Despite the many promises encapsulated in the SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) manifesto, 2018, it is now clear that the ruling party has failed.
The party in power promised good roads, reliable electricity, sound health services, improved agriculture, strong economy among others during campaigns. Among the promises, improvement of agriculture and ensuring food security was the most dominant.
But, Sierra Leone still remains the hungriest country. It turned out to be play on the people’s emotions and their instinctual urges.
In 2018, Sierra Leoneans made it clear that they were hungry during rallies and campaigns. “TOLONGBO NOR DAE SIDON YA, HANGRY BOKU,” They cried out. The Krio statement means APC will not continue in governance because there was too much hunger in the country.
With fine promises, Sierra Leoneans trusted the SLPP politicians, and entrusted them with power. Hope was high that the new government would solve their problems. Government however has failed the people after four years. Government’s failure is brought about by mistaken policies. One of President Bio’s greatest blunders was to have a diaspora-dominated government instead of home-based and grassroot politicians.
Bio appointed more people from abroad than those in the country. These diasporans are not in touch with the socio-economic realities of Sierra Leone. They have stayed too long outside so much that their people do not know them again.
Most have imbibed the western philosophies, values and culture, and they find it difficult to work with their people. The distance in attitude and behaviour makes it difficult for the locals to communicate with the diasporans. The situation makes it difficult for the people to achieve what they promised years back.
Professor David Francis who was Chief Minister for almost three years and now Minister of Foreign Affairs stayed too long in the UK to an extent that he missed the ways of his people in Kenema. The chief ministry in Bio’s government is central and strategic. The chief minister supervises all other ministers, and approves policies of government.
Such a status places Prof Francis in a class of his own. Much was expected from him by the people of Kenema as much has been given to him. Instead of giving a helping hand to his Kenema brothers and sisters, Prof Francis was busy amassing wealth at the country’s expense. He puts up one of the mightiest buildings in the district while his people starve. If President Bio loses the elections next year, Professor Francis is a key contributor.
Under the chairmanship of the former Chief Minister, a dangerous report known as the Governance Transition Team (GTT) report, 2018 in which he seriously indicted the past government of President Ernest Bai Koroma was authored. Francis minced no words in referring to the past APC government as a “criminal racketeering enterprise.”
He urged Bio to set up a commission of inquiry to look into several aspects of APC governance especially management of finances and public assets. The former Chief Minister almost convicted ex-government officials even before the tribunal started its work.
Apart from the graft allegations, Prof Francis also delved deeply into tribalism as he indicated that the Mende in the civil and public service were unfairly treated. According to the report, government workers of South-Eastern origin were demoted and others arbitrarily sacked. The tribal factor pushed Bio’s government into a wild chase of civil and public servants suspected of being APC sympathisers.
Hundreds of northerners lost their jobs under Bio’s watch. It was a form of retaliation if indeed the Mende were suppresed in the Koroma-led government. But, such truth is hard to be proved.
The wounds inflicted by Professor Francis still remain Fresh, and the divisions continue in Sierra Leone. No wonder that APC did not attend the Bintumani-111 conference where President Bio had hoped to reconcile with opposition parties particularly the main opposition, APC.
Many Sierra Leoneans say the old man could go to such extreme because he was out of touch with the people of Sierra Leone for many years. Even the current Chief Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa has always been in the United States fo years. He only comes to Sierra Leone when it is time for elections.
In 2007, Saffa was in Sierra Leone to fight hard for SLPP to win elections with Solomon Ekuma Berewa as flag-bearer. Saffa returned to the United States after SLPP lost the elections in 2007.
He resurfaced in 2018 with Bio as flag-bearer. Saffa was lucky enough to take the finance ministry portfolio, and promised to usher a bread-and-butter economy as well as pro-poor economic policies.
Saffa’s promises however turned out be mere words on a paper. Food prices sky-rocketed, and life became difficult for the common man. He failed woefully, and later found himself in the chief ministry as Chief Minister supervising other ministries.
He too does not have a common touch with the locals. A big governance failure is also seen in the Bank of Sierra Leone presided over by a diasporan, Professor Kaifallah Kallon.He is a fairly old man who does not understand fully, the country’s economic dynamics.
Sierra Leone’s economy is going almost bankrupt as inflation is reaching intolerable height. The current exchange rate is nothing to write home about. Almost Le2, 000, 000 (two million Leones) is chasing a US$100, the worst in Sierra Leone since independence.
Signs have shown that situation could go out of control if urgent and prudent measures are not taken to stem the tide. The Bank Governor is overwhelmed, and comes out clear that he could not cope with the economic malaise. The Minister of Finance too has made it clear that government cannot cope with the economic nightmare.
Infrastructure Unit at State House too has failed. Dr John Tambie who heads the Infrastructure Unit in the nation’s highest office has been in the diaspora for a long time. Despite his rich courses in engineering and aeronautics, Tambie could no make no differences to the country’s infrastructure. Roads and bridges remain in poor state except those fixed by former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The collapse of a bridge along the main highway leading to President Bio’s home testifies Tambie’s failure. Sierra Leoneans are therefore left with the impression that having more diasporans in a government is not the best way to go.