February 8, 2017 By Sayoh Kamara
As the All People’s Congress (APC) party prepares to choose its flagbearer for the 2018 Presidential Election, indications have started showing that of all other campaign issues that will characterize the Presidential Election, the issue of age will stand out most.
This comes in the face of the fact that the country has over 50% of youthful voters whose swing votes will determine who wins the elections.
It is against this backdrop that the youth of Bombali District on Sunday, 5th February, 2018 thronged the streets of the district and provincial headquarter city of Makeni to showcase their own choice for their party’s flagbearer in the person of Dr. Kaifala Marah, the current Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone.
What was said to be a “Jogging for a renewed hope” turned into a street carnival as youths in their thousands jogged, danced and marched in regal step manner to music bellowing from loudspeakers mounted on over ten trucks.
The outpour of the Bombali youth who came from every nook and cranny was a show of love, trust, confidence and a renewed hope they have in Dr. Kaifala Marah. The city streets were full with youth of all sexes as early as 4:30am as they move to the Sierra Leone Church Primary School on Kabala Road, designated as the assembly point.
T-shirts printed by the various fan clubs and WhatsApp and Attaya Base groups carried inscriptions such as ‘We trust Dr. Kaifala Marah”, “New hope”, “A Mentor”, “A Hero”, etc. Some of the groups carried banners with the portrait of their man, Dr. Kaifala Marah.
One of the organizers of the jogging turned street carnival in Makeni, Foday Koroma, Admin for the Makeni Queens for Dr. Marah WhatsApp Group, said they decided to undertake the jogging exercise “out of our own volition to showcase our own choice for the leadership of our party,” he stated, pointing out that collectively they see a renewed hope in Dr. Marah as a follow up on the commitment shown by President Koroma to the youth of this country.
“We believe and we are very convinced that with Dr. Kaifala Marah, the party’s popularity will cut across districts, regions, tribes, ages and party affiliation. He is a man of the people, very focused and he is result-oriented,” Foday Koroma noted, adding that in this day and age, youth everywhere want to relate with a leader in whom they see their collective hope and aspiration; a leader with whom they relate and a leader the speaks like they do and understands their problems.
Mabinty Idris Sankoh, chairlady of Makeni Babes for Dr. Marah said she and her group members, numbering two hundred are moved by the selflessness of the current Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone in his service to Mama Salone. “From what we have heard about him so far; and he has proved it since we came to know him, he is down-to-earth and relates with every manner of persons regardless of status. We trust that such a man as your president can listen to the ordinary man and woman and work towards addressing their needs and wants,” Miss Mabinty Sankoh maintained.
Dr. Marah is young, energetic and mentally alert to handle the leadership of the APC party and the Presidency of Sierra Leone. He has demonstrated that ability and competence as Chief of Staff at State House, as Minister of Finance and Economic Development and indeed in his current position as Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone.
As Chief of Staff, he added value to that post and raised its profile such that people considered him to be the “Special Vice President” to President Koroma for he handled with relative ease, all those public administration issues that gave the President sleepless nights. As Minister of Finance and Economic Development, it is no secret how he battled with the twin shocks of Ebola outbreak and drop in Iron Ore prices which impacted negatively on the country’s economy, to keep the economy from collapse. It is also no secret that in the midst of that crisis, when hopes were about to turn to despair, Dr, Marah raised the minimum wage from a paltry Le 60, 000 to a whooping Le 500, 000, an over 100% increase.
According to one Political analyst, Dr. Marah fulfils every criteria for a very good leader and that he can be a perfect successor of President Koroma, a President that has put Sierra Leone on a very high pedestal that should not be put in the hands of someone through whose fingers things can easily slip because of lack of experience, maturity and the relevant diplomatic skills to deal with donors and international agencies.