Since 2018, the people of Sierra Leone have not been able to celebrate their national day or anniversary events because the current regime has deemed such occasions as stages or platforms for those wanting to destabilise the state. For this reason we have been commemorating Independence Day and many of our other national days of significant cultural value and stock to the people and state.
Therefore, during a speech he delivered in commemoration of our 64th Independence Day anniversary, the main opposition flagbearer of the 2018 and 2023 presidential elections, Dr. Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara, said we must not ask ourselves how far we have come, but why we haven’t gone further, stating that too many of our dreams of 1961 have been either delayed or denied.
“The hopes of our forefathers to build a peaceful, united and prosperous and dignified nation has been choked, not by fate but largely by the failures and poison of our subsequent partisan politics and leadership,” added Dr. Samura Kamara.
The APC flagbearer said since Independence the destiny of Sierra Leone has been hijacked by leaders who prioritise power over people, party over country and personal ambition over national purpose.
“For decades, the destiny of Sierra Leone has been hijacked by self-interest, political tribalism and regionalism, and short-sighted governance. We have accommodated politicians and leaders prioritizing power over people, party over country, and personal ambition over national purpose,” the APC flagbearer stated.
Sadly, the priorities of our political leadership have come at a cost. The APC flagbearer posited that our hearts are heavy and shaken as families, homes, tribes, communities, and institutions have been torn apart in the interest of self and party politics.
“Instead of offering the quality of objectivity, reason and tolerance, the peculiarity of contemporary party politics in Sierra Leone is characterised by a frenzy of greed, selfishness, opportunism, division, segregation, envy, and hate. The promise of independence, namely, peace, democracy, dignity and prosperity, has been dimmed.”
Dr. Kamara said over the decades since Independence our nation has faltered many times and over, witnessing a significant decline in governance, economic progress, and social justice, adding: “Economic stagnation, sticky abject poverty, and eroded public trust have become our reality. The aspirations of our youth, the architects of our future, have been rudely punctuated by an uncontrollable drugs menace, while the dreams of our mothers and fathers, and the future of our under-five children hang in the balance. We feel it in the communities: divided by political colors, instead of converging in a national character, in national colours and in our national pledge.”
Since Independence the nation’s democratic credentials have taken knocks from which it is still failing to recover. This has resulted to a breakdown of our democratic institutions and a rise in undemocratic tendencies by people in power who fails to recognise the import of their positions to the whole democratic order.
“We suffer it in our institutions: weakened by executive capture, favouritism, corruption, and cycles of revenge, instead of reform for a path to excellence and national responsibility. We endure it in the daily struggles of ordinary Sierra Leoneans, who know that their hardship is not inevitable – it is man-made. And, despite these painful truths, many of our political leaders remain defiant and in constant denial, while the rest of the country continue to suffer and slip farther and farther backwards.”
Dr. Kamara praised the people of Sierra Leone he called resilient for having “endured the hardship with patience.” However, Kamara said “patience has a limit, and must never be mistaken for acceptance” which is why on June 24, 2023, “you, the people, spoke unequivocally and chose a new path.”
Commenting on the still disputed and unresolved 2023 presidential election result announcement that declared the incumbent Julius Maada Bio as President, Dr. Kamara said the June 24, 2023 elections were a clarion call, demanding democratic change through the ballot box, going on that the will of the people, recognised by the international community, was clear.
“It was a loud and determined decisive victory for a new democratic direction. Sinfully, this was blatantly denied by the Chief Electoral Commissioner and the ECSL. Consequently, the continued refusal by the Bio regime to accept reality and to honour this mandate of the people has plunged our nation into uncertainty. It has continued to undermine any attempt by the people to advance forward and make their lives and livelihoods better,” the APC flagbearer said in his 27 April 2025 Independence Day speech to the people of Sierra Leone.
“But I believe in Sierra Leone. I believe in the strength of its people, in their resilience, and in their unyielding desire for a better tomorrow. And I believe that the future can be different, if we choose it to be.”
Dr. Samura Kamara said democracy is not a privilege, but a right whose principles and practices are sacred as they provide a solid rock on which to build a shared future. He went on that the legitimacy of political leadership flows from the consent of the governed, and no individual is above the sovereign WILL of the people.
Although he didn’t go as far as saying he does not recognise Bio as the legitimate winner of the 2023 elections, Dr. Kamara, hoping to state a new narrative going forward stated: “Let us therefore avoid untold strife and write a new chapter of democratic practices and statesmanship, for generations to emulate.”
