http://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/i-am-no-longer-prepared-to-follow-a-futile-cause-andrew-keili-tells-slpp-as-he-joins-the-ngc/
‘I am no longer prepared to follow a futile cause’ – Andrew Keili tells SLPP as he joins the NGC
The NGC is the brainchild of the former UN industrial development and energy expert – Dr Kandeh Yumkella, who says that his purpose for establishing the NGC is to bring together progressive liberal democrats from across the country, to contest next year’s presidential and general elections.
Andrew Keili was one of the most popular and influential leaders of the opposition SLPP, and was hoping to lead the SLPP as their presidential candidate at next year’s general elections.
But he withdrew his intention to contest the party flagbearership election, after realising that the electoral process had been massively rigged to favour the former military brigadier Julius Maada Bio.
Reading out his statement of resignation from the SLPP and his decision to join the NGC today, Andrew was clear about his decision to leave the SLPP party. “I am no longer prepared to follow a futile cause,” he said.
With Andrew Keili now a staunch member of the NGC, there is little doubt this move will help strengthen the NGC’s chances of winning next year’s elections, amid growing rumours about the likelihood of some of the former presidential candidates of the ruling APC, also planning to defect to the national coalition of progressive liberal democrats – the NGC.
http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/slpp-s-andrew-keili-on-appointment
WHEN HE TOOK JOB FROM APC HIS SLPP COLEAUGES WERE NOT SO AMUSED: HIS APOLOGIES
Dear All,
I must apologise to some of you for not having updated you on my appointment to the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission. This is not an oversight as I really did not feel this would be a problem for various reasons which I will proffer below, However, it seems I was wrong as the Paopas are trying to portray it as “taking a job from Ernest Koroma”. I am not particularly bothered as this will blow over. Let me however explain a few things that will help clarify the situation.
1. This is a regulatory Commission which is so important for this country.
Basically the Government has unbundled the electricity sector into a Generation and Transmission Company and a Distribution and Sales Company. Also it now encourages Independent Power Providers to produce and sell electricity directly to these companies. The Regulatory agency (which has been joined with regulating water as well) basically makes sure that there is fairness in the system, especially for the consumers. I have been part of these studies and worked with various consultancies since 2002 when we Cemmats was at NPA. I have also worked on water provision issues for BO, Kenema and Makeni. The recommendation for my appointment came from many sources-Engineering Institution members, external consultants, Chamber of Commerce etc. I discussed it with my colleagues at Cemmats as I wanted to turn it down. They particularly encouraged me to take it to help bring sanity to the sector.
2. The Board is a non political one as it has the following composition-representatives from the SL Institution of Engineers, labour congress, consumer protection Agency and four people with technical expertise in these areas. The Commission’s functions involve licensing operators, monitor compliance, provide guidelines for charging tariffs for electricity and water, protect interest of consumers and investigate quality of service for both water and electricity, promote fair competition, conduct efficiency studies etc. A Director General and other staff will be employed to take care of the day to day running.
3. From the above, it is obvious that the commission will correct a lot of things that may mess up these sectors for years, making it difficult even for an SLPP Government to rectify the mess ne at NPA. It stands a chance of ensuring that power and water are evenly provided round the country and not just concentrated in areas that support the government as the government might be tempted to do. Also tariiffs should eg. be the same for places like Makeni and Kenema.
4. I had a good hearing in Parliament and both Govt and Opposition MPs on the appointment Board were enthused.
5. It is not a salaried job and considering my effort I will put in , may even lose me money because of my time spent on Commission issues.
6. Ernest Koroma as opposition Leader was on the board of Guma and also headed a team set up by Kabbah to plan the setting up of Nassit because of his background in the insurance industry
7. Some have opined that I should not have accepted a position less than Chairman. I did not want to be a chairman as this would entail too much of my time. I can contribute by being on the commission.
8. I really do not feel as a Sierra Leonean people should refrain from serving especially in areas in which they have expertise until they have their own Government in power
9. This is a decision I made with a full consciousness of the downsides. I decided my services were needed.
10. I will always be true to my conscience and will resign if there is any undue interference that may mess things up.
I apologise once more for not having kept you updated. This will however provide you with enough information to help state my case.
