By Esther Wright
Alusine Kargbo the SLPP Publicity Secretary North-West has called on State actors to effectively conduct the Chieftaincy Election in the de-amalgamated Chiefdom of Mafoda/ Makerembay to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.
Alusine registered that the Chiefdom stakeholders have vowed to dishonour the calendar, until the agreed voters’ list is published for amidst appeals by defendants of the Chiefdom for Government to follow the due process.
The said chiefdom was under Libisaygahun in the Bombali district, when it was de-amalgamated in 2016 by the previous APC Government meaning it can now have its own Paramount Chief but such process has been marred by political interference from notable persons in that part of the country.
Alusine Kargbo said he felt cheated by the very people he trusted just because his opponent is all over the place dishing out money to some authorities who have ‘sold their pride’.
This medium gathered that the two Regent Chiefs have overstayed, hence the need for a Paramount Chief but for one reason or the other the Government has not been able to crown a new Paramount Chief since it came to power in April 2018 thus making the appointed Regent Chief to overstay.
What is more frustrating for Alusine Kargbo is when the momentum got heightened in the Chiefdom for the election in September. It was expected of the authorities to have prepared and circulated the timetable, the publication of the final voters’ list or gazette in line with the Chieftaincy Act-which says the voters’ list should be published in the chiefdom thrice before the elections.
The initial date for the publication of the voters’ list was to be on the 6th – 26th September 2020 but unfortunately the list or Gazette was not published in the chiefdom for verification of voters.
Alusine, being conversant with the process, suspected foul play and engaged the media to appeal to Government to address the issues the chiefdom had raised, before the closing date-among which was the publication of the updated voters’ list.
After that engagement with the media on 14th September 2020, another crowning timetable for the same chiefdom was circulated on the 15th of the same month, this time it indicated that the publication of voters’ list was completed but some have contested that saying such was never the case as it was never published.
This medium further gathered that the new timetable for the declaration of rights should now be on 26th of September 2010 and crowning on 9th of November 2020.
What is more confusing is that this candidate being imposed on the people by some big political figures from Gbinti and neighbouring Dibia Chiefdoms in the same Karene district, find it difficult to claim his rights and is an unpopular personality.
Our investigations further discovered that though Alusine Kargbo is also a supporter of the ruling SLPP, holding the position of Publicity Secretary for the party, he is not in the good books of certain big guns from the District and Chiefdom, though he supported one of them but declined to follow him when they break away from the Maada Bio camp while in opposition.
So even when he is a popular candidate, they still want to punish him for his refusal to support, Alhaji Bon Wurie.
What is interesting is that Mr. Kargbo has a cordial working relationship with Alusine Kargbo but he latter now feels cheated to popularize the party in the Bombali district.
He was sponsoring his nephew, Alusine Kargbo whose late father, Mohaed K Kargbo, was also a Zonal Chairman of the same SLPP at Old Wharf- in Freetown has was such a loyal supporter despite the trials he underwent.
Alusine Kargbo said he is bringing all these to the fore to let the people know how he has become the subject of neglect to something that he is entitled to and want the right thing to be done for posterity.
H said there is no way elections can be conducted without the display and verification of the voters’ list and this would not ensure for a free and fair process adding that after 70 years of amalgamation it is expected that the new Chiefdom would be given a new lease of life.
