By Amin Kef-Ranger
It is often said that if you do not want invectives to be thrown against your mother then one should not venture into politics and if one does not want to be called all sorts of odd names or associated with the devil politics must be a no go area. This is more so true in this part of the world where the struggle to attain political power is so intense that people can do things extremely in order to maintain or get the upper hand. One is called a thief when he or she is not, a traitor when one means well for others.
It should be no surprising that there are individuals who will stab you at the back just to appear like they are saints when they are not but rather doing so as a way of weakening their political opponents.
It therefore came as no surprise when it was seen on Social Media a write-up full of deliberate fabrications and spinning against Mohamed Gento Kamara popularly known as Gento ,with the writer of the piece creating a scenario of a major blunder committed by the fine gentleman during the Annual Thanksgiving Service held by the AU Memorial UBC Church in Kissy on Sunday 11th December, 2022 during which Mohamed Gento Kamara served as the Chief Grand Patron.
The writer is quoted to have written:
“Most of the people that are bringing unrest in this country are people that are coming from my own tribe”, Med Gento Kamara told the congregants at UBC Church in Kissy.
Let it be known that the fine gentleman never said those words or he was misquoted probably out of prejudice, pre-conceived dislikes or the writer was trying to fight another cause but with Gento standing on the way, serving as a bulwark, he thought that might hinder his desire and promote the interests of his paymasters but as stated above this is the kind of dirty politics that is being played in this country by some.
On that Sunday, Gento was so warmly welcomed by residents of Kissy, even though he was not there primarily to address them as a community but went to serve as the Grand Chief Patron during the Annual Thanksgiving Service held by the AU Memorial UBC Church, Kissy.
Because people got wind of the function he was invited to perform, soon a huge crowd has been formed ,some jostling to get a glimpse of the man who has stepped forward to contest for the Mayoral Seat in the forthcoming Municipal Election slated to take place in 2023.
As he stepped out of his vehicle the crowd went wild, cheering “Gento…Gentoooo….Gentoooo!!!” as he waved on. Ushered in by the clergy of the Church he took his seat.
When it was time for introduction, the Reverend intimated the congregation that as they celebrate another annual thanksgiving they are blessed to have in their midst the man who wants to become the next Mayor of the Freetown Municipality, Mohamed Gento Kamara.
The Reverend furthered that those who seek shall find underscoring that Gento is seeking the Mayoral Position and if he does so conscientiously then he stands a great chance of succeeding. He admonished him to be God fearing at all times.
In a brief statement, Mohamed Gento Kamara, told the congregation that his main intention of coming into politics is bent on the fact of bridging the gap of Tribalism and unifying Freetonians. He continued that as his first move after conceiving the idea of contesting as Mayor, under the banner of the SLPP, was to invite and bring together all the Tribal Leaders in Freetown and reasoned out with them to see the need to bury tribal sentiments when it comes to politics but rather to do things that will promote unity and development.
According to him he has repeatedly expressed those views in all the engagements he has had from Kuntolor, Kroo Bay etc.
He furthered that as a Muslim, joining one of the aged churches in the East End of Freetown has indicated a key fabric of unification which is religious tolerance adding that he is no stranger in that part of the country as he has been part of it since he was a boy.
Gento warned against tribalism stressing that it is a cankerworm that eats deep into the fabric of national cohesion and development. He said as we are approaching the electioneering year we must resist from pledging political support based on tribal sentiments.
“I am an exemplary figure of not being fanatically tribal in the sense that my father is a Temne, my mother a Limba and being married to a Mandingo-Mende woman,” he told the congregation succinctly evoking a round of applause.
Gento also told them that the unfortunate incident that occurred on August 10 was as a result of the widespread indiscipline that has permeated the city simply because some of the systems are not working or may have been short-circuited.
“Together we can re-channel the minds of our errant youths into productive enterprises instead of seeing them killing themselves with drugs and being used by bad politicians,” he challenged them adding that he is not promising heaven on earth but he will do his best in making Freetown regain its past glory and take its rightful position as a historical place in Black history.
He said some people are saying he has turned his back against the former President Ernest Bai Koroma and the APC Party who awarded him contracts during his administration and made him rich. To them he said he was a businessman who bid for contracts and won because he met all the requirements underscoring that it was not a favour that was done to him because of political loyalty.
“As a businessman you work with any Government that is in power and I did not personally lobby for contracts as some are mistakenly spreading the false claims,” he stated.
Towards the end of the service Gento pledged his financial support towards the construction of a school by the church and an additional sum of fifty million Leones towards the development of the church.
The highpoint of the programme was when the Church endorsed and blessed his aspiration with the Reverend mentioning that God is the giver of all positions. They also promised to always remember him in their prayers.
A political commentator of reputable standing maintained that political competition has always being somehow toxic with some people having the proclivity of stamping on one’s chest just to be seen. He maintained that instead of churning out good reasons why people should support one political aspirant against another they are good at assassinating the characters of well meaning individuals of high repute in society for no justifiable reason other than the Pull Him Down Syndrome.
