“All labor that uplifts humanity has
dignity and importance, and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence”—Martin Luther King Jnr.
One of the best things that can happen to a
people is for them to be able to change their own momentum (Call it Destiny) at
any given time that life presents such an opportunity without necessarily being
docile. Sometime in 2007, precisely in the month of November while still
working with National Mirror
Newspaper (Before it was sold off to Jimoh Ibrahim) something very important
happened to my psyche at Lungi International Airport, Freetown and till date I
still revere that experience. I was given a diplomatic invite to witness the
inauguration of the country’s new leader, President Ernest Bai Koroma and there
I learnt the greatest political lesson of my life inside that water encircled airport
in the afternoon of Wednesday November 13th as our aero plane
touched ground.
people is for them to be able to change their own momentum (Call it Destiny) at
any given time that life presents such an opportunity without necessarily being
docile. Sometime in 2007, precisely in the month of November while still
working with National Mirror
Newspaper (Before it was sold off to Jimoh Ibrahim) something very important
happened to my psyche at Lungi International Airport, Freetown and till date I
still revere that experience. I was given a diplomatic invite to witness the
inauguration of the country’s new leader, President Ernest Bai Koroma and there
I learnt the greatest political lesson of my life inside that water encircled airport
in the afternoon of Wednesday November 13th as our aero plane
touched ground.
It all started with an encounter we had
with Bai Koroma on a special visit to Nigeria for the inauguration of our newly
sworn in President Umar Yar’Adua in Abuja in the month of June. Kunle Hamilton,
the gifted elite journalist and founder of the Glitterati mini magazine
experiment inside Thisday Newspaper had invited me and four other journalists to
meet with this white haired ebony colored man that we all learnt was vying
under one of the old political parties in Sierra Leone at the time for the
number one position of his country. Please, kindly forgive me if I can’t
remember the name of the political party right now but what I was personally
told about Koroma was that he was a first timer from the private sector, an
Insurance broker. Another great irony was the fact that it was only Bai Koroma
who stormed Nigeria on May 29th 2007
at the auspicious swearing in ceremony
of President Umar Yar’Adua in Abuja to
celebrate with the new Nigerian leader and it paid off for him as Yar’ Adua
reciprocated during his own inauguration on Thursday November 14th
of 2007 in Freetown. As at the time of his visit, there was already a build up
to a new presidential election in the over two decades war ravaged West African
country. Neither the outgoing President
Tejan Kabbah or his Vice, Solomon Barewa cared to visit Nigeria to celebrate
with President Yar’ Adua. On that same 29th of May 2007, both Kabbah
and Barewa I learnt were hosting President George Bush of America who was on a
special world development visit to the country; therefore, they missed “Big
Brother” Nigeria’s special moment. But the next man providence was preparing
for the top job was lucky to be around and we were able to interview him.
with Bai Koroma on a special visit to Nigeria for the inauguration of our newly
sworn in President Umar Yar’Adua in Abuja in the month of June. Kunle Hamilton,
the gifted elite journalist and founder of the Glitterati mini magazine
experiment inside Thisday Newspaper had invited me and four other journalists to
meet with this white haired ebony colored man that we all learnt was vying
under one of the old political parties in Sierra Leone at the time for the
number one position of his country. Please, kindly forgive me if I can’t
remember the name of the political party right now but what I was personally
told about Koroma was that he was a first timer from the private sector, an
Insurance broker. Another great irony was the fact that it was only Bai Koroma
who stormed Nigeria on May 29th 2007
at the auspicious swearing in ceremony
of President Umar Yar’Adua in Abuja to
celebrate with the new Nigerian leader and it paid off for him as Yar’ Adua
reciprocated during his own inauguration on Thursday November 14th
of 2007 in Freetown. As at the time of his visit, there was already a build up
to a new presidential election in the over two decades war ravaged West African
country. Neither the outgoing President
Tejan Kabbah or his Vice, Solomon Barewa cared to visit Nigeria to celebrate
with President Yar’ Adua. On that same 29th of May 2007, both Kabbah
and Barewa I learnt were hosting President George Bush of America who was on a
special world development visit to the country; therefore, they missed “Big
Brother” Nigeria’s special moment. But the next man providence was preparing
for the top job was lucky to be around and we were able to interview him.
