Creating an Unlikely Political Hero

Theresa Released on Bail

Sometimes fame is suddenly thrust on people. The decision by Mohamed Bangura, Sierra Leone's Information Minister, to arrest a 20 year old female university student over a social media post and charge her to court has made her an unlikely heroine in the country. Many people see in her treatment the depravity and ineptitude of the Koroma regime and the depths to which it has sunk, even as the country is on the brink of economic collapse.

Student Supporters

Mohamed Bangura, a half literate political opportunist who gave fake academic credentials at his parliamentary confirmation and was only approved because the country's Parliament rubber stamps every decision of the country's president, was rewarded the Information Ministry after he left his government sponsored opposition party, the UDM, and declared his loyalty to the ruling APC party. Of late Mohamed Bangura has been threatening to ban all social media in the country, with the opinion that social media was being used to portray the government in a bad light. Mohamed Bangura a newly christened APC stalwart who has been a member of every major political party in Sierra Leone, has been so vocal in defending the APC party over the past few months that some are have taken to comparing him to the mourner who weeps more than the bereaved.

Free Theresa

This morning, Theresa Komaya, the unjustly arrested female student was taken to court and had no shortage of lawyers to defend her.  The country's bar association seems to be one of the few voices of dissent left in the country. Many law abiding citizens turned up in front of the court to support the student against this gross human right violation. To many in the crowd, Theresa's arrest symbolized the attitude of a government that had come to increasingly believe that its authority supersedes the rights of the people, a view that was publicly expressed by Mohamed Bangura few months ago.

It can be recalled that sometime ago, in threatening to clamp down on social media, Mohamed Bangura had explicitly made the statement that as a government minister, he cared neither about " human right or human left." This arrest and prosecution of the young student can only be seen as a practical demonstration of the disdain the half baked minister and his government have for human rights in the country.

Theresa was released today on a reported 50 million Leones bail and is scheduled to appear in court again as Mohamed Bangura seeks to make her the example of how serious the government is in its desire to trample on the rights of the common Sierra Leonean.

Sierra Leone Government Jails Female University Student for ForwardingSocial Media Post

Theresa Mbomaya 

In an act that can be only be described as pure paranoia, the government of Sierra Leone has detained a 20 year old female university student, Theresa Mbomaya, for four days without bail, over a social media post that she forwarded to some friends, calling for peaceful protests against a sudden steep increase in the price of fuel and the generally hopeless economic situation that has gripped the country.

It can be recalled that many citizens groups, alarmed at the sudden downward economic trajectory in the country and the decision of the government to compound this by removing fuel subsidies, have been seeking police permits to peacefully demonstrate against the hardship imposed by the sudden increase in fuel prices in a country in which the average citizen lives on less than two dollars a day. So far the government has refused to issue permits for peaceful protests, with police parading through the city with water canons and armored personnel carriers in a show of force. People have been taking to social media to air their grievances. 

Theresa Mbomaya

Government supporters have been pointing to similar removal of fuel subsidies in other countries.  However, many have failed to note the fact that the majority of civil servants in Sierra Leone earn between 50 and hundred dollars a month and any removal of fuel subsidies will just send them deeper into already intolerable conditions of poverty. Pointing to the removal of fuel subsidies in relatively affluent countries seems insensitive, especially when the average Sierra Leone civil servant does not earn enough to feed and cloth their families, let alone provide them suitable housing.

The fuel price increase is bound to adversely affect students in the country, especially the capital Freetown, as many of them rely on public transportation to go to school. The impact of education should have been a reason to think over the decision more deeply.

The current Minister of Information Mohamed Bangura, a renowned political opportunist who has joined almost every major party in Sierra Leone, has been making loud noises about clamping down on social media and his first example seems to be the frail female student who is reportedly being held in very horrible conditions. His ministry released a public statement on the misuse of social media that was as rich in grammatical abuse as it was poor on substance.

Theresa's father, a secondary school teacher made an impassioned appeal to the government on social media on the day she was arrested, calling for the release of his daughter.  But so far his appeal seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Theresa is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to answer charges of public disorder and incitement. With the notoriety of the courts subservience to the government, only providence knows the girl's fate.

The government of Ernest Bai Koroma was returned to power four years ago on a promise of an Agenda for Prosperity. However, the last four years have seen the most dramatic decline in living standards in the history of Sierra Leone. 

A combination of the Ebola crisis, decline in mining activity, rampant public corruption, lavish public expenditure on government functionaries and gross mismanagement of public funds have brought the country to near economic collapse. The government recently introduced some half hearted austerity measures that are seen by many as a public relations stunt rather than an attempt to deal with official mismanagement. The impact of the measures are bound to affect the people more than the president and his allies who get fuel allowances.

