By Politico staff writers
As he declares for incumbent President Julius Maada Bio , independent candidate and leader of the Malen Land Owners and Users Association( MALOA) in Malen Chiefdom, Pujehun District and his supporters have demanded for one parliamentary and 3 Councilor seats.
Shiaka Musa Sama of Constituency 104 made the demands at the Pujehun District Council Hall while endorsing President Julius Maada Bio re-election bid in the 24th June 2023.
The MP acknowledged that President Julius Maada Bio is a good leader and that he will do all in his powers to get his supporters to re-elect President Bio.
"They lied on me that I have insulted th President . I was arrested. All those who did that to me I have forgiven you all", he said.
He narrated incidences that have happened to his people at Malen Chiefdom from the last government to the current government of President Bio.
He said his people are unhappy with the manner in which their land were taken away from them, adding that because he has insisted not to support evil, he was branded a stubborn and bad person.
Sama said that he has consulted his people and they have all agreed to support President Bio's vision.
He noted that Mathew Nyuma, the current leader of government business in parliament will take his demands to the President.
"I have endorsed President Bio to be elected as President. I did not declared for the SLPP because am still an independent MP in Parliament", he said.
Councillor Andrew Mustapha Fullah of Constituency 104, ward 369 Malen said his people appreciate the work of President Bio and his government, noting that as a strong supporter of Sama he has agreed to follow him where ever he wants them to go, adding that President Bio will be given the opportunity to do his second term.
The councilor added that they have demanded to get councilors from their group to ensure that the grievances of their people will be presented to the Council, saying that their voices were not heard in the Pujehun District Council.
He noted that they decided to go independent so that government will hear their voices as they were sending information to government concerning how they were being treated but their messages were not reaching government.
" We sent Hon. Shiaka Musa Sama to Parliament to be informing Parliament about our plight. We are unhappy about this. It is President Bio who has listened to Hon. Sama. Other people mock t us. They don't take us seriously even though we have a member of Parliament and three councillors", he said.
However, he said they were criticized for mixing the organization MALOA with politics, adding that if they are close to politics they will be heard, saying that some progress has been made already through MP Sama.
Addressing crowd of supporters, the Leader of Government Business in Parliament thanked the gathering. Nyuma said the crowd was a testament that Sama is loved by his people.
He added that in 2007, Sama went to Parliament under the ticket of the People's Movement for Democratic Change ( PMDC) and in 2018, he again went to Parliament as an independent MP. This is he said shows that he is a serious person.
" Hon. Sama has gone through struggles. His people have supported him. In the last election, he defeated all the other candidates who contested against him", Nyuma said.
He said President Bio has brought everyone on board irrespective of one’s political affiliation.
" Hon. Sama has been an ally of President Bio since he went to Parliament", he said.
He said the MP always supported the SLPP when there is a bill to be passed in parliament that requires vote.
He noted that for quite a long time, the people have been complaining but they have not been heard. He added that President Bio is a listening President.
He said the Commissioner appointed by President Bio to head the Lands Commission is from Pujehun District in the person of Suahibu Siddy Sowa who has more experience in land administration and its policies.
He urged the affected land owners to take all their challenges to the land commission, adding that government will be interested to solve some of those problems.
"I want to appeal to you all, don't take the law into your own hands. Be law- abiding. Channel your grievances to the appropriate institutions for redress", he said.
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