We are all humans, but Ernest is more human than others with the Lord’s favour always bestowed on him. He carries the personality of the scriptural Samson whose dreadlocks, according to divine command, should be preserved.
Like Samson, Ernest’s true secret lies in his silver hair, a symbol of wisdom, tolerance, humility, courage, patience, love, leadership, strength and the list continues. He is God’s anointed and is always with him from the outset, and it came out clearly in a day in November, 2007 when ice fell from the skies in Bo city immediately former Mr Koroma was announced President of Sierra Leone.
Sewa Road, one of the main streets in Bo city, was littered with ice and the young and old came out with their cups and buckets picking them up while others watched with awe. For some of the youngsters, it was the first time to witness the avalanche while the old said it had taken decades without witnessing such a natural occurrence.
The sign spoke for itself as the fall of the ice signified peace, tranquility and prosperity for Sierra Leone. The elders were right as peace prevailed and massive economic development took place throughout Koroma’s 11-year rule.
Clad in the cloak of a Jewish prophet, King Solomon who prayed for wisdom to rule his people, Ernest Bai Koroma asked for wisdom to take Sierra Leone out of the bottomless pit of abject poverty and under-development.
Under the Lord’s guidance and direction, former President Koroma did not take over state power like a thunderstorm, but in a cool and humane manner that respect members of a past government that served the nation for two terms.
For three months, Koroma worked with ministers left behind by President Ahmed Tejan Kabba and paid them full salaries and allowances. Many Sierra Leoneans were taken aback by Koroma’s novelty in state governance with South-Easterners saying that the former President lacked ministers with the requisite knowledge and skills to run the state.
They expected Koroma to treat the past ministers with contempt by way of arrest and prosecutions for widespread corruption, killings and other forms of human rights abuse particularly then opposition leader, Julius Maada Bio now President who led the NPRC (National Provisional Ruling Council), a military government that toppled then President Joseph Saidu Momoh.
But, the former President devitated from such path by embracing former ministers, a move that added to his wisdom that enabled him cope with the difficult task of presiding over the country’s affairs, and it came to pass. Koroma’s first 100 days in office brought light to every part of Freetown, a city once described as the darkest in the world.
Not too long, Sierra Leoneans saw good roads, bridges, airports, railways and other infrastructural facilities opening up and boosting trade between the provinces and the capital city. Not too long, investors started knocking on the doors of Sierra Leone after Koroma attended a trade and investment conference in the UK where he expressed Sierra Leone’s vision of moving from ‘aid to trade’ for sustained national development.
The arrival of the investors saw the creation of job opportunities for the jobless men and women in Sierra Leone in various parts of Sierra Leone. London Mining Company took over the Gafal hills in Marampa Chiefdom to mine the ‘Marampa Blue,’ the popular name of the Iron Ore in that community employing thousands of Sierra Leonean youth. African Minerals Limited also took over the Iron Ore in Ferengbeya town in Tonkolili district and constructed a rail through which the ore could be transported to Pepel for export.
It was the first time after decades for the people to see another train operating in Sierra Leone. Not too long, the people of Pujehun in the south welcome SUCFIM Agricultural Company which invests in oil production for export with thousands of unemployed youth put to work.
Investors were everywhere in Sierra Leone with the Chinese and Japanese taking the lead in the infrastructural mining and agricultural sectors. Public sector workers earned decent salaries and wages, living standards considerably improved and the country rated as the fastest growing economy in the world. In the reading of just a single budget, the police and the army got a 100 percent increase in salary with a bag of rice supplied to them monthly.
Other workers in various public sector agencies also tapped the political largesse.
In his first term, Koroma recorded list of glorious achievements which convinced the people of Sierra Leone to entrust him the state for another five years. In his bid to achieve, Koroma never walked alone but worked with members of the opposition out of love and tolerance.
In public gatherings, then chairman of SLPP, Chief Somano Kapen would be recognised and treated with reverence by the APC members. President Koroma opened his doors to all key SLPP members who he would consult about national development projects and implemented them together.
Then opposition members in parliament had equal opportunities with those of the ruling party in almost everything, and there was peace, harmony and togetherness. In such a high degree of tolerance, it was needless for Koroma to call for a peace conference or Bintumani-3.
Koroma harnessed the tight relationship between the ruling party and then opposition party, SLPP by working with President Bio when Ebola struck in May, 2014.
Bio, sources said, got hundreds of millions of Leones from Ernest Koroma to lead the anti-Ebola campaign in the South-East regions. Ex-president Koroma did not embark on a tit-for-tat retaliation of wrongs perpetrated by SLPP politicians, supporters and sympathisers especially in the South-East regions where APC facilities were under threat of destruction.
Koroma put up the highest degree of tolerance when APC office in Bo city and the house of the late Regional Chairman, Sheik Sillah was torched by irate youth linked to the then opposition, SLPP. Instead of retaliating, the former President ordered police and army chiefs to protect all SLPP facilities throughout the country.
The order was immediately complied with as the two security agencies ensured that no office was burned down, and even those arrested were later released without any condition. Throughout his leadership, Koroma is humble to the core as one can only feel the aura of his presidency by way of army and police guards.
On several occasions, the former President would trek on the streets of Freetown, the same way an ordinary man would. Crowds flock around him when those who knew the former President caught sight of him not until the guards at State House would come to his rescue.
The former President also put up humility when one of the students refused to shake hands with him during a convocation ceremony at Njala University, an institution largely occupied by SLPP lecturers and students.
Koroma kept mute instead of displaying any presidential power. At the University of Sierra Leone, Ernest rose from his seat and stepped forward to hand over a certificate to a student on a wheelchair. He continued in such state of humility even after the presidency as he said in his handing over note that that he was a subject of President Bio and ready to work with him just with a call.
He also showed love to his successor when he admonished him to continue subsiding fuel, food and other basic stuff as a form of poverty alleviation.
All in all, Koroma is a combination of the wisdom of King Solomon, the vision of Joseph and the meekness of Jesus Christ, qualities that earn him an enviable place in the world after he left State House. Koroma will also remain unconquerable like the children of Israel who had a covenant with God through Jacob, Isaac and Abraham.