*No Democracy
*Killings
*Abuse of Human Rights
*No Rule of Law
*Crackdown On The Main Opposition, APC
*Dismissal
*Absence of National Cohesion
*Weak Economy
*High Inflation
No President has ruled for a term in post war Sierra Leone. President Julius Maada Bio will change the narrative in June, 2023. This name would go down into the annals as a one-term President after peace returned to Sierra Leone in 2002.
Signs have clearly manifested themselves and this article looks at Bio’s pitfalls that has landed him in his present state. Everything has a beginning, and Bio began with the wrong foot upon taking governance in 2018. The announcement of President Bio as winner of 2018 elections marked the genesis of a new wave of thuggery in Sierra Leone.
As President Ernest Bai Koroma was preparing to hand over power to Bio, SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) hardliners oversaw the formation of vigilante groups to go after former government officials. For them it was an operation to recover what they referred to as stolen assets and money.
In the process, many former government officials were hurt as the vigilantes are loose and uncontrollable. Since they got no orientation as to who to target for stolen properties, judges were targetted as well.
The daughter and son-in-law of former President Koroma were also targetted although they they wrong targets. None of the two served any government in Sierra Leone including that of President Koroma.
The brutality and thuggery that erupted in that early period of Bio’s government sent shocking waves to many Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad. It was at that moment that Sierra Leoneans start to doubt Bio’s capacity to govern a democratic state. Seeing the brutality firsthand from his hometown of Makeni, former President Koroma said “either President Bio is not in control or he is not sincere with what he was saying.”
The statement came at the last hour as Koroma had already handed over power. From his statement, it came out clearly that Bio had been playing military politics on former President Koroma. Bio had been assuring Koroma all along that he would unite the tribes when he came to power. As former government officials were being harassed by thugs, government was also intimidating them as well.
Ambassadors, high commissioners, consuls and foreign representatives abroad were dismissed at once thus breaching a normal protocol of re-calling them. Most became stranded in foreign countries, a move that also raised international eye-brows on Bio’s new government at that time.
Back home, Bio and few SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) hardliners authored a damaging story known as Governance Transition Team (GTT) report, 2018. The GTT report was meant to dent APC (All People’s Congress) credibility despite achievements made between 2007 and 2018.
The lead author, Professor David Francis who many say is an SLPP hardliner did not hesitate to tag the government as “a criminal racketeering enterprise” hence the need for a judge-led commission of inquiry. The commission which many see as kangaroo-styled was first of its kind in Sierra Leone’s political history.
It did not look at specific issues of governance but general issues. It was seen as a kangaroo tribunal since it flouted a key constitutional provision that warranted government to bring to parliament rules of evidence for debate.
The rules were to be formulated by the Rules of Court Committee headed by the Chief Justice. Section 150 of Sierra Leone’s Constitution, 1991makes it clear that the rules should regulate the practice and procedure of all commissions of inquiry.
By law, the rules are a condition precedent meaning they must come before the setting up of the tribunal. The commission went ahead without the rules making it difficult to trust the process. Despite an avalanche of doubts on the commissions of inquiry, its recommendations were enforced to the letter.
Houses and estates of former government ministers and senior officials have been taken away. Even deceased officials of the past government were not spared. Houses of late Momoh Konte, Chairman of National Telecommunications Commission and Minkailu Bah, Minister of Education have been forfeited to the state owing to adverse findings by the defunct commissions.
Other past government officials are still not safe as their appeals are being heard in the Appeals Court. Woe betides them if their lawyers loose the legal battle. Even former President Koroma, a man who was said to have supported Bio’s presidency also treads on slippery ground.
The former President is constantly hunted by the commission of inquiry and the Anti-graft agency for corruption and money-laundering offences. The chase seems to have died down as the Anti-Corruption Commission is yet to come up with the required evidence to prosecute him. Little wonder that APC and other opposition parties boycotted the Bintumani-111 conference organised by President Bio two years ago.
It was supposed to be a platform to heal old wounds, reinvent strained relationships and make new friends had things gone as planned but APC had no time for that.
The pain inflicted was too great making it difficult for Bio to unite the tribes and parties in Sierra Leone. Even some attendees were highly critical of government.
