By Anthony Abdul Karim Kamara, Jnr.
As Secretary General of the APC Arizona Chapter of the APC, Brima Michael Turay(photo) has for the most part been a relatively quiet man. That was the case at least until the North American arm of the APC began an internal battle which if not solved threatens to disrupt the peace and unity (if peace and unity ever existed) that the branch has enjoyed.
When the Osman Conteh led executive suffered a series of setbacks that made governing impossible, an act which many sympathizers and observers call “outright marginalization” by the party hierarchy, Brima Michael Turay commonly called BMT became what he called “the voice of the voiceless” because he is very “allergic” to those in authority who use their positions to victimize the less privileged. If the APC –NA feud is anything to go by, it is clear from his many publications that the voiceless and the less privileged here is ex-chairman Osman Conteh and members of the seven chapters that were either relegated to “observer status” or suspended.
After efforts to reinstate Osman Conteh, the ex-chairman of APC North America failed and his dream to complete his two – year term died prematurely, and the further suspension of seven chapters including the Arizona Chapter, BMT emerged arguably as the de facto spokesperson for Camp Osman as he launched blistering attacks online against the integrity and duties of Ambassador Bockarie Stevens, Victor Foh and the current five chapter membership for actions he considered unfair and hypocritical.
As his articles reached various media houses, he is hailed by some and despised by others. While views from both camps differ, many observers questioned what his true motives were. Was he working in the interest of the party? Or was it a ploy to position himself for a future leadership position within the APC North America? There were some who wondered what he was trying to achieve. Even as questions surround his actions, the truth is, there are many who admired his actions.
If becoming the “voice of the voiceless” is about positioning himself for the position of APC North America Chairman some time in the future, he has two choices: either move from Arizona to the Washington, DC Metropolitan area and join party comrades that he has openly disagreed with or lead a revolution to change a clause in the bye-laws of the APC Constitution that calls specifically for would be candidates to be residents of the Metropolitan areas of Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland.
In fact, many have remarked that assuming responsibility when the need arises especially in moments of crisis is arguably the right time to distinguish between people who have leadership qualities and those who are simply followers. Whether Brima Turay has truly emerged as a leader during the APC saga for openly chastising party officials, when redress could have been sought internally remains to be seen.
The question in the minds of many is who is Brima Turay? He hails from Kambia District but grew up and went to school in Port Loko and Lunsar respectively in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. He taught History and Health Science for a brief period at the Marampa Islamic Secondary School, formerly known as Koblo Queen Islamic Secondary School in Lunsar. He worked as an Accounts Clerk at the Marampa Masimera Rural Bank in Lunsar from 1991 to 1994 and left Sierra Leone for The Gambia in 1995 where he joined the teaching staff at the Kunta Kinteh Middle School in the Gambia from 1995 until his departure to the US in 1998 teaching English and Social Studies.
Mr. Turay has resided in Phoenix, Arizona for eleven years, during which time, he worked hard to earn himself an Associate Degree in Computer Networking (2000); a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology (2004); a Master’s Degree in Management (2006) and he is currently pursuing a PhD program in Management of Non-profit Organization in the School of Public Service Leadership at Capella University.
An active member with the Sierra Leonean communities in Arizona and in states across the US, he confidently tells me he “continues to participate in helping refugees from war-torn nations.” He was the founding member and the Secretary General of Tegloma, Arizona Chapter and known prominently amongst the Tegloma higher circles from 2002 to 2006, which “exemplifies his ability to mix with any group of Sierra Leoneans, regardless of tribe and affiliations,” he proudly underscores.
Since 2005, he has served as Project Coordinator for the Association of Sierra Leoneans in Arizona (ASLAZ), which is a Community-based Non-profit Organization catering to the needs of Sierra Leoneans in Arizona. His supervisory and management positions have accorded him the opportunity to employ many Africans. He is actively involved and well known in his Arizona community.