Andrew
Editor’s Note: After a sustained tsunami-like barrage of criticism from SLPP extremists known as Paopas, Andrew has made another statement on the issue in addition to the one above. Here it is:
STATEMENT ON ISSUES SURROUNDING MY APPOINTMENT TO THE ELECTRICITY AND WATER REGULATORY COMMISSION
I am concerned about some of the negative publicity that has accompanied my appointment to be a member of the new Electricity and Water Commission. Whilst acknowledging the rights of people to their opinions on whether or not I should accept such a position, I am particularly concerned about incorrect statements made by various people, mainly writing in social media and also related and skewed to various interested parties locally and abroad. Such untruths relate to the nature of the appointment, my motive for its acceptance and my political leanings. In no particular order, I would like to make the following statements to clarify these issues:
1. I have never been offered a job by President Koroma or by any member of APC. It is normal for such appointments as this one under consideration to be engendered by recommendations from the line Ministries and/or professionals/professional institutions of repute especially if the job requires some professional expertise. The President would then be at liberty to accept or reject the names. I have never had any discussions with President Koroma or anyone in the APC relating to this appointment.
2. The Electricity sector has been split into a Generation and Transmission Company and a Distribution and Sales Company. Independent Power Providers are now allowed to produce and sell power. Changes are in the offing in the water sector for provision of water to large towns and rural areas. The Regulatory Agency (which is for both electricity and water) basically makes sure that there is fairness in the system, especially for the consumers. The Board is a non- political one as it has the following composition-representatives from the SL Institution of Engineers, labour congress, consumer protection Agency and four people with technical expertise in these areas. The Commission’s functions involve licensing operators, monitor compliance, provide guidelines for charging tariffs for electricity and water, protect interest of consumers and investigate quality of service for both water and electricity, promote fair competition, conduct efficiency studies etc. A Director General and other staff will be employed to take care of its day to day running.
3. Contrary to what has been mentioned in certain quarters, the appointment is not a Ministerial appointment and is certainly not of a high enough profile to entice anyone to switch political allegiances. I will certainly not switch political allegiances for the offer of a job under any circumstances. I consider it more as a national service. My motivation for accepting the offer is based on the fact that as a professional who has worked for both sectors and had a hand in the policies and plans that led to the setting up of such an agency, the initial ones of which go way back to when SLPP was in governance, I could contribute significantly in assisting to ensure that power and water are evenly provided around the country and that there is fairness in the tariffs charged especially to poor consumers. I could also be influential in engendering an intensification of a rural electricity scheme and other schemes that would help our rural people through the commission.
4. It is not a salaried job and considering my effort I will put in, I may even lose money because of my time spent on Commission issues.
5. My means of sustenance is still through my work as a professional consultant with my company, CEMMATS. I am satisfied with what I do and am not looking out for a job of any kind.
6. I am and will remain an ardent member of the SLPP. I have not been approached by the APC and will remain loyal to the SLPP. I will continue helping to resolve seemingly intransigent issues to make our party electable.
7. Whilst continuing with my constructive engagement on various aspects of national issues, I will continue criticising those aspects I consider objectionable.
In closing I would like to reiterate that people that are influenced by decisions on such issues like water and power are of all political inclinations and from all regions of the country. These are critical sectors for the development of our country and for our well-being as Sierra Leoneans.
http://globaltimes-sl.com/
ANDREW KEILI DAE SWEAT: KKY DAE PLAY BALANCE BALL
http://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/sierra-leone-opposition-politician-andrew-keili-will-join-dr-yumkella-in-the-national-grand-coalition/
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 21 October 2017
Support for Sierra Leone’s newest and by far the most likely opposition party to mount a strong push at next year’s elections to get the ruling APC out of office – the National Grand Coalition (NGC) is gathering pace.
An unofficial statement from the veteran opposition SLPP politician Andrew Keili, indicates that he will be announcing his decision to join Dr Yumkella at the NGC on Monday at a press conference in Freetown.
“Following consultations on my political future and personal consideration of various issues, I have decided to join the National Grand Coalition (NGC) and will do a declaration at a press conference at the Atlantic Hall, Stadium hostel, Brook fields at 2 pm on Monday October 23, 2017,” Keili’s statement reads.
Andrew Keili (Photo) resigned from the SLPP a few weeks ago, after the party’s convention in Kenema, which saw the election of its national executive council that is dominated and led by members of the Maada Bio Paopa faction.
In July this year, Andrew Keili wrote an article describing his thoughts about Kandeh Yumkella’s ambition and aspirations. This is what he said:
I had initially resisted airing any views on the Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella issue as I would probably not be viewed as a dispassionate and disinterested player in the whole saga. This issue has however dominated the news to such an extent that it will be an injustice not to proffer some comments, however tangential those may be.
My relationship with Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella goes back several decades to that school in the cemetery in Bo where I was his prefect while at sixth form when he was in his early years in Secondary school. I was later proud that he had indeed excelled himself on the international scene and was doing Sierra Leone proud.
Incidentally this is the same school (sorry college) that produced Solomon Berewa and Charles Margai and now six of the ten or so aspirants for the SLPP flagbearership -Kandeh Yumkella, Munda Rogers, Francis Lahai, Jonathan Tengbe, Ernest Ndomahina (in his earlier years before punctuating his stellar education at the old school by the hospital in Bo) and yours truly.
