We are increasingly witnessing various tribes across Sierra Leone visiting President Bio at State House to pay their homage to him and his government.
The visits are usually orchestrated by senior officials serving in MDAs and other public service institutions.
The rationale normally for such visits was to assure the President of their tribe’s support to the policies and programs of the government.
The tribesmen also used such occasions to thank the President for appointing their tribesmen to positions in governance.
This practice started during the Koroma hegemony and it clearly showed state of affairs in which Sierra Leone was hugely polarized around tribes and regional considerations.
Tribal and regional parameters were the yardsticks used by government to make appointments to public offices and other benefits.
It was therefore the cases that government officials needed to hide behind their tribes to either be able to secure jobs from government or to be able to protect their jobs.
The situation became very clear that some tribes, regions and districts in the country got the lion share in the executive of the government of President Koroma than others.
Some tribes, regions and districts were marginalized against the others, development programs and projects were concentrated in some areas more than the others.
President Bio during his campaign identified the polarization of the people of this country and the uneven distribution of the country’s wealth as serious issues confronting national cohesion.
He committed himself to address the problems headlong when elected into office.
The then SLPP flag bearer promised to provide opportunities for all Sierra Leoneans regardless of his tribe, region or district.
He clearly indicated in several campaign messages that he will provide the enabling environment for every Sierra Leone to realize his fullest potential etc with the overall view for them to realize their fullest potential.
It is for this very reason that we were at least not expecting to see various tribes paying homage to the President as it was in the Koroma era.
Is it that individual Sierra Leoneans from certain tribes, regions and districts still has the apprehension that they still needs to pay homage or loyalty to the President to be able to benefit from the national cake?
Are we not in new direction were things are supposed to be different from the old order?
Quite recently, the Loko tribesmen from Bombali District in northern Sierra Leone approached the government through the Vice President to pledge their loyalty to the New Direction Government.
The visit, according to the organizers, was designed to dispel rumors that the Loko tribe is APC and further re-assured the New Direction Government that the Lokos are in full support of the government.
The Lokos bluntly told the Vice President at the meeting that they are concerned that as a tribe, they are not represented in any way in the New Direction Government.
The visits by the various tribes to State House have continued in the over one year rule of the President as we have seen the Temnes, Fullahs, Lokos and quite recently the Limbas paying such visits to the President Bio at State House.
The visits like in the Koroma era are happening against the backdrop that each and every tribe wants to assure the President that they support his agenda.
President Bio’s cabinet despite all the visits by these tribes undoubtedly has a cabinet dominated by south-easterners.
There are also concerns internally within the SLPP that the eastern guys have the lion share in the Government.
An analysis of the President’s team points to the fact that Cabinet and other senior Government appointments,parastatals as well as MDAs, are mostly held by guys from Kenema, Kailahun and Kono districts.
Certain family names in the east such as the Sandis, Vandis, Swarrays and Massaquois have carried the day in the President’s team.
A very senior official in President Bio’s government is quoted as saying while a addressing a public gathering in Kenema in the beginning of this year, that ‘’this is the time for Kenema.’’
He also publicly stated that Kenema has nine (09) members in President Bio’s Cabinet holding very senior positions making them critical decision makers in the country.
This state of affairs could as well have triggered those in the minority tribes in the Bio government such as the Limbas with the likes of Manso Dumbuya, Peter Bayoku Conteh and others to increasingly move closer and get the President to understand that they too are around.
The Limbas who are almost synonymous to the APC no matter one would say have gone to State House to assure the President that the Limbas are with the New Direction Government.
Usually, like all other tribes have done when they get to State House they would thank the President for appointing their kit and kins to positions of trust.
Are we going to see more tribes in the next coming months also going to State House? The answer is definitely yes.
We are not expected to see laybellisim and such sycophancy in a ‘brand new’ New Direction Government especially so when the SLPP during the campaign trumpeted the polarization of the country and the sycophancy that had characterized the Ernest Koroma regime.
When will Sierra Leoneans inculcate the belief that the President is for the protection of the interest of all Sierra Leoneans?