Mohamed Kutubu Koroma: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 29 September 2021:
As the 2023 electioneering campaigns slowly begin in Sierra Leone, there is need to reflect on the campaign promises made by Mr. Julius Maada Bio when he sought the presidency, as well as particular focus on Mrs. Fatima Bio’s insatiable money chasing for a purported project “hands off our girls” to see what benefits if any, the people on whose behalf she has received huge funding, have gained.
Does president Julius Maada Bio deserve a second term or simply become another John Mahama of Ghana whose presidency ended after just one term?
We must sensitize the voters to the fact that Mr. Bio’s re-election should be tied to Mrs Fatima Bio’s contributions or lack thereof in the governance of the nation which for all intent and purposes is nothing to write home about.
Mr. Bio has just presented his address at the 76th session of the annual General assembly of the United Nations in New York to virtually an empty chamber.
Having closely perused his speech, it amounts to a compendium of misinformation that can simply not pass the litmus test of truth, especially most of what he claimed the administration has accomplished.
He was at the magnificent setting in Harvard Yard where he delivered one of those rosy speeches which is expected to produce nothing tangible.
In the interim though, Mrs. Fatima Bio’s appetite for money raising for her nebulous project went into overdrive in the Washington community with rivers of cash raised for her much touted “HANDS OFF OUR GIRLS” project, which is nothing more than a deceptive scheme to fool gullible and unsuspecting people.
There is no empirical evidence to suggest women or girls in Sierra Leone have benefited from the unaccounted monies she has raised on their behalf, except handing out sanitary pads.
The national Treasury is at her beck and call – thanks to Jacob Jusu Saffa and a very impotent national legislature that has never been able to muster the courage of conviction and moral fortitude to hold public officials accountable for Mrs. Bio’s profligate spending at the expense of the suffering masses.
Mr. Bio never ceases to talk about transparency and accountability. But the actions of his administration point to something entirely different from his pious pronouncements.
Does president Bio deserve a second term mandate?
The fact of the matter simply is this. It is not the international community that will be heading for the polling stations in 2023 to reaffirm their abiding faith in the validity of the sanctity of the ballot box. It is the ordinary people of Sierra Leone whose lives are condemned to abject poverty and unspeakable misery, while president Bio and members of his administration wallow in opulence and extravagance of untold dimensions, who will make that decision.
Needless to say, the days when leaders manipulate elections through political violence as we saw in Guinea and elsewhere are now things of the past.
The African spring is alive and well ready to deal with any leader who wants to bulldoze his or her way into office through political chicanery.
“Uneasy lies the head that wear the crown ” . If I should answer the question, I want to say that I am convinced that H.E Dr. Julius Maada Bio deserve a second term in office. The president is working assiduously to to help Sierra Leone. I acknowledge the fact that commodity prices is increased systematically, but isn’t really the fault of the president. It is a global crisis that is even beyond his imagination. If we could admire advance countries around the world including Europe and the USA that hardly get shortage of basic food commodities, the simple secret behind that is their creativity to acquire first ships, trains and Aeroplanes. They have used these transportation to out source their basic food commodities in a just-in-time approach. If they want to transport goods and medical supplies in a given time, their governments are capable of doing so with out delay. Please take a look at our situation in Sierra Leone and some parts of Africa we live today, is that possible to happen.
I know that if Sierra Leone was in the same pool position with countries having ships and Aeroplanes, this issue of shortage of our necessary commodities will be a thing of the past. My president, your president, our president Dr. Julius Maada Bio would have used his veto powers to order the Captain of our ship and aircraft to go out there and bring the essentials for the citizens of Sierra Leone. This is the disparities that exist between the developing countries and developed countries of which Sierra Leone is no exception.
Another thing to note is corruption. Our authorities have been known for playing games with our future needs. This started back in the days of the purchase of the State Radio Station and the Ferry saga. Perhaps if even Sierra Leone was given the opportunity to get either a ship or Aeroplane on its own, a second hand or used one would have been purchased too. May God help us all.
Once a Sierra Leonean always a Sierra Leonean. It matters not where a Sierra Leonean lives the blood which flows through his/her arteries and veins will always be Sierra Leonean until their last breath.
It’s always a mistake to line up Sierra Leone alongside well established democracies like Britain and the United States for many reasons. A principal one is that they operate under different cultures and traditions. Before the the start of European interference in Africa we had our own brand of democracy and everything worked very well through our chiefs. With Africa being the cradle of mankind we taught the world democracy. All Europeans and Americans have done is to refine the concept to suit their needs.
