The failures of the Julius Maada Bio government to make a positive impact on the economic reality of the people of Sierra Leone has led four young musicians from the ruling party heartland of Kenema to posit that “any man wae survive na Salone na Superman.”
In a song that can only be described as revealing, Kenema Boys, a group made up of four rap artists from the SLPP stronghold of Kenema took a bold and honest to God stance detailing their expectations of and disappointments with the ruling party led government and their leaders with regards the hardships they and the Mende people of the Eastern Region are experiencing under a regime that promised them much but has been unable to perform to expectations. Kenema Boys said things are so hard and difficult for the people of Kenema that “some dae broke banga.”
In the song “Superman” the artists said, “…di Mende people dem we don suffer for natin; all the promise wae den promise we na for natin; di suffer-ness wae dae now e pass be-foe,” in reference to their economic reality under the previous APC led government of Sierra Leone under President Ernest Bai Koroma. The patriotic Sierra Leoneans, who said although “SLPP nah we party”, “all waetin den talk den nor do am.”
“We di Mende people den we don suffer for natin; all dae promise wae dem promise we na for natin.” This is the feeling of many supporters of the ruling SLPP in the Eastern Region who say they suffered and sacrificed for the SLPP only for the promises made to them failing to materialise. Despite all they had to go through for the president and party, they have ended up with nothing to show for it.
“Di suffer-ness wae dae now e pass bifo; wae u say u brother nah u brother; but u brother dae suffer u; e dae eat e nor dae gee u.”
All across the country, the people of Sierra Leone are in regret electing Maada Bio as president and wishing for a return to the Ernest Bai Koroma regime, during which economic progress, the provision of social services, and infrastructural development were all inclusive. The people have said that they are suffering more now than before, with the people they had placed their hopes on leaving them to continue suffering without sharing with them out of their plenty.
“SLPP nah we party; but den greedy; na dis tok we day tok wae den say we un-trainin’; we de Mende people den; we don elect chief wae greedy.”
Kenema Boys are grassroots SLPP supporters, not paid opposition operatives looking to made political gravy points for the APC by making false claims of their experiences for a pittance. Like many people in the East and Southeast of Sierra Leone, and indeed all across the country, they are on dire straits. Things would have been different and manageable if elected and appointed SLPP government workers and the president (the “chief”) were not so greedy and concerned with their own personal interests.
“Hungry dae everywhere; hard-up dae everywhere; sickness dae everywhere; die sef dae fen we.”
For a country that was once food self-sufficient that exported surplus agricultural produce, Sierra Leone is today reliant on food imports that are still failing to make a serious dent on widespread hunger. Kenema Boys admitted that in the Eastern Region hunger, being broke and ill and even death are everywhere and in search of them.
“We leaders dem nor get good heart for we; thief man den don get mind; den nor kam wit betteh woke; but den say the youth man dem idle.”
Despite being voted in by the grassroots supporters of the party, many SLPP youth have complained that the spoils being made by the Bio led government are being enjoyed by the president’s friends from the diaspora. Many young supporters of the SLPP consider the president’s appointed public sector workers as uncaring thieves, saying that for a regime that promised to fight public corruption and bloke financial leakages the Auditor General’s Reports from 2018 onward have shown that their leaders are thieves who are shameless and bold enough to steal from the public knowing full well that are expected to give an account of how they expended the public purse.
Being unable to create jobs for a very youthful population has been one of the startling failures of the Bio led government. Despite promises made during the electioneering periods of 2018 and 2023, the president and his government have failed to provide the jobs, with many young people falling into drug addiction and other antisocial behaviours as a result.
“Nor…kam for hepp we…wey u meet dem na street sef; dem nor dae greet porsin.”
Many disgruntled young people across the country have said based on the failed manifesto promises and the revelations of the AG’s reports on the SLPP government since 2018, they are now certain that president Bio and his government didn’t come to improve their socioeconomic realities, which experience is exacerbated by their elected and appointed leaders not even greeting them when on the streets, which experience is unlike during the politicking when those seeking their votes were seen all over their district courting their support.
