June 18, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
Veteran politician who doubles as incumbent Western Area Chairman Hon. Manso Dumbuya of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party has confidently stated that the pending party election is an assured win for him, noting that those contending his position are insincere and insulting towards the party and his personality. In an exclusive interview at his office as Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Port, the firebrand politician says 2023 elections is going to change the political narrative where tribal politics is going to be killed.
He says: “my track record speaks volume about my suitability to retain power and consolidate the manifesto promises of President Julius Maada Bio.
He was very definitive to speak about the eligibility of one of those aspirants in the person of Brima Keita. Hon. Manos Dumbuya was able to provide documentary evidence that indicates that Brima Keita is not in good standing to run for national executive position.
By the letter of 7th February 2-19, Brima Keita tendered his resignation in the National Grand Coalition. Brima Keita stated in the referenced letter: It was a great pleasure to serve in the party as an Executive and want to all my comrades for given me such a great honour. I wish the party good luck in all their political endeavors.
The quoted letter of resignation is self-evident that Brima Keita had left the ruling party run up to the election of the SLPP. What our investigation has not uncovered is the process that Keita followed in returning to the party.
What we have gathered is that there was a legal opinion on the eligibility issue of Keita. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Anthony Berewa is said to have briefed and instructed Ibrahim Fayiah Sawaneh Esq to provide the opinion. The essential details relevant to prove the eligibility of Keita has been excised to read thus:
“… it is my opinion that Mr. Brima Keita wa not a member of of the SLPP from the latter part of the year 2017, and the entire years 2018 and early part of 2019. In other words, he lost all his rights as a member of the Party, one of which being to seek to be elected or appointed to hold any office or position at any level of party organization as enshrined in Article 2 (a) and (b) of the August 2020 SLPP Constitution.
The qualification is made in the opinion document for Keita that based on his resignation letter dated Feebruary 2019, he can run for a position at the zonal level but not for a national position.
And this point is stated in document submitted by the legal mind at our disposal which excerpt reads: “on the election to the constituency, district, regional and national election levels I must categorical state that Mr. Brima Keita is not qualified to run for nay position in these categories by reason of the criteria stated in the said constitution. He has not been a fully registered paid up member of the party for the period of at least three years.
We asked Hon. Manso Dumbuya what he thinks about the contenders? He was very direct to say that they are jokers, who have not risen through the ranks of the party structure to prove their mettle to be trusted with party leadership.
The veteran politician who had joined the party way back in the 1960s gone to jail five times suggests that he has seen it all.
Manso Dumbuya recounts his political relevance in winning national accolade from the Political Parties Registration Commission as he being the Peace Ambassador and Political Godfather for outstanding political leadership and commitment to national peace, cohesion and development in Sierra Leone. This was an accolade conferred on him at a time he was in parliament on 8 April in 2021. All Works of Life had equally awarded him as lawmaker of the year, a title that pitted him and former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
An upbeat Hon Manso Dumbuya says those who want replace need to come and towline and be groomed rather than coming from the blues to want to take leadership.
As a Limba from Tonko Limba that had for decades been loyal to the opposition, Manso Dumbuya lamented the neglect his people had contended with under APC. He reassures that with his people centered development approach in furtherance of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party new direction manifesto approach; a lot has been achieved in improved service delivery to win the hearts and minds of the people to embrace the ruling party.