The pa-o-pas are fast becoming a political outcast. The last 24 hours has been a roller skater for the pa-o-pas. All because a leading SLPP flag bearer front runner has accepted an offer to sit on the commission of Electricity and water. Various professional and civic organisations such as the institute of Engineers and commerce had nominated Andrew Keili to the president for this position. The government have bundled both electricity and water in to three sectors. Andrew Keili has worked in these industries and has a unique expertise in it since 2002. One of his roles is to ensure fairness and seek consumer’s interests from undue exploitation. More importantly, the commissions should ensure the government don’t use these commodities to strengthen their political influence in their stronghold. The pa-o-pas have seized on this appointment to smear Keili as a traitor, because in their unpatriotic and twisted logic, Keili should not accept job offers from the APC government, even when he was recommended by the public as his expertise is badly needed in such vital industry. To the pa-opas the only business of opposition is to criticise the government policies. But even here Andrew has been at the forefront in making constructive criticism of the govt policies whilst offering solutions as well. The role of the opposition is not just to shout at the government, but we are also part of governance and voters look up to us to be more responsible and to cooperate with the government in a bilateral mutual way to deal with some of the difficult problems that affects their lives. SLPP can gain the trust of voters not by refusing to cooperate with the government where it is in the national interest, such as electricity and water. It is perfectly right for an opposition member to highlights and criticise the weaknesses of the government of the day and accept appointment to rectify the areas he had expressed some misgivings. It is not always to criticise but what one can do to help alleviate the acute deprivation in Sierra Leone. I proposed this was in the mind of Andrew Keili when he decided to accept the offer. All over the world there are times when the government in power can deploy the expertise of the best brains outsides its own party to help deal with an issue that affects the development of the country. This is necessary for stability and when issues that borders on national distribution of resources. President Obama drafted in republican members to work with him on national security. In fact he retained the republican defence secretary when he first assumed office. Here in Britain, the former conservative Prime Minister John Major supported his former opponent, Labour party opposition leader Neil Kinnock to lead the European commission. The current conservative prime minister David Cameroon, appointed Frank Field, a prominent Labour party MP to be on the committee he set up to review the welfare system in relation to poverty in UK. Frank Field is an expert in this field. The Business secretary, Vince Campbell, in the conservative led liberal democrat’s coalition had on several occasions criticised some aspects of his conservative partner’s policies in government. The Liberal democrat leader Nick Clegg is frequently at odd with the government on raft of policies from EU, welfare cuts, immigration and freedom of speech. Nick Clegg is the deputy prime minister whilst he still retains the leadership of the Liberal democrat opposition. Andrew Keili or any other SLPP with expertise can serve in his role as a committee member whilst retaining their party’s SLPP identity and interest. In fact being a member on such important commissions that dispense electricity and water provides him with the opportunity to ensure a fair play and that SLPP is not disadvantaged politically. He has a considerable influence and authority on this subject. Indeed his success will rob on SLPP. If an APC president can hire the expertise of an SLPP man to improve on a vital sector of the country’s economy, then the nation can trust him with leadership as well. His appointment is a plus to SLPP election rather than a minus. The pa-o-pas are up in arms, but their diatribe is ill conceived. As an opposition we value inclusive politics. We have persistently criticised the APC administration of tribal appointments that lacks inclusiveness. How ironic that after Andrew Keili’s appointment to this crucial sector of our economy the pa-o-pas has condemned it. This is political hypocrisy of the highest order. One cannot accused the government of appointing only his tribes men in his government but when he appointed an SLPP the pao-pas refereed to him as a traitor. What message are the Bio supporters sending out to the Sierra Leone public? Are they saying that a professional with the relevant expertise cannot work for his country because he is SLPP? Because unlike their leader Julius Bio, Andrew Keili is not only an accomplished professional engineer but he is also a politician seeking the presidency to utilise all the experiences and skills he has built up over 30 decades to transform our nation. But again is the pa-o-pas saying that an SLPP professional should put a hold to his career and service to his country and only work for his country when our party is in power? But for the baseless propaganda, I cannot understand the furore from the pa-o-pas over an appointment that is non-salaried. This is what those who love their country do and who cares about the welfare of our citizens do. When things are getting tough for the suffering people a patriot do not just criticise but act in whatever ways he can to mitigate their sufferings. Andrew has been given that responsibility. When the time comes, some will say, at the time when the government was struggling to put our electricity and water supply in place it was SLPP man the nation’s civil and professional bodies turned to for his expertise. I join all my fellow SLPP in congratulating Andrew Keili and wishing him success in this assignment. He needs our support as SLPP, because the story will be told that SLPP had a say in making sure consumers interest was protected and that the APC did not politicised the distribution of these commodities to further their party political advantages against the national interest. Yankuba Kai-Samba
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 14:27:17 +0000
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