“Dis nor ever hapin yate; but now e dae hapin; tiday una dae cry; tiday una dae grumble; una wae bin dae cry for dem; now tin don kam pan kam; den nor know una now; since wey una ghi dem power; all tem dem dae tink for dem sef.”
Speaking on behalf of the people of Kenema and the Eastern Region, Kenema Boys are shocked by the turn of events despite all the blood, sweat and tears shed to elect the president and other SLPP politicians. Now that things have taken a bad turn for them, their leaders have abandoned them, only looking out for their own interest since they got the people’s mandate to lead.
“…Any man wae survive na Salone na Superman o; we tire wit dis greedy system; di ‘New Direction’ make we sad o; Eastern Region; to God we nor glady.”
Things are so hard for the people of Kenema that according to the Boys, if you can survive under such economic, political and social disorder then you are Superman. It takes a very strong person to cope with the reality on the ground, socially, politically and economically, for which no one is happy.
“We people don tire; wit di greediness nah di system; di youth den don tire; Eastern Region youths we don tire; Nor to dis we bin vote for; U promise we say Salone go betteh; all tin jus dae go up; how we people go survive now?”
The people of Kenema, young and old, and indeed all of Sierra Leone are tired with the greediness that has resulted from the economic y policies of the Bio led government, which reality was not why they had voted for their leaders. Kenema Boys stated that since the president and party promised to make “Salone betteh” the prices of goods and services continue to rise, which is making it difficult for them to survive.
“We people den pull parable say: tranganess nor dae ever lef; we dey wait for dae day we go pull una kormot o yah; five year nor to forever; freedom is coming one day.”
It is a fact of life that before things get better they get worse. This is the reality today six years after president Bio took over at State House. The difficulties created by this regime have failed to budge, despite cash injections from grants and pledges from the international community and additional taxes to an already overtaxed populace.
Kenema Boys and the people of Kenema are already prepared for the 2028 presidential election when they plan to unseat the current SLPP government, which action was accomplished last year although the people of Sierra Leone suffered the indignity of their votes being hijacked by the president and his electoral commissioner.
But there is a time and place for everything, and five years will pass on like a single night, after which Kenema Boys promised the SLPP regime that they will be freed or relieved of their responsibility to “make Salone Betteh”, paopa!
“Na we party; but dem greedy.”
Kenema Boys, like many people in the east and south of the country, are SLPP supporters. However, speaking the truth to our elected leaders is one of the hallmarks of democracy. The rappers consider their party leaders as greedy, who are only focused on their interest at the detriment of the people of Kenema and the whole country.
“Dis ah nor dae tok am den say; waetin dae hide; wan day san go bright pan am; all man see; all waetin dem talk dem nor do am.”
Kenema Boys are not talking about what other people are experiencing; neither did they hear it from another. They are making the realities of their economic conditions known for the president and his government to know that their plans and actions have not worked in Kenema.
The Boys are certain that whatever is hidden will one day be made visible and clear by the sun for all to see, which is in reference to the failed promises and plans and actions of the Bio led SLPP government of Sierra Leone. President Bio made some impressive promises that he has been able to fulfil after two terms of state leadership alongside his political party government.
“Ah dae tok di true leh breeze blow me; Wae we dae tok; Dem dae say we heart warm; Di wan dem wae we put befo; Dem mind dem scatter.”
As SLPP supporters no one should ever doubt the truth of the reality on the ground for all the people in the Eastern Region of the country, which condition is the same across the country. To say that Kenema Boys are upset will be putting it lightly. They have been disappointed by their president, which is enough for anyone to be upset. They together with their fellow easterners expected much from Bio and the SLPP. Sadly, our leaders are focused on something different from what they had promised. They have all become scatterbrains since they realised that they will not be able to fix the economy, which was disclosed by the president and his first Finance Minister, J.J. Saffa (J.J. Blood).
“Right now all tin scatter; Di country cold; Na we Mama dae na ose; but di fireside ot.”