One of them is a lawyer of good years standing in the legal profession, Basita Michael. She accused government of utter hypocrisy as they calling for peace but undermining institutions that provide peace.
She also made reference to negative government action that is tearing society apart. As a result, the conference turned into a terrible nightmare as nothing was achieved. It was a watershed moment for Bio and his government. Government officials however retired to their trenches to unleash guerrilla tactics on opposition parties, especially the main opposition.
The Struggle Continues
Coming out from the conference without the cooperation of opposition parties, government became filled with hate and revenge. The revenge was evidenced by subsequent unfair and nefarious treatment government meted to APC officials as well as their supporters and sympathisers.
The first step SLPP took against the opposition was to throw away democratic principles through the window. Trampling on rule of law processes and procedures, unlawful imposition of states of emergencies, abuse of human rights and widespread use of terror tactics. The rule of law is one of the cardinal features of a democracy characterised by supremacy of the law, equality before the law and recognition and protection of fundamental human rights.
These conditions are conspicuously absent under Bio’s rule. Sierra Leone faced one of the worst rule law disasters in April, 2019 when 10 APC Parliamentarians were arbitrarily removed from parliament contrary to the provisions of the Public Elections Act of 2012.
Calls by local and international stakeholders for government to reverse its decision and comply with the law were rebuffed. In the same year, President Bio declared a state of emergency on sexual violence, a move that shocked the conscience of every Sierra Leonean.
Sierra Leone has never witnessed a situation in which an emergency is imposed on the people for a single criminal offence. Bio also proclaimed a state of emergency in March, 2020 following the detection of the Corona index case.
The emergency was also challenged by parliamentarians and legally-minded men saying COVID-19 did not warrant an emergency. Despite the criticism and condemnation, the state of emergency remained in force hallmarked by intermittent lockdowns and suffering. Inter-district lockdowns was the most prominent. Police and military officers terrorised residents in opposition strongholds during the lockdowns, and had a field day.
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) an institution set up to protect the lives and property of the people was reduced to a mere stooge and Bio’s footstool. With a Paltry salary of less than Le1m and a bag of rice, the police are always ready to comply with whatever order that emanates from the presidency.
SLP officers have conducted several unlawful arrests to please Bio’s government. The unlawful arrest of a popular and well-versed lawyer, Ady Macauley is the latest in a stream of arrest the police have conducted on behalf of government. The famous lawyer was arrested for merely expressing his opinion on citizens’ right to protest. The Sierra Leone Bar Association, a body of lawyers, has criticised the police for the arrest, and called for an immediate release.
Sierra Leoneans also saw the arrest and detention of past government officials: Alfred Paolo Conteh, former Minister of Defence, Sylvia Blyden, Minister of Social Welfare, Karmoh Kabba, Minister of Public and Political Affairs, Kemo Sesay, Minister of Public Works and the list continues. Police brutal arrest spiralled out of control resulting into rampant killings in opposition strongholds.
Police gunned down 20 people in July 2019 in the Northern capital of Makeni during a resistance against the relocation of 1.65 electricity generator from the Northern capital to Lungi town. Government however put the number of fatalities at six to evade criminal responsibility in the near future. Police also shot dead scores of people in Lunsar in PortLoko district when residents protested against illegal closure of mines by government.
Similar killings were also seen in Tombo when fishermen protested against government’s ban on fishing. One person also crumbled under police shooting during what the police referred to as a raid for cannabis in Rosengbeh village in Tonkolili district. The Local Unit Commander at that time was not informed of the operation casting suspicion of police intention to kill.
Perhaps, the worst killing Sierra Leone has never seen was the one at the Pa Demba Road Correctional Centre. Sources say close to 50 inmates lost their lives as a result of a sustained firing by guards from State House. Other sources indicate a figure higher than that number. The killers also had a field day although there were clear clues to any investigation.
The SLPP women’s leader Fatmata Sewaneh, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahai Lawrence Leema and the former Chief of Defence Staff were at the scene of the carnage, an audio on media platform indicates. Although government has failed to investigate, the International Criminal justice will one day take its normal course. The perpetrators will be brought to the Hague one day.