Speaking directly to “those courageous men and women across our nation, young and old, who continue to believe in electoral and democratic justice,” Dr. Samura Kamara encouraged them, saying: “To all, who have stood firm, spoken truth, and carried hope in your hearts, I want you to know this. Your voices have not been in vain. Though the wheels of justice may appear to be turning slowly, they are still turning. Though progress may feel delayed, it cannot be denied. I appeal to you all to continue to remain patient, peaceful, and steadfast. Justice has a timetable of its own, but it always arrives. And when it does arrive, it will vindicate those who chose the path of truth over deliberate denial and silence; integrity and rectitude over dishonesty and convenience.”
Sierra Leone would have been the most successful nation on earth had the people imbibed the directive on our coat of arms that states “Unity, Freedom, and Justice”. The lack of unity has seen freedom and justice becoming victim of executive capture. We must come from under the sea of disunity and ascend the rock of freedom and justice.
“As we reset Sierra Leone, we must now rise above the politics that has divided us, and distracted us. We must reject the culture of “us versus them”, of “I and I alone and no one else”. Instead, we must embrace the spirit of “all of us, and for all of Sierra Leone”, of “my Sierra Leone my responsibility”.
Dr. Kamara said the time has come to put country first and above self, to put national progress above narrow political sentiments, truth and reality above personal convenience. He continued that it is also time to eradicate the seeming practice of privatising political parties as the exclusive property of a certain political order or of powerful individuals or of a group of select persons.
“Democratically, a political party is the property of all its members and those who look up to it as an instrument for positive change. Thus, any sustainable unity within a political party or between political parties must be an embodiment of all members and the country as a whole. A true political leader must have the love, carrying capacity, and will to serve all shapes of people.”
Sadly, all we have been getting for our political corps of leaders are people who continue to see the presidency as a means to get rich or make their opponents suffer the indignity of being alienated in their own lands and made to feel like second class citizens.
Hoping to resolve this indignation, Dr. Samura Kamara said: “Let us choose unity over division, discipline over disorder, and a shared national purpose over narrow agendas. Let us build a Sierra Leone where the next independence anniversary is not marked by speeches of regret, but by celebrations of renewal and positive developments.”
For those that might feel hopeless or faithless because of the issues that have come out of our politics since 2018, Dr. Samura Kamara said all is not lost.
“Our best years are not behind us, they are within reach. But this is only if we are brave enough to change, bold enough to lead differently, and committed enough to serve, and not to rule, suppress, intimidate or control with impunity.”
The indefatigable APC flagbearer reminded the people of Sierra Leone that over the past 64 years of independence, we have been tested by difficult external circumstances, in particular, a devastating 11-year civil war, very lethal Ebola and COVID 19 virus outbreaks, and major setbacks in our economic trajectory, including a sharp deterioration in mining and agricultural performances. Yet, “we emerged resilient, thanks to the sacrifices of countless heroes, and the solidarity of the international community,” the economic doctor furthered.
Although things are not looking good at present, they have not always been like this. Dr. Samura Kamara reminded the people of Sierra Leone that we are still capable of continuing with the magic of the 2002 to 2017 governance narrative despite what Paopa has done to our government of Sierra Leone.
“During the first 15 years of our post-conflict reconstruction, 2002 to 2017, we showed the world what Sierra Leoneans can achieve. We established new public institutions and implemented bold public financial management and structural reforms, to strengthen accountability and transparency in public service delivery; we made positive strides in transportation, energy, health and education infrastructures; we transformed our economy into one of the fastest-growing economies; we established and consolidated national peace; we held democratic elections and allowed peaceful transfer of power between ruling governments and opposition parties. In these efforts, Sierra Leone had started laying out strong building blocks in state building; we fought hard for stability and democracy, and hence, a beacon of hope and progress. Sadly, we have suffered unanticipated derailment of peace and progress across all works of life in the last 6-7 years. But by the Grace of God and the will of everybody, this awkward trend is not irreversible. So, on this 64th Independence Anniversary, let it not just be a day of reflection, but a turning point. Let it be the beginning of a new and lasting covenant between us and making uninterrupted progress. A new covenant, rooted in integrity, service, and shared sacrifice. It is a new commitment to serving each other’s interests, protecting each other’s rights, and working for the common good. Let us engage our collective strengths to conquer our difficulties, and salute a New Dawn for Sierra Leone. Let us remember that our strength lies in peace, unity and mutual respect. Together, we can transform our current trials into triumphs. The dawn of a new Sierra Leone is within reach – a nation where every voice matters, every dream is valid, and every citizen thrives; a nation where political propaganda and untenable promises can thrive no more. A nation where spoken words can be challenged if found to be deceitful,” Dr. Samura promised the people.
The APC flagbearer ended his 64th Independence Day speech by thanking our international partners “for standing with Sierra Leone in her darkest hours. We pray and invite you to steadfastly continue to walk with us as we reclaim our destiny.”
To cap it all, the point of the speech was recapped at the end: “Finally, it is still not over until it is over! And what God cannot do does not exist!” Lonta!