To start with, Bai Koroma is a very
interesting personality that understands the dynamics of economics. He has his fundamentals
in Sierra Leon and an alumnus of the prestigious Fourah Bay College, Freetown
before his educational exploits in other institutions home and abroad, very
witty, intelligent, foresighted and brilliant to be with. But within me, I
doubted if he could win that election. Why, by then I had this huge fear around
me about the dispensable political demon called “Power of Incumbency”. I was
like majority of Nigerians who still suffer from this demon of political
development. I was damn sure that Bai was just a playboy who like every first
comer in our clime is only ready to test popularity. I thought Sierra Leon was
like my own Nigeria; hey boy! I was damn wrong. Those guys there know their
political onion and how to use it to maximum effect. I secretly informed my
host; Kunle Hamilton that Bai might not have his way with Sierra Leone. Yes,
Tejan Kabbah was on his way out of power after a ten years rule that was
characterized with severe economic problems arising from incessant coup
attempts and years of terrible civil war that has reduced the country to a
non-performer in the comity of African nations.
In fact, till the expiration of his tenure in Freetown, Tejan Kabbah we
learnt couldn’t even spare himself a space in the Presidential Villa on Siaka
Stephen Street, Freetown as he feared coup plotters could mob him there and
take political power off him. Hence, he choose to stay on a heavily guided hill
top somewhere in the capital from where he ruled the people of Sierra Leone for
the better part of his tenure. Now, as it is familiar with most African
leaders, Tejan Kabbah was ready to hand over power to his deputy, Solomon
Barewa who had assisted him to (Mis) rule the country from a hilltop in ten
straight years (except once while there was a coup intervention in 1994 which
was arrested by Nigeria’s General Sani Abacha and power returned to Kabbah).
The people of Sierra Leone from what I gathered loathed Kabbah and Barewa. In
fact it was a popular scandal then that their family members were not just
power drunk but equally politically corrupt. For instance there were wild
allegations that Kabbah’s first son (I have forgotten his name) was helping dad
to do some financial runs and that the boy was generally unloved by natives for
his wayward life style. The case of not having a wife was also rampant with the
president and several other allegations leveled against the man that cannot be
substantiated due to my few days visit to the country. For his Vice, Barewa, country men accused his
family of corruption and even mocked his wife at death. The woman was famously
reported to have died abode an aero plane while on a medical trip to a western
country to treat herself of an undisclosed ailment. It was just a bazaar of one
bad tale or the other for both Kabbah and Barewa. Well, country men were ready
to vote them out but in my heart I was not sure they could achieve that. So,
after my interview with Koroma, we (Nigerian) journalists ran our various
stories on him. In Mirror, I did a political treatise (report) on the guy and
his chances, just to please Kunle Hamilton. Other medium like Vanguard,
Guardian, Thisday and the rest did theirs. For me, I was very elated to have
met a presidential aspirant from another country but it only ended there;
nothing more.
interesting personality that understands the dynamics of economics. He has his fundamentals
in Sierra Leon and an alumnus of the prestigious Fourah Bay College, Freetown
before his educational exploits in other institutions home and abroad, very
witty, intelligent, foresighted and brilliant to be with. But within me, I
doubted if he could win that election. Why, by then I had this huge fear around
me about the dispensable political demon called “Power of Incumbency”. I was
like majority of Nigerians who still suffer from this demon of political
development. I was damn sure that Bai was just a playboy who like every first
comer in our clime is only ready to test popularity. I thought Sierra Leon was
like my own Nigeria; hey boy! I was damn wrong. Those guys there know their
political onion and how to use it to maximum effect. I secretly informed my
host; Kunle Hamilton that Bai might not have his way with Sierra Leone. Yes,
Tejan Kabbah was on his way out of power after a ten years rule that was
characterized with severe economic problems arising from incessant coup
attempts and years of terrible civil war that has reduced the country to a
non-performer in the comity of African nations.
In fact, till the expiration of his tenure in Freetown, Tejan Kabbah we
learnt couldn’t even spare himself a space in the Presidential Villa on Siaka
Stephen Street, Freetown as he feared coup plotters could mob him there and
take political power off him. Hence, he choose to stay on a heavily guided hill
top somewhere in the capital from where he ruled the people of Sierra Leone for
the better part of his tenure. Now, as it is familiar with most African
leaders, Tejan Kabbah was ready to hand over power to his deputy, Solomon
Barewa who had assisted him to (Mis) rule the country from a hilltop in ten
straight years (except once while there was a coup intervention in 1994 which
was arrested by Nigeria’s General Sani Abacha and power returned to Kabbah).
