What Can One Expect From ‘Jam-Bodi?’

Concord Times (Freetown)

With John Momoh

23 June 2011

opinion

Freetown — When news broke out of the appointment of JB Dauda, a former Finance Minister in Ex-President Kabbah’s SLPP Government of National Unity to serve as the second Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation replacing Mrs. (Haja) Zainab Bangura who was transferred to serve as Health and Sanitation Minister in this new APC Government, a hue and cry was raised by one lawyer Iscandri over the past political records of JB also known as ‘Jam-Bodi’ for short.

Lawyer Iscandri, who resides in the United States, felt that Jam-Bodi was not a square peg in a square hole and hence JB’s nomination as head of the country’s diplomatic service was not advised at this point in time. He also cited that during the era of the first APC regime before the rebel war when among the criteria for appointment was the extent of a politician’s link to thug groups. In fact it was speculated that JB Dauda was involved in the hiring of party thugs to wage a reign of terror on political opponents in Kenema, the Eastern Regional capital at election times.

In this era of good governance, the campaign to wipe off corruption and to ensure electoral transparency, it is hoped that all politicians in the country have learnt their lessons. All eyes are nowadays focused on JB whether or not, as foretold by analysts, he will make Kenema a theatre of electoral violence, as was the case in the dark days of politics, when violence was not far removed from Kenema, Kailahun and Kono Districts.

On the other hand there are many Sierra Leoneans who generally hope that as a patriotic Sierra Leonean which he exhibited when he served as Finance Minister in the past SLPP Government with distinction, he will be disposed to use his vast experience in public service to radiate President Ernest Bai Koroma’s policy of Agenda for Change, and for reunifying the Eastern and Southern Regions; that is, areas often known as the bastion of the opposition SLPP, to support the re-election of President Koroma for a second term of office by peaceful means in the interest of nurturing the culture of multiparty democracy and good governance, which is the order of the day in most African countries.

What appears to be a setback to the on-going development crusades set in motion by President Koroma is the tantalizing fear that two groups of political persuasions that are striving to influence the decisions of government, notably: those hardliner APC stalwarts who view that the party should remain glued on the radicalism of the past, and the moderates such as President Koroma who feel that the emancipation of this country from the shackles of backwardness, corruption and poverty can emanate from embracing the values of good governance and multiparty democracy.

Those in the conservative school of thought are apprehensive that the President is giving away too much in the name of good governance. They advise that he should shy away from sacrificing the old values of the party that can be helpful and in the interest of the party at election times, for reasons of good governance, political tolerance and peaceful coexistence. What appears certain is that several omens are pointing that like the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the forthcoming 2012 elections will be conducted in a peaceful, law-abiding and non-violent atmosphere.

At least among assurances that the election will be peaceful is the fact that while the APC Regime has been able to make inroads in the Southern-Eastern Region by cultivating an increasing number of faithful party loyalists in every district, the arch-rival party the SLPP has been slumbering in mobilizing popular support in the Northern region. This indicates that the APC continues to solidify its strength in both the Eastern and Southern Regions, especially following the completion and inauguration of the Bo to Masiaka highway, the Bo to Kenema road and the nearly completed Kambia to Guinea highway. The implementation of the construction of the Kenema to Pendembu segment of the Kenema to Koindu highway is also picking momentum.

The diversified trend of development initiatives in the country such as the free health care delivery and the construction of hospitals and clinics throughout the country, the easy access to tertiary educational facilities, the rehabilitation of streets in the country’s provincial capital cities and district headquarter towns, are among omens that even without reliance on violence the APC stands a better chance to be re-elected for a second term mandate. President Koroma is quite aware of the fact that he was not elected to power on the premises of political violence, such as was the hallmark of past elections in the country, but rather on the basis of decent politics of persuasive campaigning and the historic and unprecedented APC party’s alignment with the opposition People’s Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) of lawyer Charles Margai.

The alignment of the two opposition parties at that time yielded into the PMDC snatching from the SLPP 10 Parliamentary seats. Only such a political group was necessary in the line of decent and persuasive politics, to enable the APC to gather the strength needed to break the SLPP Regime’s dominance in the Southern and Eastern Regions. It may be possible that next year’s elections will witness a re-play of such political alignments emerging in different forms.

The questions sometimes asked include: What will profit ‘Jam-Bodi’ should he allow himself to be used by the APC Government to ferment trouble within SLPP ranks in the Eastern Region? This is because JB is the only politician hailing from the South-Eastern Region that has been lucky enough to reap bumper harvest as a politician in the Red-APC T-shirt and in the Green-SLPP T-shirt. He was the longest-serving Finance Minister in Kabbah’s 11 years SLPP administration although the enormous confidence that the past APC Regime of President Momoh had in him as a politician of substance to count on was manifested by his appointment as Vice President. Apart from him, the only South-Eastern politician to have been held in such a high esteem was the late lawyer Francis Minah, who served as Foreign Minister and Vice President under an APC Government.

This of course means that the only position that JB Dauda may perhaps be craving for in the event of the re-election of the present APC Regime for another five years mandate may be, making the landmark history of retaining his job as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He may also be eyeing the post-electoral compensation of becoming Vice-President once more in the event of a vacancy created if the incumbent, a very hard working and committed Vice President Sahr Sam-Sumana, quits the job.

When JB was appointed Foreign Minister, this writer was among those who hailed the farsightedness of the APC Government in breaking across party barriers to appoint someone from the South-Eastern Region to that coveted post. This was because since the APC came to power amidst controversy over the results of the Presidential Run-off, most high-profile appointments in government were dominated by technocrats hailing from the Northern Region, the APC stronghold, while the SLPP followed the option of urging its members to boycott holding positions in this APC Government. The appointment of JB to serve as Foreign Minister was thus perceived as a step towards national reconciliation by bringing loyal technocrats from the South-Eastern Region on board.

The political apprehensions aside, JB can serve as a useful asset rather than a liability in this good governance dispensation besides considering government’s achievements in the construction of roads. There is also the free health care delivery system, which according to Health and Sanitation Ministry sources continues to make an impact on the improvement of the health of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five years; as the above listed vulnerable group is accessing health care in hospitals and clinics throughout the country on a free of charge basis. JB can play a strategic role in persuading the people of Kenema about the development strides being undertaken by the APC Regime of President Koroma rather than mobilizing APC thugs to wage electoral mayhem as feared in some quarters. The people need to be told the economic dimensions and benefits to both Kenema and Kailahun districts upon the completion of the Kenema to Koindu Road.

When completed the road will offer farmers, especially coffee and cocoa cash-crop farmers in the region, an easy outlet to major market areas in the country at affordable costs

The fears that the ex-SLPP Finance Minister JB Dauda’s joining the ranks of the APC party not being in the interest of good governance and the democratic environment, which is a figment of the imagination of certain critics, is thus a controversial subject.

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