As a founding member of the APC Arizona Chapter, he is surrounded by seventeen family members that he worked so hard to bring to the US. He is currently the Editor- in- Chief for the pro APC, New Rising Sun Online Newspaper (www.thenewrisingsun.net) here in the US. A father of four and a recent born-again Christian with World Vision Evangelism Church in Phoenix Arizona, he is a board member in charge of projects. He has a passion for writing and literary works; and above all, a lover of his country Sierra Leone, though a US citizen as well. I had a chat with Brima recently. Here is how it went:
PV: How and why did you get involved in the APC issue between the interim executive, Ambassador Stevens and Osman Conteh?
Turay: Well, I have always tried to stay behind the scenes ever since our Chapter, Arizona, became part of the North America branch. I have always admired the way the NA branch moved very swiftly to propel the APC to prominence in North America. To come back to the question, my interest was drawn to the affairs of the branch shortly after the first suspension of Chairman Osman Conteh by Mr. Victor Foh and Ambassador Stevens. Immediately I heard about the suspension, I called my younger brother, Mr. Aziz Turay, who happens to be the president of the Arizona Chapter, and expressed my concerns over the issue.
As Secretary General of my Chapter, I quickly obtained all the correspondences that went out before and after the suspension. I read all of them and called around to get first hand information on the issue. I even called and spoke with certain people on the side of the Ambassador. I also read the bylaws repeatedly to make sure I was not missing anything. After everything that I was able to gather, I saw that the suspension was handed down in a very unfair manner. This was when I became interested and therefore wrote my first article on the subject to draw the attention of the Ambassador and those involved in the matter.
PV: What is interesting to note here is that after you read all the correspondences and called certain people on Ambassador Stevens’ side, I am yet to hear you say that you personally reached out to either Ambassador Stevens or Victor Foh? In hindsight, don’t you think it would have been prudent of you to personally reach out to either Victor Foh or Ambassador Stevens to get their side of the story?
Turay: Yes indeed! Actually, I did reach out to him by attending a meeting that they called up. As soon as I announced my name as Brima Turay from Arizona, Ambassador Bockarie pounced on me. He asked whether I was the Brima Turay who was writing all those articles. I asked whether I could say something and he continued saying “these are the things that we are talking about. These are the things that we are fighting strongly against. We don’t want people just writing stuff like that.” And even though I kept asking to be allowed to say something, he would not let me. Since I could not talk to him, I decided to hang up the phone and decided to call him the next day.
When I called him the next day and introduced myself as Brima Turay who did not get the opportunity to talk to him during the previous meeting and I shared with him that this could be a good opportunity to talk to give me the chance to share my own side of the story. So my response to your answer is that I did reach out to him. Even when I reached out to him, without saying anything, he insisted that I write no more articles. At that juncture, I promised him that I was going to send out another article that same day because I cannot be intimidated. I told him that I was very “allergic” to intimidation. So he did not give me the opportunity to talk to him; he antagonized me.
PV: Were you appointed as the spokesperson of the Osman Conteh camp or you just took the position yourself because no one stepped up to that role. If your answer is yes, why was it important for you to be in that position? What are you fighting for?
Turay: I decided to step in because I felt the need to protect our political organization in the Diaspora. I strongly believe that the NA branch is a very important partner of the APC in the struggle to map out a new direction for our fragile Republic. In addition to that, I have a strong and irresistible passion to stand up for the oppressed and defenceless. I am very allergic to people who use authority to victimize the less privileged. Therefore, I don’t normally wait to be invited to step in and defend anyone whom I believe has been treated unfairly.
PV: In the case of the APC saga, the victim and the less privileged here would be ex-Chairman Osman Conteh, right?
Turay: Not entirely, Mr. Kamara. It would be Osman Conteh and the rest of the seven chapters. In my opinion, they were demoralized by the decision the ambassador decided to take. In this case, all of us are less privileged and unfairly treated. I felt sorry for all of us in these chapters that were neutralized or put on observer status. I felt it was my personal responsibility to step in on behalf of all.
PV: President Koroma had this to say when he endorsed the secretariat’s decision against Osman Conteh “"If your goal is to see the party flourish and you have no hidden agenda, then you must work for unity in the party,”. As a member of the North American Branch of the APC, do you care about the party’s unity?
