As the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) rolls out plans for the conduct of lower level elections and flag bearer aspirants crisscross the country juggling for delegates’ support, it’s now clear the die is cast.
Among the many flag bearer aspirants, there’s one who stands out clearly as a visionary, a unifier and rebuilder. Dr Ibrahim Bangura has shown the tendency to promote policies that would heal the land, unite the people and build the country. Many citizens, since Dr Bangura’s emergence on the political scene, are saying he’s a forward thinking politician with innovative solutions to tackle the unique challenges and aspirations of Sierra Leoneans.
When State House was on fire, he didn’t only express concern over the incident, but also suggested ways to prevent such a recurrence through thorough investigation into the outbreak in the first place.
Similarly, he recently published a statement on the Yenga issue and proffered ways to bring about a lasting resolution of the border dispute. This is what visionary leadership is all about.
With over 18 years experience as a senior university lecturer he has taught, mentored and inspired countless numbers of students who are also contributing meaningfully today to efforts at nation building.
Dr Bangura’s expertise as a results-oriented monitoring (ROM) specialist who has monitored over 100 European funded projects across 30 countries puts him in pole position to transform the country for the betterment of everyone regardless of gender, region, tribe or political affiliation. He has also done assignments in Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo DRC), Zimbabwe and Nigeria. He is also currently a facilitator at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center based in Ghana.
Like others have written before, Dr Ibrahim Bangura is not just a scholar but also a practitioner with over 30 publications on peace, gender, security and governance. His work with the European Union, African Union and ECOWAS has helped shaped continental strategies on stability and integration.
With all these accomplishments and timely experiences at home and abroad, one would hope the APC flag bearer aspirant will hit the ground running when elected as president of this republic. He has the necessary temperament and required expertise to heal, unite and build Sierra Leone for good.