Sierra Leone's problem is exacerbated by the fact that under the current government, civil service hiring is done mainly on the basis of political patronage. Many qualified people without political connections are out of work, while political operatives occupy core national positions that require technical expertise they do not posses. The result has been a steep increase in public inefficiency with a simultaneous decline in public sector productivity. The official currency, the Leone,  has depreciated by almost 50% in this year alone. 

Gambian Opposition UDP Leader Elected Alliance Candidate

Opposition Alliance Candidate
Adama Barrow 

After a long convention at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Banjul, Adama Barrow, the leader of Gambia's largest opposition party the UDP, has been elected as the opposition parties alliance candidate to face incumbent Yahya Jammeh in elections scheduled for the end of the year.

Yahya Jammeh of the APRC party has ruled Gambia both as a military and civilian leader since 1994. He has won every election held in the country since he declared a second republic after a few years of military rule.

Adama Barrow was recently elected to head the UDP after the incarceration of veteran UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.  Mr. Darboe, a lawyer, was jailed earlier this year for leading public protests against the government of Yahya Jammeh.

Barrow was the youngest of the four candidates and also the one with the least political experience.  He however largely benefited from the UDP legacy and was a clear winner over veteran Gambian politicians like Hamat Bah and Halifa Sallah.

Under the alliance agreement, the flagbearer candidate will stand as an independent candidate, while all the other Presidential aspirants are expected to  withdraw from the race and give him both their support and the support of their party machinery. The alliance will rule for about three years and then arrange elections in the country after ensuring a level playing field for all political parties.

Some Gambians on social media were disappointed that a more experience and articulate candidate was not elected, as Adama Barrow, a poor public speaker, visibly struggled during the convention to articulate his party position. He kept reading his written speech without looking at the delegates in the hall.

Halifa Sallah and Hamat Bah on the other hand were very articulate and stated their political positions very clearly. However, Mr. Barrow whose party has a lot of support in the rural areas of the country, won by more than 60% of the votes in the first round.

The other political parties have promised to support the alliance candidate. In the past, other attempts to form an alliance have  been unsuccessful.

Gambia's Major Opposition Parties In Convention to Elect Alliance Flagbearer

Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yayah A. J. Jammeh

The major political parties in the small West African state of The Gambia have taken the unprecedented step of holding a convention today at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Banjul, to determine a single alliance candidate who will  face Gambia's long term leader his Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Aziz Awal Jemus Junkung Jammeh Naasiru Deen Babili Mansa in Presidential Elections slated for December 1st 2016. The Gambia President is renowned for his anti-western stance, his claim to have the cure for HIV AIDS, Asthma and a host of other ailments and his strong opposition to homosexuality.

Hamat Bah

President Yahya Jammeh has ruled the small country of about a million people since July 22nd 1994 when as a young military officer he overthrew the country's long post independent leader Sir Dauda Kairaba Jawara in a bloodless coup. Sir Dauda had been the sole leader of the country since independence from British colonial rule and had presided over a long period of political stability. Gambia is a small country of very friendly people and a major tourist destination in West Africa. It's main sources of revenue are tourism and groundnut production. Remittances from Gambians living abroad also contribute significantly to the country's revenue. Gambia has a large population in America and Europe, many of whom left the country for political and economic reasons.

Halifa Sallah

As a young leader in 1994, the Gambian leader started with one of the most progressive agendas in the West African region. He rebuilt the country's international airport, established the first national university, built hospitals in the rural areas, built junior and secondary schools in many rural areas of the country, and built such monuments as the Arch 22 leading to the capital Banjul. He also made significant improvements to the country's road network. After a brief period of military rule, Jammeh restored the country to multiparty democracy, formed his own political party and has comprehensively won every election ever since.

Adama Barrow

Yahya Jammeh has however been criticized for his strong arm tactics, especially against the country's fractious opposition. Recently the leader of the country's largest opposition party Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, was jailed for about three years, together with some members of the opposition for holding public demonstrations in the capital. Journalists have also complained of political persecution, starting with the assassination of a prominent veteran journalist. Many journalists have faced arrests and detention in The Gambia and many have fled the country, some becomimg political activists in exile.

The Gambia leader, under pressure from the International community, especially the west, for his record on human rights, withdrew a few years ago from the Commonwealth of Nations, labeling the organization a symbol of colonial repression. Just this week, Yahya Jammeh joined the slow trickle of African leaders who have withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which they complain is focused only on the prosecution of African political leaders. 