Nothing has worked for the people of Sierra Leone despite promises made to effect change by the sitting government regime. Difficulties abound from the failed promises and economic mismanagement of the state’s coffers resulting to the current state of almost daily rises in the cost of locally produced goods and private and public services. Although the government and leader they voted for is in power, the people of Kenema see no way out of their despicable condition.
Why una dae do we so? Ee nor bin dae nah we mind say; una go do we so; ah lek porsin tok am sef; ar nor go believe di way ow una do we.”
Kenema Boys and the people of Sierra Leone that support president Bio are still in shock with how things have panned out under the New Direction in the same old corrupt direction SLPP regime. The president’s supporters have said they never expected for things to be so bad for them under a party government they consider as theirs. Kenema Boys and the rest of the struggling people of Sierra Leone still cannot make sense of their economic condition since the party they voted for took over the reins of the presidency and governance.
“Pan all di dance wae ar dance; una kam do me so; na dis we dae tok; wae den say we un-training.”
During times for politicking and the declared results that pronounced Bio the winner of 2018 and 2023, SLPP supporters in Kenema danced from dusk till dawn, highly expectant that things will get better for them. But Kenema Boys have been honest to admit that all their dancing has not resulted to a change in their material condition.
However, their boldness to sanction their president and party will be seen as them not being raised well by their parents. But Kenema Boys believe that supporting someone does not mean you overlook their faults and shortcomings. They and the people of Kenema are suffering and the president and his government must know that.
“Pekin wae dae tok true; always den say u un-training; we people dem dae suffer; some dae broke banga; leh we tok true; pan all di suffer wae we suffer; na so una pay we?”
According to Kenema Boys, when a child speaks the truth, he or she is not being rude and should not be considered as lacking proper parental training. How can Kenema Boys not speak the truth when poverty and not being able to afford the basics for them and their loved ones has driven many desperately hungry people in the Eastern Region to be cracking palm nuts in desperate search of food? Is this the pay they were promised and expecting from their president and party government? No!
“Salone leader dem; dem geh mind; wae we dae suffer dem pekin dem dae enjoy.”
The Bio led government is now a sinking ship and it is every man and woman for self. Knowing that they will not be able to change the economic, social and political realities of the people, appointed and elected leaders in the SLPP government have all shifted their focus to their families, sons and daughters. When things go bad economically as they have only those in public leadership and their loved ones can afford the high cost of living, with the rest of us left to fend for ourselves.
“We di Mende people dem; we don suffer for natin; dem bin say nah we get di party; but na dem so so nor-mor dey enjoy; wae u say u brother na u brother; but u brother dey make u suffer.”
The SLPP is not a party for the Mende people of Sierra Leone, although they form the majority. However, Kenema Boys and the people of the southeast do consider the SLPP as theirs, for which they have come to expect for the party and leader to share the spoils of political power with them. Unfortunately this has not happened for the people of Kenema since their party came to power in 2018. Kenema Boys and the rest of Kenema only see their elected and appointed leaders enjoying said spoils, with the rest of the party’s supporters left to canvas the floors for the crumbs, an act they consider as brother making brother suffer.
Superman is a bold statement and verdict against president Bio and the SLPP government by members and supporters in the party’s political stronghold of Kenema and the entire southeast. If president Bio and the SLPP care about the truth, then they have just been told from the horse’s mouth. The president and the SLPP can either take this to heart and call foul, or they will own up to their failures and try to make things a bit better for the people with the little time they have left before 2028.
The experiences of Kenema Boys and the people of Kenema are no different from what the rest of the country is experiencing. It will be interesting to see if Kenema Boys and the rest of the county will set themselves free from the poor economic reality ushered by president Bio and his New Direction / paopa team in 2028.
Meanwhile, despite stating the obvious about their experiences under president Bio, Kenema Boys were slick in admitting the threat to speaking out against the government and wanting to shift to a different party or supporting another candidate when they asked, “How we go kormot dae now wae danger dae around we?”
The only way to do so is when you are alone in that booth at the polling station casting your vote in 2028! Lonta!