The people of Sierra Leone from what I gathered loathed Kabbah and Barewa. In
fact it was a popular scandal then that their family members were not just
power drunk but equally politically corrupt. For instance there were wild
allegations that Kabbah’s first son (I have forgotten his name) was helping dad
to do some financial runs and that the boy was generally unloved by natives for
his wayward life style. The case of not having a wife was also rampant with the
president and several other allegations leveled against the man that cannot be
substantiated due to my few days visit to the country. For his Vice, Barewa, country men accused his
family of corruption and even mocked his wife at death. The woman was famously
reported to have died abode an aero plane while on a medical trip to a western
country to treat herself of an undisclosed ailment. It was just a bazaar of one
bad tale or the other for both Kabbah and Barewa. Well, country men were ready
to vote them out but in my heart I was not sure they could achieve that. So,
after my interview with Koroma, we (Nigerian) journalists ran our various
stories on him. In Mirror, I did a political treatise (report) on the guy and
his chances, just to please Kunle Hamilton. Other medium like Vanguard,
Guardian, Thisday and the rest did theirs. For me, I was very elated to have
met a presidential aspirant from another country but it only ended there;
nothing more.
The election later took place (Permit my
forgetfulness of dates and other factors) but it was a hard-nut election. Lady
Thorpe, a woman and head of their electoral body in Sierra Leone (Equivalent of
our own Jega) had a very tough time conducting that election. For Koroma, the
“new man for the job”, it was like trying to cross from hell into heaven as
reports had it that deliberate attempts were made on his life on several
occassions. In fact he was physically assaulted at a particular pooling booth
inside the capital but for God’s act of kindness, he would have been mud. Truth
was, like every system that resists change, there was a stalemate and the
exercise was to cross for a supplementary election. Don’t forget, the
(Election) war was between Koroma, a new comer and the number 2 man of the old
order, Solomon Barewa. On the
re-election day, sometime in August of that year, Kunle Hamilton who was the most
powerful Nigerian Journalist that determined factors that led to victory in the
2007 Sierra Leonean elections beckoned on me and others to re-publish our
reports to coincide with the re-election schedule in Freetown. I remembered I
tagged my own report like this “This Foray Bay College Boy might become
Sierra Leon’s next president”. It was prophetic, dramatic and full of
interesting interpolations. But I was
right even though I only re-published the story for reporting sake; I never
believed Koroma could douse the establishment. Few weeks later, I had an
invitation from Kunle Hamilton who invited me to his Yaba home where he
beckoned on me to wait as he took his bath. We later drove out and off to the
Alogomeji Yaba based Sweet Sensation Restaurant. Our Sweet Sensation port of
call was as a result of my rejection of taking any hard drinks or whatsoever,
Hamilton himself is not a drinker of such mixtures. But I never knew there was
truly a “sweet sensation” on Kunle’s mind and he was ready to extend it to me
not just by taking me out for a meal but taking me out of town as well. It was
while I settled for the meal of Rice and Chicken with soft drink that Kunle Hamilton,
beaming with a smile that smacks of an act of either “mischief or something
funnier” said “Gbenga, eyan wa lo wole ni Sierra Leone” (Gbenga, our man won
the election in Sierra Leone), my spoon of rice dropped and I went hilarious
inside the eatery. I couldn’t believe my ears. Kunle added in my native dialect
that among all the reports done in Nigeria about Koroma, mine was the best and
for that reason, my name has been slated for diplomatic invitation. I was
really dazed because that was the first time such a thing was happening to me
and Kunle Hamilton was the harbinger. Few days later I forwarded my passport to
him as demanded and also informed my employer. But I was shocked when Kunle
Hamilton called me 48 hours to our take off that the journey has been cancelled
as a result of failure in securing a private jet for friends of Sierra Leone
coming from Nigeria and Ghana. I was dazed and disappointed; of course ‘the devil
is a liar’ (Abi no be so?). But twenty four hours later the story changed again
as Mr. Hamilton called me and ordered me to resend my passport for diplomatic
clarification as a new arrangement with Bellview Airline has been made to fly
us to Freetown. It was terrific and furious move as I had to rush back and
forth to ensure I didn’t fail the emergency text. I was lucky. The next day,
Wednesday November 13, we were all at the Murthala Mohammed International
Airport on our way to Sierra Leone. There were lots of other big Nigerians
travelling down with us; one of them was Lady Stella Okoli, the ambitious
entrepreneur and founder of Emzor Pharmaceutical Ltd whom I learnt was on the
trip to break new grounds in Sierra Leone. Others are former Lagos commissioner
for Information, Dele Alake and some other important dignitaries who were
travelling as advance team for Lagos Governor, Barrister Babatunde Fashola and
his predecessor and leader of his party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However,
two other men that were new to me were Henry Macauley a Nigerian based Sierra
Leonean business man whom I learnt was the real power behind Kunle Hamilton’s
journalistic exploits for Bai Koroma. Yes, Henry has since been compensated as
he is now the Sierra Leonean Ambassador to Nigeria. I have tried reaching him
several times since that experience but he, like every average black man has
stopped picking his calls. I am sure it is the same thing with Kunle Hamilton.