Dr. Lamin Bojang

Roughly a year or two ago, Jammeh survived an attempt by a group of Gambians living overseas to overthrow his government while he was out of the country. The attempt was quickly quashed by security forces loyal to him. Since then he has further tightened his grip on all the security apparatus in the country.

Yahya has faced strong opposition to his rule from within the country since he came to power, but the opposition has been divided, with political parties based largely on regional and ethnic lines. Jammeh has handily won every single election. However for this year's election slated for December 1st, about five of the main political parties have formed an alliance to have a single candidate, with 419 delegates voting to elect one standard flagbearer for the united opposition. The winning candidate will be the first to get the support of 245 of the voting delegates. There could be several rounds of voting until a candidate gets the 245 number. 

It will remains to be seen whether the alliance members will stick with the agreement once a consensus candidate is chosen, as many such plans have failed in the past to yield dividend.  In the past, people have shown more devotion to their political parties, more which are ethnic based, rather than to a united opposition. Two minor opposition parties decided not to join the alliance. However, all the members of the historic opposition are represented. The four candidates include Hamat Bah of the NRP, Halifa Sallah of PDOIS, Adama Barrow of UDP and Dr. Lamin Bojang of the NCP. The only female candidate Dr. Isatou Touray did not participate in today's alliance vote.

The results will be published as soon as the voting ends.

Cooking Cassava Leaves from one of my Favorite YouTube Channels

Sierra Leone Peoples Party North America Reelects Dr. Lawrence Sandi as Chairman

SLPPNA Chairman
Dr. Lawrence Sandi

The incumbent Chairman of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party North America (SLPPNA), Dr. Lawrence Sandi fought back a determined challenge from Mrs. Seray Dumbuya, the wife of former SLPP presidential aspirant Mr. Umaru Dumbuya, to recapture the leadership of SLPP's formidable North America region.

Mrs Seray Dumbuya

Mrs. Dumbuya was until the last few weeks a very serious contender for the regional leadership position, causing much discomfort within the Sandi support group, until a recording of her trying to influence the regional secretary generalship position along factional lines was made public.  This caused many independent members to question the veracity of the statements by her field agents that she was not tied to any faction within SLPP.

Mrs. Dumbuya was the former SLPPNA electoral commissioner who skillfully presided over peaceful elections in the party a few years ago that led to the election of Lawrence Sandi as Chairman of the region. Initially during the campaign, Mrs. Dumbuya's surrogates effectively convinced members of the region that she was politically neutral and belonged to no camp. Many people who were simply tired of the campism in the party along flag bearer candidate lines quickly gravitated to her message of inclusiveness.  Mrs. Dumbuya promised to make the region strong and independent of factional interests. Some people also took into consideration the long service of the Dumbuya family to the  Sierra Leone Peoples Party.  Initially some people tried to tie Mrs. Dumbuya to the Maada Bio paOpa support group in USA, but her surrogates were quick to suggest that there was no link to the camp and some of her supporters were known to support other flagbearer aspirants like Allie Kabba and Alpha Timbo

Unopposed Women's Leader
Kadie Ballah Jalloh

Unfortunately, a few days ago, Mrs. Dumbuya had a damaging Donald Trump moment. Somebody apparently close to her campaign forwarded a message in which she was heard proposing a clandestine meeting between two candidates vying for the position of Secretary General to gang up against another who was seeing as belonging to another flagbearer camp. This recording seriously undermined Mrs. Dumbuya's claim of factional neutrality and probably dealt a fatal blow to her campaign. 

Chaplain Rev. Titus Gebeh

In the election held today in the city of brotherly love Philadelphia, Dr. Lawrence Sandi who has been accused of being a KKY supporter, a charge has vociferously denied, won a resounding second term mandate by a convincing 69% to Mrs. Dumbuya's 30%.  Most of the candidates who were seen as belonging to Dr. Sandi's support group also won their contests handily.

Imam Alpha Saidu Bangura
(Me Salone Fambul Dem)

Lawrence Sandi, a young calm and affable intellectual type, has brought some element of stability to a region renowned for political intrigue and infighting. He is seen as a steady hand.

