According to concerned Sierra Leoneans, the failure of the country’s homegrown national moral guarantors to speak truth to power continues to impact on how the government behaves and what it seemingly gets away with on the national scene.
The people of Sierra Leone say they continue to be disappointed in the actions or lack thereof, of people they have come to expect should be able to caution the plans and actions of the government and president.
The concerned Sierra Leoneans say they fail to see how a man holding a position as preacher to congregations and the nation, who is also God’s representative should either fail or fear to speak up and out against issues of national importance , adding that they fail to see the zeal and zest displayed by the Lord Jesus Christ when he kicked moneychangers and other business people from the Temple of Jehovah in Jerusalem without fear for his life, security and safety by saying that His father’s house is not a place of business (Matthew 21:12-17). The people say they don’t see this kind of zeal for national interest by our moral guarantors.
“Since 2018 a lot has happened across the country for which Bishop Tamba Charles and others like him in the religious sector as far as our intelligentsia were and still are quiet. From corruption to the killing of protesting civilians across the country, including those shot and killed at Pademba Road Prison, to the passing of bad laws and even the highly contentious and discredited presidential election result tallying of the 2023 general elections and so much more, this society has been through enough for which men like Tamba Charles and other religious and moral personalities have been suspiciously quiet,” said the head of a civil society organization.
The female CSO activist said Bishop Tamba Charles and others like him have failed to address issues of national importance for fear of losing their statuses or positions, which fear has been translated by president Bio and his government as blanket approval of their plans and actions that the people consider to be militating against theirs and the best interest of the society.
“We are happy that the Bishop was able to speak out against what might have sounded as if the Inter Religious Council is in support of abortion. But what is really painful is how people like Bishop Tamba Charles decide on what to comment on, and what not to. The fact that you are a servant of God and speak to a congregation regularly about righteousness, you should be able to especially comment on other issues of national importance,” the female CSO activist went on.
“Where was Bishop Tamba Charles when the society needed him and other religious leaders to speak truth to power about how the president won the 2023 presidential vote? Where were they when the society needed voices to caution our religious president on the laws his government proposed and passed that are not in the best interest of the people and state? The Bishop and others like him across the country holding positions of public trust have all been quiet as if such issues were not worthy of their attention or notice. For the Bishop to speak out against abortion so passionately while overlooking or sidestepping crucial issues dealing with our governance narrative not limited to the violence that has been perpetrated against the citizenry by the state security apparatus at scenes of protests across the country is really insightful. How about the fate of those killed and or injured during state security officers storming the Pademba Road Prison where scores were shot and killed by gun toting state security officers?” she asked further.
The integrity and principles of the Archbishop has been brought under the spotlight for what the public views as their selection of issues of national importance they would address, with many concerned Sierra Leoneans saying that men such as Bishop Tamba Charles should comment on other ill-motivated activities of the Bio led government.
“This president first came to power promising to end corruption, financial leakages and violence but since 2018 to date we have been made to see from the Auditor General’s report that this is the most corrupt regime on record. Based on the number of civilians killed at scenes of public protest, we can assume that this has been the most violent post-Siaka Stevens regime in the country. Why didn’t Tamba Charles and others speak out against how the two heads of the Audit Service Sierra Leone were removed from office outside of the legal procedure? How about a comment on all other instances when the legal procedure was flouted to please the president and his regime? As the third highest moral authority in the country as head of the Inter Religious Council we expect for Bishop Tamba Charles to be as fearless as Jesus Christ when he kicked the moneychangers out of the Temple and for exposing the deeds of the religious leaders as evil or wicked,” the head of an NGO informed this medium.
“As the third highest moral authority in the country after the president and his deputy, the head of the interreligious council is expected to speak truth to power without fear or favor. Such men and women are not concerned with what people think about them; their focus is on doing the work of God and how God views their commitment to his word and way. We never heard from such people when this regime was planning for the commissions of inquiry, when our youths were shot down at Tombo, Mile 91, Tonko Limba, Lunsar, Koidu, Makeni, on 10 August 2022 and 11 September 2023, and at Pademba Road Prison, the passing of the elections law using the PR instead of the constituency system, the announcement of the 2023 presidential election result without proof to substantiate the vote tallying. We really want to know what happened to the voices of our other moral guarantors when bills are laid in the House thereby bypassing it being debated by the people’s representatives. This is how laws the people are against are passed by this regime. However, many people spoke out on such excesses except the people who are supposed to fear and serve God, who are ordained to establish and depose kings and kingdoms. Why they fear a man and not God is baffling,” the NGO head continued.
Today Sierra Leone is in desperate need of people who can speak truth to power on any and all issues affecting the public emanating from the government of the day’s action or inaction. We have a large amount of such men and women across the country although we fail to hear their voices during times of intense national standoffs.
However, if the integrity and moral fiber of such men and women have been compromised, who should the nation turn to that will be able to ensure that the credibility and integrity of Sierra Leone’s democratic credentials are intact?
Without the voices of the nation’s homegrown moral guarantors, the people are left to the devices of the regime in power, until international moral guarantors take the lead. This seems to be how it works: our home-based moral guarantors are very selective of what they comment on and when, because they consider what they stand to lose or gain from either speaking out or staying quiet.
Our international guarantors on the other hand, because they control our nation’s purse strings, comment on such issues but stop short at not being able to do anything about it we the people of Sierra Leone cannot do for ourselves. If we are to ever progress past this point under an overbearing government regime we have to continue to speak truth to power. Lonta!