forgetfulness of dates and other factors) but it was a hard-nut election. Lady
Thorpe, a woman and head of their electoral body in Sierra Leone (Equivalent of
our own Jega) had a very tough time conducting that election. For Koroma, the
“new man for the job”, it was like trying to cross from hell into heaven as
reports had it that deliberate attempts were made on his life on several
occassions. In fact he was physically assaulted at a particular pooling booth
inside the capital but for God’s act of kindness, he would have been mud. Truth
was, like every system that resists change, there was a stalemate and the
exercise was to cross for a supplementary election. Don’t forget, the
(Election) war was between Koroma, a new comer and the number 2 man of the old
order, Solomon Barewa. On the
re-election day, sometime in August of that year, Kunle Hamilton who was the most
powerful Nigerian Journalist that determined factors that led to victory in the
2007 Sierra Leonean elections beckoned on me and others to re-publish our
reports to coincide with the re-election schedule in Freetown. I remembered I
tagged my own report like this “This Foray Bay College Boy might become
Sierra Leon’s next president”. It was prophetic, dramatic and full of
interesting interpolations. But I was
right even though I only re-published the story for reporting sake; I never
believed Koroma could douse the establishment. Few weeks later, I had an
invitation from Kunle Hamilton who invited me to his Yaba home where he
beckoned on me to wait as he took his bath. We later drove out and off to the
Alogomeji Yaba based Sweet Sensation Restaurant. Our Sweet Sensation port of
call was as a result of my rejection of taking any hard drinks or whatsoever,
Hamilton himself is not a drinker of such mixtures. But I never knew there was
truly a “sweet sensation” on Kunle’s mind and he was ready to extend it to me
not just by taking me out for a meal but taking me out of town as well. It was
while I settled for the meal of Rice and Chicken with soft drink that Kunle Hamilton,
beaming with a smile that smacks of an act of either “mischief or something
funnier” said “Gbenga, eyan wa lo wole ni Sierra Leone” (Gbenga, our man won
the election in Sierra Leone), my spoon of rice dropped and I went hilarious
inside the eatery. I couldn’t believe my ears. Kunle added in my native dialect
that among all the reports done in Nigeria about Koroma, mine was the best and
for that reason, my name has been slated for diplomatic invitation. I was
really dazed because that was the first time such a thing was happening to me
and Kunle Hamilton was the harbinger. Few days later I forwarded my passport to
him as demanded and also informed my employer. But I was shocked when Kunle
Hamilton called me 48 hours to our take off that the journey has been cancelled
as a result of failure in securing a private jet for friends of Sierra Leone
coming from Nigeria and Ghana. I was dazed and disappointed; of course ‘the devil
is a liar’ (Abi no be so?). But twenty four hours later the story changed again
as Mr. Hamilton called me and ordered me to resend my passport for diplomatic
clarification as a new arrangement with Bellview Airline has been made to fly
us to Freetown. It was terrific and furious move as I had to rush back and
forth to ensure I didn’t fail the emergency text. I was lucky. The next day,
Wednesday November 13, we were all at the Murthala Mohammed International
Airport on our way to Sierra Leone. There were lots of other big Nigerians
travelling down with us; one of them was Lady Stella Okoli, the ambitious
entrepreneur and founder of Emzor Pharmaceutical Ltd whom I learnt was on the
trip to break new grounds in Sierra Leone. Others are former Lagos commissioner
for Information, Dele Alake and some other important dignitaries who were
travelling as advance team for Lagos Governor, Barrister Babatunde Fashola and
his predecessor and leader of his party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However,
two other men that were new to me were Henry Macauley a Nigerian based Sierra
Leonean business man whom I learnt was the real power behind Kunle Hamilton’s
journalistic exploits for Bai Koroma. Yes, Henry has since been compensated as
he is now the Sierra Leonean Ambassador to Nigeria. I have tried reaching him
several times since that experience but he, like every average black man has
stopped picking his calls. I am sure it is the same thing with Kunle Hamilton.
