Victor Foh and Kandeh Yumkella
One of the most distinguished and highly reputable Sierra Leonean in the world, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, who until recently was the Director General of UNIDO – (United Nations International Development Organisation), and who during his tenure contributed immensely to help in the development of his country by initiating massive development projects across the country in collaboration with former President Ernest Bai- Koroma, has last week decided to join political hands with no other person than the devil himself, Julius Maada Bio, the current Kleptocratic President of Sierra Leone who has a rich history of human rights abuses tainted with abuse of power and office, mixed with arbitrary killings and summary executions and unlawful arrests with trumped up charges against political opponents. Just recently, the outstanding Sierra Leonean Journalist, Abu Shaw, who is based in London as well, wrote a brilliant article describing Victor Bockarie Foh, the former Vice President as a ‘True Two-Tongue and Crappy Politician’ in reference to him joining the SLPP of Julius Maada Bio with a photo of Yumkella and Foh attending an SLPP rally.
Shaw, who has gained a reputation as a journalist with remarkable integrity, did not mince his words as he tore through the inept character of Victor Foh with merciless furor. Yumkella has literally followed in the footsteps of Victor Foh to dance with the devil.
Before now, I had always had tremendous respect for Yumkella, enough to the point that when I visited Sierra Leone in 2018 I went to his office to have a pep talk with him but unfortunately, Dennis Bright, then Chairman of the party told me he was unavailable. I also published his Biography on the front pages of NewstimeAfrica in recognition of his amazing contribution to the development of Africa. But his move to join hands with Julius Maada Bio is definitely bereft of a second-thought option and without the benefit of intellect. Education is indeed not by qualification but by interpretation.
Yumkella has soiled his hard-earned reputation as an International diplomat and squandered any opportunity to one day be President of Sierra Leone by aligning himself with a man who has no more respect in the eyes of well-meaning Sierra Leoneans and who has destroyed the fabric of our country’s democratic, political and economic values, fought so hard for by the founding fathers of our nation. Julius Maada Bio is a criminal who has no place in the leadership makeup of our country. The people of Sierra Leone made an egregious error in voting him to power and will not be making the same mistake a second time this June.
During the early part of President Ernest Bai Koroma’s second term tenure, I was delighted to see Yumkella making moves to come closer to Koroma and was hoping that he will join the APC and may even be considered for leadership role as Koroma’s successor once his term finishes, as I know he would have made a good President. Unfortunately, that was not to be, as he chose to work with the SLPP and Julius Maada Bio. Yumkella should look forward with acute trepidation as the Bible says in John 10:10, Luke 22:31, and 1 Peter 5:8, that the devil has come to steal, kill and destroy, and he wouldn’t want his legacy to be associated with a President who has all the hallmarks of Lucifer himself. Sierra Leone is about to witness a dramatic overhaul of it’s fortunes as the June 2023 elections will see a new government ushered in with a complete transformation taking place. And it is not too late for Yumkella to revisit his woeful decsion and become part of the bandwagon of Dr. Samura Kamara into statehouse.
