by one Musa Kallon. On that same 25th. January 2023, another widely read newspaper, the Global Times, published a story titled “THE JAWEI POLITICS: A CHRONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN JAWEI CHIEFDOM CONSTITUENCY 007), an opinion write-up done by a guest writer (Mus Kallon), and the same caption on the Calabash Newspaper authored by a Musa Kallon, all bearing same content and published same day, Wednesday 25th. January, 2023.
I cannot talk about corroboration here, because I’m personally convinced that the author might be the same person across the three newspapers, but what is worth admiration is that it is a critical analysis of the political situation in my chiefdom and a fearless disclosure of the foundation to the growing conflict in my chiefdom.
The history, as told by this writer, could be remembered when the people of Jawei Chiefdom converged at Segbwema to request the late Ibrahim Kalilu Foday to contest under the Sierra Leone People’s Party ticket, when their own son, brother, and friend, Honourable Moinina Conteh took the All Peoples’ Congress (APC) symbol, instead of the SLPP symbol that he was sent to collect in Freetown. That short story which sent Honourable Ibrahim Kalilu Foday of Nyaluahun Chiefdom, to Parliament under the SLPP ticket and support of the people of Jawei Chiefdom, indicates how the people of Jawei Chiefdom could ignore their family members who go against their Tokpoi party, and further shows the unity among them, regardless of chiefdom boundaries, as long as they belong to the same SLPP.
Many years later, as the krio proverb says, “Bad bush no dae for troway bad pikin”, Mr. Moinina Conteh was awarded the SLPP symbol and went to Parliament thereby gaining the title “Honourable” Moinina Conteh.
Honourable Moinina Conteh, who lost the SLPP symbol in 2012, became an opposition to the SLPP that same year by his alleged support to an independent candidate, Francis Siani Massaquoi, of blessed memory.
He, five years later, openly championed the campaign for another independent candidate, who lost the symbol battle in the 2018 elections, thereby drawing a thick battle line between supporters of that independent candidate and the SLPP.
So, if he cross-carpets today from that independent candidate to support his own son for the same SLPP symbol, I agree 100% with this writer that the candidature of his son might pose a big threat to the unity and victory of the SLPP in that chiefdom/constituency and the entire Kailahun district.
On the side of the independent candidate, who is the current MP, I must agree with the writer that his support base has been divided grossly, let alone to think of him to be compensated for the deprivation of the SLPP in that chiefdom.
Furthermore, to mention the name of a son of a man who had benefited from the SLPP ticket and rose against them to crown an independent candidate to be awarded the SLPP symbol, is an abomination, in the period many quiet voters are describing as a “PAY BACK TIME”.
Yes, I agree that politics is about number. I also agree that a blameless and fresh candidate can offer the SLPP the much desired constituency 007 seat in Parliament and restore peace and unity in Jawei Chiefdom, for the enhancement of a sustainable development, but WHO COULD THIS BLAMELESS AND FRESH CANDIDATE BE is the big question for all peace and development loving indigenes of Jawei Chiefdom.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEARLESS WRITE-UP.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SUGGESTION OF NAMES OF BLAMELESS AND FRESH CANDIDATES.
In another related development, I’ve just read a write up on Facebook, claimed to be done by one Bockarie Kallon. But even with all these good work done by Musa Kallon, some people still hold contrary views to what he has written in his article. I knew as much as that, that at least one of Karmoh’s supporters would respond to his article as already done.
Let me make a few comments in response to this Bockarie Kallon, who has a contrary view, his right though, as follows:
1- Bockarie Kallon’s rejoinder has neither refuted the claims made by Musa Kallon nor affirmed them as the genuine truth of the political situation in Jawei Chiefdom. This needs to be ascertained in this argument.
2- Also, Bockarie Kallon raised the issue of some people to have been behind the publication on Global Times Newspaper, which strongly recommended to the SLPP that they should award symbol to only a blameless and fresh candidate and not to those who have been a party, either directly or indirectly, to the political conflict in Jawei Chiefdom, but didn’t mention whether his own write up was also facilitated by Mohamed Kallon of the Road Maintenance Fund and Marie Momoh, whom he had named as the peacemakers of Jawei Chiefdom.
3- The popularity of either Karmoh or Quinton, as claimed by this writer, can be answered by a simple arithmetic: 2-1=1 and 1-1=0 representing Quinton and Karmoh respectively.
4- Moreover, the number of years Honourable Moinina Conteh has spent in the SLPP is not as significant as his negative roles played therein. He succeeded, in a joint battle against Hon. Maada Moiwai Momoh and the SLPP as a party. Now he wants people to support his son for the same SLPP symbol, which he led an Independent candidate to compete against.
5- Mentioning the names of Mr. Mohamed Kallon, Marie Momoh, Chief Samai Bao and the Constituency 007 SLPP Chairman, Momoh Sei, to have worked hard to restore peace in Jawei Chiefdom is a blatant disclosure of those behind the campaign for Kamoh, after all the resolution of the SLPP led peace meeting, held at Bobor Bundu’s entertainment center in Daru about two years ago.
That peace meeting identified, among other causes of the violence in the 2018 election in Jawei, the side-taking of chiefdom and other Higher authorities in the conflict, instead of playing leadership roles. The meeting therefore resolved that all town and chiefdom authorities, the party executives and other key stakeholders should not play active part in the internal politics of the SLPP, like Mohamed Kallon and Marie Momoh and others are now apparently quoted by this so called Bockarie Kallon to have done. These people named above should not be talking about aspirant of choice by now, but rather be occupied by peace and reconciliation talks to regain the SLPP seat in Jawei Chiefdom.
6- Taking into account the roles played by Karmoh and his father in the 2018 Parliamentary Election in Jawei Chiefdom and the anger they caused, the very idea of talking about Karmoh’s interest in the SLPP symbol is a minus for the SLPP, let alone to award him our symbol. For a pay-back time like this, when Moinina Conteh should be begging SLPP supporters to forgive him for his wrong deeds to the SLPP, he should not be campaigning for his son to be awarded that Honourable symbol that he rendered meaningless.
7- Furthermore, naming Dr. Jibao and Chief Kenneth as a support base for the person the fake Bockarie Kallon is quoting, is so naive that his thinking ignored family or friendly relationship without political support. And finally
8- Fake Bockarie, your deceitfulness in defending a destroyer of our party in its stronghold is not only punishable by God, but also indicative of your extreme love for money as against the good of your people.
So, please leave Dr. Jibao alone and leave the SLPP to promote its interest and regain its seat in Jawei Chiefdom; don’t bring another “kus kas” here like your god father, Moinina Conteh, did in 2018.
