ALIE KABBA: Man with Vision and Purpose

Alie Kabba

In breaking news that has blitzed social media and lit discussion forums all over cyber world, Alie Kabba, the Executive Director and CEO of one of the largest and most successful African organizations in the United States, the United African organization (UAO), has joined the race to become the flag-bearer of the SLPP.

In a town hall meeting in College Park, Maryland, USA, Kabba declared that he would run a campaign that is based on ideas and vision, and not of insults and the impugnation of the characters of opponents.  “At this point in time, when our beloved country is literally struggling for its life under the horrific assaults of Ebola, grinding poverty, bad governance, and a youthful generation scarred and traumatized by joblessness and hopelessness, why should I attack my patriotic fellow SLPP aspirants, who are fighting to give succor to the country? The SLPP did not bring Sierra Leone down to its knees. That inglorious distinction belongs to APC. For me to lambast my SLPP compatriots and give a free pass to the APC authors of our current travails will be an act of political idiocy and cowardice,” Kabba explained with calm emphasis.

Alie Kabba is one of the most storied student leaders in the annals of student activism in Sierra Leone, for his courage in shaking a defiant fist at the one-party APC dictatorship in the eighties. As president of the Fourah Bay College Students Union, he led demonstrations against the statist rot that President Siaka Stevens was presiding over. APC’s retaliation was swift and brutal, and Alie Kabba, along with other students, was jailed at Pademba Prison and swiftly expelled from the university without his degree.

With determination and fortitude however, he was able to get undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Ghana, University of Nigeria and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Alie has not only worked to advance the cause of his fellow Africans in the United States, but has also consistently and altruistically helped his people in Sierra Leone, a fact he humbly tried to downplay when I interviewed him. When asked about his efforts in his home town of Koindu, or his construction of a library in Kenema Secondary School, or buying musical instruments for his beloved Bo School, Alie said that he was just grateful to these communities and institutions for nurturing him in his youth.

One of the positions that Alie has vowed action on, should he become president, is to empower the districts to have the fiscal and legislative mandate to take over functions that the central government is currently so incompetently exercising. He plans to devolve power responsibility from the center to the districts, in an effort to make government serve the people better and more efficiently. He decries the ever-growing power of the presidency, which he blames for the loss of accountability. He plans to cut the presidency to size, reduce its powers, and empower Parliament so that the president will become a servant, and not an emperor, of the people. “Mine will be a government of democratic accountability, and not the unbridled concentration of power in the presidency,” Alie asserted.

Alie bemoans the fact that Sierra Leone spends about 15.1% of its GDP on healthcare, one of the highest in the world, with nothing to show for it, as is being so tragically shown in the current Ebola tragedy. Apart from his plans to pursue a robust policy of building hospitals and health centers at the town and chiefdom levels, he plans to encourage private health entrepreneurs-Sierra Leoneans and foreign nationals- to participate fully in the healthcare sector through tax breaks, grants, and other incentives.

He believes that the mining of the country’s natural resources has only benefited a few well- connected people and left places like Kono and the Rutile mining area an ecological wasteland. He intends to revisit the mining contracts, and if these contracts are found to be predatory or corrupt, or not adding value to the country’s economic development, he plans to institute a transparent review process. “I would rather prefer the country’s resources stayed in the ground for the next generation, than allow a few ravenous and corrupt individuals and gangsters to suck them dry and line their pockets at the country’s expense,” he said.

He plans to revamp the moribund education sector and ramp up vocational and technical schools to teach auto and diesel mechanics, consumer electronics, plumbing, HVAC, electricity, agricultural tech, road maintenance, and other technical trades to help unemployed youths find jobs, or through government loans, become self-employed. He hopes to scrap the corrupt and nepotist granting of scholarships that leaves hundreds of thousands of deserving students frustrated. “I will canvass our international partners and use our own resources, and work with the banks to set up a system of government-guaranteed educational loans to all students who have been admitted to college. The current system is a mess, and we will no longer hold our kids hostage to this dysfunctional educational system.”

He has massive plans to ramp up agriculture and establish a farmers’ bank to support our rice, cacao and coffee farmers, and to work with them to establish a system for them to get fair pricing for their produce, and a support system for the farmers to get easy access to farm machinery and fertilizer. Alie believes that these measures will revitalize agriculture again, and he hopes that the increased produce will play a critical role in the free lunch program for school children he plans to implement as President.

Alie also plans to bring a measure of justice to Sierra Leoneans who have not been given full voting and citizenship rights. “Sierra Leoneans of Lebanese descents, who were born here and whose families have lived in Sierra Leone for generations, should have full citizenship with full rights and responsibilities. I believe Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora should have the right to vote whether they choose to exercise it or not. Some politicians have been playing games with these so-called sensitive issues for a long time. As President, I will work to pass legislation that will grant full citizenship to all Sierra Leoneans of Lebanese descent and a Diaspora Voting Right Act to ensure that all Sierra Leoneans participate fully in our democracy. Let's work together to build an inclusive and just society for all of us – everyone in…no one out!” he asserted.

