In 1964 Dr. Karefa-Smart hoped to succeed Sir Milton Margai as Prime Minister on the death of the latter. On this occasion, the SLPP in its wisdom and within its constitutional rights voted for Sir Albert Margai in preference to Karefa Smart refused to accept this democratic decision. He resigned from his party and started courting a relationship with the Opposition Party of Siaka Stevens, the All Peoples Congress (APC) as from that day. At the same time, he wrote to all the Paramount Chiefs of the Northern Province informing them of his new political relationship and urging them to transfer their allegiance to the Opposition Party. Karefa-Smart claims to have affinity with the Northern Province, of Sierra Leone. He did not relent in his efforts to revenge against Albert Margai until the latter fell from office in 1967.
When Siaka Stevens eventually became Prime Minister, Karefa-Smart hoped to be appointed to the vacant post of Governor-General as his reward for his support for Siaka Stevens. When his effort in this regard failed, he engineered a coup against Siaka Stevens in 1970. He escaped from custody to the United States where he remained until Siaka Stevens left office in 1985. His fellow coup plotters were tried and convicted. Some were executed. Others including Cpl. Foday Sankoh received terms of imprisonment. His present affiliation the coup of 25th May 1997 is therefore nothing strange to his nature or the people of Sierra Leone.
Shedding Light On The Controversy:
After all the trouble they gave to the late former president of Sierra Leone Dr. Siaka P. Stevens, they next concentrated the injustices to my late dad Hon.M.S.Mustapha (May peace and blessings be upon the two buddies whose names I just mentioned.
Thank GOD, I’m alive to certainly make sure that the public is not mis-informed about the political corruptions that took place in Sierra Leone, during the year under review:1964.
Correction: In 1964, prior to the death of Sir Milton A.S Margai, (May Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him), my father, Hon. M.S.Mustapha(May Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him), was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (Second in Command); So, how come you going to bypass him and say Dr. Karefa Smart was hoping to succeed Sir Milton? Now, this is where the controversy started; and since then the country started it’s course to a great divide that translated into chaos and anarchy 20 years later.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Sierra Leone has to come off that deep bend of tribalism, nepotism, bribery and corruption; And thank GOD, at last, she has found a leader who’s committed to doing away with the evil that’s being holding the country down for too long.
Again, I must re-iterate, because of the earlier agreement made between the two Margai brothers (from the protectorate) for one of them to come to agreement as to who should be the leader of the majority of the people mostly in the protectorate, both of them as leaders from the protectorate stood their grounds wanting to become the first prime minister and they stumbled at a deadlock. The party decided to cast votes as to who the leader should be.
Sir Albert M. Margai, won the majority, and was talked into letting his elder brother carry the staff; and so he stepped down to give his elder brother a chance to lead; There an then the story should have ended but it did not.
The Controversy:
Unlike the Hier Loom laws prescribed for chiefs in Africa, which allows staff to be handed to a member of the ruling family, from generation to the next by order of who’s in-line to succeed the chief, like a piece of property. Government officials and some civil servants, should have never tampered with the constitution, which was hurriedly re-written to favor one friend over the other based on prejudice, re-verse discrimination, tribalism, and all the guiles of hatred for success.
The cups where overturned without due regards to the Constitution and people; It was a sad occurrence and one that I’ll live to pray to never see happen again; Therefore I’m telling it like I experienced it. It was wrong, it was controversial, and it should have never happened.
CAUTION:
Sir Milton A.S.Margai, Hon. M.S.Mustapha, Hon. Dr. John Karefa-Smart, Hon. Kandeh Bureh Kamara, Hon. H.E.B.John, Hon Y.D.Sesay, Hon. D.L.Sumner, Hon. Solomon Pratt, Hon.Taplimah Ngobeh, Hon. I.B.Taylor Kamara, Hon. PC Bai Bayroh, Hon. PC Bai Koblo, Hon.PC Ella Koblo-Gulama, Hon.PC.Yumkella, Hon. PC Bai Farma Tass II, Hon. R.B.S.Coker, Hon. A.J.Demby, Hon. A.G.Randall, Hon.Barthes Wilson, Hon. John Nelson-Williams, Hon. Cyril Rogers-Wright, Hon. A.J.Massally, Hon. PC Jayah Kai Kai, Hon. C.A.Kamara-Taylor, Hon. S.I.Koroma, Hon.S.B. Daramy, Hon. S.B.Marrah, Hon. Kawusu Conteh, Hon. Frank Anthony, Hon. Jusu Sheriff, Hon. PC Kemoh Bayoh, Hon. C.P.Foray, Hon. A.D. Wurie, Hon. PC Serry Kamal, Hon. Constance Cummings-John, Hon. Dr. Siaka P. Stevens, and Hon. J.S.Momoh, just to name a few, all acknowledged my dad; They called him “Bra Mus” because he loved all of his friends, and addressed them all with the same mutual respect and love. May the Almighty GOD, continue to have them in his presence until judgment day; May peace and blessings be upon their souls, and may they continue to rest in perfect peace.
May the doubts be put to rest in light of the truth which I have vividly conjured again to shed light on the issue of controversy.
I hope we can bury the hatchets of yester years, and move-on to prosperity; A direction the current president is striving to do for the country. GOD Bless Sierra Leone, GOD Bless America; and Joy to the World.
Peace!
what a remarkable and interesting story to read. I felt stunt and very imotional reading all these facts. It just reflect my memory back in the days of the the January 6 intervention , when a hand full of idiots held millions of people into ransom causing untold suffering for millions. some have past away and some of us are still living, illing the pain and suffering that we went through, throughout that nine month standoff. Allah will hold all those perpetrators accountable for the mayhem they unleashed on defenceless civilians. There are few people who have this country at heart. some people don’t even have respect for humans lives. Poor mama sierra leone has come too far with all the stumbling blocks, mismanagement, greed for power, selfishness, and hatered. There were genuine people like your dad Hon. Sanusie Mustapha who stood up for peace and prosperity for our beloved nation (may his soul rest in peace). My hope and prayer now for our beloved country is that, may Allah continue to bless those of us who have good intentions to make head way to the top to bring better betterment and success to this country. I always ask myself where are we heading to. Sierra leone was once the anthen of west Africa now look how far are we from the top. But i am optimistic that by the help of Allah we shall reach the top and clinch our past glory once again. We don’t deserve to be begging donor countries for help, we should be self sufficient by now. With all the wealth that Allah has blessed us with yet we remain perpectually poor nation? We should really put aside all the set back that has crippled our one and only Sierra Leone all this while for the future of our children and children yet unborn. Sierra leone is a sweet and beautiful country, we can’t afford to live as slaves throughout living abroad. We want to go back home and contribute which ever way possible to the prosperity of our country. May God bless us all and bring a brighter future for every one and our children yet unborn.