But back to my story. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella with political ambitions of rising up to the highest office in the land came back home some two years ago to join the political race for the Presidency under the party that his father helped found.
It has indeed been a tumultuous journey, and with high initial expectations he now seems to be hemmed in from all sides of the political divide-left right and centre.
The SLPP’s current problems started long before he came on the scene. It was however obvious that in pure Norman Schwarzkopf style in “operation desert storm” his strategy was “shock and awe”.
Disappointingly he was stopped in his tracks several times within his party-some might even say with the help of hidden hands in some circumstances. With a massive and ubiquitous political machinery and lots of converts to his cause, some of whom had hitherto sat on the political fence, he embarked on his mission. But first he had to contend with road blocks.
When he attempted to visit the SLPP head quarter office in Freetown with a massive crowd, he was stopped in his tracks-his mother’s head covering was unceremoniously removed and he was spat upon. His security retinue arriving at Lungi was arrested for possessing “offensive weapons”-in effect stun guns and they became guests at the Pademba Road correctional centre.
I recall being at the end of one of these “stop Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella” incidents when, as part of the All Aspirants’ Alliance (Alliance) we had received invitations to attend a NEC meeting in the party office.
On the morning of the meeting I received a phone call from a highly placed official at the party office advising me that the invitation had been withdrawn and I should not venture to the office because as he said “a nor want mek big man disgrace”.
I then went about my business but later received a call from my other Alliance colleagues suggesting we should nevertheless go there and find out. I drove to the party office late only to see my colleagues including Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella stopped at the front gate and refused entry to the office in the full glare of the public-a saga whose now infamous pictures made it round social media circles.
The refusal by the Sierra Leone Police to grant him permission to arrange a rally in Bo seemed unfair as he seemed to be singled out whilst others were allowed to circumnavigate the country. Then followed an incident in which he was reportedly prevented from entering the party office in Makeni.
Thanks mainly to the dint of his perseverance and the cloak provided by the All Aspirants Alliance, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella became “less toxic” and to be fair, things have improved considerably over the few months.
He has prayed several times in the party office and been round several SLPP crowds around the country unfettered. He also joined us as part of an Alliance team that visited the Bo party office and were hailed even by supporters of other aspirants who were against the Alliance, as we were preaching peace.
Without divulging what happened within the Alliance, it is no secret that there were knives out for him within the Alliance itself, both covert and overt.
During all of this period, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s problems have been largely internal, although some other parties may have been watching to see if the party will implode. Then came the suspension of his campaign and his statement that he may consider other options.
The bye election in a small ward in tiny Kychom, in which the Independent candidate he is said to have put up won bolstered his image in his neck of the woods.
The APC had sent in some big guns and considerable resources to little Kychom and they left with egg in their face.
This was the first time APC had lost a bye election in the North for years-and the big guns who treaded their big toes on little Kychom were a who is who of APC in Kambia and the country at large-Alimamy Petito Koroma, Sam Sesay, Ambassador Yansanneh-you name them.
The obviously rattled Yansanneh, having seen his party belittled, despite their infamous “ninety nine tactics” blamed the poor Imam at the Kychom mosque for praying for God’s pestilence to fall on the “third and fourth generation” of those who do not vote for the independent candidate put up by their “son”. He attributed their loss to this.
Any chance the SLPP can secure the services of this Imam round the country in 2018?
It would seem Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s problem is now with the APC who have got their guns carefully trained at him. In what has become a travesty of the use of the English language Information Minister Mohamed Bangura has accused Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella of “impersonating” the President. Impersonating?
When did Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella claim he was President Koroma? A newspaper story says:
“Mohamed Bangura warned the former SLPP flag bearer aspirant, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella to stop impersonating President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma by falsely claiming that, he (Kandeh Yumkella) had been assured by President Koroma that he would succeed him as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone….He has been making such misrepresentations to some world leaders… This is criminal and he should stop spreading such dangerous falsehood”, Mr. Bangura warned. I want him to publicly deny that he has not been impersonating the President to some world leaders…If he does that, I will expose him further”, Mr. Bangura said
Some further explanation by the linguistically challenged Bangura indicated he meant Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella was “misrepresenting the President especially some African and Western capitals that he has been ordained by President Koroma to succeed him”.
Not satisfied with his “impersonation” accusation, he made light of Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s role in the Ebola crisis: “Where was he when President Koroma and other Opposition party leaders were working together to fight the disease? …I can assure you that, he was somewhere around New York, in his comfort zone.”
He also accused Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella of fermenting chaos in the country by falsely claiming that, the government does not care for about twenty thousand ex-servicemen. “This is a very dangerous statement of incitement to make”, the Information Minister said.
