Alie Kabba Visits Sierra Leoneans in the United Kingdom Alie Kabba in the UK Contributed by Abdulai Brima Alie Kabba, the leading aspirant for the SLPP flag bearer and the Sierra Leone national presidency for 2017, paid a one-week visit to the UK commencing December 10, 2014. Alie had very fruitful one-to-one meetings with a cross section of Sierra Leoneans at his London campaign headquarters on Kinglake Street. He also paid special visits to individual personalities and even rubbed shoulders with his countrymen in their usual London hangouts including the famous Muana pub in Peckam, where he gave a rallying speech that was well received by all who were present. IMG-20141221-WA0023 Alie gave deeply inspiring speeches in each of the places he visited and held question-and-answer sessions to inform his audience about his vision and plans for Sierra Leone, were he to succeed in his bid to become president of the country. At the top of his plans is the promise to sufficiently revitalize the energy sector to provide an essential basis for industrialization. Bringing back the railway is another of the policy ventures that was stressed as a priority. Both of these pillar policies were intelligently woven into Alie’s overall national policy on Health, Agriculture, Education and the finer details on decentralization of power. In Manchester, Alie Kabba started his address by extending his personal well wishes to Mrs. Zainab Sheriff, the hospitalized Women’s Leader for the SLPP Manchester Chapter. He prayed for her “speedy and full recovery and return to her good work.” IMG-20141221-WA0001 Alie expressed that he is proud to be part of the SLPP family, as he puts it, “a party that keeps everyone in and leaves no one out.” Alie further described the SLPP as “a party that understands that the focus should be on the victory for the SLPP and the development of the nation.” He warned against anyone entertaining the idea that the SLPP can be reduced to “the property of any single individual or small group of individuals.” Still stressing the theme of UNITY, Alie praised the Manchester Chapter for their outstanding ability to “figure things out” in coming together to work as a team in spite of early challenges. He said that by the example of their unity, within the shortest of time, the Manchester Chapter should serve as an inspiration to the rest of us, “especially those who find themselves challenged by the paralysis of disunity.” IMG-20141221-WA0018 Alie pointed out that unity should never be used as a mere slogan, that it is about people coming together and sharing a vision and understanding that their vision is worth fighting for and is far bigger than their individual selves. He expressed the hope that the Manchester example would inspire everyone in the diaspora to believe that where there are challenges, “unity is possible and victory can be achieved.” Alie told the gathering that when he was elected, unopposed, as a Student Union President at FBC in the 1980s, he never saw it as a moment of “personal achievement” but as a huge responsibility. He emphasized that when you are chosen as a leader, it is your responsibility to roll up your sleeves and “work every day to affirm the aspirations and justify the trust of the people who elected you, to never betray that hope,” and to be willing to sacrifice everything so that “even if you should fail to achieve all of your ultimate goals, you would leave the stage with your head held high up and your respect intact.” Alie asked rhetorically, “what is the purpose of education if we cannot positively impact the lives of others…and why are we in this world if we cannot fight for those who need us most?”IMG-20141222-WA0020 IMG-20141219-WA0013 Alie revealed that it was central questions like these that constantly molded and guided his actions; such considerations willed him to resist all temptations by the dictatorial APC regime to “buy” him off with promises of scholarships and positions. He said he stood firm and refused to be neutralized, which could have ultimately silenced the voices of the students he represented at FBC all those years ago. He said it was the solid principles developed from such fundamental questions that also guided his move from serving as Public Service Administrator in the State of Illinois with an annual budget of over 300 million dollars, to set up an organization, the United African Organization, which is dedicated to fighting for immigrants who are among some of the most marginalized and voiceless people in the American society. IMG-20141221-WA0024 Speaking further, on the path of his life’s journey, Alie told his applauding audience that his decision to look back home at this point is informed by his belief that we as a nation should not be suffering like we are. He questioned poignantly, “With all the bauxite, rutile, iron ore, diamonds and many more natural resources Sierra Leone is endowed with, why should our nation exist in such a deplorable state?” Alie ended by emphasizing that his fight was for the empowerment of the marginalized and neglected 99% of the sierra Leonean population. Maintaining that the SLPP is the most reliable party through which these aims could be actualized. Amidst thundering applause, Alie Kabba was endorsed by the Manchester Chapter as their “own candidate.”IMG-20141222-WA0005 IMG-20141221-WA0005 IMG-20141219-WA0016 In Bristol, Alie’s vision was also well received, to the extent that a number of strong APC supporters expressed active interest in his campaign. Here, he talked about his desire to institute “Diaspora voting rights” so that those who are merely regarded as remittance givers would not only have a voice in the governance of their country, but would effectively act as custodians of its democratic values. “This is a group that cannot be bought with bags of rice or bottles of wine,” he added. Alie further pointed out that any country such as ours with a broken healthcare system and an educational system that is not preparing students to be competitive in the globalized economy needs a serious redress. With all these deplorable conditions under their watch, “Imagine where our country would be if we were to give APC another five years in power.” IMG-20141222-WA0004 Talking about his vision for bringing back the railway, Alie revealed that the APC did not only stop the trains in their tracks, they actually removed the rails and sold them to Japan for personal profits. He declared amidst loud applause that “the APC was the party that took away the railway and the SLPP is the party that will bring it back to our people.” Alie further explained that by having the railway, we would be able to revitalize our rural communities and encourage our farmers to produce more. This, he added, would neatly fit in with his intention to institute a “feeding program” for primary school children. This program, he said, would run parallel with a national energy program that would serve as an engine for industrialization. “Cutting the power of the presidency to size by means of decentralization of functions to the rural communities” was a line that received prolonged applause from the Bristol audience. Lambasting the current situation wherein “two town-lot cases have to be referred to and decided by the president or some tribal minister;” Alie assured his audience that such a practice would never be allowed under his watch. This was a short but very successful visit which left the SLPP membership increasing at a very fast rate. The question most people are now asking is “when will he be here next?”
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:30:43 +0000
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