The city of Bo went agog last Friday night after the pronouncement of (APC) presidential candidate Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma as winner of the November 17th Presidential Elections.
It was a night of celebration, jubilation, singing and clanging of pot covers.
The celebration was scattered almost everywhere in the city but was concentrated within the heart of the town in the principal streets of Dambala Road; Bojohn Street; Kissy Town Road; Lower Fenton Road and the Ngalu Road, Mahei Boima Road Roundabout. Within this area, the celebrants chanted songs in loud voices and danced along the streets. The clash of the coverings of cooking pots punctuated the melodious songs that were all political.
“Ampa Ampo; Maada Bio should go to school and the Pa will pay; if you feel aggrieved, report to the police; SLPP is not a party in Sierra Leone; if you don’t want to go to SS4 leave school….”
These were some of the lines that ran in the songs chanted while the celebrants roamed the streets celebrating through- out in the night.
As they danced through the principal streets of the city, some went from celebration to assault on some of the posters, banners, signboards and bills of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) presidential candidate Brig. Julius Maada Bio.
Within a short while, the celebrants had almost taken off all the bills of the opposition candidate Brig. Julius Maada Bio in the centre of town.
This brought about the closing of the few stalls that had opened since the elections on Saturday November 17th.
The Police however responded promptly to the situation. Immediately, the SLP had deployed two teams both from the Bo Police East and West Divisions.
The OSD team cordoned off the entry to Fenton Road leading to the Sierra Leone Peoples Party office (SLPP).
They also cordoned off the Bojohn Street- Fenton Road Roundabout, leading to the SLPP Party office, where the celebrants were scattered.
Assistant Inspector-General of Police, David Sesay, stated that: “We the police cannot control the songs, but we have to prevent physical contact.”
The celebration ran through the night to the other day, which also saw the barricading of the APC office as they celebrated.
By Jenkins Bawoh
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