Turay: I care Mr. Kamara, and that is the reason why I stepped in when no one else wanted to take the blame for speaking out. I have no hidden agenda, thank God, beyond the agenda of keeping our branch strong and useful for the APC and the people of Sierra Leone. I have criticised and written many articles against the opposition on many subjects in favour of the APC. I feel an equal responsibility to point out what is going wrong in our party because that is the only way we can remain credible in what we do and in what we condemn about the opposition SLPP.
PV: Let me make sure I understand you. Your intention is not to tell me that just because you have written many articles against the opposition in favour of your party, it is your duty to wash your party’s dirty linens in the public domain as you have manifested in this case, right? You are not saying to me that when there are disagreements between family members or friends, each individual should run to the public to criticize or vilify the other just to win the support of the public? Is that the way to settle disputes?
Turay: No! What I am trying to say is that if I had stepped in for my party and confronted the opposition for things that I believed were not right, I have an equal obligation as a Sierra Leonean to point out anything that I believe is wrong about our own party. This is called fair play and being objective rather than subjective. Politics today has to be transparent and credible. When the internal instruments of conflict resolution are compromised by the use of authority, the only other place to seek redress is the public!
PV: President Koroma was unequivocal when he informed all party members that "Ambassadors are my representatives. Any disrespect for them is disrespect for me, too. They are fully mandated to represent me and our country abroad. That is why they have all the honour and privileges bestowed on me. If we are interested in being members of the party, we must respect that.” What do you think of these strong words coming from the president for people like you who some believe are just intent on causing trouble?
Turay: I respect Dr. Ernest Koroma as a human being and as the president of my country. Above all, I respect him as a fellow Sierra Leonean. His statement about his Ambassadors is one that could be expected because he has a responsibility to protect them as his direct representatives.
However, it is also important for his Ambassadors to know that anything they do wrong will reflect on the president’s credibility and therefore they have an inherent responsibility to act right in order to reflect the image of the president, the party in power and the country in general. By acting on the contrary, they are drawing criticism, disrepute and embarrassment for themselves, the president and the office they represent.
In African politics, when people stand up to authority and question certain anomalies, they are branded as trouble causers. When are we ever going to grow out of this unfortunate political mentality Mr. Kamara? I am not a trouble causer but a problem instigator. Being a problem instigator is one way of getting people to answer those tough questions that may otherwise be ignored deliberately if no one cares to ask.
PV: You just mentioned that “Being a problem instigator is one way of getting people to answer those tough questions that may otherwise be ignored deliberately if no one cares to ask.” After taking your fight to the public domain, have you received answers for those who really matter, the party hierarchy? Your seven chapters were effectively sidelined by President Koroma when he visited New York last month. What is your reaction to that?
Turay: Well, I have got the attention of so many people including from members of president Koroma’s administration. I even received a call from someone who prefers to remain anonymous to talk about these issues especially with rumours that we are trying to form a political party against the APC in the Diaspora. The person who told me confided in me that there are already problems in Freetown but again he does not want to be identified. I told him that not only are those rumours wrong but the fact is we have no intention whatsoever of forming any political party against the APC. Yes I have attracted attention and it is worth my time and energy because the world needs to know how we practice our democracy and judge us based on our efforts to improve our political systems.
PV: When you write words like these about Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the USA in an article titled: Ambassador Stevens - Conspiracy theory cannot earn you back your credibility! don’t you think you have crossed the line?
Turay: Mr. Kamara, I did not cross any lines. People in the US used to call former president Bush the most stupid, inexperienced and idiotic president in American presidential history but no one said they crossed the line. Analogies are different from direct statements in much the same way as Metaphors are different from Similes. When someone attempts to stifle a particular group in a conflict, by allowing only his or her own side to be heard and decisions handed down based on a one-sided story, then it becomes an example of a conspiracy theory. You are a horse in the race is different from saying you are like a horse in the race. Metaphor and Simile – you see the difference, Mr. Kamara?
PV: Mr. Turay, it is clear you have a flair for the English language and are a gifted writer. Who will read your piece and start to think of rhetorical devices such as similes, metaphors, alliteration and so on and so forth especially during a crisis when both sides may just be trying to present their case and win public support? We may agree to disagree but a vast majority of Sierra Leoneans that I have spoken to or have called me and even non-Sierra Leoneans that reached out to me since I broke the story thought you could have been a bit polite with our ambassador. That does not mean, they think that the story of his meddling into APC politics was false. Many strongly believe even though he serves the APC government, he should have thought twice about his actions. What is your response?