In such a state of nature, one hardly talks about national cohesion. Bio has created more foes than friends in his short period of governance. He has divided the country along tribal and regional lines. People in the North-West do not see eye-to-eye with those in the South-East on national issues.
Bio’s promise of national cohesion during campaigns and rallies was a mere political propaganda to achieve his mission. His regime nursed and nurtured the highest levels of impunity hardly seen in a modern and civilised society. It is here in Sierra Leone that ministers and senior government officials trample on the law and enjoy government’s backing.
During the August 10 protests, Leema reportedly masterminded extra-judicial killings which were never investigated. He was also accused of directly shooting dead a young man in the community. The destruction of ballot boxes in Constituency 110 by top government officials during a re-run parliamentary election was a shining example of impunity as no one was made to feel the pain of their irresponsible action.
The trend of violence and impunity still continues unabated. Corruption is almost everywhere in the government of President Julius Maada Bio. Sierra Leone saw firsthand how the former Chief Minister, Professor David Francis was caught in corruption whose effect is being felt today.
A US-based media agency has twice published reports about the corruption of Francis. The two reports delved into procurement irregularities that cost the country billions of Leones. Another Africanist Press report also spoke about media consultancies embarked on Prof Francis which also took away a substantial sum of the public finances. The object was to create a very good image for the government although it has failed to meet the people’s development aspirations back home.
Africanist Press report also indicted First Lady, Mrs Fatima Bio for misappropriation of over US$2m, money meant for the ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign. The ACC went into action when it was compelled by the donor community. Recurrent reports of the Auditor-General have also brought out sky-rocketed corruption in the current dispensation.
A perception conducted in 2021 by a consortium of civil society organisations: Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law, Christian Aid and Restless development indicates that corruption is still persistent in governance structures. State House, Parliament and the SLP were accused of high level corruption. Failure to investigate incidents of corruption in-house is a clear cause for more corruption in state governance.
Nothing Works Without Trust and National Cohesion
In the absence of trust and national cohesion, Sierra Leone still remains at the bottom rungs of development. Sierra Leone’s economy is still weak in the face of tight competition by other economies.
It is characterised by high inflation, poor exchange rate system, unfavourable terms of trade and balance of payment deficit. Recent price indices released by the National Statistics agency show that the country’s inflation is still double-digit and show no signs of receding. Professor Hanke’s inflation dashboard places Sierra Leone at 43 out of over 100 countries.
Sierra Leone also continues to grapple with problems of unfavourable terms of trade and balance of payment deficits. No effort has been made by government to transform extracted raw materials into finished goods, and therefore cannot dictate the price for Sierra Leone’s export at the world market.
Such a situation leads to balance of payment deficits that continue to hunt Sierra Leone to this day. On several occasions, government has turned to donor partners for bailout packages owing to deficits.
About 40 per cent of the country’s budget is funded by the international community. Throughout his governance project, President Bio is said to have brought no initiative to Sierra Leone.
Although Bio was quite critical of former President Koroma while he was in opposition, he scores below the belt when compared to his predecessor. No doubt that a weak government opens a big room for condemnation and criticism, so be it for Bio.
The main opposition has successfully taken on him owing to what many say a massive failure and incompetence. Former President Koroma did not hold back his view on the Bio’s weak government when he comfortably said “I see nothing new in Bio’s government.” This statement should not be treated lightly; it means a lot.
The Consequence Of State Failure
Lawlessness, crime and disorder, lack of patriotism and political apathy are some the characteristics of a citizenry whose country has been plagued by bad governance and under-development. The occurrence of crime incidents has scared away investors and potential investors. No jobs in the absence of investment, and joblessness continues is sure to continue in years to come.
Currently, those who voted in for SLPP have turned their backs against their darling party owing to economic hard times. A huge number of South-Easterners have not registered despite a lockdown pronounced by government a week ago. The people say they are fed up with lies and propaganda. This time, they will try the APC again.
Will the ruling party fight back to restore its image? The answer is in the negative as one cannot a pig on the market day. Government has been in slumber for over four years, and cannot achieve in seven months what it fails to achieve in four years except they work miracles.