![\"Siaka](\"http:\/\/sem.lamtech.sl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Dr.-Siaka-P.-Stevens.jpg\")
<\/a>Siaka Probin Stevens<\/p><\/div>\n
Many people may ask, how Williuam Juna Smith was nicknamed, APC Smith.\u00a0 Simply because, he was a young Mende man from the South got married to the APC in 1963.\u00a0 He was recruited by the Limba tribal headman PA Momoh (father of Prince) in the SLPP dominated District of Kenema Eastern Province Sierra Leone.\u00a0 This region was popularly known to form a political empire called the \u201cThree K\u2019s\u201d that is, Kenema, Kono, and Kailahun in the Eastern Province.<\/p>\n
William Smith was from Mendeland, spoke Mende perfectly, and as usual the SLPP expected him to be a member of their party\u00a0 but in spite of the many problems he encountered regularly, APC Smith<\/i> stood firm and supported the APC \u2013 A Northern based organization to the disgust of his tribal members and never looked back.\u00a0 During his tenure as District Secretary, Regional Secretary, and a We Yone Newspaper vendor for the Eastern Province, he did not ask nor did he fight for any position even when the party took power in 1968 but continued to serve loyally the All Peoples congress under extremely difficult conditions in the Eastern Province and kenema district in particular.<\/p>\n
Our astute leader Dr. Siaka Probyn Stevens was sworn in second time as Prime Minister of Sierra Leone in March 1968. Our leader believed that his emergence as leader of the APC and Prime Minister of Sierra Leone was nothing short of divine intervention and immediately thereafter he had this to say, \u201cGod moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps upon the waves and rides storms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once sworn in as Prime Minister in 1968, Dr. Siaka P. Stevens was to serve the country well, never mind the numerous challenges both economically and politically, making constitutional changes to transform our country Sierra Leone to a truly sovereign and Independent Republic thus ending British rule that lasted a hundred and fifty years.<\/p>\n
The Regional Secretary APC Smith<\/i> in the Eastern province like his counterpart in the Southern Province Patrick Swarray as well as Skeku Deen in the North all joined hands with the APC National Youth League; a Dynamic Women\u2019s Organization countrywide then headed by Nancy Steele later taken over by Dankay Kabia supported the founder and leader in the heroic struggles of the APC.<\/p>\n
During this period, William Smith served diligently in all and every position the party offered him never complaining but helped to popularize the ideals and values of this political organization.\u00a0 The Sierra Leone Peoples\u2019 Party (SLPP) was founded as a \u201ccountryman party\u201d but the policies the leaders pursued after independence compelled Siaka Stevens and his caucus to breakaway from the so-called \u201ccountryman party\u201d to form the APC \u2013 a party for the masses.<\/p>\n
What were the achievements of APC Smith<\/i> and what roles did he play during the struggles of the APC party from 1963 to 2014? Because of his long tenure serving in different capacities, it is virtually difficult if not impossible to recount many of his activities as party organizer.\u00a0 He just served in whatever capacity he was called upon to assume in the building of the party and the development of our country.\u00a0\u00a0 He was able to recruit many people from the east and south into the fold of the party \u2013 one stalwart such as Victor Bockarie Foh a top civil servant who himself a Mende from the south and many others, youth, men and women into the party.\u00a0 Yes, it is true that because of his loyalty, a lot of Southerners and Easterners joined the All Peoples Congress which is normally referred to as the \u201cTemneman\u2019s Party\u201d.<\/p>\n