...APC MP says it is difficult to find a flagbearer
January 23, 2017 By Regina Pratt
A lawmaker for the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) representing Constituency 85 in Moyamba district, Hon. Veronica Sesay, has called on President Koroma to intervene in the ongoing impasse within the party, while Deputy Majority Leader of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), Hon. Leonard S. Fofanah has expressed fears that the ruling party could find it extremely difficult to elect or select a flagbearer for the 2018 presidential election.
Both Members of Parliament were contributing to the debate on the speech delivered by President Koroma during the State Opening of Parliament in December 2016.
“Let us be sincere to ourselves as we are brothers and sisters. If there is any problem in the country, President Koroma’s intervention would be needed. He needs to intervene if there is any problem within SLPP,” said the opposition MP.
“As a father of the nation, we expect him to say something because if there is fire in his neighborhood’s house he needs to help as we sympathise with him when they had their own impasse [between 2002 to 2007].”
Hon. Sesay thanked President Koroma for what she referred to as his ‘good work,’ but called on him to fulfil promise of constructing roads in her constituency, which she said, were yet to be completed.
On his part, Hon. Leonard S. Fofanah reiterated fears that it could be extremely difficult for the party to elect or choose a flagbearer that possesses similar ‘leadership qualities’ as President Koroma.
“I believe that all political parties are in the process of finding a flagbearer. President Koroma is a pace- setter not only when he is now president, but also when he was a Minority Leader in Parliament. I want to make sure that the individual that would be chosen or elected will not only do the best for our party, but would do the best as a President of Sierra Leone,” he said.
Also, Hon. Rosaline Smith, a ruling party lawmaker, urged her compatriots that “Sierra Leone is all that we have and no one elsewhere will love the country more than we do .We should appreciate what we have so that our country will be transformed.”
While making his own contribution, opposition lawmaker, Hon. Stile Jengo boasted that he represents the face of a ‘true Sierra Leonean’ and that he was disturbed by issues plaguing the education sector, including bribery and sex for grades in both colleges and secondary schools in Sierra Leone.
He lauded the school feeding programme, stating that “we should embrace it and wait for about six months to one year before we start making comments or criticisms.”