Bio’s government is always good at spinning when a crisis hits the country with former President Ernest Bai Koroma as the motif in the painting.
It is no gainsaying that a clear threat to livelihood is visible in Sierra Leone with government not knowing how to respond to the crisis. Pressure is however mounting on government to act quickly, and bring situation under control.
As government seems deficient in a clear roadmap to tackle the crisis, the best choice available to government is the use of the name of former President Ernest Bai Koroma as a cover-up. In the midst of a crisis, media reports have shown that the former President would soon face charges as investigation has been completed.
The agency, according to report, is currently scratching its head to prefer charges after protracted investigations. Sierra Leoneans are quite aware that the ex-President was being investigated for corruption charges, and expected that the matter would land in court one day if there is evidence. But, time is almost gone with people’s minds completely dragged away from the case.
Although the former President’s case is sure to go court, this is not the time Sierra Leoneans the Bio government to come up with such matter. This is a time of crisis, and the people expects the government to fight the crisis, and nothing else.
In a sinister spinning spree however, government through the Anti-Corruption Commission has wakened up the case of the former President to divert the people’s attention from the current crisis that has plagued the country. Government hopes that by pronouncing an arraignment of the former President, the people’s minds would be taken away from the current hulabaloo. Government has forgotten to realise that the people’s minds could be hardly taken away from a crisis that threatens their livelihood.
The means of survival very much hinges on the survival of the state meaning no one talks about peace in a community where livelihood is threatened. Hit hard by the current crisis, a great many Sierra Leoneans are figuring out what must be done to get back control of their lives and their future.
As the crisis shows no sign of receding, sources say many Freetown residents are planning to go back to the provinces to resettle. The future may be bright there. A significant number have already gone, and others are expected to follow suit with persistent calls on government to bring situation under control. It has been reported that government is locked up in constant meetings with the fuel importers to seek a common ground, but the struggle still continues unabated.
This is not the first time government should resort to spinning to create an imaginary world in the face of a crisis. Bio’s government also spinned almost a year ago in the midst of a crisis when an arrest for the former President was declared upon his return from Lebanon.
The trip sparked discussions and debates about what was the President’s mission to a country with a potent terrorist group that threatens the west. At the height of Corona Virus in 2020, President Bio embarked on a trip to the Asian country where he spent close to three weeks.
Reliable sources at State House say President Bio was in Lebanon to respond to medical treatment. The information was later contradicted when First Lady, Fatima Bio posted via twitter saying ‘Honeymoon Activated.’
The post turned a once sympathetic Sierra Leoneans sour as they argued that the President was not supposed to leave the country at that time.
The President’s return to the country coincided with an invitation of the former President to the anti-graft agency for investigation. The invitation created a crisis within a crisis. Almost every Sierra Leonean’s attention focused on the President with imagination that there could be a possible arrest and detention.
Nerves were calmed when ex-president Koroma was released by ACC. Through the spinning scheme, government was able to take Sierra Leonean minds off from Bio’s travels. Many Sierra Leoneans say they are not sure whether a spinning by government would work this time. Some social commentators have told this press that Bio should not always rely on spinning to solve a crisis.
While SLPP was campaigning in 2018, they never told Sierra Leoneans that government would use spinning to end economic hardship and crisis, but would use economic policies to right past wrongs. SLPP says in their 2018 manifesto that a vibrant private sector is the driver of economic growth, income generation, employment and ultimately poverty reduction.
“We will promote competitive fast-growing and liberal economy led by the private sector,” a portion of SLPP’s manifesto reads.
The manifesto also promised that SLPP will ensure that Sierra Leoneans are given priority in many businesses and employment. The ruling party further promised that the promises would be done in a manner that does not undermine efficiency adding that the promotion of goods and services in Sierra Leone and the employment of Sierra Leoneans will be legislated on a ‘Sierra Leone First’ policy.
Increasing access to finance, reducing the cost of doing business, promoting local entrepreneurship, capacity building and developing the infrastructure are priority areas for the SLPP government during campaigns. Promoting local entrepreneurship and reducing cost in doing business would have been easy areas for intervention.
By promoting entrepreneurship, government said it would establish a presidential initiative on local entrepreneurship and social enterprise, support business plan competition, mainstream and institutionalise and invest in entrepreneurial skills training at tertiary education, develop the capacity of business organisation and review the Local Content Act among other plans.
Under the reducing cost and risk of doing business component, government promised to review all policies and laws governing business, broaden and deepen regulatory reforms, modernise the legal and regulatory framework governing business and commerce, and deregulate the investment climate to boost investment and private sector development.
These are fine promises any government could make to its citizens. But, they could be the best if implemented. Based on the current situation, it is clear that SLPP government has done little to implement what they have in black-and-white.
It has been strongly argued that situation would have looked good had government implemented the promises they have on paper.
Instead of putting the promises into reality, SLPP government sits with folded arms and wait to use spinning as a technique to canvass the people of Sierra Leone.
Political communication in times crisis calls for the truth and nothing else as spinning corrupts the language of public communication.