Next year (2025) is the actual date for government to hold a real census since the 2021 Mid-Term Census (MTC) was foiled by lack of cooperation and financial support locally and internationally.
A head-count under APC was held in 2015 and it is now time to host another since 10 years has gone.
The third month of the year is almost exhausted and soon April will come in meaning eight months more to come. Certainly, President Julius Maada Bio may have a way out this time as the Tripartite Committee otherwise known as the Election Committee is still far from being operational.
The Committee is still in its embryonic stage struggling for a foothold in a politically charged society.
The donation of a $1.5m to the committee appears not to have changed anything as the work ought to have been completed by this time.
Until the investigation is completed and recommendations for fresh election made, Bio is bonafide President of Sierra Leone, and could win support of the international community this time since he has been deprived of the first census years back.
It could be possible as APC politicians have failed to speak with one voice over matters that affect the party and the people of Sierra Leone.
Instead of working in unison, each politician chooses to walk their way alone with gangs ready to do the bidding.
Even APC’s team of citizen journalists often known as social media bloggers cannot see eye-to-eye on issues affecting the party as they are bent more on protecting the interest of political god-fathers than that of the party and public.
Such intra-party skirmishes is a definite political advantage for the Bio regime as they would use it to present to APC to the international community as a party not yet ready to govern.
The disunity of APC was one of the effective propaganda tools used by the ruling party before, during and after elections so that the APC could appear as a party of irresponsible politicians.
It is also unclear whether it is aware that SLPP holds a dominant status in parliament having 84 seats to their side while APC occupies just 52 seats.
Paramount chief members of parliament also will not discard government interest should the matter proceed to parliament for voting or vetting.
Arguments in favour of the notion that APC have accepted the current parliamentary configuration remains solid as they took the oath office although they knew that SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) holds and exercises a stolen mandate.
Other arguments also note that the question of holding a national census is not one to be decided by parliament as a census next year is normal and legal.
Those who may wish to challenge the move may go to court, but who owns the court? Is it APC or SLPP? The answer is certain as every Sierra Leonean knows that the judiciary will always protect government’s interest.
If the head-count is approved by Sierra Leoneans and international community, government can enjoy popular support and will be a bit different from the MTC this time as there will be no question of legality.
The move to hold the 2021 census was predicated on the need to have more districts and a new region in the South-East regions.
South-Easterners will be satisfied if PAOPA government achieves the dream of getting a new region even if essential social services (water, electricity, good roads and health facilities) are withheld.
It looked like it was one of the strong promises that President Bio vows to accomplish if voted in as they hoped for a smooth second term only after the head-count is held.
The figures that were shown after the forceful/PAOPA census indicated strong evidence that government was on to something.
Districts in the Southern and Eastern provinces show higher figures than those in the North-West Regions. It was the first census where the sparely populated district of Kenema beat down a densely populated capital city, Freetown.
According to figures shown by the National Statistics Sierra Leone, Kenema had a total population of 772, 472 (seven hundred and seventy-two thousand, 472) surpassing Freetown which had 606, 701 (six hundred and six thousand, seven hundred and one).
Several districts in the South-East regions, according to the illegal census, have higher figures than those in the North-west.
Kailahun district has 545, 947 (five hundred and forty-five thousand, nine hundred and forty-seven), Kono-620, 703 (six hundred and twenty thousand, seven hundred and three), Bo-756, 975 (seven hundred and fifty-six thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five), Bonthe-297, 561 (two hundred and ninety-seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-one), Moyamba-346, 771 (three hundred and forty-six thousand, seven hundred and seventy-one) and Pujehun-429, 574 (four hundred and twenty-nine thousand, five hundred and seventy-four, and the list continues.
By the figures given above, it is clear that South-East regions where trade and commerce is virtually low have bloated figures as compared to the North-West regions where mining and commercial activities are on a high gear.
According to the MTC figures, Bombali district has 387, 236 (three hundred and eighty-seven thousand, two hundred and thirty-six), Falaba-166, 205 (one hundred and sixty-six thousand, two hundred and five), Koinadugu-206, 133 (two hundred and six thousand, one hundred and thirty-three), Tonkolili-557, 257 (five hundred and fifty-seven, two hundred and fifty-five), Kambia-367, 699 (three hundred and sixty-seven thousand, six hundred and ninety-nine), Karene-290, 313 (two hundred and ninety thousand, three hundred and thirteen) and PortLoko-528, 038 (five hundred and twenty-eight thousand and thirty-eight).
Regionwise, Western Area Rural has a population of 662, 056 (six hundred and sixty-two thousand and fifty-six), Western Area Urban-606, 701, Eastern region-1, 939, 122 (one million, nine hundred and thirty-nine thousand, one hundred and twenty-two), Northwestern region-1, 186, 050, Southern region-1, 316, 831 (one million, three hundred and sixteen thousand, eight hundred and thrity-one) and Western Area-1, 268, 757 (one million, two hundred and sixty-eight thousand, seven hundred and fifty-seven).
All in all, it is clear that South-East regions, the ruling party strongholds have higher figures than in the North-West regions, APC strongholds, but and the but part of it, the census figures were not used to craft new districts and a region in the SLPP heartlands.
However, the statistics was used in the proportional representation also known as the District Block System of elections that was forced on Sierra Leoneans in 2022.
However, figures acquired out of the voter registration for the 2018 elections also showed the length to which the MTC was flawed.
PAOPA government tried and tested MTC and failed since they lacked the support and cooperation of the people of Sierra Leone and development partners.
The census is the first in Sierra Leone as head-counts are often held every decade, a factor that led to the resistance in most parts of the country especially in opposition strongholds.
In the North-West regions which are strong opposition heartlands, no person showed up for the head-count as they were admonished by their parliamentarians and councilors not to take part in the illegal exercise.
Ex-Local Government Minister, Diana Konomani dissuaded the people of Kono from taking part in the exercise accusing the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) of a nurturing Gerry-mandering intent (the interference of electoral boundaries to have more constituencies and most likely more districts and a new region as was the case with former President Koroma.
In his tenure, Koroma created additional chiefdoms, districts and a new region known today as the North-West region of which PortLoko is the headquarters.
Bio tried it, but was less successful since money to actualise the project was hardly at hand.
The World Bank and European Union were not willing to put money in a project that is not supported by a vast majority of Sierra Leoneans.
Even former President Koroma frowned at the census as he called on government to call the relevant stakeholders to the roundtable saying “political arrogance” and “professional dishonesty” would not work.
European Union condemned the MTC from its outset while World Bank pulled out in the eleventh hour, a move government was not pleased with.
Despite public criticisms and the refusal by the international community to offer a helping hand to the programme, government pressed on with the project, but with overarching challenges.
Workers were not paid not until they staged several protest at the national statistics agency with running battles with the police.
The PAOPA guys retired to their trenches after they lost the battle, but it does not mean they have given up as they might come back to hold another census next year.
The past APC (All People’s Congress) government held a national census in 2015 and 2025 would be the actual date for conducting another legal census that should win the support of all stakeholders within and outside the country.