The second man I met on that flight and who
has remained very pleasant and friendly to me till date is Ambassador
(Professor) Dew Tuan Whley Mayson, a former Liberian ambassador to France,
Spain, Canada and Nigeria who is now the country’s special envoy and a former
presidential aspirant. Till date, Ambassador Mayson who is closer to Nigeria
than his own country, Liberia sends me diplomatic greeting cards every
Christmas season since 2007; I don’t know where he got his legendary attitude
for leadership. I call them diplomatic
greeting cards because most of the cards are either carrying the emblems of the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) or that of any of the UN sub agencies
and it is always marked with his personal signature from his Sankoor Air Field,
Monrovia address.
has remained very pleasant and friendly to me till date is Ambassador
(Professor) Dew Tuan Whley Mayson, a former Liberian ambassador to France,
Spain, Canada and Nigeria who is now the country’s special envoy and a former
presidential aspirant. Till date, Ambassador Mayson who is closer to Nigeria
than his own country, Liberia sends me diplomatic greeting cards every
Christmas season since 2007; I don’t know where he got his legendary attitude
for leadership. I call them diplomatic
greeting cards because most of the cards are either carrying the emblems of the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) or that of any of the UN sub agencies
and it is always marked with his personal signature from his Sankoor Air Field,
Monrovia address.
Our flight tasked off first to Kotoka Airport,
Accra where we picked some VIPs heading for the inaugural occasion of Bai
Koroma in Freetown. We soon embarked on
a two hour journey into Lungi Airport, Freetown. While landing I was full of apprehension as I
thought the plane was diving into an ocean. The airport is so small that you
will mistake it for an island. My fear was made pronounced due to my sitting
slot beside the window which is my favorite side during an air journey. We got there around 2pm or there about; here
Henry Macauley took charge as we went through immigration formalities before we
were escorted into the part of the airport where we could either take a
commuter boat to land or a helicopter to Mammy-Yoko, the heliport. From the sight of Lungi Airport, you could
see that our own Oweri airport is far better than it the only difference is
that the people who live in this country thinks better than our own people here
in terms of political discretion.
Accra where we picked some VIPs heading for the inaugural occasion of Bai
Koroma in Freetown. We soon embarked on
a two hour journey into Lungi Airport, Freetown. While landing I was full of apprehension as I
thought the plane was diving into an ocean. The airport is so small that you
will mistake it for an island. My fear was made pronounced due to my sitting
slot beside the window which is my favorite side during an air journey. We got there around 2pm or there about; here
Henry Macauley took charge as we went through immigration formalities before we
were escorted into the part of the airport where we could either take a
commuter boat to land or a helicopter to Mammy-Yoko, the heliport. From the sight of Lungi Airport, you could
see that our own Oweri airport is far better than it the only difference is
that the people who live in this country thinks better than our own people here
in terms of political discretion.
Because we were large in number, the
helicopter had to take us batch by batch. I and Kunle Hamilton were in the last
batch. It was while waiting for our turn that the biggest lesson in political
development hit me at Freetown. And it was delivered to me by a half educated
luggage carrier at the airport. I had asked the average aged man (I can’t
recall his name any longer) a simple question “How did you guys did it by
electing a new apolitical man into power?” His answer came short but
very punchy and disturbing to my mind “We changed our destiny with our thumb”
(He expressed it with the stretching of his thumb for maximum understanding).
