President Kabbah Tours The North
By Fatmatta Kamara and Kanji Daramy

The President, His Excellency Dr. Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, returned to Freetown Monday 17th May 2004 from a three-day visit to parts of the Bombali, Tonkolili and Koinadugu districts.
The purpose of the visit was to sensitize the people about the importance of the forthcoming local government elections and to clarify any misconception people may have about the elections.

The President told people in the various chiefdoms and townships that the World Bank has set aside twenty-five million US dollars to help kick-start the district and town councils and in order to bring about development.

SLPP Sec-Gen Dr. Prince Harding welcoming Dr.A.K. Turay to the Party	President Kabbah in handshake with Dr. A.K.Turay

He said as head of the government to which the money had been entrusted he had the responsibility to sensitize communities and ensure that those people who would sit in the councils are responsible enough to manage these monies and use them wisely for the development of their areas and for the improvement of the welfare of the people.

He pointed out that for thirty-two years people were deprived of their right to take part in their own development, as everything was centralised in Freetown. Government, the President said, is all about providing services to the people, describing himself as the chief servant of the people. But he said that the government which is based in Freetown does not always understand or know what the problems of the people are in their communities. Therefore, he said that the purpose of local government elections is to get the people to select among themselves those they trust that understand and would be able to articulate their concerns and help to solve their problems. He said that such people should be able to manage funds and other resources allocated to their councils and understand how to transact and work with the central government.

The President emphasized that neither he nor ministers or central government officials have the right to select councillors for them but that it is the people themselves who have the right to choose who they want to represent them.

President Kabbah said that because of the importance of these local councils in the overall development of the country, he had earlier suggested that the elections be conducted on a non-partisan basis, so that the people elected to these councils would devote themselves to purely developmental concerns of their districts rather than being pulled apart for political reasons. Sierra Leone, he said, has been battered by a senseless and brutal war that has left much of the country in ruins and desolation, particularly in rural communities where most of the havoc was committed. He said that such a situation called for sober thinking and oneness of purpose in rebuilding the country and consolidating the peace instead of divisiveness along political lines.

The President used the opportunity to explain to the people what democracy is all about.

SLPP Sec-Gen Dr. Prince Harding welcoming Dr. Kallon into the SLPP	President Kabbah with SLPP Sec-Gen Dr. Prince Harding

He likened democracy to two or more people having the same type of goods for sale in a competitive, market-economy type of situation. He pointed out that as traders they have the responsibility of making their respective goods attractive to the customers, but that if a customer decides to buy from one trader, there should be no problem or fighting or the use of abusive language. He said this bad politics must stop and whoever loses must accept defeat and continue to work hard so that by next elections such losers would be able to win the hearts and minds of his people.

Sierra Leone, the President stated, used to have a bad image abroad but pointed out that this has now changed. He therefore called on all to continue to work to promote peace and that whoever is aggrieved should seek redress through the legal process.

At Gbendembu Gorahum, the people turned out in their thousands to welcome and listen to the President's address. President Kabbah told the people that his visit was not to campaign or to ask the people to vote for him, since he has three more years in office, but rather to thank them for all the support given to him and his government. He then told them about the importance of the pending local council elections.

They commended the President and his government for the peace and development he has brought to this country.

President Kabbah shaking hands with SLPP candidates in Bombali	President Kabbah in handshake with PC Kandeh Sao

President Kabbah also visited Paramount Chief Kandeh Sao who was in sick-bed at his house. PC Kandeh Sao thanked the President for the visit, which he described as a great honour for him and his people. "By visiting me at my house, Mr. President, you have added to my stature among my people", the chief said, praising the President for all the good things he has done for this country.

President Kabbah said the chief deserved such an honour as he had worked very hard over the years to bring peace and development to his people and expressed the hope that other chiefs would emulate him.

At Rogbure in the Sanda Tainderin chiefdom, the turn-out to welcome the President was overwhelming, and Paramount Chief Kandeh Wusu Sesay II and his people were full of praises for the good work done by government in the chiefdom including the reconstruction of the Pamlap-Kamakiwe road, schools and clinics.

President Kabbah thanked the people of Sanda for the tumultuous welcome and reiterated the need for the people to remain peaceful so that development can take root. He praised the people of Sanda for producing eminent persons such as Chief Justice Dr. Abdulai Timbo, Minister of Tourism and Culture Dr. Chernoh Jalloh, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Industrial Relations Alpha Timbo and a host of others whose contributions to national development, he said,was laudable.

He called on them to respect each other and announced that following consultation with provincial and district administration officials the headquarters of Sanda Tainderin has been changed from Mateboi to Rogbureh. A moment of silence was observed in memory of the late Alhaji Wuroh and Thaimu Bangura, both of whom the President described as great sons of the soil.

On agriculture the President informed the gathering that very soon the Chinese would establish an assembly plant in Freetown to assemble tractors and other farm implements, a development that will boost agriculture, he told the people. He further told them that modalities were being worked out with local banks for a hire-purchase scheme through which farmers can acquire tractors and other implements.

At Rokulan, the home of the late Alhaji Wuroh and his brother Ajibu Jalloh, President Kabbah inspected the school, clinic, mosque and others structures in the community and paid glowing tributes to the two brothers and their family for undertaking privately those projects to serve their community. He said that this was a manifestation of selfless sacrifice and in sync with the saying that "...ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

President Kabbah in Magburaka	President Kabbah at the Kabala Community Centre

At the Makeni Wusum Stadium former APC Minister of Presidential Affairs Dr. A.K. Turay and two others, Dr. L. H. Kallon and Mr. Sorie Tarawally announced their decision to join the Sierra Leone People's Party. Dr. A.K. Turay said he decided to rejoin the SLPP because of his belief that the SLPP has the capability to move this country forward.

At Binkolo in the Safroko Chiefdom Victor John Kanu, one of the APC candidates in the pending local council elections, announced his decision to withdraw from the contest to join the SLPP, leaving the SLPP candidate in that ward unopposed. He said that he would now work with the other SLPP candidates in that area, including one of the sons of Paramount chief Alimamy Dura so that they could bring development to the chiefdom.

Also at Binkolo Madam Aminata Konteh thanked President Kabbah and his government profusely for saving her daughter. She told the audience that her daughter had a heart problem and that it was the government of President Kabbah that came to her rescue by sending her to London for treatment and that all her medical bills were paid for by the government. She described President Kabbah as a compassionate leader who had the concerns of the ordinary man close to his heart.

President Kabbah held similar meetings at Masingbi, Makali, Matotoka and Magburaka in the Tonkolili district; Kamabai and Manjoro in the Biriwa Chiefdom, Bombali district, Fadugu in the Kasunko chiefdom and Kabala in the Wara Wara Yagala chiefdom, Koinadugu district where he addressed the people in similar vein.

President Kabbah praised the security forces for the good work they have been doing in maintaining law and order and urged them to continue their good work and try to exceed people's expectations.

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