SIERRA LEONE! Manjoroka: “Quit While You Are Ahead” After almost five weeks in the United States of America, I returned home last week. It is no longer a pleasure to travel from Ebola affected countries to either Europe or America. I shall be making my views known on the stigmatisation of travellers from Ebola affected countries very soon. The dramatic overthrow of President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso, sends a clear signal to other autocratic African leaders that, no matter how powerful they thought they are, power lies in the hands of the ordinary people. Blaise Campaore shot to political stardom, in 1987 when he overthrew his childhood friend and President of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara. He governed the country for twenty-seven years before he was pushed out of power almost three weeks ago by street demonstrators. Before his ouster, the President of France, Francois Hollande had written a letter to his Burkinabe counterpart, Blaise Campaore, begging him not to extend his term in office by amending the constitution. President Hollande assured him that should he leave office at the end of his mandate in November 2015, he could get him an international job worthy of his experience and status as a former Head of State. Unfortunately, President Campaore did not even acknowledge receipt of the letter. The letter was later published by a leading French newspaper “Le Monde”. When street demonstrators pressed ahead with their demand for President Campaore to renounce his intention of amending his country’s constitution, he quickly announced that he was not going to proceed with the amendment of the constitution to allow him stay in office at the end of his Presidential tenure. The demonstrators were not prepared to settle down for anything less than his resignation. The House of Parliament was completely burnt down and some ruling Party Members of Parliament fled the country. That was the end of an inglorious era. Blaise Campaore was gone and his Party crumbled like a pack of cards. How Campaore Was Saved On a visit to Canada, President Hollande said that he personally arranged for President Campaore to be evacuated from Burkina Faso on a military helicopter. He said he had informed other neighbouring African leaders about the fate of President Campaore for the sake of posterity. According to President Hollande, the Ivorian President, Alassana Quattara agreed to host President Campaore because of the role he (Campaore) played in the political stalemate that gripped his country after President Laurent Gbagbo refused to hand over power after he lost in a free and fair election. Relatives And Friends Of Campaore Some relatives and friends of President Campaore suffered greatly after he was pushed out of power. Their houses and valuable properties were either burnt down or completely destroyed. Almost everybody who had something to do with the Campaore administration suffered greatly during the public demonstration that led to his ouster. Lessons Learnt From Burkina Faso After the overthrow of long-time dictator, Blaise Campaore, some African leaders planning to amend their countries’ constitutions to allow them stay in office indefinitely, quickly issued statements retracting their earlier stance. The President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza quickly announced that he was no longer interested in amending his country’s constitution to allow him extend his stay in office beyond his two – term limit. A similar situation occurred in DR Congo when President Joseph Kabila announced that he had put on hold all plans to amend his country’s constitution to allow him run for a third consecutive term in office. On a visit to DR Congo, sometime this year, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry said that it was up to African nations to challenge their leaders if they feel that the security and survival of their countries was being threatened by just one man or a single political party. Food for thought! Quit While You Are Ahead There is a common saying in America that you should quit while you are ahead. African leaders have to learn a lesson that, power is derived from the people. Therefore, they must not go against the wish of their people. They must endeavour not to create any controversy over their departure. African leaders don’t quit. They flee! Ghadaffi Rebuffed On a visit to Sierra Leone in June 2007, the then Libyan leader, Muhamar Ghadaffi advised former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah to amend the constitution to allow him continue in office at the end of his mandate that same year. President Ghadaffi assured President Kabbah that he was prepared to undertake to finance his third term bid only if he agreed to quickly change the country’s constitution to allow him continue in office. President Kabbah told President Ghadaffi that he was tired and that, he could not afford to amend the constitution in order to continue in office. Kabbah left office peacefully in 2007 and retired quietly at his private home in Juba. What happened to President Ghadaffi is an open book. President Koroma’s Golden Silence President Ernest Bai Koroma said at the APC head office that Sierra Leoneans were free to express their views on “After U Na U”. According to his former SEA at the time, the President said “After Mi Na U”. Meaning after him, another APC President will take over State House. To be fair with him, President Koroma has never told anybody that he was interested in a term extension. He has repeatedly said that, at the end of his tenure, he would quietly retire at his private home in Makeni. That is what a clever Politician in his place will do. President Koroma is aware of the popular American saying, “Quit While You Are Ahead”. Thank you.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 15:34:59 +0000
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