For few seconds, my mind razed back home and I sadly remembered how our stupid
people will collect mundane gratifications ranging from packets of Noodles,
text books, small bags of rice down to stinking cash gifts like N200 naira and
above?. I wondered in my troubled thought when will Nigeria awaken to the
reality of the one day thumb power opportunity
that could remove inefficiency and enthrone exigency in Government. I was in this troubled state of mind when our
helicopter touched ground and we were led into it for the seven minute onward
journey to Mammy-Yoko Heliport. Apart from the shaky noise of the helicopter
coupled with the heavy current of the water under neat the copter, nothing else
made us happy until we landed at Mammy Yoko and saw the convoy of diplomatic
cars that came to receive us coupled with diplomatic staff that struggled to
help us with our luggage. We were driven into the beautiful sights of Lumley
Blue Sea and the loving sights of Hotel Bintumani into an estate (Badere, I
think) where Henry Macualey and other top guys (Who are now in Power) were
baying for sponsoring our pleasure. In fact expensive meals and sumptuous wines
were already being served when one powerful woman, Barrister (Mrs.) Sally
Katumal, one of the famous human right activists in Sierra Leone sent for us
with a single Prado jeep. Barrister Sally Katumal is half Sierra Leonean, half
Nigerian and married to an Indian business man. In fact, she is Kunle
Hamilton’s paternal half-sister. You see why she found it a task to be the one
to host us? On getting to her place, the kind of treatment she gave us was
indescribable. Even when I asked for a stout and her house help, Pose couldn’t
find one in the fridge, and because evening has come, I tried to advise her not
to bother but to my utmost surprise, she sent her driver to go get the drink
for me. It was her habit, after serving
us all sorts of assorted meals ranging from fish soup, rabbit meat stew, boil
yam, assorted vegetal stew and semovita, she will calmly say “enjoy” with a
unique smile that makes her look more Mexican than Sierra Leonean (She is light
in completion and charming) our first three days was spent in her house before
Kunle Hamilton rushed back to Nigeria via Accra for his mother’s birthday
celebration while I relocated to Henry Macaulay’s
guest villa to spend the last night before my return on Sunday November 17th. Although Barrister (Mrs.) Katumal promised to
take us on picnic to the famous Lumley Beach but we couldn’t achieve that
before we left because she was such a very busy lady. In most cases, she
excuses herself from us saying ‘please can you excuse me, I have a case to
defend in court tomorrow’. All through our stay, her black Prado jeep with a chilling
air condition and a permanent slot of Luther Dandross songs inside the stereo
makes us feel good anytime myself and Kunle Hamilton are going for engagements.
On Thursday 17th November, which is the inauguration day, we drove
to Henry’s place from where we got our accreditation cards before driving in
full convoy to Hotel Bintumani, unarguably the best hospitality edifice in
Freetown where diplomats and political leaders like Yayah Jameh of Gambia took
a suite. Unlike other African Presidents that came for the inauguration, Yayah
Jameh stayed longer in Hotel Bintumani before and after the event. That was
where Ambassador Mayson also resided and from there we all headed to the
stadium in the heart of Freetown where the event took place with multitude of
Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone from various countries of the
world, although the security was tight but the people had their best of day
with expression and celebration. The color of the day was red as that was the
color of the new ruling party. Two significant thing happened that day, the
ousted president, Tejan Kabbah stormed the stadium to hand over what is known
as the “baton of leadership” to the new man, Bai Koroma. For many of the
citizens, that was a very historic moment in the life of their country as the
man they sacked despite the deluge of allegations hanging on his head was able
to surmount the courage to show up and acknowledge his defeat like a sports
man. Secondly, Bai Koroma told his countrymen that he was ready to change their
fortune but they must help him by changing their attitude towards government
and its intention. The import of that statement hit us when the President hosts
us during a presidential banquet in the evening of that same day at the
Presidential villa, Siaka Stephen Street, Freetown. A large part of the Villa
was smelling of rotten soak-away as we later learnt that Tejan Kabbah never
touched or cared about the place in the last 8 years or thereabout. The place
was in a very sorry state and the new president who thanked us for our support
promised to change so many things as he is ready to run Sierra Leon like a
private company and that he will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
helicopter had to take us batch by batch. I and Kunle Hamilton were in the last
batch. It was while waiting for our turn that the biggest lesson in political
development hit me at Freetown. And it was delivered to me by a half educated
luggage carrier at the airport. I had asked the average aged man (I can’t
recall his name any longer) a simple question “How did you guys did it by
electing a new apolitical man into power?” His answer came short but
very punchy and disturbing to my mind “We changed our destiny with our thumb”
(He expressed it with the stretching of his thumb for maximum understanding).
