Sierra Leoneans only have few days more to their presidential election to elect a new leader that will govern them for the next five years as the country’s constitution requires.

It’s at this time those who have registered to vote for president, mayors, councilors, should be educated to know their aspirants.

Parliamentarians will also be voted for but through one’s party other than individually.

That is one gets a seat in parliament upon the number of votes cast for one’s political party in a constituency.

But since Sierra Leone is a post-war nation, there are still deep fears among peaceful civilians for a likelihood of a similar war situation that happened between 1991 and 2002.

The current atmosphere in Sierra Leone is not chaotic in the south, north and west regions, but the east seems to be in hot flames.

While Kenema and Kailahun districts in the east remain relatively peaceful, Koidu town in Kono district had a fracas in which the house of an opposition member was set ablaze.

Mrs. Daina Konomani is a strong politician of the main opposition, All People’s Congress ( APC) and was  former minister of Local Government. The former minister and APC’s ex-vice president, Chief Sam Sumana, had been at loggerheads in the past when APC was in power between 2007 and 2018. There have been divisions among the Konos with majority backing their support for Diana and Chief Sam. The agrimonies and divisions have grown to entrenched roots since then.

And they are seen as growing problems which will surely affect APC’s success in the upcoming elections. These recent gloomy events which saw the burning up of a senior politician’s house has sent a worrying message of fear to Sierra Leoneans all over. The bad politics in Kono among supporters of Diana and Chief Sam must be totally condemned.

If culprits are not investigated and charged to court, the violent events in Koidu town might provoke a recipe of uncontrollable chaos elsewhere in other peaceful districts.

International elections’ observers must speedily act to understand the political dynamics in Koidu town and work to bring amicable solution to the diamond land district. Kono is a small district in the eastern region which is blessed with abundant diamonds but its people are still the poorest.

And the district political leaders are dividing the small land in camps for their political gains.

Apart from the Diana and Chief Sam’s factor in the east, APC and SLPP are always at each other’s knife’s throats in western urban.

Since the capital Freetown and Western Rural areas have the largest population and are believed to be the opposition strongholds, the sitting government has over the years experienced stiff resistances among disgruntled civilians living around the capital.

For example, August 10, 2022, some thousands of civilians mainly in the two districts (Western Urban and Western Rural) stormed the capital protesting for a cut down on the hiking price of fuel which was sold Le 21,000.

In spite of their relative calmness, Bo and Kenema had taken to the streets destroying and burning down members of opposition houses in 2018 when Sierra Leone people’s Party was declared the winner of 2018’s presidential election.

Supporters of SLPP then were believed to have caused violent clashes on the opposition as a revenge or deep hatred against certain tribes who dominantly hold allegiance to the opposition APC.

Victims of those horrific violence were forced to flee to the north and west regions, fearing beheadings.

A populous district in the north region, Bombali, has also gone off hands as people there challenged government authorities on assignment to remove a power generator to be relocated to Lungi town in Port Loko district.

The protesters said they were never informed by authorities.

Since it is the main opposition seat of power and that Makeni is the home of former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma,  any attempt by police officers or government authorities to violate civilians’ freedom it would result to deep confrontations.

The incident in Makeni town, few years ago, left deaths of civilians and got many people arrested.  As political parties are conducting campaigns and rallies across the country, it is not only enough to preach community people about peace during and after elections.

To ensure that there is total peace and national cohesion, the root problems that cause violence in Sierra Leone’s elections everywhere must be speedily addressed before Sierra Leoneans go to the poll.

And the message that ‘Sierra Leone is our only country; land that we love’ must be shared with every Sierra Leoneans in villages, towns and cities. Politicians must take the lead by reminding people of the atrocities and many killings on civilians during the country’s eleven years Civil War.

Every politician and campaigners of peace must inform Sierra Leoneans how the nation became backward due to the senseless eleven years’ war in Sierra Leone.

As we observe campaigns and ready to go to the poll again, we must not forget that if another war broke out it means each and every one of us will remain backward.

If you fight today; it means your wife and child or children, parents, relatives and friends will either suffer a lot or get killed.

So let us all PLAY IT SAFE as it is better to see hardship where there is no war than to be in a situation when there is a war in a country.