JCK,
Let me start by pasting exactly what I wrote (in blue) because I don't understand why you deleted my own statements only to misconstrue my points of view.
"Mblamoi,
I want to weigh in on this just a bit since I have many other outstanding responsibilities. I don't think you should take this personally as a matter of people being obsessed with using Kula's name. I think the reason behind mentioning her is more or so to create a factual deterrence than otherwise. How else can anyone talk about cruel and unusual punishment against women in Sierra Leone without mentioning Kula? Isn't hers the first and worst of any such public punishment against women?
The idea is not about others having been executed, the idea is executing a WOMAN without hesitation and without totally exhausting the legal process, that's the issue here. Also, granted that Kula is your family member, but she was a PUBLIC person also, who provided public service to the nation as a whole. To that end, I believe that every national should have the right to grieve or highlight Kula's plight in the best way possible to prevent any such action taking place again on that soil.
I know you are SLPP, but what do you say about the PMDC WOMAN again beaten up in Segbwema by SLPP supporters? Should we not also talk about her? If not, then how are women going to be saved from the cruelty of men seeking their own political fortunes at the expense of the weak and the less powerful? C'mon Mblamoi, don't take the Kula situation very personally. The objective is to prevent another Kula example from happening. I believe that by keeping it in the minds of the society, a deterrence can be created.
TOEGONDOE SAGBAH "
Now, where is the statement that supports your claim that I suggested that you should have severed relationship with the SLPP? Please quote it from the above. Basically, your statement about people jumping parties has no merit in fact, from what I wrote. You simply expressed your proscribed bias against Charles like every other blind SLPP supporter. The point that all of you don't wish to admit is that none had the guts like Charles to leave the party because of all the unfair and manipulative machinations that Kabba and Berewa and his cronies from all the other parties (such as John Benjamin from NUP who got the job as finance Minister by nominating Berewa on the convention floor at Makeni) had inflicted on the SLPP. And then after which two other Ministers were sacked by Kabba for daring to stand against Berewa one of whom was the Duda the Finance Minister and Joh got
the job.
People who give tacit support and approval to such dictatorial tendencies are always the ones who help create a dictatorship. You guys should really search your souls and try to understand the damage that Kabba and co have inflicted on the SLPP, than always pointing fingers at Margai for refusing to tolerate their crooked actions. And all of you know that Charles left because of those crooked manipulative action, but you refuse to face the fact. Blind supporters will help that country remain the way it is.
Apparently "your own ways of dealing with disagreements" might be what has led to the party almost becoming a vicious, arrogant and violent party. Unless, of course, "your own ways" are not working for the good of the country. I tell you honestly, JCK, I have gone from simply disagreeing with the SLPP to actually getting disgusted by their actions. If this is the SLPP that you guys love, then you can keep it forever and count some of us out forever till it changes.
TOEGONDOE SAGBAH
----- Original Message ---- From: "JCKALLON2@aol.com" <JCKALLON2@aol.com> To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 1:05:07 PM Subject: Re: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB
Dear Rev. SamForay, Karmoh AKB and Demia Toegondoe.:
I thank you all for the sentiments you have expressed about the tragedy involving Kula. It is almost nine years since it occurred. For your information, our extended family has been coping and finding ways to outgrow the grief.
One way we did not want to do that was to allow anyone to harvest political hay from the situation. In a civilian administration, even during the whirlwind Stevo-Momoh period, the signing of death warrants is a collective cabinet-level decision. In 1998, Attorney-General Solomon Berewa, Internal Affairs Minister Charles Margai and Deputy Defense Minister Hinga Norman were all senior members of the Kabba administration. The opposition APC did not register any protest either. That is all I am going to say about that.
Kula somehow found herself serving, for many months, in a military junta that had overthrown a legitimately elected civilian government. The junta's members were all military officers and their civilian commander-in-chief ordered them to give it up. Those who obeyed were later pardoned and returned to their posts. Those who didn't were punished according to the provisions of the constitution.
Like many of her co-defendants, Kula agreed at the court-martial that she really shouldnʼt have been a member of the AFRC. It was a very bad judgment, one that we who are her family have never tried to soften. We know that many Sierra Leoneans have been executed before that time for merely happening to know about a plot to overthrow the government. It is known in our law books as Misprision of Treason, and it needn't require the actual overthrow of the government, as was the case when Johnny-Paul Koroma formed his AFRC junta to replace President Kabba's government.
