When Ebola stroke the western region of Africa coastline, little did the peoples of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea realize the bug was going to stay or even believed that it was a lethal virus. Though traces of the virus owed its origin from East Africa from the republic of Zaire, it created a havoc of claiming a more outstanding number of over twenty thousand lives than it did in Eastern Africa. The bug hit a pandemic involving other continents of Europe, and Americas, before it was partially subdued with the collaborative effort of the international community.
The bug went beyond its infectious virulence, affecting also the political status of the three countries of the Mano river union of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. President of the republic Sierra Leone was equally hit by the bug that clearly tarnished his developmental program of posterity. Many of his political detractors, opposition as well as neutralist, criticized him in the middle of the viral crises as not doing enough to break the chain of infection. In order to be in full control of fighting the bug, the resilient president Koroma changed seats with a few of his ministers to stabilize the situation. He finally emerged victorious as Sierra Leone is now declared Ebola Free State for over a month.
After Ebola the president in a nationwide tour for further sensitization of vigilance in preventing the return of the virus has been widely applauded by many Sierra Leoneans, and many thought the president should be rewarded with more time to compensate the disturbance caused by the virus to accomplish his robust program which was doing well until the Ebola disease broke out. Many equated this viral disturbance to be the same as the rebel war disturbance that gave extra time to the late president Kabba that saw an extension of his mandate of rule. Whether this is going to happen or not remains to be seen.
There is a signal that this is going to happen. As the APC ruling government is nearing an end to its term before a national elections, there has not been any movement or any candidature from the APC as a vying or an anointed presidential candidate. The APC government has a hierarchy of rule but it has also known in the past to have bypassed the number two man, and gave power to a military successor: when the late president Siaka Stevens bypassed his vice president also late S. I. Koroma, and gave power to the late president Joseph Momoh. Whether history would repeat itself with the government of President Ernest Koroma is a game of politics and not cum Ebola. The country’s constitutional review is currently underway, and again one of the many questions that is being asked; would there be a new referendum for the proposal of more time or extra time? God forbid it let us hope and pray there is no relapse of Ebola as it is said to have occurred in neighboring Liberia. I can see Ebola ruling West African politics for a long time.
APC and the politics of Ebola. Is it justified to say Ebola contributes to the ruling of West Africa?
By Dr. Augustine A Kamara.
Northern Virginia USA.