OUR CONCENTRATION SHOULD BE ON WHAT WE SHOULD DO FOR MOTHER SIERRA LEONE WHEREVER WE HAPPEN TO BE and whenever we happen to be and let others manage their affairs as they see fit. Thanks to the internet, and hence social media, Sierra Leoneans can now fully participate in the political life of their country. Once a Sierra Leonean always a Sierra Leonean. We are not Europeans, we are Sierra Leoneans, we can set our own effective standards with the right frame of mind. That’s what Rwanda is doing under Paul Kagame who gets incensed when Europeans try to tell him what to do.
When a brilliant educated person speaks, you will immediately find yourself in the middle of knowledge, thank you so much Mr. Kanyako for your well said. If we all agree come together and show the real love to our beloved country Sierra Leone, give hands and supports to our leaders, trust me Sierra Leone will become a better place for it’s Citizens. Again, this is the first time for me to read your wonderful comment in this noble platform. Bless you forever.
To my guess, I believe the author of this article lives in the diaspora. And if he is, I am asking him to please write comments on countries like the USA, Britain etc and tell Sierra Leoneans that the current leaders/governments of these countries are 100% in line with their campaign promises. Because I know non of these so called first world countries has never in history live up to a 100% campaign promises. So why do some Sierra Leoneans are expecting Bio’s government to be 100% in delivering his campaign promises.
Some of Bio’s promise are long term not short term. So let give him the time, support and chance to run his government. I think he is doing a great job and there is a prospect of Sierra Leone moving in the right direction. As the saying goes ” Rome was not built in a day”. Most of us know the statute of Sierra Leone even Bio took power, so please I advice to be patient. Patient dog eat the fattest bone as the saying does. Love Sierra Leone and wish better to come regardless of who is in governance.
Many thanks to the author of the article. It’s never too soon to start the debate as to whether or not Maada Bio deserves a second term. A debate started early could cover every strand of the issue at hand for an informed decision to be made. Modern technology has indeed made it possible for everybody to participate in a debate without the need to be physically present. This must be most worrying element for President Bio, a far cry from the Siaka Stevens era. APC were the most recent casualty of cyberspace in the 2018 elections; they found themselves on the floor without knowing how they got there – they’re still groggy.
Maada Bio knows that his political career is in trouble and he has limited time to regain control of his administration, surrounded as he is by selfish and self-centred so-called advisers, whose preoccupation is thievery and daydreaming. The incapacitation of the administration is further enhanced by Bio’s seemingly lack of common sense and a domineering wife who is dexterous in turning the administration to a personal mint as the article correctly points out.
With the record of the two major parties (SLPP and APC) carrying not much distinction when either of them is in office,Sierra Leoneans may at last decide to usher in a new dawn in 2023 by giving the presidency to NGC or a coalition of smaller parties. Maada Bio has shown nothing of his military background in leading the nation. How did he get into the army? What was his specific training?
We don’t need to ask questions about his second term success, this is well clear to every voters in the country that, this gentle charismatic former military man, also a father of democracy that followed the foot step of the late, Malian president H.E. Amadou Toumani Toure. Folks, we can’t wait to see the another loser in 2023. In 1996, the whole world witnessed Bio’s actions after removing his former Bos, because of he wants becomes another APC dictator, was not that good for the country?. My fellow Sierra Leoneans; let’s be grateful or else God will punish us. If someone asks me on this noble platform, about the Bio’s eligibility for second term my answer is” he deserved more than second” period. Folks; after APC did what they think is right in 2015, my noble readers in this platform, Bio is the next president to 2028, by the power of God.
We are not dums to go outside the street and demonstrate to get kill by arrogant, I valued my life because there is no used one for sale, we will continue to revenge in the ballot box. Let them continue to use all indecent and vulgar languages on Bio, have you ever see him talking? is the best way a leader should be.
It just seems to me like people don’t have an agenda, they don’t have a campaign message either not at all, otherwise a party that ruled the country for over 26 years, was fortunate to come back and ruled for another 11 years; people let us advice APC to take the real campaign message to the voters, stop insulting Bio. He is not a manipulator and will never manipulates to win election, the country people loved him I think only you. May God bless my country Sierra Leone.
Unanimously!!! Life will be unpredictable if we fail to change our ways of thinking and putting the right leaders on the right place. I believe no one needs to be told of whom, he/she needs to vote for, come 2023 the ballot box will speak for it self whether we remain the same or go for changes.
#PRAGMATIC IBRAHIM
Kutubu is bravely honest to present just the facts but nothing but the facts. A regime that built its foundations for fighting corruption are themselves pathological politically corrupt desperate connies. You will get your political health bill in 2023.
