Posted by Zaddik Isaac on December 06, 2007 at 15:23:51:
SLPP to sue APC over sacking of Bank Governor
Tension between the ruling APC and the opposition SLPP over the sacking of the Bank Governor has reached a peak to the point that the SLPP was reportedly poised to take legal action at the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the constitution. Minority leader of Parliament, Momoh Pujeh said the sacking of the former Bank Governor, Dr. J.D.Rogers, was illegal and in contravention of the 1991 constitution and the Bank of Sierra Leone Act. The furious minority leader said up to the time of appointment of the current Bank Governor, Dr. Samura Kamara, they had not seen any resignation from the former Bank Governor, The Exclusive reports.
(Compiled by UNIOSIL, Public Information Office)
Toegondoe Sagbah
Fellows,
SLPP was barren in positive campaign strategy leadership, now they seem to be continuing on the same path of lack of leadership in political (especially opposition) strategy.
They have gone after the Elections Commission, the EU, the UN representatives and now the APC government over the issue of the ex Bank Governor Rogers.
Has SLPP forgotten so soon already that their bikerings with the Elections Commission contributed to their defeat in addition to all other strategic blunders and miscalculations? Don't they realize that come 2012, the Elections Commission will again be crucial in their potential win or loss?
Does the SLPP believe that its a good strategy to go after the UN officials? Even if they are successful in routing Victor Angelo, will their action be considered good strategy for a more favorable future relationship with this all-important international organization? Do they believe that they gain any grounds by picking on UN officials?
Does the SLPP believe that standing up for "ONE MAN", (J.D. Rogers), who almost admitted to breaking bank rules, is in the best interest of the party at large? Picking up a fight with the government and damaging any potential for good governance (with SLPP now in the opposition), is not a good strategy to me, especially if it is in the interest of supporting ONE MAN who had declared before, that he was being attacked because he released money for Berewa's campaign. Is the SLPP not afraid of risking the opening of a pandoras box over Dr. Rogers? Do they know how deep a trouble he may be in for a probable improper disbusrsement of national treasury funds to a private campaign?
How long is the SLPP leadership going to be putting the party at political peril of winning chances? When is the SLPP going to start looking at the party's interest at large, rather than narrowly milking individual and personal interests? They did that by NOT opposing to the impositions of Kabba upon the party with unpopular candidates, only to realize at the end, and after the fact, the repercursions of their mistakes.
If the SLPP does not employ the resources of good strategists and advisers, it is doomed to fail in winning the next election. They need to lay low, go back to work, concentrate on strategy to win the next election, rather than occupying themselves with dredging up every possible fume of confrontation that ultimately end up in a loss for them.
For example, in their threat to go to court for Dr. Rogers, has the SLPP already forgotten that the Supreme Court is a government rubber stamping court? Have they forgotten that the Court supported the SLPP in every case their government got involved in? Do they believe that this same Court will now support their cause against the present APC government?...FAT CHANCE! They are a government rubber stamping Court, and they will not break that tradition or precedence. SLPP is better off resting for now and concentrating on good governance from the opposition.
TOEGONDOE SAGBAH
Mr. Saffa?
Sometimes all the strategy in the world will hardly dent an embattled party's chances at the polls. Faced with mounting criticism from Freetown residents who endured rolling black outs for several weeks leading up to polling day, widespread perception that a government widely credited with winning peace could not deliver peace-time benefits, and a desire for change in large swathes of the country, the last SLPP administration was in a fight for its survival.
How the party gets its groove back after the recent election defeat is moot.
For now, as you indicate, they seem embroiled in intractable policy issues such as NEC's invalidated votes, hirings and firings of heads of government agencies and other public/civil servants, and staging walkouts in parliament. A series of events that are ripe for all kinds of judgments. But if the party's strategists can show its motivations spring from a democratic desire for the greater good they'll have a fighting chance to convince swing voters that they are on course to give the APC a run in 2012
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