If the wife shares in the glory of the husband, then Fatima Bio, since she goes by “Her Excellency” can be seen her as husband’s surrogate especially when he is not around. It is a serious concern of the citizenry that the president seems always out of the country, during which time the first lady is known for taking to her social media site and comment on issues of national importance. However, her comments have been anything but encouraging, going as far as becoming a source of division in the SLPP and country.
First Lady Fatima Jabbie Bio has been called on to apologize to the nation for calling their representatives in government, “dog mortal man dem…” during a protest action organized by workers at Koidu Holdings aimed at addressing issues not limited to rise in their take home wages.
In a leaked audio attributed to an outspoken female politician of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government, she called the first lady the president and that president Bio is just a figure head, adding that lady Fatima controls the show and that whatever she says goes.
The first lady has been called upon to apologize to the whole nation because of the inference from her statement: by calling members of the government “dog mortal man dem…” she is, by inference, saying that the people voted for “dog mortal man dem…”, that the people are “dog mortal man dem…”, and that her husband as head of the government, a “dog mortal man” as well.
It must be recalled that the first lady is known for making comments about her party government and members of the opposition that always make front page news. Not too long ago, she called her husband “a doctor of coups” after the failed attempted coup plot of 28 November 2024. Before that utterance she had said that anyone that is not SLPP is not a Sierra Leonean, with another comment attributed to her blamed for the burning of the APC office in Bo during the electioneering period of the 2023 multitier elections. Whenever she feels the need the first lady would take any issue that bothers her to her social media page, where she would comment.
Although she had been ignored as politically immature and inexperienced, the “dog mortal man dem…” comment has elicited the most response from her party members, who are saying “enough is enough” and that the first lady should apologise for not only insulting the government or people but for encouraging nepotism, tribalism and regionalism, admitting that her husband’s regime is corrupt for seeking brown envelops and that a certain minister should go and develop his region and leave Kono to people from Kono, and alleging that government workers would switch loyalties whenever they get their palms greased.
It is clear that there is a problem in the ruling party government. It is expected for the opposition to make disparaging comments about the ruling party government. However, what we are seeing are members of the ruling party government going against each other. This lack of unity in the ruling party government where everyone is looking out for his or her interest has been blamed for the failures of the Maada Bios led government.
Any nation run by dogs is a failed state as the laws are not respected and justice is hard to come by.
For example, it is not clear why the first lady was at a protest action at Koidu making insulting comments about people in the government while Canadian citizen Hawa Hunt was arrested and locked up for insulting language, with people like Adebayor wanted for making insulting comments and calling for protest action. It is unclear if the first lady or the organizers of the protest action were cleared by the Sierra Leone Police.
But if the first lady was serious about tackling a matter that has national and not regional implications she would have joined the rest of the market women in protest over the rise on import duty for 40 foot containers as these women were protesting in the interest of the entire country who have been put in a very compromising position as the rise in the duty from NLe 160, 000 to NLe 250, 000 will lead to other rises in prices the people could barely afford.
Meanwhile, there is a saving grace to all this: people in the SLPP are starting to speak out. People in the SLPP especially other women are calling on their fellow partisans to speak out and call a spade a spade. In a leaked audio the female SLPP politician called Madam Bio’s utterances immature, adding that she behaves like a teenager. This unlikely source accused the first lady of being too influential in government, alleging that she gives political appointments and also decides on actions her husband should take.
For example, Fatima Bio promised that she would speak to her husband on behalf of LAJ and Hawa Hunt, both of whom were released by the authorities despite being found guilty and should be in prison. But for those that are not in Fatima’s favour or good books, like LAC, they will have to wait for another president or regime to get justice.
There is also the knowledge that the first lady gets her friends political jobs; that the winners of the SLPP lower level elections (chairman, women’s leader, youth leaders) and those hired and fired by the regime not limited to heads of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies are reflective of those she favours.
Although they were friends, in the leaked audio we hear that things with the first lady and the chief minister got out of hand after the chief minister got a bit too powerful as her role in who her husband hires or fires became part of the chief minister’s role. For this reason, we are informed that the first lady started having issues with the president’s other deputy; that is, after her and his vice.
So while things are bad for the rest of the nation, Fatima Bio can decide who gets a job, who is fired, and who stays in jail. People with the training and education go without work while those who are incompetent and grossly unqualified for positions are given government jobs and contracts. It is unfair for people to suffer for the party and don’t have jobs seven years after the Maada Bios landed on the people and government of Sierra Leone.
But if the whole nation and world is to put this whole issue behind us there is the need for the first lady to apologise to her husband’s government and the people for the insulting words she uttered against them that they are “dog mortal man dem…”, for calling them corrupt and incompetent and for promoting tribalism and regionalism by telling a certain minster to go and focus on doing things in his part of the country, although Sierra Leone is one country and anyone can work and live anywhere. The first lady would do well if she focuses the rest of her time of influence on our president and government regime to promote issues that are of concern to our entire body politic.
In the meantime, Fatima Bio should apologize to the government, people, and president for insulting the entire country by calling us all “dog mortal man dem…” Lonta!