When asked to name the two most important infrastructural developments he hopes to realize if elected, Alie answered with confidence:

“Electricity and the railway are interchangeably numbers one and two. Without a reliable source of electricity, Sierra Leone will never develop. We have to find a source of reliable electricity or we will never be able to build the factories to produce the goods to grow the economy and create jobs; and we will not be able to attract foreign investment. As for the railway, we need it urgently. Without the railway, agricultural produce will rot in the fields and our country will never be truly connected. APC destroyed the railway. SLPP will bring back the railway!If elected, I will start the railway and put down those first rails, and leave a template for future presidents to work on and complete this great task.”

This is Alie Kabba, a candidate with a clear vision of where he plans to take the country.

Author:

 Ibrahim Whyte Sesay, New York, USA

BREAKING NEWS: ALIE KABBA ENTERS RACE FOR SLPP FLAGBEARER!!!

Alie Sajan Kabba

There is news ringing in, loud and loaded, that could potentially change the entire dynamics of the Sierra Leonean political debate, not merely in perception but more so in substance.  According to very reliable sources, closest to where it matters most (the Voters), I can now confirm that Comrade Alie Badara Sanjan Kabba is going to contest the next national presidential elections as a Sierra Leone People's Party candidate, if elected as a flag bearer by his party- the SLPP! Alie Kabba brings to the race an enviable wealth of experience and knowledge rooted in a long, inspiring history of consistent service and tireless activism to advance social and economic justice for the voiceless and the marginalized, and, above all, a vision for Unity, Fairness and Progress that promises to positively unleash the creative energy of a people permanently ignored in a nation long left to languish in limbo. Alie's loyalty to his country, commitment to humanity and adherence to the values we all so dearly cherish, stands in the shadow of non on our national political stage today. Speaking in a confident and jubilant mood, Andrew (AYANTA) Koroma, a staunch grassroots supporter of the "ALIE KABBA FOR PRESIDENT" campaign, had this to say: “Alie Kabba has everything that it takes to lead our beloved but suffering country, to the brightest place possible!" Adding, "We have suffered too much for too long, for nothing; we deserve a genuine break from this long heavy chain of lies and tears!" The vast majority of Sierra Leoneans yearn for a visionary leader like Alie Kabba to help lift our country out of its long grinding partisan potholes, leadership paralysis and pulverizing poverty. As President, he will be decisive and forthright in addressing the systemic failures that have eroded our national self-confidence, stigmatized our people, and stunted our stature. Alie’s support base and national platform will transcend the fractured political landscape because he is a consummate organizer and coalition builder with a proven record of uniting various interest groups around a common vision. With Alie Badara Sanjan Kabba, the mighty SLPP is bound to emerge victorious at the next general elections! And with him, our country will be heading to the places of our greatest dreams

DEMYSTIFYING THE MYSTERY OF ALIE KABBA: Part 1

Alie Kabba

  

   

 The question has been asked, and fairly so, about what managerial skills does Alie Kabba possess to become the next President of Sierra Leone. This is a question that should be asked of any potential candidate whose name is put forward for the presidency of our beloved country. However, for us in Collective Action for Peace and Progress (CAPP-SL), we would rather ask the question: What LEADERSHIP skills does Alie Kabba or any other candidate for the presidency of Sierra Leone have to aspire to that high office. Our reason for asking the question this way is simple: We do not need a manager at the helm of affairs in our country; we need a leader! By that I mean a leader who can guide and inspire competent managers/technocrats to handle various sectors of the administration and hold those managers accountable for their stewardship. Managers, in this sense, are ministers and senior officials entrusted with the responsibility to oversee and direct the day-to-day affairs of government.

We want a visionary and patriotic leader with a passion for nation building, not a manager who awards contracts to his cronies and makes them sacred cows or untouchables. We perceive the President to be above management and, therefore, capable of holding accountable his managers who fall out of line in delivering on the President’s strategic plan for nation building. In sum, although management ability is an important criterion for the presidency, it is not the ultimate determinator.  What is required of the man or woman who occupies the highest office of the land is VISION, STRATEGIC THINKING, SELFLESSNESS, DECISIVENESS AND LOVE FOR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE; the man or woman who puts country and people first above all.

Alie Kabba is first and foremost a visionary leader and fighter for ordinary people yearning for opportunity and dignity, but the man’s record also clearly shows that he is an astute manager when it comes to organizing and managing people and resources. So in responding to the question whether Alie is a good manager in the context of the leadership of Sierra Leone, we have to look at a bigger picture. A great leader is one with a vision to take a country to a place it has not been before, the Promised Land, if you will; one who dreams of bringing about transformational change to his people, a change that has been long awaited but never fulfilled, a change for good that goes beyond cosmetic surgery and drops in an ocean to one that is inspired by the collective will of the people to change society in its totality, from abject poverty and squalor to one that improves the standard of living for all citizens. We in CAPP-SL firmly believe that Alie is that kind of leader.

