By Amin Kef (Ranger)
One of the foremost and prominent diplomats in the country, who doubles as the Executive Director of Pikin Bizness, Dr. Adonis Aboud, has cautioned politicians, especially the representatives of the two dominant political parties in the country, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC) Party to whom he passionately appealed for them to exclude school children from politics.
Dr Abboud categorically stated that politicians should not be going to schools for whatever reason because such may create a tendency of diverting their attention from concentrating on their studies.
He accepted the fact that there are school children that have reached eighteen years and are therefore eligible to register to vote but underscored that these children should not be canvassed by politicians to vote.
According to him, in recent months several political parties were found guilty of canvassing pupils’ right inside their school premises and sometimes with tacit or active approval from school authorities.
He added that some of these political parties even went to schools to dish out scholarships and other gifts to children that have reached voting age with promises that they stand to benefit more if they register and vote for the party dishing out the gifts.
The philanthropist disclosed that it is on record that school children (first time voters) are gullible and some of them fell for that trick which is why he, who is a philanthropist with passion for children spoke with representatives of the two main political parties about this issue and the way forward.
Dr. Adonis Aboud is the Executive Director of Pikin Bizness a philanthropic organization which has contributed immensely in the treatment of children with heart problems and other serious illness needing urgent surgical treatment abroad. He is also contributing to the education of children through provision of scholarships, schooling and teaching materials for hundreds of children across Sierra Leone.
