By: Aaron Bundu Lahai
The Honourable Vice President of Sierra Leone Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has concluded his nationwide engagement on voter registration with stakeholders and the general public in the fourteen provincial districts in Sierra Leone. During the first phase of his visit, the Vice President held meetings in Targrin-Portloko District, Moyamba, Mattru Jong, Bo, Pujehun, Kenema, and Kailahun towns respectively between Friday 16th to Monday 19th September 2022. The Vice President began the second phase tour in Kambia, Makeni, Magburaka, Masingbi, Kono, Kamakwie, Koinadugu and Falaba Districts from 22nd -25th September 2022. The Vice President in his address to community people admonished the public especially the youths not to involve in any form of violence. He stated that young people should be in schools to acquire knowledge or find something to engage in like skills training in order to become productive citizens in society rather than engaged in violence that has the propensity to derail their future. “Violence doesn’t help” He emphasized.
He condemned the attacked and killing of police personnel and burning of police stations by some section of the public during the August 10, 2022 insurrection. Police and police station represent Government, without them, society will be disorderly with bully as a norm, he stated.
Vice President Jalloh informed that the police are studying the video evidences available to commence investigation on the burning of police stations and the killing of police personnel during the August 10 insurrection. “All those identify in the videos concerning the burning of police stations and killing of police personnel will be arrested to face justice” he asserted. He added that those who inspired, involved and participated in the killing of the murdered police will face justice.
He explained that the essence of the engagement was to have first-hand information on the status of the voter registration from stakeholders, and to be informed about the mechanisms put in place to encourage the public to register as well as identified successes, challenges, and prospect of the registration process. He expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming sensitization and mobilization by stakeholders, noting that he is impressed with the level of knowledge stakeholders have about the registration process including challenges. He thanked stakeholders for their effort to sensitize the public to register, and thanked them for their effort to mobilize resources for the registration process.
He encouraged Sierra Leoneans who have not registered to register, because it is their fundamental civic responsibilities. He narrated that the voter card is important because it will be used as a form of identity to do transaction. He assured of the Government of Sierra Leone effort to put modalities in place to ensure people register.
Vice President Jalloh thanked the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL) for acknowledging the challenges and for taking action to address the challenges like the faulty machines’ issues at the initial stage of phase one registration which are now effectively functioning to ensure people are register.
Key challenges highlighted include faulty machines, insufficient power to generate electricity for the machines, and poor road network.
The Deputy Minister of Finance (I) Sheku Fantamadi Bangura who hails from Kambia District described the voter registration exercise important because it gives people the opportunity to register and vote in next year’s June 24 general elections, and it also gives people the chance to have the National Identification Number (NIN) which can be used to access passport and bank account as well as for women to access micro credit. He called on the public to register and vote in the coming general elections in order to improve the country’s democratic credential.
Alpha Timbo-Minister of Labour who is also a stakeholder from Karene District admonished parents to avoid sending under age children to partake in the voter registration exercise. He stated that under age registration is a crime, and has the tendency to prevent children below voting age from enjoying certain benefits in the future. “Parents should not allow politicians to disturb the future of their children” he reiterated; he encouraged parents to tell politicians who approached them for the use of their (parents) under age children to ask politicians use their own children below voting age to participate in the ongoing voter registration.
Retired Brigadier Keili Conteh-Minister of Defense who hails from Koinadugu and Falaba Districts noted that the registration process is satisfactory to achieve the target of the threshold set by the two districts stakeholders, despite the main challenge of poor road network. He maintained poor road is slowing the movement of people from one place to another and register compared to other district in the country. He informed about effort made by him and other stakeholders to encourage community people see the registration exercise as a responsibility to vote, and the voter card as a form of identification to gain employment.