The new SLPPNA executive for the coming two years would be:

Chairman: Dr. Lawrence Sandi

Vice Chairman: Mrs Martha Bah Tsagli

Secretary General: Mr. Emmanuel Allie

Deputy Secretary General: Mr. Algasimu Bah

Women's Leader: Mrs Kadie Ballah Jalloh

Deputy Women's Leader: Mrs. Namisa Kramer

Financial Secretary: Mr.Gbonda Sei

Organizing Secretary: Mr. Ishmael Taylor Kamara

Deputy Organizing Secretary: Mr. Frank Kpewa

Deputy Secretary: Desmond Pessima

Imam: Alpha Saidu Bangura

Internal Auditor: Maada S. Jusu

Whip: Bobor Bayoh

Chaplain: Rev. Titus Gebeh

Sec Gen Women's Wing: Ann-Marie Williams

Young Generation Leader: Mohamed Bah

Young Generation Sec. Gen: Hindolo Barnett

Dep. Fin Sec. Young Gen: Alhaji Koita

Council of Elders

Dr. Josephine Ladipo

Mr. Samuel SAIDU

Mrs. Fatmata Kamara

Dr. Lahai Rogers

Mrs. Rugiatu Saffa

A Short 501 (c) (3) Guide for Immigrant Nonprofits

US Immigrants

USA is a country of immigrants, many of whom come to the country for a variety of reasons. Some immigrants come to flee political and religious persecution. Others come for educational opportunities, while others come for the economic opportunities that are unique to the USA. Many come to seek refuge from the never ending conflicts in unstable regions of the world, while others come to seek refuge from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and so on.

Regardless of the reasons why immigrants come to the USA, many still maintain strong ties to their countries of origin. Many, having lived in USA and benefiting from the many opportunities the country presents, become disillusioned by the lack of opportunities, the poverty, the repression and the destitution that characterizes their native countries. Some immigrants in America give up on focusing on the many problems back in their countries of origin. The decide instead to cut ties, become fully immersed in the American way of life. Other immigrants become political activists, agitating for positive change in their native countries. Still, some decide to directly make a difference, engaging in individual and group efforts to launch meaningful community development programs or projects in their countries of origin.

United States is unique in the opportunities it offers to those who want to engage in social good. The country has a long and strong tradition of individuals with a common bond coming together to tackle community issues outside the scope of formal government.

Immigrant Philanthropists

Many Americans, unlike people in other areas of the world, believe in limited government and maintain steadfast faith in the capacity of individuals to solve their own local problems. Americans believe that communities of people can band together and solve their own problems effectively, with little interference from an overarching government. This American characteristic is truly different from what occurs in many countries around the world, where citizens are led to believe that the government is the solution to almost all of society's problems.

American federal and state governments actively encourage individual and group initiatives that are directed towards public good. Federal and state governments provide many incentives for people to engage in these activities. In order to promote community initiatives to tackle problems such as homelessness, poverty, job skills development, the care of vulnerable adults, tackle child poverty and so on, the American government provides tax incentives to people forming nonprofit organizations to tackle these challenges that government and the private sector does not adequately address. Nonprofit organizations are formed by individuals or groups to pursue a social mission rather than profit. Though nonprofits can engage in profit making ventures, the profit from such ventures must be used to further the mission for which the nonprofit was founded.

There are many type of nonprofits. However, a discussion of the types of nonprofits that exist is not the focus of this paper. The most popular nonprofit organizations among immigrants are the tax exempt or 501 (c) (3) nonprofits. These nonprofits typically enjoy two main types of tax advantages. The first is that they are not required to pay taxes on the earnings from their activities. They should however ensure that the majority of the earnings are put towards the organizational mission. The second advantage of these nonprofits is that financial contributions made to them by individuals are tax deductible. Individuals can reduce their tax burdens by the amount they contribute to the nonprofit. This second advantage provides a great incentive for individuals to engage in charitable giving, as doing so substantially reduce their tax burdens.

The process of becoming a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit can be time consuming. However, there are many organizations and professionals that can guide new nonprofits navigate this complex process. The attainment of 501 (c)(3) status by a nonprofit is usually a period of celebration, as the organization is now permitted by the government to raise funds for which the donors can claim tax deductions! This should greatly facilitating fundraising.

What Distinguishes A 501 (c) (3) from Other Nonprofits

The term 501 (c)(3) is derived from the section of the Internal Revenue Code that deals with tax exempt nonprofits. Apart from the fact that 501 (c)(3) nonprofits receive tax exempt contributions and are not required to pay taxes on their earnings, there are other requirements that must be met for an organization to become a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit. The IRS clearly defines the purposes for which a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit can be formed. In order to qualify for tax exemption, the organization must be engaged in a purpose that is “charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fosters national or international amateur sports competition, and prevents cruelty to children and animals.” According to the IRS, the type of charitable purposes that can qualify includes, “relief to the poor, the distressed, or the underprivileged; advancement of religion; advancement of education or science; erecting or maintaining public buildings, monuments, or works; lessening the burden of the government; lessening neighborhood tensions; eliminating prejudice and discrimination; defending human and civil rights secured by law; combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency” (IRS, 2016)

Even though there are restrictions on the type of purposes for which a tax exempt nonprofit can be formed, there are still a lot of purposes for which tax exemption can be sought. Organization seeking tax exemption must ensure that their activities fall within the scope of purposes permitted by the IRS.

