Ambassador John Leigh Goes Ballistic on Facebook

Several weeks ago I wrote an article on the defection of ex Sierra Leone Ambassador to UN under President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, John Leigh, from the now opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) to the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC)where he was given a ceremonial welcome into the APC by the current Vice President Sam Sumana and APC Secretary General Victor B. Foh at a hastily convened gathering in Freetown.

Leigh with his New Card

Ambassador Leigh, after trying unsuccessfully to be the SLPP flagbearer on two separate occasions had finally given up any hope of obtaining the coveted position which he claimed to have spent thousands of US dollars trying to attain and had resigned from the party giving a litany of  questionable reasons and pouring scorn, hate and vitriolic on the current leaders of the SLPP, including the current leader Julius Maada Bio, who ex ambassador hates with passion.

After the article which saw a fair amount of traffic to the Segbwema blog, John Leigh took to Facebook to respond to the article which can be accessed by following the link http://segbwema.blogspot.com/2012/03/john-leigh-gambles-on-apc.html?m=0

John Leigh lamented that after two decades of pouring his cash, intellect, affection, labor and energy into the SLPP, the loss of the flagbearer position had suddenly made him had an epiphany and decide that after all, SLPP was not the party for him and though he had spent years condemning the APC leadership, he had now realised that President Ernest Bai Koroma was his man. He said he was a humble political refugee from the SLPP and would no longer serve in a party where there were crooks, kleptocrats, thugs and ex-Junta, but would now be in the APC, a party with exemplary characters, a messianic leader Ernest Koromaand honest people all around. When asked how he could say this with a straight face when he was surrounded by Victor Foh, an ex-felon and one of the architects of Sierra Leone's current decline, leatherboot a thug and indicted rapist and now Tom Nyuma an ex junta, Ambassador Leigh answered that Victor Foh had paid his dues and was now a reformed clean man and that leatherboot had been punished by being given light duty. When asked if he thought light duty was a suitable punishment for rape, the poor ambassador had no suitable answer and called the Segbwema blogger a not very intelligent and misguided fellow. When asked why he had been going over the USA the past years and on the Internet calling the APC the party of rapists, selfish people and criminals, he claimed that he was talking about the old useless APC, not the new reformed APC, in spite of the fact that the same characters in the old APC which he so roundly condemned, Joseph Bandabla Dauda, Victor Foh, Eddie Turay and others were the same people he was now embracing in the "new APC".

Leigh claimed that as he was not " a traditional folk", (a term he loves to use for people from the provinces) he would have no chance in a tribalistic party like the SLPP and he would now be in the APC, a party free from tribalism. He stated that after spending thousands of dollars for the nomination to be flagbearer, the SLPP had not given him chance but had voted on tribalistic Mende basis. The fact that Usu Boie Kamara a Madingo had gotten 186 votes to Maada Bio's 238 or that Alpha Timbo a Fula had gotten 44 votes or Kadie Sesay 28 votes which totalled 258 votes and was more than Bio got seemed to be lost on Mr. Leigh. The fact that Joe Moiba, Bu-Buakai Jabbie, Askia Koroma and other Mende candidates got very low votes seemed to be lost on the poor ambassador. When asked if the reason he had not been elected was simply the fact that his skills as a politician were extremely poor or the fact that he had spent so many years in America where money was important in politics that he failed to realize that in Africa it was charisma, likability, popularity and affability that were the traits desired in leaders, he answered that Maada had used Juju and Voodoo to get votes, a surprising statement coming from a man who had spent so much time in the developed world and had even represented his country at the Unitec Nations. One wonders if he had been spreading his Juju beliefs at the UN when he was there representing Sierra Leone. The other diplomats must have had a field day calling him the Juju ambassador.

