By Hassan Bruz Northern Bureau Chief.
It is about three years now when the then strongman for the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party, Alhaji Dr. Alpha Kanu said the People of Port Loko District should see the need to embrace and support the aims and aspirations of Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh as a God-sent gift regardless the Political Party he represents.
The version of Dr. Alpha Kanu was not very much digested even when he narrowed that down to the folktale of a People who should make do of a Syrian, Lebanese or an Albino, while searching for a Whiteman’ until the latter is secured. He was not only demonstrating an outstanding courage, but also portrayed a high level of foresightedness.
Alhaji Dr. Alpha Kanuย was addressing his fellow descendants of Port Loko District,ย after he was denied the opportunity to serve as Presidential candidate under the then Ruling All Peoples Congressย [APC] Party.
It was also the occasion of the maiden visit of Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to the District in his capacity of Vice President under the Sierra Leone Peoples Party – the arch-rival of the APC Party.
Alhaji Dr. Alpha Kanu summarized his statement with the fact that Port Loko wanted the position of President under the APC but has now been blessed with a Vice President from another Political Party. He said they should resolve their differences and offer support for Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh as another indigene of the District. But Alhaji Alpha Kanu was not only booed at, but has since been viewed as an unforgivable betrayal.
Interestingly, the statement of Dr. Alpha Kanu has now been regarded as a clarion call that should be adhered to by all and sundry barely three years down the line. There are no clear reasons for the apparent shift the People of Port Loko District have made apart from the two perceptions I tend to nurture. One of such perceptions is that the All People Congress Party is yet to showcase readiness for the assumption of Leadership against 2023. Quite a good number of its Members or Supporters have not been able to demonstrate the required Unity for winning the pending 2023 General Elections.
My other perception is that Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh is such an upright person that he is determined and ready to do all the needful so that Port Loko will no longer be considered as a fortified stronghold for the APC. This is deduced from the most recent tour conducted which took him to Songo, Lower Koya, Masiaka, Gberay Junction, Kamasundo, Lokomasama and Kaffu Bullom.
The purpose of this District tour was for the Vice President to have direct talks with key stakeholders on the expectations, the potential challenges and to as well strategize on how those goals could be achieved.
Although these engagements were intended to be held in close doors and one Group after the other in accordance with the COVID 19 Protocols, yet the Vice President was compelled by the unreserved desire of the Crowds who wanted to at least have a glimpse of him.
This eventually resulted to brief general meetings before the Close door talks with Key Stakeholders. There were massive Crowds everywhere ready to accord the Vice President a rousing welcome. Indeed there was hardly a better way for the Locals to display a ray of affection for a dear brother than what the People of Port Loko did over the weekend. At Songo, Lower Koya, and Masiaka, where Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh made his first engagements, he said the tour of the District was embarked upon after he has realised that most People could not access him because of his tight official assignments even though they would have liked to share some important concerns with him.
Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said he was in the district to avail himself as an indigene that is ready to give all the support he was able to offer. He therefore encouraged them to tell their expectations, challenges and suggest ways for the actualization of those wants.
At Gberay Junction, Kamasondo, Lokomasama and Kaffu Bullom, the Vice President used the occasion to brief them about the desire of President Julius Maada Bio to develop this Nation despite the inherited challenges. He said even though the Corona Pandemic posed a threat in actualising the dreams of the President, again a lot of development Projects are ongoing Countrywide. He cited the Youths in Fisheries, Carwash, Munafa and several other Projects geared towards improving the standards of living of Sierra Leoneans and foster National Development. Dr. Juldeh Jalloh assured the Gatherings of Government’s determination to continue to do its best in the provision of gainful employment adding that more Mining Companies will soon emerge to address the issue of unemployment.
On the aspect of Agriculture, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh said it is the wish of Government to introduce Mechanised Farming. He said a lot of Equipment have already been procured and distributed across the Country to promote the interest of Farmers. He noted that Mr. Mohamed Alpha Gassama aka ‘Mr. Top man’ – a Senior Master Farmer who doubles as a native of Gbainty Wallah, the leading Rice Producing Area in the District, is the Bid winner and man in charge of all the Farming activities in the Port Loko District. The Vice President therefore admonished all those who would want to access either Tractors or Fertilizer to go through ‘Mr. Top Man’. It was publicly said by the representatives of the respective Stakeholders that the visit of Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh could not have come at a better than now when Muslims are about to commence their month long Fasting. Faces beamed with renewed hope after the traditional shake hands more so when the concerns spotlighted by the respective Groups of Stakeholders assured of being addressed. The Women and other Business People who requested for Micro-credit support, the Religious Leaders who pleaded for the construction or and rehabilitate of their Mosques were all assured of an immediate response. In conclusion, the Vice President promised to liaise with the National Commission for Social Action [NaCSA] for the construction of some of the Roads while assurances for a solid support to all his aspirations were made to the Vice President.
