By a descendant of Masingbi

APC party is in deep split in Masingbi town, north of Sierra Leone.

The growing division there is about two popular aspirants for MP. Both candidates, Madam Mabinty and Mr. MS Thorli, have served their people in Konike Sanda chiefdom in Sierra Leone’s parliament.

The London national, Mrs Mabinty Fofanah, left UK to contest for a seat in Sierra Leone’s parliament suddenly after the tragic death of her father in a road accident.

Since her father was no more to contest the seat, the daughter Mabinty Fofanah took over the post.

The London grown-up gracefully won a seat in her constituency to become the first female MP in Masingbi in 2007 and 2012 Sierra Leone’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

The agile, young and educated female MP, had earned the love of her people in villages around Masingbi Town.

At that time, she was getting the support of Hon. Bai Kurru Kanagbaro Sanka III, Sierra Leone’s ever longest serving Paramount chief in parliament since around 1982.

But the relationship between Hon. Mabinty and Chief Bai Kurru became sour like a lime. The Chief and Madam Mabinty could not see eye-to -eye.

A Konike resident at Masiaka village recently gave his view on what he thought the grievances among APC’s stakeholders in Masingbi could affect development and progress in the respective chiefdoms.

“Mabinty had started well as she built modern schools for our children in Masingbi. But elders at Masingbi failed to give approval for the new school to open. We are really not happy about this development,” the resident said.

People in villages at Konike Sanda Chiefdom and elsewhere have continued to grow their love for former Hon. Mabinty for helping them a lot. She had been offering scholarships to children, helping adult parents with special needs. The ex-MP is said to be very accommodating.

She was however; replaced with former Hon. MS Thorli. Madam Mabinty lately expresses interest to re-run again for an MP to represent her people after completing a two-term in parliament between 2007 and 2017.

In 2018, Mr. Tharik was believed to have approached PC Bai Kurru for APC’s symbol. But the favoured candidate of Chief Bai Kurru then was Mr MS Thorli.

Thorli became the new MP for the constituency in 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections after securing a victory in APC’s stronghold district.

Mr. Thorli was a former principal of MCSS School in Masingbi while Mr. Tharik was a retired soldier and business man, Tharik. He helped protect Masingbi Town and its people during the Civil War. Under his eagle watch, Masingbi was never burnt entirely by the rebels. But sadly he has never been rewarded for such gallantry by the elders especially Bai Kurru who knew then how Tharik had fought hard to keep alive Masingbi’s fortunes and sacred shrine.

In 2018 general elections, however; while Mr. Thorli enjoyed the support of Chief Bai Kurru, Mr. Tharik was pushed away by the elderly man.

PC Bai Kurru plays a strategic role for MS Thorli’s winning as he was sold to the Konikees in Masingbi as the best choice.

But the long serving teacher had failed to bring any development to the people.

The Konikees, pronounced as [ Koni-kays], now strongly dislike Hon. MS Tholi whom the people said hardly pay visits to the constituency as he had been mostly staying in Makeni and Freetown ‘enjoying his life’.

In the past elections, Chief Bai Kurru, had been playing a key role in determining who gets the next seat in parliament. The ‘politics of favouritism’ played by APC’s many elders like Chief Bai Kurru over the years have failed to secure Mr. Thorli an APC symbol over his contenders.

This year, former Hon. Mabinty, Mr. Tharik and Hon.MS Thorli were APC’s contenders for an MP seat in one of the hottest constituencies in Masingbi, Tonkolili district.

This time, it is expected that Mr. Tharik, a Pakistani born in Masingbi, would have been a better choice as he sought support again from Chief Bai Kurru who is retiring as a Member of Parliament to make way for a Paramount Chief in Magburaka Town, Tonkolili’s headquarters, to represent colleague PCs and the people of the district in Sierra Leone parliament.

Despite Mr. Tharik, a former SLPP member was given hope by Chief Bai Kurru, Tharik was surprisingly disappointed as he never had the Chief’s backing unlike Mr. Thorli who is under the Chief’s bed-roses.

Under the new PR system (Proportional Representation), Bai Kurru’s authority ruptures as his preferred candidate, who won the primary election, Thorli, was rejected by the party owing to his ill-popularity.

The people in Konike Sanda and other places in the red-hot constituency came out in multitude numbers to throw their support for their cherished daughter, Madam Mabinty, to get her the party symbol.

The bad blood in Masingbi’s politics

The bad blood in Masingbi’s politics is said to divide APC’s votes as the chiefdoms spilt apart. The bad politics played by Chief Bai Kurru is resisted by the Konikees who choose Mabinty over Mr.Thorli. The people resisted an imposition of a weak and not- caring MP, Thorli, on them by their Paramount Chief.

Undermining APC’s victory, PC Bai Kurru Kanagbaro Sanka III, has brought his son home from United Kingdom who is running now as independent candidate for MP in the same constituency in June 24, 2023 general elections.

The Konikees say the PC is doing that to weakening Madam Mabinty’s popularity. And APC is surely going to be affected by the PC’s thoughtless decision as a ‘spilt’ in votes is expected.

The PC is on record to have undermined several developments to have happened in Masingbi and elsewhere under his jurisdiction. The people largely believe that Chief Bai Kurru always brews hatred for the educated and successful men and women of Konike who desire progress and development in Masingbi and its surrounding towns and villages.

At a time when calls for women’s empowerment are high on the world’s agenda, PC Bai Kurru is growing more jealous of Madam Mabinty, a well deserving candidate for an MP in the north.

At a time when his party APC needs strong force and unity to defeat SLPP, PC Bai Kurru is busy exploring ways to bring down the party.

The chief thoughtless decision is one that many elders and supporters of APC do not like.

And his authority and respect to the people in Konike is slowly eroding with rage.

PC Bai Kurru is now seen as the ‘holder to the key’ of development who hated to see men and women of progress in his land.