The APC Secretary General Ambassador Yansanneh also joined the fray. He was caustic about the coalition Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella was purportedly putting together. He said there are many disgruntled people who are in the coalition and the coalition will be chaotic as everyone will want to be the leader.
“Those issues that drove them from their former parties will still follow them in the coalition.” He said Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella would not dare suspend his campaign without getting thrown out of the party if he were in the APC.
Not to be outdone Former Deputy Information Minister and now Presidential Liaison for Traffic lights, widening his remit beyond traffic lights has also done a hatchet job on Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella has certainly received bad press these past few weeks. Accusations levied against his character have ranged from his being manipulative to egotistical to untrustworthy.
Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella must have obviously touched a raw nerve with several groups to deserve such ire. Of course his ardent supporters have fought back and Mohamed Bangura in particular derided for his gross lack of understanding of the English language. His own character has been called into question.
But why the intense interest in someone who has suspended his leadership quest in an opposing party by the APC and why the relative civility of the SLPP after initial temper tantrums levied by some party officials at the “defector”?
Some aspirants, bar a few dissenting ones met to express solidarity within their ranks and continued commitment of the party to sort its problems out for electoral victory in 2018. The SLPP Executive has especially been kind, even to the extent of extending an olive branch to a “traitor”.
The Party’s most recent press release waxes poetical and conciliatory when it says:
“Notwithstanding that the party has problems with the way and reasons proffered for his (Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s) current stance the door remains open should he reconsider his decisions to come back to the fold to contribute to the party’s quest for political power. Thus the party deems the event as “a tempest in a family tea cup” that fizzles out without any visible cracks.
Only time will tell how big that tea cup is and whether the tempest may not in fact spread beyond the tea cup.
Mohamed Kamaraimba Mansaray who in typical style sees no controversy he does not jump into and no microphone he does not use has also been at Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s throat.
Asked if he would accept Yumkella as flag-bearer of the ADP, Mansaray said, “The Party has no room for another flag-bearer… but there is room. A window of opportunity is open for him as a running mate, but he should do it as fast as possible since people are coming up for that position.”
Meanwhile in the midst of this tempest Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella continues airing his views on various media and in diverse fora at home and abroad.
There is talk of coalition in the air and parties being formed. Political pundits have gone into overdrive assessing the possible scenarios for 2018. There are either overt problems in existing political parties or other potential problems simmering beneath the surface.
One man, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella however remains hemmed in from all sides. His future plans and potential to succeed have been the source of much speculation. Whatever the case, one thing is clear, he has rattled the cage and when the tigers escape from the cage, there is no telling in which direction they may run. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella’s next move must be watched closely, but for now he seems to be driving the political narrative.
---------------------------------------------
A Tale Of Two SLPPians: Sama Banya And Andrew Keili
http://cocorioko.net/a-tale-of-two-slppians-sama-banya-and-andrew-keili/
AN SLPP IS ALWAYS AN SLPP: LEOPARD NEVER CHANG ITS SPOTS!
Under the APC of Dr SIAKA PROBYN STEVENS, Dr. Sama Banya was Resident Minister Eastern Province in 1978 and Minister of Development and Economic Planning thereafter. By 1981, he was both the Minister of Development and Economic Planning and Minister of Finance and acting as Vice president from time to time within that same period of time. By 1982, he was the Minister of Internal Affairs.
In 1992, Dr. Banya contested the leadership of the SLPP party and lost to Dr. Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Why did Dr. Banya loose? Why would a man with such a high political profile loose to someone ([Tejan Kabba]), who, allegedly, had a record of financial misappropriation in our country in the late 60s? If Dr. Banya was a true embodiment of peace and good governance, he wouldn’t have lost to someone who was, at the time, a total stranger to many Sierra Leoneans.
Dr. Banya became the National Chairman of the SLPP in 2002 but was quickly replaced in 2005! What was happening to this high profile politician? He has spent so much time in our politics that he can now tell you conveniently that president Koroma used to be the one who would be sent to buy drinks for him whenever he came to visit Pa Sylvanus Koroma, father of president Koroma, in Makeni town.
Today, when I see the honorable Dr. Sama Banya, who has enjoyed “the better” of two worlds in our politics trying to preach to us a sermon that he refused to preach or did not discover 60 years ago and now wants to make up for, I feel demoralized and demeaned as a Sierra Leonean by this great man. The long and short of it all is that, if the honorable Sama Banya could not get it right 60 years ago, when he had all the opportunity to get it right, I wonder why he would think that we should all trust his judgment and leadership this time around."
IS ANDREW KEILI MARCHING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DR SAMA BANYA?
No comments:
Post a Comment