All is not lost. Despite the failures of the Julius Maada Bio regime and the fact that they have won two questionable presidential election cycles, the people of Sierra Leone are still confident that given the chance under an APC administration Sierra Leone can be restored.
Sierra Leoneans that this medium spoke to about which party the people believe can rescue the country, rescue our economy and rescue the battered image of the state and highest office in the land.
“The people of Sierra Leone no matter from what region, tribe or party know and believe that when the APC is in power everyone benefits. The people from all sides of the political and other divides know that the APC is the only main political party that works in the interest of the people and state. The APC puts the interest of the people and state above those of the party or individuals. In the APC we are all comrades; there is no sacred cow,” the members of the grassroots stated to this medium.
According to the grassroots Sierra Leoneans who say they represent the average citizen irrespective of their origins or party leanings, under the SLPP regime the people have become disillusioned about how effective and efficient governance can be. Based on their past experiences the people of Sierra Leone consider government as an institution that works slowly, if they work at all.
“Yes, change takes time. But they can also happen literally overnight with political will and serious leadership. We have a situation where the president had admitted that he will not be able to fix the economy. He said no one will no matter who they are. Even his chief minister had said even if Christ were to return Sierra Leone will not get better. Therefore the SLPP has defeated themselves in the eyes of the people. They cannot fix the economy. That should have been enough for a new regime to take over right away. But we are seeing that the SLPP is in power on its own agenda, not in the interest of the people. We will have to state our displeasure with this regime through the ballot box again for failing us using the same tools that Ernest Bai Koroma used to make Sierra Leone the fastest growing economy in the world,” the grassroots citizens noted.
While there was no reason for the SLPP regime to fail making a positive or lasting impact on our economic narrative, they failed to fulfil their promises to the people because their focus has always been on making a profit from their time in governance before the gravy train leaves the station, before the PAOPA experience comes to an end.
“For all these lazy and corrupt governments across the world and our own here at home, if you are unable to fix your economy it is because you are lazy and don’t have the people’s interest at heart. Consider two things that have happened to inform us that with the right leader and party government can accomplish anything they promised the people. The arrival of Captain Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso and how fast he has accomplished turning his economy around has thrown a spanner in and has exposed the corrupt governments for not being serious about delivery and accountability. If this young man can turn his economy around in under three years then it shows us that our elected leaders can fix our economy.
This is why we believe that the APC can rescue and restore the country because they were the last successful handlers of our economy. Imagine that Ernest Bai Koroma used the same electricity setup, the same consolidated revenue fund issues relating to an empty government coffer upon taking over the reins, the same bad roads and other infrastructural issues to make a complete success of our economy to the point where all across the country people could live and let God. The SLPP regime has shown us what they are about. Now we are awaiting a return of the APC to set our economy back on the winning track,” said one of the grassroots citizens that commented on the need for the economy to be fixed, stating that the economy can be fixed but with the right leader and the right set of advisers.
According to the Sierra Leonean voters, although we have had presidents and ministers and others, we are yet to have a leader, one cut in the mould of Ernest Bai Koroma.
“Sierra Leone’s governance problem is a matter of poor leadership. We have not had a leader like Ernest Bai Koroma or Captain Ibrahim Traore. All we have been getting are presidents that the people rescue and make rich while the very people are forced to contend with high prices of goods and services, poor or non-existent service delivery, heavy handed state security setup. The time for playing the tribal, regional, and party game while the country is falling through the cracks and the rest of the world is passing us is over. Since we know based on what the president and his chief minister had said about not being able to fix the economy and Sierra Leone never getting better, not limited to our experiences these past years under president Bio and the SLPP, we will have to re-elect the APC to restore us back to where we were before the Maada Bios landed on us,” the grassroots voters informed nightwatch. Lonta!