Turay: My responses to the Ambassador’s actions fit the actions of the Ambassador and I don’t feel sorry or apologetic for any of them. We were clearly provoked by the Ambassador and the leadership in Freetown. We were denied to right to act in a civil manner when the Ambassador and Mr. Foh ignored our internal administration and took matters into their own hands. Every one of our members was furious and probably could have said things worse than what I did. I hope they will learn from this incident and try to do things better next time!
PV: Let us for assume for one moment that you are Sierra Leone’s ambassador to the US or to any other country. Given that many of your colleague ambassadors may have access to articles written about others especially in this our internet driven world, how would you feel if what you have done to Ambassador Stevens in the name of fighting for the truth were done to you?
Turay: I would feel strengthened and empowered to be very careful and be very critical in the way I handle things next time. I would feel and know that I am dispensable and therefore I must show respect to my constituents and listen to them even when I disagree with them. I will try not to impose my authority on them next time. Above all, I will try to remember that, even though it is incumbent upon every Sierra Leonean to participate in matters of their country, the constituents in the Diaspora are merely volunteering such patriotism and therefore deserve to be respected and honoured.
PV: I am sure there are many people who are angry about the whole incident and may have expressed themselves in their own way. However, you have taken yours beyond the confines of the APC with remarks such as “The same electronic media that we had utilized to propel all of you to where you are today is going to be the same media that we will utilize to show to the world just how some of you cannot be trusted” Do you plan to put this to rest? What do you think can be achieved with your constant writing? Is there any other way that you can pursue without the use of the internet?
Turay: Mr. Kamara, let us remember that even though we are supporters of the APC, we are not what you would call “blind supporters”. Some SLPP members voted for the APC in the last elections in Sierra Leone. We used the electronic media to lash at the opposition and to campaign vigorously in favour of the APC. Even to this day, we all use the electronic media to communicate political discourse – good or bad! When the Ambassador and his interim executive wanted the world to know that the seven Chapters that he had neutralized had also been relegated to the same status by a presidential order in a secret meeting, the Ambassador and his Interim executive used the Cocorioko online blog of a newspaper to communicate such disgraceful news. When Brima Turay publishes what the Ambassador and Mr. Victor Foh are doing wrong using the same medium, he is being described as disrespectfully public about APC issues – What an example of double standards! The popular clichés “If you live in a glass house do not throw stones” and “Do as I say and not as I do” are clearly at work here, Mr. Kamara! This is politics – the “game of numbers” and not some military camp, if I may add!
PV: In your rejoinder to a piece on Cocorioko published on Saturday, September 19 titled "Lawyer Iscandari says APC national authority has the right to ban APC -NA," you responded that “80% of the articles that went out in condemnation of the Ambassador’s actions” came from you. Does this not look like you have a personal vendetta against the ambassador?
Turay: I have only met the Ambassador twice in my entire life. The first time was in Maryland during the last convention and that meeting took less than five minutes. The only other time that I spent an hour or so with him was in Freetown during my last visit in April of this year. I have no reason to have any personal grudge for the Ambassador beyond the things that I believe he is doing wrong in the North America branch.
I do not have to be a spokes person to voice my feelings and opinions about what the Ambassador is doing wrong. You just quoted an article written by Lawyer Iscandri, who is not a spokes person for the other side, but which he published on the same electronic media that every blind supporter wants me not to use. I am a registered member of the APC Arizona Chapter and consequently a member of the NA branch but the Ambassador is not! I pay monthly dues to my Chapter but the Ambassador does not! Between the two of us, who do you think would be more passionate about the progress of the NA branch? It would be me, Mr. Kamara! I therefore don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist to figure this out; hence the reason for the position that I took. I am just trying to put my mouth where my money is, as the Americans would say!
PV: Many have opined that Ambassador Stevens has no business meddling with the affairs of the APC. But let us assume for a second that it was a mistake on his part, does it mean he has to be crucified? Did you guys try to reach the authorities instead of just resorting to this name calling in the various articles that you have propagated? Did you try reaching the ambassador to tell him your views before taking to the internet? If yes, what was his response? If your answer is no, why did you not contact him?
