Prior to past Saturday’s official reception by APC National Secretary General Comrade Victor Bockarie Foh at Kabala community centre of newly declared members including former SLPP Chairman of Koinadugu district and others, Comrade Hon. Alhaji Alie Badara Sheriff (Batorma) made it clear that he has ejected the SLPP from his premises which was hitherto used as office of the opposition SLPP in Kabala.

“I and many have lost faith in the ideology of SLPP – hence the ejectment notice,” Comrade Sheriff noted in an exclusive interview with We Yone a day before past Saturday’s programme which signaled the total collapse of SLPP administrative machinery in Koinadugu and has added impetus to the APC so as to clinch the six parliamentary seats in the district in 2012 elections.

Receiving them into the rank and file of APC at the well attended meeting at Kabala community centre past Saturday, Secretary General Foh extended greetings to them on behalf of APC National Leader/Chairman and 2012 Presidential candidate President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.
“President Koroma is highly impressed at your levels of determination, decision and foresight in joining the APC to achieve higher heights,” Comrade Foh stated, adding the APC is a grassroot political party committed to putting in place basic social facilities across the country.
Politics, he continued, is a game of numbers.
“Thus, we are satisfied with your caliber and huge following which would ensure easy victory for APC and President Koroma in 2012 general elections,” Secretary General Foh noted, pointing out Koinadugu district has a pedigree of APC lineage and support since the 70s.
He recalled the names of prominent APC stalwarts of blessed memory from Koinadugu district who made huge contributions to the growth of APC during its formative years.
“It is no mistake for you coming over to APC which is your ‘home’”, the APC National Secretary General stated, while citing the gains made by APC government under Agenda for Change in Sierra Leone in general and Koinadugu district in particular.
“As I speak here in recognizing you all into the rank and file of APC, Kabala Township and environs could now boast of improved roads, increased agricultural inputs, free health care, etc,” the experienced Secretary General disclosed with sense of satisfaction occasioned by spontaneous applause.
Comrade Foh intimated the gathering that APC is a political party with a national character devoid of tribe or region.
“Unity, cooperation and camaraderie are in vogue within the APC family,” he explained, adding as new entrants, they would be accorded full privileges and rights of APC members. The APC indomitable National Secretary General lashed out against violence in all forms as the nation gravitates to 2012 general elections.
He thanked the organizers especially APC Koinadugu Executive led by Chairman Dr. Fasineh Samura and ably supported by Comrade Abdul Babagalleh Barrie, Deputy Minister of Works, Housing and Infrastructure.
He called on the new entrants to work concertedly to ensure APC wins all the six parliamentary seats in Koinadugu as well as the Local Council.
“Your support and membership mobilization is crucial to President Koroma’s foregone re-election victory in 2012,” he noted, concluding by officially receiving them by issuing out APC membership cards. Earlier in his opening remarks, the Northern Regional Chairman of APC who was Chairman of the programme, Hon. Philipson Kamara, described the occasion as “momentous and a sign of positive development for 2012”.
“APC has rooms for every well meaning individual who are willing to swell the rank and file of the party in the interest of development,” the APC Northern Regional Chairman revealed, pointing out President Koroma is development-oriented as could be viewed from tangibles across the country.
Hon. Kamara assured all present of the commitment of APC northern regional executive inclusive of Koinadugu APC executive to deliver the North on a landslide. Fasineh Samura stated APC has got a ‘penalty kick’ ahead of 2012.
“These levels of resignations at SLPP are analogous to a referee issuing out red card to a football club’s defenders and goal keepers at the tail end of a football match,” he stated figuratively.
Hence, he continued, APC is prepared to score many goals in Koinadugu in 2012.
The decamping of Hon. Alie Badara Sheriff et al is borne out of their sense of disillusionment with SLPP; and their coming over to APC is a sign of reconciliation for development,” the soft-spoken APC Koinadugu district Chairman stated. “Koinadugu is now red,” he assured.
Speaking also at past Saturday’s programme, APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Alpha Khan stated the new entrants are men of worth and substance whom, he maintained would add value to APC.
He described the event as fantastic, adding President Koroma in his capacity as National Leader/Chairman of APC requires levels of support, cooperation and unity from all quarters to facilitate his second inning in 2012.
“What is taking place is an antidote for political violence,” he noted, while calling on the executive and general membership of APC in Koinadugu district to ensure they mobilize residents to register in January-March 2012 NEC voter registration exercise.
“All signs are there to confirm President Koroma will retain power in 2012,” the APC National Publicity predicted with all amount of certainty. In his contribution, Comrade Abdul Babagalleh Barrie (A firebrand APC stalwart and Deputy Minister of Works, Housing and Infrastructure) commended the executive of APC in Koinadugu for working tirelessly in winning over these former SLPP stalwarts.
“Indeed, to kill a snake, just chop of its head,” he said with laughter, pointing out these SLPP guns have joined APC with their followers.
“They believed in the ideology of APC as a political party and government committed to positive social, economic and cultural transformation of Sierra Leone,” Comrade Barrie stated, while revealing the reconstruction of number of township roads in Kabala is in progress.
“Plans are well afoot for the reconstruction of Makeni-Kabala highway during the course of early 2012,” he disclosed, amidst deafening ovation. He stated the new members who have joined the APC are no strangers to many of APC stalwarts.
“Hence, we all convinced them to come over to a party with the right panacea for the woes of Sierra Leone,” he intimated, while thanking all including members of the media for witnessing the occasion.
Among the new entrants were former SLPP Chairman for Koinadugu Hon. Alie Badara Sheriff (Batorma), former SLPP Regional Secretary, Hon. M.A. Jalloh; former SLPP Organizing Secretary Mohamed Wusu Kamara (aka Mado), NDA former chairman of Koinadugu district Alhaji Shaw and PMDC former stalwart Moseray Sawaneh.
Also received by Victor Foh were onetime former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah’s spokesperson Kemoh Kanji Daramy, Independent Councillor Edward Lahai Marrah and Edward N. Sesay. In their individual statements, a line of unflinching commitment to promote the ideology of APC ran through them. In his message of goodwill, APC PortLoko Chairman Hon. Buya Kamara likened what happened in Kabala to a same event weeks ago in PortLoko.
“The SLPP former chairman Osman Karankay is now in APC fold,” he stated, while identifying Osman Karankay to the gathering.
 APC Deputy Women’s Congress Leader for Koinadugu Madam Sarah Jawara gave the vote of thanks in climaxing past Saturday’s official recognition programme which was also attended by the Koinadugu District APC dominated Council Chairman Peter Bayoku Conteh.
A rich display of cultural groups made the occasion thrilling and memorable-thus signaling brighter prospects for APC in 2012 elections.