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Page added on October 26, 2009
Author: Richard B Bockarie - SEM
The people of Kono have invariably made it clear that they will vote against the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) in the coming 2012 General Elections owing to the regrettable manner in which the APC has been treating the District since its election in 2007. During interviews conducted with various personalities during a recent visit to the District, citizens cried down the lackluster manner in which the government has treated them, claiming that ever since they supported the APC in a massive display of brotherhood during the  2007 run-off, there has not been any development for them. “Gave our support in an election that saw the then opposition APC taking over the seat of power from the then incumbent SLPP government. An elderly retired school teacher speaking in a crowded ‘barray,’ set up to talk to the Editor of this tabloid, said in a downcast manner: “We voted overwhelmingly for the SLPP in the 2007 elections but decided to turn round and give our support to the APC because Samuel Sam-Sumana was made running mate, the First Lady and second were also going to be Konos and so we felt we had the interest of our District fully represented in government if the APC took over powers, but this is a slap in our faces, what we hoped for was mere dreams never to be realized,” he said.
Similar views were also presented by various town and youth chives the media talked to who claimed that the Vice President and all those that are supposed to represent the interest of the District have turned their backs on them.
A town chief in Sandor Chiefdom from where the VP hails from, who asked for anonymity, expressed complete disappointment at the way the government is treating the people of Kono saying “we have been taken for granted, everyday we listen to the radio, we hear of development programmes taking place in other parts of the country, roads being constructed, streets paved in nearby cities of Makeni and Bo, but Kono is left out and nobody is saying anything” he asserted.
In the city of Koidu, according to Local Government Councilors this Press spoke to, the situation is precarious “there are no development projects for us to carry out in our wards, at the District or City Council there are no answers for the many questions our people ask us, you are not able to point your fingers at anything you have done like it is in other Districts of the country”.
They claim that the current government is wholly unpopular among the ordinary man in the District which according to them could have been “exhibited in the last local government election were it not for the interference of the Central Government” a local chief in the Nimiyama Chiefdom told this journalist.
At present, the people are currently watchful that undue pressure is not exerted by the Central Government in the ongoing Paramount Chieftaincy Election. District Representative of National Election Watch in Kono, Ishmail Jalloh, confirmed such fears but said the observers would be very vigilant to ensure that the will of the people prevails.          Â
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