Relevance of 501 (C)(3) Nonprofits to Immigrants

Immigrants from many poor parts of the world can form tax exempt nonprofit organizations to address the same needs outlined in the IRS code, within their native countries. Nonprofit organizations registered in the USA can take advantage of the same tax advantages regardless of where their charitable operations are being undertaken. OneVillage Partners (OVP) http://onevillagepartners.org/ is a Minneapolis based nonprofit that is helping rebuild rural communities in Eastern Sierra Leone. Rural Health Care Initiative (RHCI) http://rhcimnsl.org/  is another Minnesota based nonprofit that partners with the people of rural Sierra Leone to improve health.

Ebola Worker in Kenema Sierra Leone

Immigrants who want to improve social conditions in their native countries can establish tax exempt nonprofits to tackle a variety of socioeconomic challenges .For example both the countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia suffered through many years of brutal civil wars that devastated much of the  economic infrastructure in the two West African neighbors. Barely a year ago, an Ebola epidemic struck both countries, killing a lot of people, revealing the institutional weakness of the health care institutions in both countries.

The government of both countries have very weak tax bases, with public sectors that are characterized by inefficiency, mismanagement and corruption. Both governments either lack the resources to tackle the many problems existing in local communities or lack the political will or know how to effectively provide meaningful solutions. Both countries however have large immigrant populations in the USA and many other developed countries. The remittances sent back home by these individuals represent a significant fraction of national revenue in their home countries. Immigrant groups can take advantage of the nonprofit culture in the United states to initiate nonprofit programs in local communities within their countries of origin. RHCI was formed in 2010 by a group of Sierra Leone immigrants and a group of philanthropic Americans to address health care needs in rural Sierra Leone.

Immigrants who have the motivation to help their communities of origin can use tax exempt laws to do considerable good and help alleviate a lot of problems such as lack of access to good schools, clinics, clean water supplies, clean energy, and many other social challenges.

Words of Caution

The tax advantages that a nonprofit acquires from being a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit are granted with the expectation that the organization is run with the utmost integrity and purely for public good. All actions taken by nonprofits are only for the organization’s mission and never for private benefit. No individual or group owns a tax exempt entity and even where the organization is dissolved, no individual can benefit from its assets. When a nonprofit is dissolved it is generally advised that its assets be transferred to another nonprofit and strict records of such transfer be kept.

Nonprofit organizations are governed by a board of directors who act as trustees of the organization, providing guidance, oversight and strategic direction. Board members are expected to be morally upright individuals with integrity and good character. Nonprofit survival is  based on the trust donors to the organization have that their donations will be put to the use for which they were intended. Any action on the part of the board or management that causes an erosion of this trust will negatively impact future fundraising and could cause the organization lose its tax exempt status and its management prosecuted. Nonprofits are therefore expected to display the highest degree of accountability and transparency.

Nonprofits must never lose focus of the mission for which they exist. Many African nonprofits fall prey to personality conflicts and other negative tendencies that distract from mission and put an emphasis on power relationships within the organization. Nonprofits exist purely for their mission and where the mission cannot be attained, it should either be modified or the nonprofit dissolved. Nonprofits should ensure that board members elected are those who will make a positive contribution to the organization’s mission.

Nonprofit organizations are expected to devote a substantial part of their revenue to programs that further the mission. Some nonprofits like hospitals may have high operating expenses and are labor intensive. A quick look at their books may lead one into the belief that they are spending more on payroll than programs. However, it should be noted that without these employees, the hospital will not undertake its programs, consequently not attaining its mission. In any case, nonprofits must demonstrate that most of the incomes they receive are directed towards the fulfillment of the organizational mission. Board members of a nonprofit are not paid. They may however receive reasonable reimbursement for expenses related to the mission of the organization. The staff of a nonprofit are however paid like employees of any other organization.

As long as proper guidelines are established, individuals remain focused on mission, and all involved with the nonprofit are doing so in furtherance of the public good, nonprofit organizations can be a vehicle through which immigrant groups can help their communities in their countries of origin. The can be valuable vehicles of social progress.

Note About the Author

Sheku Sheriff, BSc Hons, RN, MNM, MPA is a manager at Highland Chateau Health and Rehab in Saint Paul, MN. He holds degrees in Economics, Nursing, Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. He is a founding member of Rural Health Care Initiative. His hobbies include blogging, photography and playing scrabble. He was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa.