Sierra Leoneans were restless and wanted to see how the new rulers (APC) will ensure the prosperity President Koroma had promised is visible.
A laudable venture President Koroma and the APC embarked on was ensuring viable electricity for expectant Sierra Leoneans, especially those in Metropolitan Freetown, because they were tired of the world describing Freetown as the darkest city in the world.
In flexing muscles and bringing the citizens onboard, President Koroma took protocols to the remote end of the development agenda. He engineered the premature switching of the Bumbuna Hydro Electric Power Station. Since that day and time the rate at which electricity is generated has always been epileptic. Of course, some still doubt the Bumbuna Hydro Electric Power Station is functioning.
However, rumours continue to persist that the APC and President Koroma will flee along with their electricity to the political wilderness. A marked failure in the area of electricity supply, if you were to ask me!
With regards the sacking of personnel, the regime has been rooted in political circuses since it came to power after the SLPP. Ministers sacked, for whatever reason (s), have been abundantly recycled all over the place. HajaHafsatuKabba and Alimamy P. Koroma are notable examples of ministers and state functionaries having been sacked and adequately compensated.
Under the APC rule, the country witnessed the most blatant violation of the Constitution of Sierra Leone. A sitting Vice President was sacked and relieved of his duties, because the APC had engineered his expulsion from the party. Then the Supreme Court stepped in to corroborate President Koroma’s supreme executive authority and acquiesced to the blatant disregard of the constitution.
Sierra Leone is now grappling with international shame, because the porous nature of our laws has been punctured by the ECOWAS Court, which is an internationally acclaimed court. Mark you, this government and cronies put on airs of hybris and damned the ECOWAS Court.
Not being satisfied with the way and manner human rights are grossly and callously denied the citizens of Sierra Leone, two hapless Ebola survivors have just filed another suit with the ECOWAS Court, claiming that the government of Sierra Leone, led by the APC, has trampled upon their human rights and have failed to protect them from the Ebola virus. This came not too long after the Sam Sumana ruling, where the government of Sierra Leone was accused of not adequately protecting the human rights of its elected Vice President.
The Ebola onslaught, the flood and mudslide that visited Sierra Leone, recently, were disturbing episodes that left scores of Sierra Leoneans dead. What led to such trauma is another topic for another day.
In the midst of all these, there is some element of inhumanity and corruption. When the Ebola hit the shores of Sierra Leone, it is on record that several humanitarian organizations, banking entities, commercial enterprises, governments, world leaders and Sierra Leoneans chipped in to ameliorate the suffering of the victims. But the Audit report detailed that the monies meant for the victims were mismanaged.
In fact, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, who was the Anti-Corruption Commissioner, then, and Parliament, spearheaded then by Hon. Ibrahim Bundu, almost went into blows over the media regarding who should investigate the corrupt individuals. As I write this piece, nothing concrete has come out of the purported investigation. What remains clear is that several government functionaries were involved in milking the Ebola funds.
The rumour mill claims, albeit allegedly, that the Ebola funds have been set aside for campaigning. Stealing from the citizenry and end up using that money to buy votes from them! What a government! The same thing can be said of the money for the mudslide and flood victims. Rumours also abound that several APC government functionaries are seriously involved in diverting these funds to their private coffers.
How could Sierra Leoneans easily forget about the Hajj funds, which APC party functionaries meddled with? Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh and Minister Minkailu Mansaray were even struggling to be exonerated. But President Koroma deliberately summoned them to State House when he tried to soften the hearts of the Hajj victims.
As the Muslim pilgrims suffered disappointment and betrayal, the APC was busy rewarding the alleged culprits with party executive positions. The Sierra Leonean Muslims, who were deliberately and corruptly deprived of the trip to the Holy land of Mecca, have been dispersed to their various communities. Verdict: The ACC is still investigating nothing.
Freetown is more than two centuries old. It could have been the paradise our brethren had intended. But in this age, people, especially young girls, are fighting for clean drinking water. Sometimes the search for water is on as early as 2am in the morning. Yes, Sierra Leone under the APC.
By the way, millions of United States dollars have been spent on finding a lasting solution to this all important problem. It will certainly not interest you to know that the diseases that are prevalent in the Sierra Leonean society are those resulting from impure water. Yes, impure water.
Interestingly, APC functionaries quickly resort to comparing with the SLPP that Sierra Leoneans voted out through the ballot box. I wonder if that sounds sober. Comparing and contrasting one’s self with a failed regime. Anyway!
President Koroma claims not to have killed any Sierra Leonean. Yes, he did not literally kill, but Sierra Leoneans would prefer the death penalty to dying of hunger. Don’t forget, Sierra Leone is third hungriest country in the world. Statistics!
Many have also lost lives to curable diseases, but because the health system is nothing to write home about, souls lose their lives. Anyway, we have a free health care system, though people die because the health system is lacking in most things that construct life. So, many Sierra Leoneans prefer the death penalty.
When the above is pitted against the supposedly fulfilled promises of the APC, will Sierra Leoneans vote in the APC, again? Count me out.