Well the jury is still out on Bio’s record . His first term has been if anything, rather something full of mishaps, a run away inflation, a devaluation of the Leone, economic targets missed by wide mergine, standard of living down ,corrupt public officials have never had it so good. Foreign direct investment, compared to country’s , like Ghana that is more attractive to investors , due to a resilient climate of stability, and a sense of security. A leadership that knows exactly which economic levers to pull to sprung ecomomic growth. The recent choice of behemoths like Twitter to choose Accra to based their operating headquarters in the west African region , to the fury of Nigeria, one of Africas technological hubs is a case in point. Yes the free education flag ship is welcomed. A country can’t develop with out educating its young. And lack of education will make it harder for wannabe foreign investors to train the youths. Which will also impact economic growth.
The questions peoples have to ask themselves, are they better of today, than five years ago? Bio spent two years coming to terms with being elected as the president. He pursed Dr Bylden and Rt. Major Poalo Conteh, in court cases he knew is fruitless exircise. Wasting much needed public funds, and there by undermining the security of the state. Those two years, were a wasted opportunity to attract foreign direct investment. Because foreign investors are looking at the new President and his government, from the lens of lets wait and see if he had sound economic policies. Like tackling corruption, and creating a climate of security. Instead Bio blew that chance by going on national television and selling Sierra Leone as a terrorist state. And his government is locked in a deadly fight with opponents that wants to make Sierra Leone ungovernable. The consequences of that statement, is still hunting us. And when you add covid19, due no fault of his own, but could have been handled better, we are swimming in real choppy economic waters.
Yes. He deserves more than twice the term. He is working hard to make things improve for the average people in the country. Education has and is increasing high in the country. With education everyone can work either for his or her family and the country without any problems. Base your ideas on Educational challenges he has made us see and working with.
We need our brother to help us shape the country for betterment.
The man whose cronies don’t even deserve the first term least you talk about second. Harvard got almost nothing to give us for development. The APC was corrupt but these blokes are not only corrupt but overzealous in it. Wasteful and hate politics abound.
So sad to hear from people parasitising the country because of mere greed from a country that is already with a battered economy. We all know what is happening and the Sierra Leone people will surely decide come 2023. You can fool some people some time but you can never fool all the people all the time.
Another five years of this paopa administration is unthinkable and undeserving. Free education is not new in Sierra Leone. Yes Bio has extended it to secondary school. However, this program was rolled out in haste for propaganda reasons and it is still lacking in transparency, coherence and holistic approach. The quality of teaching is still poor, classes are overcrowded, books and uniforms are problems for parents, teachers moral are low as they still struggle to get their pay ,which is far below inflation while politicians and political appointees are getting thousands of dollars. Further, free education is not a quality education and this government should recognise this fact and come up with a radical program to prepare our children with the skills necessary for the fact changing technology. Education doesn’t create jobs. One may have all the degrees but cannot secure a job in Sierra Leone.
The political structure in Sierra Leone is still base on primitive party political and tribal allegiances which control access to who gets jobs or who gets an appointment. These have presented a historical obstacles to progress. The so called new direction promised to change the country’s fortunes but they have done worse, added to the perennial issues ,such as corruption, that have crippled our economy. A prudent economic management is woefully lacking under this government. Transparency and accountability– key requirements for good governance are lacking. Equalising the distribution of resources is lacking. The calibre of a leader and confidence in the political leadership to create stability and enabling environment are factors, we have in countries like Ghana,Rwanda and others. That is why these countries are progressing. For instance while every heads of state have returned home after delivering their speech at the UNGA meeting, president Bio remains in the USA seeking inconsequential photo opportunity with IMF officials and the John F Kennedy Library, while the president of Ghana, Nana Koffi-Addo was welcomed by the vice president of America—-Kamala Harris. Both leaders held a press conference where Kamala Harris assured the Ghanian president of stronger bilateral relations and support.
Corruption is worse now under this government than I have known. The economy is in a worst state now than when Bio came to power ,with his promised to improve on the economy and make life better for the people. These will be the two major election issues that will determined the election of the next government. And it is my honest judgement that Bio has palpably failed to deliver. Another 5 years will mean an extention of incompetence, unbridled corruption ,waste and hardship. Five years is a long time to make a change but if a president could not achieve that, he doesn’t deserve another election victory. Trump was thrown out after he served his four years term, even when he did well with the economy, because of his unpresidential and divisive policies that threatened Americas long settled democracy. John Mahama of Ghana lost his second term bid . He blamed his defeat on the advice the sycophants he surrounded himself with. Malawi president lost his second term bid because of rampant corruption and poverty. Zambia president lost his second term bid because of corruption and poverty. Sierra Leone, it’s your choice next.