Turay: Mr. Kamara, the North America branch had an internal administration as well as bylaws. The bylaws clearly spell out how we should resolve internal issues. After the first incident between Chairman Conteh and Rtd. Colonel Idriss Kamara, the internal administration appointed a committee to look into the matter. The committee performed its job and later came up with their recommendations. The Ambassador and Mr. Victor Foh neglected and kicked against these powerful administrative instruments and used authority to decide what should happen!
When law and order is tossed aside, what do you think the resultant effect would be, Mr. Kamara? Rebellion would set in! There was no way we could have settled this matter internally when the Ambassador and Mr. Foh decided not to respect our internal instruments of conflict resolution. This is the problem, Mr. Kamara! The laws and regulations are good for the constituents but not for our leaders. How paralyzing to our ailing democracy!
Foday Sankoh said he took to the bush because he believed the APC would not listen to him. The NPRC came from the war front and kicked the APC out because they thought the APC would not listen to them. Hindolo Sumanguru Samuel Trye and his colleagues organized the “No School, No College” non-violent insurrection against the APC regime because they thought the leadership would not listen to them. When the internal machinery fails to address internal issues, those issues then become food for public consumption. This is the reason why I decided to go public with this issue. I wanted to get the public’s opinion, and as we can see, we have gained a lot from this incident through the many responses from other Sierra Leoneans and the numerous phone calls that I receive everyday from all over the world.
After the first article that I published on this subject, I came under attack from the Ambassador in one of our North America branch teleconference meetings and he refused to hear my side of the story at that moment. I called him the next day and took my time to explain my position to him, which he, apparently, did not take seriously.
A few months ago, President Obama called a Cambridge Police Officer stupid for arresting Professor Gates, who happens to be President Obama’s former professor at Harvard and a friend. President Obama later realized that he had made a mistake for calling the officer stupid. He then decided to apologize to the police officer over a bottle of beer in the White House; during which time, he mediated between the professor and the police officer. That is a perfect example of leadership.
Why can’t our leaders replicate and exemplify such humility and grace in dealing with their constituents? If the American president, perceived as the most powerful president in the world could do it, why would any other president or leader not do the same? These are examples of the things that we should try to inculcate in our leaders and introduce to our modern day politics in Africa. I don’t think questioning the blatant abuse of such moral values, by someone who cares, is any thing that should be called disrespect for authority!
PV: Some have alleged that all of this publicity is to position yourself for a big position in the APC North America. What do you say to such a claim?
Turay: I laugh at some of these assertions and guesses. I don’t have to display journalistic prowess in condemnation of people in authority in order to position myself for something big in the NA branch. Any position in the NA branch is an unpaid assignment and therefore I would be merely volunteering my time and energy, and you know how precious those two things could be in this part of the world.
I am currently pursuing a PhD program in Management of Non-profit Organizations in the School of Public Service Leadership at Capella University here in the US. I have seventeen Sierra Leonean-Americans in the US all because of me. I have lived and worked in the US for eleven years and have saved enough by way of Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) to be able to survive in the event that I become incapacitated or retire from active work life. I am still in my early 40s and healthy. Don’t you think I can get a job as a janitor, if worse comes to worst? Don’t you also think that with the above credentials and achievements, I am a perfect example of people who could care less about North America branch issues?
The truth is, Mr. Kamara, I care about my country and my people. I feel terrible inside of me when I see leaders who should work to lift our people out of economic bondage become the same leaders who would turn around and castigate those of us who are trying to make it possible for the said people to rise out of such bondage. This is the source of my obsession, if I must add!
For the eleven years that I have lived in the US, the only speeding ticket that I have in my driving record was one that I got on my way to Los Angeles with our delegation to help raise funds for the APC in December of 2006 during Ernest Koroma’s last fundraising drive before the elections.