For few seconds, my mind razed back home and I sadly remembered how our stupid
people will collect mundane gratifications ranging from packets of Noodles,
text books, small bags of rice down to stinking cash gifts like N200 naira and
above?. I wondered in my troubled thought when will Nigeria awaken to the
reality of the one day thumb power opportunity
that could remove inefficiency and enthrone exigency in Government. I was in this troubled state of mind when our
helicopter touched ground and we were led into it for the seven minute onward
journey to Mammy-Yoko Heliport. Apart from the shaky noise of the helicopter
coupled with the heavy current of the water under neat the copter, nothing else
made us happy until we landed at Mammy Yoko and saw the convoy of diplomatic
cars that came to receive us coupled with diplomatic staff that struggled to
help us with our luggage. We were driven into the beautiful sights of Lumley
Blue Sea and the loving sights of Hotel Bintumani into an estate (Badere, I
think) where Henry Macualey and other top guys (Who are now in Power) were
baying for sponsoring our pleasure. In fact expensive meals and sumptuous wines
were already being served when one powerful woman, Barrister (Mrs.) Sally
Katumal, one of the famous human right activists in Sierra Leone sent for us
with a single Prado jeep. Barrister Sally Katumal is half Sierra Leonean, half
Nigerian and married to an Indian business man. In fact, she is Kunle
Hamilton’s paternal half-sister. You see why she found it a task to be the one
to host us? On getting to her place, the kind of treatment she gave us was
indescribable. Even when I asked for a stout and her house help, Pose couldn’t
find one in the fridge, and because evening has come, I tried to advise her not
to bother but to my utmost surprise, she sent her driver to go get the drink
for me. It was her habit, after serving
us all sorts of assorted meals ranging from fish soup, rabbit meat stew, boil
yam, assorted vegetal stew and semovita, she will calmly say “enjoy” with a
unique smile that makes her look more Mexican than Sierra Leonean (She is light
in completion and charming) our first three days was spent in her house before
Kunle Hamilton rushed back to Nigeria via Accra for his mother’s birthday
celebration while I relocated to Henry Macaulay’s
guest villa to spend the last night before my return on Sunday November 17th. Although Barrister (Mrs.) Katumal promised to
take us on picnic to the famous Lumley Beach but we couldn’t achieve that
before we left because she was such a very busy lady. In most cases, she
excuses herself from us saying ‘please can you excuse me, I have a case to
defend in court tomorrow’. All through our stay, her black Prado jeep with a chilling
air condition and a permanent slot of Luther Dandross songs inside the stereo
makes us feel good anytime myself and Kunle Hamilton are going for engagements.
On Thursday 17th November, which is the inauguration day, we drove
to Henry’s place from where we got our accreditation cards before driving in
full convoy to Hotel Bintumani, unarguably the best hospitality edifice in
Freetown where diplomats and political leaders like Yayah Jameh of Gambia took
a suite. Unlike other African Presidents that came for the inauguration, Yayah
Jameh stayed longer in Hotel Bintumani before and after the event. That was
where Ambassador Mayson also resided and from there we all headed to the
stadium in the heart of Freetown where the event took place with multitude of
Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone from various countries of the
world, although the security was tight but the people had their best of day
with expression and celebration. The color of the day was red as that was the
color of the new ruling party. Two significant thing happened that day, the
ousted president, Tejan Kabbah stormed the stadium to hand over what is known
as the “baton of leadership” to the new man, Bai Koroma. For many of the
citizens, that was a very historic moment in the life of their country as the
man they sacked despite the deluge of allegations hanging on his head was able
to surmount the courage to show up and acknowledge his defeat like a sports
man. Secondly, Bai Koroma told his countrymen that he was ready to change their
fortune but they must help him by changing their attitude towards government
and its intention. The import of that statement hit us when the President hosts
us during a presidential banquet in the evening of that same day at the
Presidential villa, Siaka Stephen Street, Freetown. A large part of the Villa
was smelling of rotten soak-away as we later learnt that Tejan Kabbah never
touched or cared about the place in the last 8 years or thereabout. The place
was in a very sorry state and the new president who thanked us for our support
promised to change so many things as he is ready to run Sierra Leon like a
private company and that he will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The VIP Pen he gave us that night is still
with me till date with his name on it; I hold both his gift and presidential
gesture in very high esteem because true to his word, I learnt he has changed
so many things in Sierra Leone. His style and strategy according to our
friendly source is that he often changes his ministers and redeploys them every
three-three months. The sense behind this is that if you are posted to any
ministry, before you start feeling as if you are the owner of that portfolio or
that it is your father’s constituency like our own Stella Oduah, Nyesom Wike
and Godsday Orubebe in Nigeria, Bai will relocate or sack you depending on your
performance quotient. So, once you are in, it is work without partiality or
favor. It is simply political professionalism and brinkmanship that is expected
of you.
