By Mohamed Juma Jalloh
“We have just started our Journey,” these were the words of Ibrahim Sesay, the Acting Secretary General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Makeni City in Bombali district, Northern Sierra Leone.
His words were in response to a question regarding development strides undertaken by the ‘New Direction’ Government aimed at winning the minds of residents in Makeni ahead of 2023 general elections.
The food-for-thought response implies that the ruling party is yet to settle to implement socio-economic programmes that would transform the lives of the people.
Mr Sesay insinuates a government that is still enjoying a honeymoon or grace period with the electorates. To better contextualize the electoral calendar, the Bio led government is about two-and-half years old with equal amount of time left to face the electorate.
A clear indication that time is short for a government that intend to deliver some goodies in an opposition heartland.
As expected in a pandemic period, the SLPP scribe anchors his excuse on lack of employment opportunities in the face of a deadly Virus.
The excuse seems reasonable considering the negative effect Covid-19 has brought to bear on the global economy.
Sierra Leone being one of the world’s poorest countries cannot escape the Covid-19 catastrophe, but it seems to be reeling of the effect.
It is however a legitimate excuse for a stagnated economy, but Makeni being an opposition stronghold is largely un-concerned about the global nature of the country`s economic challenges.
Many young people in Makeni are gainfully employed in commercial bike riding. Youths who were largely ex-combatants were attracted to the commercial transport venture immediately after the civil war.
Many were employees of African Minerals and London Mining during the iron ore boom under the reign of the All People’s Congress (APC), now in opposition.
These companies were exploiting iron ore reserves north of the country thereby paving the way for many indigenes in Makeni to gain employment in the mines. Most of the youths are anxiously anticipating the resumption of large scale mining in Lunsar, ferengbeya and Tonkolili where hopes to get jobs remain high.
The SLPP Secretary-General said the re-commencement of large scale mining operations was underway in the region before Covid-19 struck.
“We are aware of the high unemployment rate in the city. As soon as Covid-19 subsides, large scale mining operations would resume”. Mr Sesay assured.
The acting secretary-General is keen on emphasising on the development trajectory the ‘New Direction’ was heading before Covid -19 reared its head.
Plans were underway to bolster personnel strength in all state security institutions such as the Police, the army and prisons. It is a strategy to create a platform for youths with potential to serve their motherland instead of allowing them to be influenced by bad friends or self-seeking politicians to derail the peace and security of the city.
The standoff that eventually led to the death of about a dozen youths and several injured in Makeni was rumbling like a typhoon that is ready to wreck immeasurable havoc on the city. Many youths encountered in places such as ‘Attaya’ bases and ‘ghettos’ have a wealth of combat experience as most took part in the country`s civil war.
The deaths, many Say, would have been averted had there been better engagement and extensive consultation of the community by government.
Youths were of the conviction that the relocation of the 1.65kv thermal plant from Makeni to Lungi that houses the country’s only international Airport was meant to deprive Makeni residents of electricity. Government engaged only the political authorities of Makeni city including the Mayor. The engagement did not cascade down to youth groups or their representatives ignoring the youths’ potential to pose a serious resistance to government authority in the event of a forceful removal of the thermal plant.
It seems clear that the stakeholders never engaged their constituents leaving youths to feed on rumour and misinformation.
Transferring government resources from one region or district to another is nothing new in Sierra Leone. It is a common place practice adopted by successive governments for agricultural tractors or thermal plants to be relocated where they are badly needed. But, the belligerence of Makeni youths was underestimated by government.
A massive town hall meeting of the youths that could have forestalled a forceful removal of the thermal plant was never considered.
Such an engagement forum must have been organised by the Ministry of Energy and Power in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications to clear doubts and establish goodwill.
Minister of Information, Mohamed Rahman Swarray said investigations are underway to know the root cause of the conflict.
How would government pacify a district that has almost every resident associated with a victim of the incident?
Despite polling 14,774 votes in the previous Presidential elections, the ruling SLPP has vowed to increase it percentage of votes come 2023 elections.
As an opposition stronghold where former President Koroma, a resident of the city, is still popular, it would be very difficult for the SLPP to win a parliamentary or a councillor seat there.
Makeni still enjoys an overwhelming APC support but SLPP strategies are carved towards winning minds of Makeni residents.
The Launch of government`s flagship programme, the Free Quality Education has led to the recruitment of over 1,500 teachers in the district.
A lot of government approved schools have been brought under the administration of the Bombali district councils.
Government effort in the district has led to a ten-fold increase in school enrolment of many Bombali children who could have missed out schooling.
Whenever political activities resume, SLPP must be in a position to elect competent executives at ward, zonal and constituency level to strategise for the 2023 polls. The APC on the other hand is deeply entrenched in Makeni often perpetrating intimidating tactics on SLPP supporters.
The intimidation usually takes the form of throwing human excreta on the houses of SLPP supporters and eviction of opponents in houses owned by APC landlords.
Only recently after the thermal plant relocation-related shootings, SLPP offices in Makeni were ransacked. The acts are part of the intimidation and scaremonger tactics perpetrated at the ruling SLPP supporters to disorient them for elections expected to take place soon.