The National Chairman of the SLPP, John Oponjo Benjamin has urged Police Unit Commanders in charge of Bo, Moyamba, Pujehun, Zimmi-Bo Waterside, Mattru Jong, Bonthe and Kenema Police Stations to present unfettered proofs available to them relating to the SLPP allegation that the ruling APC is engaged in a systematic cross-border transportation of ex-combatants to register in the South and East of the country being strongholds of the SLPP.
Mr. Benjamin made this call in a nationwide interview broadcast marking United Nations sponsored Interparty meeting held in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone. The SLPP National Chairman expressed “profound shock and total dismay” over the argument presented by both the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Francis Munu and the Minister of Defense, Paolo Conteh, noting that he expected the matter to be investigated and not to be publicly commented upon and summarily dismissed by key stakeholders such as the IG and the Defense Minister.
According to Mr. Benjamin, it is true and factual that the SLPP made reports of the allegations to the respective police units, and according to him, that was why he was calling on the heads of those units to ensure that the information in their care are presented without any alteration. He emphasized the SLPP charge of the APC hiring and transporting ex-combatants to registration centers and that the said ex-combatants include foreign nationals with the view of causing chaos in the Southern and Eastern Regions come polling day.
Mr. Benjamin maintained that the SLPP is a peaceful political party and that as a party that ushered in peace in the country, they would not like to see that peace fade away because of want of power. He called on all SLPP supporters to be peaceful and to come out in their numbers to register.
He disclosed that nineteen suspects were earlier reported to the police and that the party had taken the matter with certain local chiefs whom he said should form relevant proofs of his party’s allegation against the APC.
Earlier during the interview, Resident Minister South, Mojue Kaikai dismissed the SLPP accusations and called them, “unfounded and a complete make up by the SLPP” because according to the Minister, the SLPP has “already lost the elections and are therefore causing noise over spilt milk.”
By Easmon Moiguah
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