The recent audio purporting to be from the spokesperson of the Fullah Progressive Union (FPU) President, Alhaji Sanu Barrie accusing the Vice President Mohamed B. Barrie of undermining the FPU president is shocking and disappointing.
What I Sense
Listening to the audios, I sense insecurity in the narration of the speaker. Mr Mohamed Barrie, Vice President was elected by the FPU delegates together with the President during the annual FPU conference in Magburaka in December 2019. So, he is the legitimate Vice President of the organisation and therefore has the authority to act when the President is away.
As the modus operandi in any properly constituted organisation, like the FPU, if the President is absent, the Vice President should carry out the activities of the organization as provided for in the constitution.
The allegations by the spokesperson of the President that the Vice President did not consult the President before embarking on FPU activities and that the Vice President did not inform people that he was acting on behalf of the President raises some questions about the delegation of responsibilities.
The leadership of the organization needs to urgently look into these allegations to guarantee the functioning of the organization when the President is away.
In my view, if the Vice President was acting within his constitutional powers, it renders the allegations in the audios baseless. And if one may ask, should the Vice President always wait for instructions from the President before he embarks on any activities that would benefit the Fullah community in the country?
It is important for the President not to misconstrue the proactive engagements by his Vice as an attempt to overthrow or undermine him.
This is important, given that the President spends most of his time in Nigeria and Ivory Coast due to his business commitments in those countries.
The President should therefore commend his Vice when he undertakes activities on behalf of the FPU.
In the interest of the cohesion and principles of “Fottal Eh Pottal” the President should distance himself from the audios making the rounds on social media.
National Politics
After doing some investigations on the ground, it is becoming apparent that some highly placed individuals in the current government are involved in the brewing tensions between the President and his Vice.
Some observers believe that the divisive politics between the ruling SLPP and APC is being played out within the FPU.
According to reports, some individuals in the current government are uncomfortable with the fame and popularity of the FPU Vice President due to the activities that he is undertaking on behalf of the organisation.
Any attempt to discredit him should be rejected.
It is important to remind all and sundry that the founding fathers of the FPU did not establish it to carry out the activities of any of the political parties in Sierra Leone.
The FPU is a non-partisan national organisation that was established to foster, promote and protect the interest of the Fullah community, especially at a time when it was the subject of abuse by the Government’s in Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The FPU should therefore remain home to Fullahs from all shade of opinions and political party affiliations.
For the past decades, the organisation has maintained its non-partisan stance and that should be preserved. Any attempt to import the very divisive partisan politics should not be condoned and should be outrightly rejected.
The FPU has been admired by all and sundry for it peaceful and excellent performance for the past years as it was a purely non-partisan organization.
It should continue to transcend the toxic politics between APC and SLPP.
So I urge all politicians to get their hands off our FPU as it is not for sale to any political party.
I rest my case.
By Saikujohn Barrie
7/10/2020. ISSUE NO: 7925