Rev. SamForay states that Kula "attended Bumpe High Scool and AKB seems to imply rightly or wrongly that her Bumpe roots which she shares with Berewa should have endeared her to the other Bumpe native, Solo B." My response is that had this been done, Karmoh AKB and others would be crowing about it to this day. Besides when Brigadier John Bangura, Dr. MS Fornah, Ibrahim Taqi, Francis Minah and Gabriel KaiKai were condemned to death for treason, Presidents Stevens and Momoh had no consideration for the fact that the men had all been very close political allies, some of whom had played pivotal roles in bringing these presidents to power.
Toegondoe seems to suggest that I should have severed relationship with the SLPP because of thia matter. My response is that jumping parties every time you disagree with the deision of its leaders is something the Karefa-Smarts and Charles Margais of Sierra Leone are more adept at. Frankly, I am not. I have got my own ways of dealing with disagreements in organizations.
Those who sympathize with the fate of Kula and the other exeuted individuals should focus on campaigning to change the laws that they don't agree with. I happen to believe that our court system works for much of the time. What doesnʼt work is the tendency by our governments to criminalize political differences as has occasionally happened over the past three decades; or citizens being detained/jailed for long periods of time without being given access to lawyers; or accused persons tried without the chance of an appeal.
These and other facts prove that we are not as free today as we were during the colonial period or during the early years of our independence. If we are going to have a free country again, our constitution would need to be reformed. At the same time, our judges are going to have to step out and be strong. They must remember where we came from and where we want to go.
- Jaiah Kallon
___________________________________
On 7/25/2007, asamforay@aol.com writes:
Kinei Kallon,
I cannot pretend to answer for Bangura who is quite capable of doing that for herself. I, howver, disagree with you that Maj. Kula (Kallon) Samba is like any other soldier executed for traeson in Sierra Leone. First, she is the first and only woman ever executed for such an offence. Correct me if I am wrong. Second, although Kula came from Kenema she attended Bumpe High Scool and AKB seems to imply rightly or wrongly that her Bumpe roots which she shares with Berewa should have endeared her to the other Bumpe native, Solo B. But then, that did not spare Alieu Kondewa who is also from Bumpe as well.
Perhaps more importantly, Kula was engaged in non-combat, non-violent activities in the army where she was a nurse or medical administrator as well as the AFRC itself. She spent her time in
power, we are told, caring for orphans and perhaps never actually fired a gun in anger, kill or order any person killed as an officer and a lady of the SLA. That aspect of her life as a peaceful warrior despite been bonded to the murderrs of the AFRC, perhaps does explain AKB's obsession with her, as you put it.
That all being said, just because everybody is speeding does not mean that no one is responsible for breaking the law. Kabbah and Berewa had significant contact with Kula with the hope of using her as a plant in the AFRC. You know very well that a cousin or brother was a senior aid to Chief Hinga Norman and we all used him as a contact person for Kula via the CDF. Perhaps that was their motive for using her as an example. Others were guilty of worse offenses in the AFRC and for whatever reason were speared the firing squad.
Kind Regards,
A. SamForay
-----Original
Message-----
From: JCKALLON2@aol.com
To: leonenet@lists.umbc.edu
Sent: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:31 pm
Subject: [Leonenet] Kula's fate/AKB
Karmoh AKB:
Since the early 1970s, a countless number of our fellow Sierra Leoneans have been executed for political offences. All of them had served our country faithfully for many years as military officers, politicians and ordinary citizens. Many, like Kula, were tried only once and were denied the right to an appeal. Many years from now, virtually all of the executions will be viewed as part of the time when our basic constitutional protections were not observed as most of us would have wanted.
Why, however, do you seem so obsessed with Ms. Kula Samba's fate alone? Is it not cruel propaganda to be using her family's grief for whatever political, personal or other purposes you may may have? Would it not be a better idea for you to use her fate and those of the many others to mount a credible campaign for the elimination of the death penalty for political offences in Sierra Leone as the noted activist that you are?
Sincerely,
- Jaiah Kallon
__________________________________
*First, he ensured Kula Samba's death.
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