Sierra Leone’s former President, Ernest Bai Koroma says there is nothing new in the new Direction. Close to four years, he went on, SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) Government has made no new achievement in Sierra Leone.
The former President made the claims while addressing a number of APC (All People’s Congress) supporters few days ago. President Koroma further criticised government for its naked failure in their flagship project: ‘Free Quality Education (FQE).’
“I see nothing new even in education which is the flagship project of the New Direction,” he said.
Owing to SLPP’s failures, the former President assured supporters of an APC victory in 2023. “APC will bounce back in 2023,” former President Koroma assured.
The former President’s comments sound critical and might not go down well with SLPP politicians.
However, the former President remains blunt and cares less about the consequences of his critical speeches against government. He does not care even if he is locked up.
“I don’t care whether I am sent to Pa Demba Road for expressing my opinion,” he said.
In the face of a weak New Direction Government, former President Koroma is highly hopeful that APC would come back in 2023. But the victory could be possible if there is unity in the party. It was towards that direction that the former President called on party members to unite so that APC could be brought back to power.
Former President Koroma warned against members exposing the party’s negative side. Such a move, he went on, was almost the same as arming your opponent to fight you in the future.
SLPP government is yet to respond to comments of the former President. Many Sierra Leoneans seem to have completely agreed with Koroma’s criticisms. Some have even condemned SLPP Government for its failure in ensuring Free Quality education in Sierra Leone.
They argue that despite the increase in the number of enrolment, quality education has not been achieved. They believe that certain structures and modalities have to be put in place if the quality side of education is to be seen.
A veteran teacher of a renowned secondary School in Freetown, Abdul Rahman Sesay told this press that SLPP Government could not take credit for the so-called FQE.
He said the foundation for the free education was laid by the Koroma-led government.
“Before this time, government paid fees for all public exams: NPSE (National Primary School Examination), BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination),” he said.
With such a foundation, it is up to the SLPP Government to capitalise on it. Another teacher, Mr Yusif Bangura has spent over 15 years in the classroom. He is always highly critical of the New Direction’s policy on education.
“The Free Quality education is a complete masquerade,” he said.
Bangura argued that government’s policy objective on education would hardly be realised if those who deliver education are neglected. The veteran teacher told this press that he had expected government to fix conditions of service for teachers and to have more school facilities prior to the proclamation of FQE.
“You cannot expect quality education in this country, when the lives of teachers remained miserable. Teachers are still paid low salaries,” Bangura complained.
When asked about whether the 30% salary increase promised by government materialised, Bangura answered in the positive but with a caveat. “The salary increase does not match with the cost of living. It would have been better for government not to add anything at all. The salary increase is a mere bad name,” he also complained.
By his response, the salary increase is a drop in the ocean.
Despite his 15-year service in the classroom and a Bachelor of Arts from Njala University, Bangura’s take home package cannot take him home. He receives slightly above Le1M making him the most vulnerable.
He rents a one-room and parlour apartment with an outside toilet. The space is not enough for him and his children, a situation that prompted him to move other children to his family members.
Bangura symbolises the poverty and suffering graduate teachers are going through after SLPP Government took over state governance. Some of his colleagues, he went on, have threatened to quit the classroom owing to poor work conditions.
This press also spoke to a graduate in Linguistics, Mustapha Koroma. Despite his sound degree, Koroma chose not to go into the classroom owing. He said prevailing conditions of service were miserable.
He has taken to business activities hoping that trading yields dividend than teaching.
The situation pointed out does not include teachers with Teachers and Higher Teachers’ Certificate.
These categories of teachers, under normal circumstances, receive less than graduate teachers.
One hardly talks about good life for them since they earn less.
Failure in education is just one aspect mentioned by former President Koroma. Nothing new in the New Direction also means naked failings in other critical sectors of the economy.
The Bio administration has recorded poor results in the economy, national cohesion, agriculture among others. Despite Bank Governor’s recent claims of a drop in inflation, economic reality still remains horrific. Prices of commodities and services continue to sky-rocket every passing day.
A civil servant who preserved his anonymity told this press that a fall in inflation should not be seen on papers but in market centres. Hopes for an improvement in agriculture and success in national cohesion remain faint.
Food is still not on the table for the men in the street. Price for a bag of rice is still not comfortable. National cohesion is also a total failure for the new Direction. Institutions of peace and order are tied down.
In the Bintumani Conference 111 recently called by government, an eminent lawyer said government could not talk of peace when it undermined institutions of peace. It therefore goes without saying that any imagination of Sierra Leoneans coming together under the New Direction leadership is far-fetched.
Peace and national cohesion cannot prevail in the face of state-sponsored violence and thuggery in the heartlands of opposition parties especially the main opposition, All People’s Congress.
Thus, former President Koroma’s statement of nothing new in the Direction should be seen as a source of inspiration by SLPP Government.