SIERRA LEONE PEOPL’S PARTY One Country One People OFFICE OF THE STUDENT LEADER, WESTERN AREA SLPP HEADQUARTERS 15 WALLACE JOHNSON STREET, FREETOWN 14TH November, 2014 PRESS STATEMENT John Oponjo Benjamin-Hirsch undermines SLPP At a time when responsible Sierra Leoneans are busy fighting the Ebola epidemic which is ravaging the lives of hundreds of people; and when well-meaning people within the SLPP are as well busy reconciling different interest groups in the party, Mr. John Oponjo Benjamin-Hirsch, of a German father, is busy undermining the efforts of these people. After forcefully closing the official newspaper of the SLPP during his reign as national chairman and leader of the party, Mr. Benjamin-Hirsch established the infamous METRO newspaper for the purpose of smear campaign against the party that has made him politically what he is today. Based on almost all its publications, it is clear the ultimate goal of this infamous newspaper is to tarnish the good images of most of the stake-holders whom he considers as opposed to his ambition of becoming the flag bearer of the SLPP. He is using this smear campaign to present the party to the nation as being lawless and out of focus. And the current executive as in-effective; this is not the case. Since the party for whatever reasons is not interested in Mr. Benjamin-Hirsch’s political gimmick, we the students of the SLPP have deem it fit to do so in order to set the records straight. On November 11th 2014, the said Metro Newspaper managed by Eddie Momoh, a JOB-Hirsch fanatic who wasted all of his useful life on the streets of London published a story “Madaa Bio’s unexplained wealth”. The article attacked Maada Bio for embezzling party funds and failing to account for campaign funds. The article is not only baseless and malicious, but also hilarious and unpleasant. Facts are these: 1. The campaign fund was managed by the fund-raising committee with Dr. Kadi Sesay as the chairperson. 2. Dr. Kadi Sesay presented a comprehensive financial statement on all income raised and expenditures incurred in the first NEC meeting immediately after the 2012 elections. The presentation was accepted by the NEC body and copy of the statement is in the national secretariat. 3. Retired Brigadier Maada Bio owes no explanations to JOB-Hirsch or his cronies for any assets he has acquired. Rtd. Brg. Bio was a partner of one of the most established produced buying company in this country. Besides, unlike JOB-Hirsch, Rtd. Brg Bio has many supporters both home and overseas who believed in his political leadership and are prepared to contribute anything at any time to his political agenda. A case in point is that, the initial candidature fees of Le. 10,000,000 (Ten Million Leones) was paid by supporters on behalf of Maada Bio and in his absence. As enlightened students of the party, we thought it was a joke after having read the article. But after deep consideration, the student wing of the party thought it prudent to call on the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) to ask the former chairman/leader – JOB-Hirsch to answer to some questions to the party’s entire membership. 1. Why did JOB-Hirsch start to use the candidature fees of flag bearer aspirants totaling Le. 950,000,000 (Nine Hundred And Fifty Million Leones) even though it was agreed that the money was to be kept in a special account and would only be used after the FB. Elections? 2. Why did JOB-Hirsch refused to allow Rtd. Brg. Maada Bio to be a signatory to the special account where the candidature fee was deposited as was agreed? 3. How did JOB-Hirsch spend the money, when and on what? 4. How did JOB-Hirsch spend the sum of US $ 263,000,00. (two hundred and sixty three thousand dollars) donation by Goodluck Jonathan, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria? 5. What happened to the sum of US $ 26,000. (twenty-six thousand dollars) donations from the US for party cards brought in by Mr. Sulaiman Banja Tejan-Sie just before the 2012 elections? Mr. Benjamin-Hirsch, let us warn that the students of SLPP will stop at nothing to ensure that you account for these monies before the next party convention. We will let our entire membership know the facts of all monies you embezzled during your tenure as national chairman/leader. Your much trumpeted handing over note is your own version of events, which is completely at variance to the truth in the party’s possession. Without letting the cat out of the bag, we want to inform you that the party has now completed a management and financial audit of your tutelage showing sufficient grounds for criminal charges to be levied against you. So don’t be surprise if you receive an invitation from the ACC. We also warn that if you refuse to stop your public smear campaign against fellow party members and to apologize, we will not hesitate to request your expulsion from our great party. Remember you single handedly expelled Mr. Usu-Boie Kamara, J.B.Dauda and others from the SLPP for lesser offences, this maybe your turn if you fail to cease your baseless public smear campaigns and apologize as instructed. This is your final warning! Dwight Z.K.Sheriff SLPP Student Leader.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:53:36 +0000
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