:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Click link:https://makonitimes.com/2016/09/29/%e2%80%8bapc-brings-party-disrepute-case-against-eddie-turay-following-comments-on-apc-ministers-laziness/
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
My Personal Viewpoint:
ISRAEL OJEKEH PARPER Snr
Saturday 1st October 2016, London UK.
COMRADES. In any Organisational setting, there are present those who are Change Agents, and those who will fight tooth and nail to maintain the 'status quo'. In progressive organisations such as Political parties, with potential long term existence, changes come about according to the operational environment. There may have been long existing practices and policies to which some change agents may themselves have contributed to and fought to sustain or work within the confines of those practices and policies as the prevailing circumstances dictated at the time.
However, from time to time, change agents always find themselves battling against 'RESISTORS' to these changes however good or bad the consequences of these changes may be. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE is a big topic in organisational development and many a battle have been fought, won and lost. What we have here is suggestions and/or personal change opinions from someone with long term experience who happened to have been involved in battles for and against many issues involving the party over many years: such persons will, as now, have those who will listen, analyse, accept or reject their opinions with no annoying connotations whatsoever. On the contrary, there are those opponents who because of their personal interest or how the suggested changes may affect their interest, simply see his intervention in one direction only: 'negatively', without first weighing the pros and cons of the suggested changes, and without any thought of the change agents human rights of free expression.
If the 'opposition' could stop, think and weigh the pros and cons of the suggested changes, one could even conclude that the suggested changes are not even viable or worth battling about . As Shakespeare says; "it's much ado about nothing"!
One small point: at the time of the One Party State, party and government
we're ONE organ and it was well and good for ministers to hold other party posts. Now we have multiparty democracy: the environment provides the necessity for change but those practices and policies have continued unwittingly. (This is the common "na so wi de du am na ya o" syndrome: 'This is how we do it here'), which is a common habit in many sectors in Sierra Leone Society- Any attempt to change or call for a variation of the so called status quo, would meet fierce and hostile resistances.
Advocating for change(s) within the current structure in NOT in anyway an "ANTI-PARTYACTIVITY". The High Commissioner has NOT plotted to undermine any activity of the president or the NAC and calling for reform within the structure is a progressive approach and must be welcomed. Not all dual holdings will fit into this advocated change; there will still be some areas where one individual will wear 'two' hats.
I must also point out the High Commissioner's concern for the Ministers to be able to effectively carry out the President's agenda for prosperity and believes this can be effectively achieved if Ministers concentrate on ONE job rather than two; but, that is his opinion. He may or he may not be correct in his assertion, what is ANTI-PARTY in that?
The fact that he may or may not have been involved in formulating and holding onto these practices dose not necessarily mean the intention was to STIFLE the governance process! By advocating this change now does not necessarily mean it's too late "after all these years" to make changes. Our National 1991 constitution brought a lot of changes to practices we have been used to since Independence not helped by the 1978 One Party Constitution either and there are many things still to be changed. Just go back and examine the various APC constitutions since 1963 to 1995: we must not drag in the post 2000/2002 situations and the all important Court Case(s) in the early 2000s in this scenario to justify the negative shouts against the High Commissioner. Let's deal with the suggested changes he proposed, if we don't like them, then, dump them but that is not a base for ANTI-PARTY accusations, rude and disrespectful insults on Audio clips or writings on Social Media to give credence to negative attacks on the High Commissioner who is the President's representative to the Court of Saint James. As we say in Salone "RESPECT PASS BELFUL" (Give honour where honour is due)!!
The APC IS A FAMILY PARTY, after all this initial controversy, the principal parties must simply, as Pa Saki would say, "Eng Ade" (HANG HEADS) and sort this minutiae out without special claim to loyalty to the Party and the President. We all love our President in diverse ways whatever his beginnings to the leadership were!! Let us all give our support in what ever way we can to achieved his goal and lay down the foundation for ELECTION 2018. That is where and to what our attention must now be directed NOT PETTY SQUABBLES 🍃 !!
Ps:
Those difficult days during which the the High Commissioner was National Secretary General of the APC, and the bitter experiences he encountered during the Strasser/Bio/SAJ MUSA illegal coup-de-tart, arrest, imprisonments and re-establishing the Party to stand up and fight for what we enjoy today, makes High Commissioner Eddie Turay the most credible voice and personality in dealing, highlighting and recommending meaningful and necessary changes in party policies, stewardship and practices that will drive the APC and the country forward.
His is a voice (among a few others) that must be listened to always!!
