In its eleven years at the helm of governance, former president Koroma`s All People`s Congress (APC) party had a unique opportunity to emancipate the lives of youths.  Alas, this an obligation the party woefully failed to accomplish.

When it comes to politicking it often prides itself as a party that caters for the down trodden, but it actions in relation to the most important age bracket in sierra Leone smacks of slow poisoning.

Rather than exhorting them to reinvent their lives for the better by way of contributing meaningfully to national development, Ernest Koroma`s name would be etched in the tablets of history as the president who dished out huge chunks of state resources to recidivist criminals and drug habituated gangsters.

In 2015, hoodlums were emboldened with a Le 100,000,000 bonanza that was given to gang cultured leaders (5 O`s) of the three notorious cliques in Freetown. The Members of Blood (M.O.B) runs the western part of the capital city, by perpetuating petty misdemeanors and grand felonious crimes such as murder, armed robbery, stabbings and maimings. Members of the MOB are easily identified with the red bandanna and tattoos of their constituencies such as 126,127 etc. The Brookfield’s Congo market area still remains as the den and safe haven of the MOB.

On the other hand, the ‘governors’ of the center of Freetown are the Community Revolution in Progress and Brotherhood Support (CRIPBS) certainly recognized with the blue neckerchief.

Moreover, the STAY BLACK group is the sovereign of the eastern part of the city, simply branded by the black scarf worn around their necks or inserted in their back pockets. The CRIPBS and STAY BLACK can intermingle without any reports of violence.

However, blood flows anytime the MOB cross paths with the remaining two cliques. By sharing with the cliques some amount from the national cake, the former president thought his action would assuage their way of life and salvage their economic plight. Sadly, his action proved counterproductive because their nefarious activities attained a frightened notoriety.

The proliferation of violence by the clique members prompted Paolo Conteh to clean the gallows and declare the 5 O`s and their deputies wanted. From the reading of the clique leaders and their deputies (Bowwow, T-pain, Boffcase, Alagass, Go police, Talibola, Stretch 10 etc.) the Le 100,000,000 million splash was an open state endorsement. A validation of their way of life from no less a person than the first gentleman of the state. Thereafter, cliquism began making inroads in to secondary schools and was further exported into the provincial areas. Under the reign of the APC, football and other sporting activities had to be cancelled due to the incessant violence that accompanied such events. Intercommunity football competitions such as the COFA league organized at the parade grounds had to be intermittently halted as a result of the clique violence that was normally unleashed at these events.

The horror of the Fourahbay field killing still lingers in the minds of football loving fans. Machetes were stealthily disguised in soft drinks Coleman to perpetrate the murder.

The police were having a tough time in policing the cliques because of the interlocutory appeals from their political god fathers. Even the establishment of the local policing partnership board (LPPB) proved to be a lame duck in exposing the clique bandits. When a criminal incident occurs, members of the LPPB advised their relatives involved to abscond until the momentum dies out. Justice was selectively applied. Suspects whose relatives do not reside within the community are reported to the police by the LPPB.

Later, the main culprits reappear in a gangster swagger to continue perpetuating mayhem in the neighborhood. In May 11 2012 Bob Marley night celebrations, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of the MOB, Ibrahim Turay (nicknamed Bowwow) of no 11 Beccle`s lane Brookfields led a minor army of scoundrels where shops and businesses were looted in the entire St John vicinity. The traders were petrified with the brandishing of knives and machetes and fled for their lives.

In the end, “Bowwow” and few of his lieutenants were arrested and charged to court for robbery and riotous conduct amongst other charges. Ignoring the gravity of the offences, a magistrate later discharged the rouges citing substantial lack of evidence in linking the crime to the suspects. In less than two months, they resurfaced into the communities and began snatching bags and carting away mobile phones of pedestrians.

In Gadhafi’s Libya only recidivist criminals were allowed to stay in prisons. Unskilled first-time offenders were rehabilitated and forcefully schooled in different middle level manpower skills. Given that an idle mind is the devil`s workshop, they were reintegrated into society and provided with jobs that were tailored to their newly acquired skills. This was the matrix and logic Muammar Gadhafi used in transforming bad boys to good guys. Henceforth, the Libyan government could count on the implementation of their newly acquired skills as a contribution towards national development. This is how a visionary leader operates.

Former president Koroma was known to have visited Muammar Ghadafi on several occasions but he never borrowed a leaf from the youth policies of the late Libyan leader. By doling out physical cash to cliques, Ernest Koroma`s action could be best interpreted as myopic. It was a move instigated by way of cementing a cheap popularity status and ensuring his political relevance and survival.

His government further went ahead and appointed a pseudo Islamic preacher called “Sheik” as street life ambassador.

“Sheik” was very popular among the cross section of the clique community in Freetown. In his preachings at a makeshift mosque in King jimmy, he normally likened Ernest Koroma as the Christian Ethiopian Negus Negas who sheltered the Muslims that fled persecution from Arabia during the second wave of Islamic migration.

One of his core duties among others was to recruit party defense marshals for the APC party. He was furnished with resources and provided with an office space at St John roundabout. During the final campaign event of the APC during the 2018 elections, “Sheik`s” attempt to intermingle the MOB, CRIPBS and STAY BLACK at the party headquarters in Brookfields proved disastrous.

The MOB viewed the presence of CRIPBS and STAY BLACK members as a gross encroachment into the heart of their territory. The aftermath of the APC campaign left two STAY BLACK members dead after they were allegedly stabbed by members of the MOB. “Sheik” was briefly detained by the police but was later released.

To some extent, the Sierra Leone People`s Party is also renowned for utilizing thugs for political ends. The notorious “ARATA” was captured on video smashing ballot boxes during the parliamentary rerun election of constituency 110.

Since then, the SLPP seems to have distanced itself from cozying with “ARATA” due to possible negative image implications to the party. At present “ARATA” seems to be alone in perpetuating his criminal and despicable activities. Last time we heard he was arrested after leading a gang in daylight robbery. Whatever became of that matter can hardly be determined.

But there has been a strong state policy instituted by the Office of National Security to outlaw party marshals and cliques which is paying off in this dispensation.