In an attempt to cause mayhem and smear the image of members and supporters of the main opposition APC party, the chairman of the ruling SLPP in the Western Rural Area, has allegedly implicated the Headman of Tombo, 44-year-old Nurse Janet J. Marvah and other members of the opposition in the May 6th 2022 violent clashes between fishermen and members of the Sierra Leone Police Force in Tombo.
Many people in the Tombo Community believed that the act of the ruling SLPP chairman to implicate supporters and members of the APC party in the May 6th 2022 violent clashes is a Political Witch-hunt to score cheap political points and also to ensure that they (APC supporters and members) are incarcerated for the rest of their life.
In an exclusive interview with the SLPP Chairman of the Western Rural Area, Mr. Gbondo Musa has accused the Headman of Tombo, Nurse Janet and other stakeholders of the main opposition APC party of igniting fishermen to attack members of the Sierra Leone Police force.
“This has nothing to do with political witch-hunt and they must face the full force of the law,” said Gbondo Musa, adding further that, as a government they will do all within their powers to ensure that the operatives of the main opposition APC party pay dearly for prompting the fishermen against members of the police.
Mr. Musa also claimed that, as members of the ruling SLPP party they are focused, determined and ever-ready to get members of the opposition APC party to be accountable.
Although many people have described the youth that issued out threatened remarks on members of the main opposition APC party as hired thugs of the SLPP party but Mr. Musa swiftly denied the claims by stating that, they have never hired thugs to go after the Headman of Tombo, Nurse Janet and other members of the opposition, adding that, those youth that issued out threatened remarks only acted on their own and it has nothing to do with the ruling SLPP party.
According to the spokesman of the Sierra Leone Police Force, Superintendent Brima Kamara, narrated that while members of the Sierra Leone Police Force were enforcing restrictions on the number of vessels authorized to go out to sea, the local fishermen attacked a police station and health center in Tombo on Wednesday 6th May, 2022.
Superintendent Brima Kamara added that, the Headman of Tombo, 44-year-old nurse Janet J. Marvah were among those that approached the Local Unit Commander of the Waterloo Divisional Headquarters to appeal for the number of vessels authorized to go out to sea to be increased.
The police spokesman argued that, only those that have vested interest will make such an appeal on behalf of the fishermen, adding further that, before the attacks on their men, Nurse Janet J. Marvah and other community members were seen engaging the fishermen. He went further to say that, they have deployed their men in strategic areas in Waterloo to ensure that those that have been identified by the Chairman of the SLPP party in the Western Rural Area of instigating the fishermen to attack their members will not go unpunished. He disclosed further that during the clash, some of their men also sustained serious injuries. The spokesman added that, they are still investigating the matter to get to the bottom of the issue. He further disclosed that, they have arrested over 100 people in the crime scene that are believed to be fishermen that participated in the protest.
However, members of the Tombo Community have vindicated Nurse Janet J. Marvah by claiming that she did not have any hand in the violent clashes between fishermen and members of the Sierra Leone Police. They also described Nurse Janet J. Marvah as a respectable woman that believes in unity and love. They further disclosed that, Nurse Janet J. Marvah and other stakeholders only went to the Local Unit Commander in Waterloo to engage him in the matter so as to avoid any violent clashes, after they were confronted by members of the fishing community to intervene.
Due to the stance of the Police not to allow more fishing vessels at sea, members of the community stated that, the fishermen defied all the advice giving to them by the Headman of Tombo together with Nurse Janet J. Marvah and other stakeholders of the community and went ahead in increasing their fishing vessels at sea that suddenly led to the violent clashes.
All efforts made to get the reactions of the Headman of Tombo, Nurse Janet J. Marvah and other community stakeholders have proven futile.
