January 24, 2022
We have started seeing the political door revolve early in the new year. The most notable of the recent reshuffle involves the appointment of my dear friend, Hon. Dr. Alpha Kanu as Resident Minister for the North West, replacing Isata Abdulai-Kamara, who now becomes the Deputy Minister of Trade.
In many ways, appointing Alpha Kanu should not have come as a surprise. Though a top APC player, he has been very friendly with the current government, serving in advisory roles and considerably inclined to supporting the current Vice President in his forays into Port Loko. Many comments have been made about Alpha Kanu and this appointment. To his admirers, he is described as clever, experienced in governance, having good oratorical skills, friendly and a bridge builder. His detractors describe him as a shameless opportunist and a political prostitute who goes anywhere the wind is blowing. They are also equally divided over his political weight. Some say he is a political heavy weight and a big catch whilst those that oppose him say people like Hon. Kemoh Sesay have considerably more weight and influence in Port Loko. The government claims it is being inclusive but the opposition says it is poaching. Whatever the case, one thing is for certain, Alpha Kanu’s intellect, experience in governance and capacity to get along with others not of the same bent cannot be underestimated. He has now sailed through Parliament. No doubt his influence on the political landscape will come out in the wash later.
But spare a thought for another smart politician, Dr. Alie Kabbah. A masterful political strategist and orator, with a proclivity for getting along with the party grassroots membership, the surprise is that his fortunes have diminished over the past few years with this government. President Bio’s first Foreign Affairs Minister was demoted to Ambassador to the UN and later down-graded to Ambassador to Egypt. It is not known whether he actually took up this position, but now there is another Ambassador Sadiq Sillah and Kabbah has finally been shown the door. Many questions are being asked- “Why would a man who was Chairman of the party campaign committee that got President Bio elected be so harshly treated. Why was he not just sacked when he was Foreign Minister and sent into oblivion, but instead was given “slow poison” until his final ouster? A little bird has told me that many ardent Bio loyalists think he was probably too ambitious for his own good-whatever that means! Again it will all come out in the wash.
What has however come out in the wash is the fate of Attorney General Anthony Brewah who has undergone his second sacking. Spare a thought for poor Brewah, a likable person and an ardent supporter of the President who has had the misfortune of being involved in decisions that many consider reek of poor judgment that have got him sacked, first as Local Government Minister and now as Attorney General. This latest one beats the imagination. Proffering poor advice to the President on granting clemency to someone whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment-Baimba Moiforay aka LAC, involved in a high profile murder case and having the added poor judgment of taking pictures with him after his release is not the cleverest thing to do. Many say the President had no option but to rescind the pardon and sack the Attorney General. Others are calling for more heads to roll. Incidentally, what is it about the Office of Attorney General that has seen the departure of three Office holders in as many years since this government came into Office? We will leave that discussion to another day! As an epilogue to this latest case, some well-meaning people advise people in high positions to watch what they put their signature to and where they take pictures! Indeed, a word for the wise is sufficient.
Ponder my thought.