While Kailahun, Kono and other South and Eastern residents are presently enjoying benefits derived from the good works of the last All People’s Congress (APC) of former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma the politically charged people of Kenema district are in deep regrets for rejecting works and benefits of the last administration.
The District had wholeheartedly in the last ten years refused to embrace national development programs rolled out by the last government’s Agenda for Change-AFC and the Agenda for Prosperity-AFP.
National development projects ranging from roads infrastructural development,the supplies of pipe borne,safe drinking water and regular power to the village looking eastern regional headquarter township were turned-down
The tarmac Kai Samba Terrace and the only public highway, Hanga road were dug-up simply because they were not appreciative of the last APC government’s developmental efforts.
As a stronghold of the ruling party SLPP operatives perpetrated so many evil deeds to the APC prior and during the main opposition party tenure of governance.
SLPP operatives had attacked the APC presidential candidate for the 2007 elections, Ernest Bai Koroma and chased him out of Segbewama and Kenema towns in the name of regional and ethnic divisive politics.
Yet when in office Koroma built one of the best roads for the people of Kailahun.
They expected with fervent hopes of getting ultra modern city from their own SLPP party led government of President Bio. All of these developments are still farfetched.
In a recent popular talk show “Watin Dae Mona You” aired on Culture Radio, residents of Kenema have expressed their utmost satisfactions about the substandard roads being constructed by a pro-ruling SLPP construction and engineering company First Tricon.
The roads are poorly done with narrow widths and poor quality materials which at the regrets and major concerns of well meaning resident of the township community.
Some residents have directly blamed local authorities for misleading them towards ignoring the developmental projects that were rendered by the last administration.
Senesie Matia Kangoma of 9 Sulmalia Street is one of those people basking in such regretful waters.
“We are highly disappointed at the way things have turned out to be in Kenema after the much expected development projects from President Bio’s SLPP, we still can’t see nor receive regular power and water supplies, no jobs for graduates lest we talk of unskilled youth, rampant political intimidations of opposition politicians and their supporters, imposition of high tax rates by the government,poor quality roads constructed by First Tricon and reversal other trends we are going through in Kenema after traditional display of our loyalties to President Bio and the SLPP,” he said.
Gauging reactions around the township of Kenema on the nature of the engineering works currently being carried out in Kenema most people like Kangoma are not happy, they are in a deep state of regrets for digging up roads built them by the last APC Koroma led government.
We would have better embraced whatever developmental projects we first saw and received from the Koroma APC regime instead of waiting for the SLPP.
The SLPP is yet still to bring us anything to be proud of except economic hardship and persistent political harassments of people they deem are not in support of the ruling party observed Kaifala Samba Janneh a trader at Gbongbortor market in Kenema.
But for Fataba Jombla John Francis of Laagoh Jassawaibu outside Kenema, the home village of Chief Minister Prof. David John Francis, the situation is much better.
She said; “We are very much appreciative of the government in Kenema district despite wide criticisms by opposition entities against the SLPP government.
We thank God for the successful rolling out of the free quality education for the human capital development of our children yet unborn.
So we thank the SLPP and president Bio government for that and for his relentless moves in the anti-corruption crusade, more so the commissions of inquiries into funds allegedly stolen by members of the last APC government.
At least the ACC under him-Bio is recovering looted funds from political criminals.
The ACC and the commission of inquiries are widely being criticized for their selectively manners in which they have been eradicating corruption targeting opposition APC members only since the SLPP regime took up office, while pro-government members and supporters celebrate luxuries in grand corruption, mostly wiring public funds to their various families overseas as to their banks accounts in the United Kingdom and the United States while Sierra Leone continue to perish in abject poverty.
Kenema being the only regional headquarter town that hatefully refused AFC and AFP national developmental programs appears much like an old colonial village.
Kenema registered good number high profile Bio led regime officers ranging from Chief Minister, Prof. David John Francis Secretary to the President, Dr Julius Sandi, Press Secretary to the President, Yusif Keketoma Sandi, ministers, deputies, directors, commissioners, ambassadors and high commissioners amongst several top local and foreign service jobs holders in the present dispensation.
Yet development pace in the eastern regional headquarter town remained snail paced, not even any of the SLPP leaders can give their stronghold town a facelift. What a deliberate failure.
Angry supporters at the SLPP regional secretariat in Kenema are left with huge regrets and resentments amongst themselves as there is still no job they could lay hands on and as a results they hardly see eye to eye with most of their party members particularly those holding key positions in government, blaming them for not creating jobs and better livelihoods for the people of Kenema and youth specifically.
Meanwhile, development in Kenema is nothing impressive under the incumbent SLPP regime whereas others districts and regional headquarter towns are proudly enjoying the benefits of the legacies of the last APC Koroma led AF and AFP projects.
Kenema is now learning their harsh lessons from their SLPP government‘’ A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush,’’.