Here we go again. The ruling SLPP regime has come up with yet another punchy phrase “Tok n Do”. This has now replaced the forceful Paopa as a New Direction ideology. It would appear to be the party’s slogan for the 24 June elections. It means that going forward, the Paopa word sounds too forceful, desperate, even violent. It also means that the party after you re-elect President Bio will now focus on doing what they had planned on doing for you.
This has made some market women from the several marketplaces we visited very upset. They asked if “Tok n Do” is the new way forward, what was President Bio and his regime doing these past five years. The overwhelming consensus was that under Paopa, President Bio and the SLPP came to better or enrich themselves. This was their first agenda. It had to be Paopa, or nothing.
‘Now, five years after taking over, the SLPP is finally about to do things in the interest of the people. This is great development. At least they have admitted to not having done the people’s work. Actually President Bio and the New Direction reversed all the serious gains in governance that had been achieved by President Kabbah and continued by Ernest Bai Koroma. After all the claims of doing the people’s work these past five years, President Bio is now saying it won’t be possible until after the people re-elect him. Is this party really so out of touch with how people have suffered since 2018?’ the lady who called herself the chairlady asked.
The women who said they are all registered voters from across the divide said the people of Sierra Leone are to be blamed for how President Bio has run their affairs. They trusted that he was coming to change the status quo in the management of the economy. We expected international management standards from the internationally head hunted civil servants President Bio hired and formed part of his government team. The women say the people of Sierra Leone now know that President Bio, the SLPP and Paopa all paid the nation lip service. They knew all along what they had planned on doing.
‘We now want a government that will do before talking hence we want a government that will “Do n Tok”. We have been talked to, promised, impressed upon and all sorts of other embarrassment as a public. When are we going to have a government that, “Do n Tok”? Tok n Do nor get we nowhere!’ they added.
Going forward the women have called on all Sierra Leoneans to score a goal by striking a blow at the ruling SLPP and not falling victim or prey to whatever new slogan they have, adding that they will not accomplish anything, judging by how this regime has done things since taking over.
‘If President Bio and the SLPP win again, then I will only blame the people. We have to ensure and demand that we get a “do and talk” government. While other nations are moving forward we in Sierra Leone keep going back. Freetown is 231 years old. Look at Freetown today. We should be ashamed that we are still dealing with the kinds of developmental issues we are dealing with 231 years later. This is also the story of Sierra Leone that was discovered in the 1462. We are approaching 600 years as Sierra Leone. We should be getting much better than what President Bio and his regime has given us since 2018,’ the market women admonished.
The people say the 24 June election is “fityai corner”, a mixed martial arts fight between the people and the SLPP. They assured that no matter what tactics the ruling party employs including any catchy punch line such as “Tok n Do”, ‘all we know is that come 24 June President Bio and the SLPP will be going up not only against the main opposition parties, but also against the people of Sierra Leone’.