with me till date with his name on it; I hold both his gift and presidential
gesture in very high esteem because true to his word, I learnt he has changed
so many things in Sierra Leone. His style and strategy according to our
friendly source is that he often changes his ministers and redeploys them every
three-three months. The sense behind this is that if you are posted to any
ministry, before you start feeling as if you are the owner of that portfolio or
that it is your father’s constituency like our own Stella Oduah, Nyesom Wike
and Godsday Orubebe in Nigeria, Bai will relocate or sack you depending on your
performance quotient. So, once you are in, it is work without partiality or
favor. It is simply political professionalism and brinkmanship that is expected
of you.
Let me shock you by saying the case of
Sierra Leone was worse than Nigeria when we visited. There was no power; in
fact we were only lucky that our hosts were big men. The water connections were
bad and sanitations was at its lowest ebb up to the presidential villa. But
right now, I learnt Koroma has changed everything by running the country with
his enormous private sector inclinations and a political brinkmanship second to
none. During my visit, I discovered that despite their lively nature, their
media industry was poor with major radio stations being owned by either
Lebanese investors or United Nations sub agencies. I spoke to one of Africa’s
strongest journalists Isha Tejan Cole whose husband, Mr. Johansen hosted me in
their hill top mansion in Freetown; Mr. Johansen was the Norwegian Ambassador
to Sierra Leone as well as the Managing Director of Leone Cement, the frontline
cement manufacturing firm in Sierra Leone. I also met society lady and
entrepreneur, Jeneba Sesay whose father was the chairman of the ruling party at
the time and Alhaji Alpha B Kanu who was the spokesperson for the newly sworn
in President. I met Cole, Jeneba and Kanu at different venues some hours before
my flight back to Nigeria. They were all very interesting Sierra Leoneans but
the general thought was that Sierra Leon (Selone) needs a change. And today,
they got it.
Sierra Leone was worse than Nigeria when we visited. There was no power; in
fact we were only lucky that our hosts were big men. The water connections were
bad and sanitations was at its lowest ebb up to the presidential villa. But
right now, I learnt Koroma has changed everything by running the country with
his enormous private sector inclinations and a political brinkmanship second to
none. During my visit, I discovered that despite their lively nature, their
media industry was poor with major radio stations being owned by either
Lebanese investors or United Nations sub agencies. I spoke to one of Africa’s
strongest journalists Isha Tejan Cole whose husband, Mr. Johansen hosted me in
their hill top mansion in Freetown; Mr. Johansen was the Norwegian Ambassador
to Sierra Leone as well as the Managing Director of Leone Cement, the frontline
cement manufacturing firm in Sierra Leone. I also met society lady and
entrepreneur, Jeneba Sesay whose father was the chairman of the ruling party at
the time and Alhaji Alpha B Kanu who was the spokesperson for the newly sworn
in President. I met Cole, Jeneba and Kanu at different venues some hours before
my flight back to Nigeria. They were all very interesting Sierra Leoneans but
the general thought was that Sierra Leon (Selone) needs a change. And today,
they got it.
Back to the word of the luggage carrier at
Lungi Airport “We changed our destiny with our thumb, can you conveniently say
you will learn a lesson from that just like I did? 2015 will tell.
Lungi Airport “We changed our destiny with our thumb, can you conveniently say
you will learn a lesson from that just like I did? 2015 will tell.
