President Bio's Olive Branch: A Strategic Alliance for Sierra Leone
President Julius Maada Bio extended an olive branch to Hon. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, inviting him to return to the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and join forces to build a better Sierra Leone. The President's action demonstrated an act of brotherhood and national unity, acknowledging that no single leader is capable of building the Sierra Leone that its people deserve. Dr. Yumkella also believed that President Bio's assessment of the type of leadership and political cohesion needed in Sierra Leone was correct.
It is important to note that the invitation was limited to KKY, despite his leadership of the National Grand Coalition (NGC) in Parliament and his pivotal stakeholder status in that party. Dr. Yumkella proposed a strategic alliance between President Bio and the SLPP that would include joining forces with NGC to build and foster national unity.
Such high-level discussions require plenty of time and careful dialogue. KKY was fully aware of and respected the fact that the NGC Party had to first give the mandate to form an alliance. The National Delegates Conference gave the mandate for NGC to pursue a strategic alliance with any political party.
The SLPP-NGC Strategic Alliance seeks to unite Sierra Leone by bringing together the North and South, ensuring fair representation in politics by embracing the practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion. It will address the most important issues for Sierra Leoneans, including the economy and social cohesion. The alliance is committed to complementing and improving the good works of President Bio and his administration in human development and other areas.
The SLPP-NGC Strategic Alliance is a significant step towards building a national unity government for all Sierra Leoneans, expanding development, creating more jobs, increasing accountability, and safeguarding the people with sustainable peace.