|
Monday, 16 March 2009
17:26 :True to their nature as a violent party with an uncontrollable
membership, members of the opposition SLPP this morning again attempted
to prevent the Mayor of Freetown and his staff from entering the
Freetown City Council office. According to eyewitness report the SLPP
hooligans, who apparently have been in the office for several weeks
running, were heard singing Kamajor songs late last night which when
translated meant that ‘tomorrow we are again going to show you people
that we are the boss'.
Some were also overheard shouting
threats against the welfare and well being of the Mayor and other
Councilors and were obviously determined to wreck havoc on the Mayor
this morning.
However, news about their nefarious
plan leaked to the youths who usually rendez-vous at the old bus station
and Government Wharf who as early as 6:00am began to gather round about
the office of the Mayor determined to protect the Mayor from further
attack and harassment by the opposition SLPP.
Popular youth activist of the APC
National Youth League Foday Kamara alias Foday Government Wharf upon
hearing about the dangerous plan of the opposition SLPP at about 6:00am
this morning went to the office of the Freetown City Council from where
observed irate SLPP hooligans and misguided youths preparing for another
round of attack on the Mayor, councilors and other staff of the Freetown
City Council.
Foday Kamara told We Yone that the
night security personnel at the office of the Freetown City Council
explained the horrific ordeal they had endued throughout the night and
appealed to Foday Kamara to use his contacts in the APC to inform the
Mayor that he was not secured and should therefore not go to the office
today.
"Immediately I got wind of the facts
from the night watchmen at the Freetown City Council office" Foday
Kamara said "I left for the Police HQ where I met with AIG Munu and
informed him about the plan of the opposition SLPP"
It was later understood that AIG Munu
took Foday Kamara to the Inspector General of Police Brima Acha Kamara
who asked that he should be withheld in custody following his berating
of the Police for failing to provide adequate security for the Mayor,
councilors and other council staff.
Meanwhile, reports state that staff of
the Freetown City Council who were reporting for work as early as 6:30
were prevented by irate SLPP youths from entering into the Council
premise.
This, according to eyewitness angered
the area youths who by this were swelling in disgust as the SLPP
continue their show of threat and intimidation.
Eyewitness told We Yone that one of the
Council workers had insisted that he should not be prevented from
entering his office on a Monday morning and a scuffle ensued between him
and a group of irate SLPP youths who had tried to prevent from entering
the Freetown city Council office.
"While the scuffle between the Council
staff and the thugs heated, one of the attempted to hit the Council
worker on his head but the Council worker was swift enough to dodge his
jab and because of his physical fitness he simply bundled the irate SLPP
thug out of his way" the eyewitness said pointing out that it was then
stones started coming from within the office of the opposition SLPP HQ.
The worker and many other council
workers who beginning to report for work at that time had to escape the
riotous conduct of these SLPP hoodlums but the area youths who expressed
their disgust and outright condemnation of the attitude and activities
of the opposition SLPP took upon themselves to retaliate on behalf of
the council staff since it was apparently clear that the Police were
unable to intervene because they were yet to receive orders from the
Inspector General.
The situation became aggravated by the
SLPP Secretary General Jacob Jusu Saffa while during an interview over
the UN radio popular programme ‘Tea Break' sent out a war call to
supporters of the SLPP to come to their office to stop the Mayor from
entering his office.
However, the timely intervention of
highly armed Police patrol at State House saved the day. The police
patrol entered the office of the opposition SLPP and arrested well over
32 people who were apparently were in riotous conduct.
The Police discovered machetes,
grenade, several bags of cannabis sativa (marijuana), cartoons of white
substances considered to be heroine, several crates of beer, stout and
rum, bags of rice and bags of stones.
Before the arrival of the police patrol
the stone throwing battle between the members of the opposition SLPP
within their HQ and the angered area youths had become so intense that
the members of the opposition SLPP were again like past Friday's
incident overcome by these area youths who entered their offices and
destroyed everything they could lay hands on.
Police has also asked some senior SLPP
party stalwarts to reort to the nearest police station.
Meanwhile calm was restored to Freetown
and people went about their normal business by midday.
Also, a high power stakeholders meeting
between leaders of the political parties and the UN will take place
tomorrow at the office of the UN Secretary General special
Representatives to Sierra Leone at Mammy Yoko, Aberdeen.
|