Maada Bio Leigh's arch nemesis 

If John Leigh is to be believed, Abass Bundu, John Benjamin, Maada Bio, Kadie Sesay and other SLPP leaders are all personal representatives of Satan in Sierra Leone, with Julius Maada Bio being the devil's personal friend and buddy. In his rantings on Facebook, Ambassador Leigh claims that Maada is murderer, kleptocrat and a demon. In his latest post, this is his current claim :

"

John Leigh 

Bio used to follow me around Washington DC in 1997/8 as I went public speaking on behalf of the exiled SLPP Government. Bio would take a seat in the backrow directly in front of me. As I spoke to tell the audience what we've accomplished and what we expect to follow, Bio would start making 'babu yey' at me. At night I would receive telephone calls from ex-NPRC types threatening me and my family with violence. Things got so bad, the US Secret Service sent agents to protect us. Bio is a bad person. He is a crook and rascal. He sold passports with Abass Bundu and pocketed the money. He got paid by the donor nations for surrendering power to the winner of the 1996 elections. He was not for SLPP. He was for NUP. But the donors forced the junta to surrender poer to Tejan Kabbah who won the 1996 elections. Bio also supported the AFRC/RUF junta in 1997/98. under his chairmanship, his junta funded the establishment and the 1995/96 campaign of the National Unity Party to fight Tejan Kabbah. I fought like hell to help get SLPP elected in 1996. I fought like hell to help defeat the SAFRC junta. But you were a juvenile then. So I don't blame you for not knowning these things. Bio's people are lying to young fellows like you to fool them. Bio has no respect for you.

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John Leigh's current anti-SLPP/pro-APC diatribes are not only interesting, but offer a glimpse into a mind filled with disappointment, frustration, rejection and rage. John Leigh took the loss in the past SLPP flagbearer contest very personally and cannot fathom why SLPP delegates would prefer Maada Bio a man he has the utmost contempt for over him. In a narcissistic mind frame, John Leigh sees himself as a refined, nontraditional and educated Sierra Leonean, who has been rejected for someone he considers his intellectual and social inferior. In his megalomania, Mr. Leigh does not for a moment realize that this individual he has so much disregard for has once had the distinct and unique privilege of becoming the leader of a sovereign nation, a position which he John Leigh would most probably never attain. John Leigh has somehow managed to convince himself that his role of UN ambassador was far superior to Maada Bio's role of Head of state, a classic problem with people with narcissistic disorder.

Leigh ejoying defection attention 

Currently John Leigh spends his days on Facebook trying too hard to clarify his new pro APC positions and running away from all the negatives things he had sain about APC and president Koroma in the past four years though his recent positions and writings are scattered all over the Internet. 

When he was running as party flagbearer, this what Ambassador Leigh told the Awoko Newspaper:

"Erstwhile Washington DC based Ambassador from the Republic of Sierra Leone John Ernest Leigh now an SLPP flagbearer aspirant for the upcoming primaries ahead of 2012 general elections has said that SLPP is stronger than before and will never split as was the case in the Makeni Convention which saw Charles Francis Margai spliting their votes.
Addressing the people marking his declaration for the Flag-bearership held in Kenema on Saturday October 30th and Sunday 31st in Bo respectively, John Leigh said he has what it takes to give the ruling APC a run for their money if he is made the flagbearer.
Speaking further, John Leigh said the Party will be victorious in both Parliamentary and Presidential elections with full national and international support for the purpose of building a modern nation free from injustice, tribalism after many years of sufferings.
As usual, John Leigh pleaded with delegates not to sell out their votes for money but for the benefit of the party and Sierra Leone to once more regain its place among world democracies.
John Leigh earlier praised the efforts of the national executives for being very effective.
On the question regarding APC’s call for an inquest into the death of one time Police Inspector General James Bambay Kamara, John Leigh lashed out at APC saying that they are up to destroying the good image of the party. He stated that APC is on record for having carried out a long list of summary executions and that they are up to violating the International Peace Accord signed and failing to go by the dictates of the TRC Recommendations.
He also exonorated his rival Maada Bio and called on APC to leave him alone and give peace a chance.
Concluding, John leigh lambasted APC for the misuse of the country’s resources and further said that they have only been up to finishing projects started by the SLPP.
By Easmon Moiguah" (Awoko, 2011)

Now the same John Leigh is singing a different song and is calling on other Sierra Leone's to join him in the choir. For a man whose emotions are so intense and who has had so many different stands on so many different issues, John Leigh's main enemy has always been himself. His volatile temper, name calling and disagreeable nature combined with his lack of humility are very poor traits in a politician intending to one day lead his country. John Leigh's quarrelsome nature combined with his belief in the occult reminds me of the nature of Adolph Hitler and Sierra Leone seems to have been blessed that this man was not given the chance to be President. I know he will attempt to run as flagbearer for APC after Ernest Koroma's term. APC should encourage him now, but never give him that chance, as such hate filled characters are the stuff dictators are made of.

Segbwema Blogger