PV: It is often said that would be politicians or politicians in general never give the right answer when asked simple questions. Many who will read this piece will say “nar sabi tok” and perhaps they might add, “nar labo di man dae labo” or “SaLone man get big tok” but seriously you are not ruling out politics in the future right? Even though “any position in the NA branch is an unpaid assignment” I am sure there are perks involved when you are very close to those in power by virtue of your position. Have you talked to Osman Conteh about this? I am sure he knows the advantages as well as the disadvantages.
Turay: I did not go public with this issue because I wanted the Chairmanship of the NA branch. Matter of fact, I am too busy with school to get myself involved with the assignments of the chairmanship. My long-term goal or vision is to establish non-profit organization in the US and Sierra Leone to help the needy and less privileged. People always have something to say when you stand up for the truth, especially those who are benefiting from the system. I do not pay attention to them because they are deficient in the art of objectivity!
PV: Many observers and supporters of the APC have opined that many of you making noise are what they call the $10 or $20 contributors. In other words, “empty vessels make the most noise.” I guess in this case, there are many empty financial vessels and they make the most noise because they go to Freetown and when not seen by those in power they come back abroad and start to write nasty articles claiming they financed the campaign. We have read those articles from many who go to State House only to come back angry and begin to blast their party. Which of the donors are you, the $10 donor or the top donors?
Turay: Mr. Kamara, it is very insulting that anyone could say things like these. There were times when the APC officials could stretch their hands for any amount because anything counts during that time. How can they possibly quantify our time, energy, resource and personal support? It would be the most insulting thing to say to your constituents!
PV: So let me ask my question again: Which of the donors are you, the $10 or the top donors?
Turay: Let’s put it this way, Mr. Kamara. I am neither a $10 nor a $20 donor. However, I am a selfless donor who donates his time, energy and resources. That’s my answer to your question.
PV: Now that President Koroma has asked the interim executive to create modalities for elections to be held as soon as possible, have you reached out to them to ask when elections will be held? Have they communicated anything to you or the other 7 chapters that you have represented so eloquently?
Turay: Remember, Mr. Kamara that the interim executive members were given specific instructions by the president to reach out to the seven chapters and work to bring them into the fold. In addition to that, they were also instructed to hold a convention to elect new leaders. They therefore have that responsibility, exclusively, to reach out to us as instructed by the president. These seven chapters constitute the majority of our North America branch supporters. We decided to stick together in order to protect our supporters so that we do not fall prey to any of the opposition parties.
What we are trying to do here is protect the APC from the problems that have been created so far. This is a voluntary job, Mr. Kamara. You do not want to anger your supporters and leave them floating around. It is dangerous for any political party and certainly, for the APC, which is still struggling everyday to maintain its credibility in the eyes of the opposition and the international community. We have hundreds of members within these seven chapters who are capable of influencing the outcome of any election in Sierra Leone. Don’t you think it would be politically suicidal to just let them hang loose without a structure or place to recoup, vent, and chart the course toward political sustainability? We are merely doing the APC a favour, since our leaders do not seem to see the serious effect to which their decisions might lead.
PV: Published reports indicate that you or perhaps the seven suspended chapters have an issue with Leslie Allen, the current acting Chairman of APC North America. What is going on? Are any of you, listening to President Koroma’s directives?
Turay: No, it seems the reverse. Leslie seems to have a problem with some of us for speaking out loud about what they are doing wrong. First he tried to block my articles, then he attempted to have me banned from matters of the NA branch and now he is seeking to change the venue of the next convention, and God knows why!
PV: What message do you have for your fellow comrades at home and in the Diaspora and for the party leadership?
Turay: I want my fellow comrades and the party leadership to know that we are going to continue to remain organized and unbreakable. We are also going to continue to raise funds to sustain us through this period of fence mending and restructuring. I would also like to extend the same message of “HOPE” for a brighter future! Hope that one day we would all speak the same language – the language of peace, tolerance, fair play, respect for leadership and more importantly, for the constituents, equal opportunities and above all, a very inclusive Sierra Leone.
PV: Thanks for your time, Mr. Turay.
Turay: I thank you very much Mr. Kamara for granting me this great opportunity to air my views on this same subject!
Editor’s Note: Anthony Kamara, Jnr. is PV’s USA Bureau Chief and acting Deputy Editor. He can be reached via email at usapvchief@yahoo.com with any comments.
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