By: Problyn J Alpha
In a bid to promote peace and tranquillity in Kono District and Sierra Leone as a whole before, during and after the June 24th elections, women’s Empowerment on Natural Resources Governance Sierra Leone has organized a day of awareness and community engagement on election violence prevention in Kono District.
The engagement was geared towards orientating the youths, political party supporters and politicians on the negative impact of election violence as most of the youths and party supporters are mostly used by the politicians to cause mayhem in the district and the country as a whole.
The representative of Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) Christopher Missa when making a statement thanked the Women’s Empowerment on Natural Resources Governance for engaging the stakeholders on election violence prevention awareness raising in the district.
He further explained that youths are mostly lured to course violence especially during elections due to ignorance, adding, most politicians take advantage of the impeccability of youths and party supporters to course unrest in the district and country by extension.
Christopher Missa further noted that the only way to forfend politicians from achieving their selfish desire at the detriment of the youth is to constantly engage the minds of the young people by projecting to them the negative impacts of violence during elections he concluded.
On her part, the Kono district Women’s Network (KOWNET) coordinator Cheistin Pettiquoi underscored the importance of youth’s refinement to maintaining a peaceful society adding politicians should not be blamed for youths and party supporters’ indulgent in election violence but rather the youths and party supporters need to be blamed for availing themselves to be used and misused by the politicians. The Kono district public relations officer two of the bike rider’s union Amadu Jalloh intimated to the audience that the union across the country has put mechanisms in place to wipe off the bad image of the union’s high involvement in violence before now, noting the current executive of the bike riders union has instituted by-laws to control the activities of its members in the district and the country as a whole.
He maintained that defaulters of the instituted by-laws will fully face the consequences of the aforesaid by-laws. He said “We have strictly warned our riders in the fourteen (14) chiefdoms of Kono District not to take part in any political rallies without the consent of the current executive of the union; I will make sure I cascade the message to all the members of the union in making sure peace is achieved for the betterment of all the Kono District the Public Relations Officer two (2) of the Bike Riders Union assured”.
Admire Favour Finda Yorpoi is the Kono District Coordinator Women’s Empowerment on National Resources Governance Sierra Leone addressing participants of the aforesaid engagement she pointed out that, her organization deemed it necessary to organize the community engagement on awareness raising with stakeholders to prevent conflict before, during and after the 2023 June 24 General Elections as there has been a lot of negative impacts of elections violence in the district and the country as a whole.
She further intimated to the audience that if enough sensitization is held around election violence prevention in the district, it will save lives and helps citizens to understand the importance of peace before, during and after elections in the country. Explaining the advantages of a violence-free elections coordinator Women’s Empowerment on National Resources Governance Sierra Leone stated that, the development of the country including every other nation around the globe highly hinges on the stable peace of that country or nation adding, without peace development will be far-fetched.
She continued to explain that, one of the reasons for the engagement with the participants on election violence prevention was to engage the minds of the youths, party supporters, politicians and the police to ensure sustainable peace is achieved in the district and the country as a whole. “Hate speeches, thugs, political party stakeholders and the youths according to her are some of the other causes of election violence she opined”. Admire Favour Finda Yorpoi conclusively encouraged the security personnel to be more proactive and professional in executing their constitutional duties, especially during the electioneering process and beseeched the youths to deviate from taking harmful drugs that most often force them to course mayhem in the district and the country as a whole.
