Leaders of the ruling Sierra Leone Peopleโs Party (SLPP) and the opposition National Grand Coalition (NGC), have on, Sunday, 23rd April, 2023, put aside their egos for the progress of the country.
At the launch of an alliance at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Western Freetown, President Julius Maada Bio who doubles as Leader of the SLPP, said they have decided to form an alliance because Sierra Leone is bigger than all of them, adding that the founding members of the SLPP did not hesitate to form an alliance in the past so, they should also not hesitate to do so.
โWe did not only come together to win the June 24 2023 elections but we have come together for the next generation whose future we will secure collectively. I have my own plans and KKY has his. So, we are looking at different pathways to actualize those plans for the betterment of the country,โ he said.
President Bio, who has, on several occasions, condemned the pelting of motherly invectives by ill-motivated people on decent and hardworking Sierra Leoneans, said nobody should facilitate, encourage, fund, or support anyone that is bent on demoralizing the women of Sierra Leone by pelting constant motherly invectives on them.
โWhether you are a member of the SLPP or the APC, you were born by a woman. I will never pelt motherly invectives on women and I will never encourage anyone to do so. We are great people with great ideas but we have been divided and I will tell you, a divided house cannot stand,โ he said and thanked the alliance members for endorsing him as the sole presidential candidate for the June 24 2023 elections.
Hon. Yumkella said the alliance demonstrates their collective determination to unite the country, noting that their diversity should serve as strength not division.
โWe donโt believe in hate but in hope and opportunities. Some people have been preaching hate and tribal bigotry but when no one adheres to them, they resort in pelting motherly invectives on decent Sierra Leoneans. We are fed up of hearing such derogatory words on the women of this country. We donโt believe that if we donโt have power, we should resort to destroying the countryโs image and scaring away investors,โ he said and thunderous shouting rented the atmosphere in response to his statement.
He said President Bio is not Sierra Leoneโs enemy, noting that the countryโs enemies are poverty, corruption and ignorance.
Political Parties Registration Commissionโs (PPRC) Chairman, Abdullai Masiambay Bangura, commended supporters of both the SLPP and NGC for behaving in an orderly manner throughout the launch of the alliance.
โWhen we heard about this alliance, we were observing to know if both parties were compliant to what the constitution dictates. So far, they have never created violence and we are impressed. So, we encourage others to emulate this example,โ he said and called on Sierra Leoneans to talk on issues instead of encouraging some people to pelt motherly invectives.