Our man is, in fact, both a leader and manager.  Alie is Executive Director for one of the largest and most successful African organizations in the United States -- the United African Organization (UAO). He has been the CEO of UAO for more than ten years. During this period, he has, almost single-handedly developed UAO from its very humble beginnings as an unknown entity to a vibrant organization that is recognized across America and courted by lawmakers and advocacy groups.

With Alie at the helm, UAO has grown to be a strong voice for social justice and equal opportunity.  The organization is fiscally sound with a steadily increasing budget and staff as well as the power to leverage policymakers on positions and matters germane to the interests of Africans. UAO’s annual Chicago African Summit is the premier forum of its kind wherein key elected officials at the City, State and Federal levels participate to engage with constituents; and policy advocates, scholars, community organizers and allies convene to discuss issues and priorities for community development and empowerment.  

Through the work of UAO, the profile of African immigrants in the State of Illinois is higher than ever before. Our brothers and sisters in Illinois now have access to more opportunities than their counterparts in other parts of the United States.

Alie Kabba’s stature as a leader is recognized in multiple arenas in the US.  He has had a stellar career as Public Service Administrator with the State of Illinois, where he headed a program with more than $300 million budget before transitioning into his role as head of UAO.  Last year, in appreciation of his dynamic leadership of UAO, he was awarded a fellowship by a high profile foundation in the United States that gave him the opportunity to travel around the US and the world to learn, empower and motivate other leaders to organize and build their communities.  He is the recipient of several awards for his distinguished leadership roles, and he has been named among the top 100 black leaders in the US.  This is not a small achievement for our own Sierra Leonean brother from Koindu to receive such accolades!

For more than ten years Alie has devoted his life to organizing African communities, and he has been a leading force in several campaigns to push for major legislative victories on behalf of millions of undocumented and legal immigrants in the US. He has also testified in the Congress of the United States of America on issues affecting immigrant communities from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

President Obama was not a manager before he became a US Senator and then President of the United States. He was a community organizer, just like our very own Alie Kabba, in the same great city where our man Alie has been knocking on doors and inspiring his community for a long time. So, my fellow Sierra Leoneans, let our managers run our companies and make our private sector viable and competitive, and let us look for and support a visionary leader to build our nation that we call Sierra Leone. That man, we believe, is none other than the man himself, Comrade Alie Kabba.

In the coming weeks and months we shall be tracing the footsteps (and footprints) of Alie Kabba from the dusty roads of Koindu to the tarmac of the Windy City of Chicago.  So stay tuned for Part 2!

Author:

Bobby Gboyor, Washington, DC

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY????

Author: Abdulai Braima

Our country is being savaged by, arguably, the most dreaded disease in recent human history. Our people are bleeding like dead hogs, and falling like rotten leaves in lonely graves. The dignity and care that should attend the dying have become practical impossibilities: more like paths to death. Hopes are fading fast as fear goes riding high. Being far from the scene where your people are helplessly succumbing to such dreadful malady is heart-piercing: it is an imperceptible form of slow death! From this distance, we may not be infected, but we are all seriously affected!

In spite of this, in fact because of this, we should not give up. We will not give up! This is a war- a war we have to win because it leaves us with no pleasant option.

We are a resilient race that have survived history's worst! We have, and continue to, carve our troubled path through empty deserts and dark oceans! We have conquered huge natural catastrophes and continue to bravely grapple with complex man-made calamities of every hue! WE WILL REMAIN UNCONQUERED, because the God of the universe will not let us perish in totality! We pray that he continues to clasp us in his gentle protective hands and completely shied us from the worst that there may be!

But even as we implore the healing grace of his merciful help, even as we continue to look up to his divine support, our mighty Father in heaven will be looking down at us to see what WE are doing to help ourselves.

THIS IS WAR: our lives are on the line! Our survival is under threat! We need to do THE BEST that we could do! When the situation of a people goes this bad, heroes emerge in their selfless stature and rise up high to answer to a call far greater than them: the call to help their people in times of a need immeasurable! These are men and women endowed with rare mettle and dare! We may not be blessed with many Umar Khans, but individually, we are who we are. We all have our many limitations, but we are not limited!

There is a lot that YOU can do, TODAY, that you may not be able to do tomorrow, or no one else may, ever, be able to do. Our individual circles are our terrains! Every pen mark, every spoken word, every prayer, EVERYTHING, is never too small to be used as a weapon to hit back at this menace!

Please do something Now, ANYTHING, to fight this war. Even a phone call to educate and/or encourage loved ones back home is a big stick against panic and hopelessness, which are the insidious instruments in the creepy hands of Ebola. May God give us the courage to answer to the call of our times! May he continue to guide us all! Ameen!!!

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