Marking the end of their final campaign, the flagbearer of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Brig.Rtd. Julius Maada Bio has called on the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to conduct the election in a free and fair manner, as SLPP “wants a clean election.”
Taking the podium, Bio had to dance to the popular sound by ‘Steady Bongo- Makondu” and called on the International Community and NEC to create an environment, where the elections will be held in a manner without any fear.
Bio said that the SLPP accepted a faulty election in 2007. “We will not accept any faulty elections, twice in a row. We want a clean election, one that is accepted by all.”
Maada Bio told the jam-packed stadium that the SLPP is more stronger in 2012, than ever before. This, he said, was made possible through the past leadership of Tejan Kabbah, Sama Banya and Alhaji U.N.S. Jah, and they have pushed the present president to the corner.
Highlighting some of the failures of the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) government, he said “they promised to fix the educational system, but have not done it. He also said that even though they have made free health care their flagship programme, more children are dying every day, more than ever before. ”
Bio disclosed that they are deceiving the people about the 5.8 Kilometers of road which was built with $18 million and they used $19m on 27 kilometres of road.
On electricity, he said “Bumbuna was already completed 95% by the SLPP and the APC only completed 5%.”
Some of the things the SLPP will be doing,he stated is that they will build on the human resource which he said is the most important asset in the ‘new direction’ and this can only be done through quality education.
The SLPP flag bearer promised free education for all children from nursery to SSS “the APC and their SSS4 will go together” he said.
Bio maintained that when he went to Makeni, they pronounce him as the coach and in the match, he said, “Ernest Koroma has played foul therefore we are going to give him a red card”. This statement was followed with a display of a red card by both the flag bearer and Running Mate.
The Running Mate, Dr. Kadie Sesay in her statement, applauded their supporters and the message sent is clear that “Ernest Koroma must go, he should go and he will go.”
The capital, she said, always gives the signal in changing governments and the Western Area has shown that they believe in the agenda for change but “the change is going to be under Bio’s new direction.”
Kadi Sesay said the show of support is a prelude “to Saturday. The will of the people will prevail in this election, no amount of rigging or bribery will work this time.”
She called on their supporters to turn out in their numbers to vote massively for all of the SLPP candidates.
By Betty Milton
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