By: Aruna Kamara (BO)
Members of the Sierra Leone People’s Party in Constituency 099 in Pujehun District in a jubilant mood have endorsed Steven Unisa Mansaray to be among the list of people that the SLPP party will be sending to Parliament from Pujehun District under the proportional representation system that would be used in the 2023 elections.
Presenting Steven Unisa Manasaray to both the Chiefdom, Constituency, District and Regional Executives at a colourful ceremony held at the Futa Barray along the Bandajuma Liberia Highway, supporters of the SLPP in Constituency 099 called on the party structure to ensure that their brother who has been developing constituency 99 and by extension Pujehun district to be among the people that the party will be sending to represent them in parliament.
One of the youths in Constituency 099, Brima Konneh Margona said “we at the grass root should have a voice in selecting people who should represent us in parliament under the proportional representation system and that is the reason we have publicly let the party structures in constituency 099, district, regional and national executives know that our candidate is Steven Mansaray, who has contributed immensely towards the development of Pujehun district.”
Magona said that he has contributed to complementing President Bio’s human capital development, especially in the area of empowering the youths and the women in the district, adding that Mr. Mansaray has given a huge boost to the educational sector in constituency 099 and if such people who are development oriented, if they are left out it will not be good for Pujehun District.
Sarah Rogers, one of the women in Futa said “I have not got personal support from Steven that we are present to party stakeholders as our MP to be, but for the mere fact that the other he is supporting the women and the youths and also the children to be empowered, I am grateful to him for that, ’’noting that we are now calling on the party structures not to do mistake to send the wrong people to represent us in parliament.”
Madam Rogers called on the SLPP Party Chairman, Dr. Prince Harding to do the needful by ensuring that Steven Unisa Manasaray is given favourable consideration, pointing out that he has been with us developing the constituency and the district, without having such intention but the people of the constituency and the district by extension urged him to come and represent us in parliament.”
Madam plead with the party executive please to consider the development oriented young man who has his people at heart and has complimented President Bio’s agenda.
After the presentation to the Party Structures, Steven Unisa Mansaray said “it is good to help people without any ulterior motive. I was not supporting the people to go to parliament but if it has come from them to represent them to further develop Pujehun District I accept their offer and I will assure you that I will not let them down.”
In the constituency where I find myself I want to see the children making use of computers to help in the pursuit of their education because we are living in a world where the use of computers is very important to be part of whatever we do, he narrated.
Mr. Mansaray said that since this government came into power he was the first person to build a school in constituency 099 and he has been supportive of the chiefdom with school materials.
“ It came to my knowledge that in the secondary schools in Barrie chiefdom, all the administrative work on paper is taken to Bo or Zimmi and I had to provide laptops I have given Barrie Islamic Secondary School and Kundorwa Junior Secondary School otherwise call Islamic Call Society (ICS), adding that “I have more support to be given to boost the education sector”.
He added that he has opened an agricultural training centre in constituency 099 which the women and youths will hugely benefit from as that will complement the food security drive of the president.
He noted that in addition to the learning material, he has been providing sewing machines to help build the capacity of those who could not go through formal education to become productive citizens of the country, adding that the provision of water facilities in constituency 099 is among his developmental strives.
Mansaray revealed that he wants to change the lives of women, and the youths and of course focus on the children to help president Bio to achieve his governmental priorities.
Joseph Kaikai, a youth who identified himself as a supporter of the APC party in Pujehun District said that he has been following the development work of Steven Unisa Manasary, and it has touched him a lot and because of that he vouched to vote for the SLPP in Pujehun District and to bring in more APC members to the SLPP in Pujehun District if Steven Mansaray is among the people that will represent them in Pujehun district under the proportional representation.
“I am at Futa I give my support to Mr Manasaray to be allowed to develop not only constituency 099 but Pujehun district as a whole. Please give chance to this young to represent us, he begged the SLPP Party Structure.
On the other hand, Kaikai a resident of the district adds that this is not about politics but development and I want the best for my district, which will make me, he expressed.