Alpha Amadu Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 February 2025:
For decades, Sierra Leone has been hailed by many as the “Athens of Africa,” a land of immense potential, rich heritage, and untapped promise. Yet beneath this illustrious veneer lies a bitter truth, a truth masked by sugar-coated promises and institutional deceit.
Sierra Leone, our beloved Mama Salone, is not the bastion of enlightenment and progress that it is made out to be; it is, in reality, a nation enshrouded in a candy of lies.
Like in my book Monopoly of Happiness; Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance, I seek to unveil the social imbalance and systemic deception that has plagued our nation since the 1800s, a deception so deep-rooted that Sierra Leoneans have grown to trust falsehoods over truth, and to accept the bitter taste of corruption as a part of our everyday lives.
Sierra Leone’s troubled narrative is not a recent development but a legacy dating back centuries. From colonial impositions to post-independence struggles, those in positions of power have continually manipulated the truth to suit their agendas.
In the 1800s, the custodians of power, be they colonial administrators or local elites, played God by shaping our nation’s destiny with a veneer of benevolence while secretly orchestrating policies that favoured their interests over those of the common people. These power brokers were entrusted with the nation’s future but instead wove a tapestry of lies that would come to define the Sierra Leonean experience.
The fabric of our institutions has been embroidered with deceit. In many ways, the promise of progress has been nothing more than a mirage, an illusion maintained by leaders who have mastered the art of sweet-talking their way into our hearts, only to betray us when their true colours are revealed. Over time, this betrayal has become institutionalized a relentless cycle of lies, disappointment, and the systematic erosion of trust in our leaders.
Every corner of Sierra Leone tells a story of dashed hopes and broken promises. The nation that some celebrate as a pearl of Africa, a land endowed with natural beauty, abundant resources, and a resilient spirit, has, in practice, become a playground for deceit.
We are constantly being bombarded with narratives that paint our country as a land of boundless wealth and opportunity, yet on the ground, too many Sierra Leoneans live in abject poverty, their potential squandered by a system that values empty rhetoric over tangible progress.
Consider this: everywhere you turn, from local government offices to national institutions, there exists an undercurrent of deception. The leaders, who should be the stewards of our collective future, continue to peddle false promises as if we were children awaiting a gift from a mythical Father Christmas, a fable that serves only to pacify our critical minds and divert us from the harsh realities of systemic neglect and mismanagement.
Our nation’s institutions, once envisioned as pillars of progress and justice have, in many cases, become complicit in the grand masquerade of falsehoods. Each institution, be it political, judicial, or administrative, harbours its own set of “moles” individuals who undermine the system not to dismantle it, but to sustain and propagate the web of lies that keeps us subservient. These agents of deceit ensure that the truth remains buried under layers of bureaucratic obfuscation, feeding the populace a steady diet of misinformation.
This deliberate manipulation has far-reaching consequences. When trust in the institutions of governance falters, so too does the citizenry’s belief in the very ideals that should unite us. The result is a fractured society where cynicism reigns, and every promise of reform is viewed with suspicion.
Sierra Leone has become a nation where hope is not nurtured by truth but by the artful lies of those who see themselves as above the rest.
What does it mean for a nation to be wrapped in a candy of lies? It means that the veneer of prosperity is so carefully constructed that it distracts from the deep-seated inequalities that persist in every sector of society.
Sierra Leone, often lauded for its rich cultural heritage and natural splendour, is also a land where wealth is unequally distributed and the poorest of the poor are left to bear the brunt of leadership failures.
This dissonance between perception and reality is stark. We are told that Sierra Leone is a “land that we love” and that it is destined to be the pearl of Africa. Yet, when we examine the everyday struggles of the common man, we see a different narrative, one of economic disparity, social injustice, and a leadership that has, time and again, sold our God-given rights for mere pennies. The grand promises of national unity and progress ring hollow when they are juxtaposed against the daily hardships faced by our citizens.
Perhaps the most insidious effect of this chronic deceit is the erosion of trust, trust not only in our leaders but in our ability as a people to demand and effect change. When leaders continuously lie and manipulate, they condition the public to accept deceit as the norm. In such an environment, the truth becomes an anomaly, a rare commodity that is overshadowed by a relentless stream of half-truths and outright falsehoods.
The analogy is all too apt: our leaders speak to us as if we were naive children, easily placated with the promise of a fantastical reward that never materializes. Like kids waiting for a gift from a fictional figure, Sierra Leoneans have been led to believe in a dream that is as sweet as candy yet ultimately empty, a dream that distracts us from the real work of demanding accountability and justice.
The price we pay for this systemic dishonesty is steep. With every lie, the gap between the haves and have-nots widens. Our nation, blessed with abundant natural resources and a vibrant cultural mosaic, remains mired in poverty and disenfranchisement because those in power prioritize personal gain over collective welfare.
The repeated betrayal of public trust has left many questioning: Do we truly love Sierra Leone? Are we being honest about the future of our nation, or are we complicit in perpetuating a cycle of despair and exploitation?
It is a shame that in a land as rich as ours, we have become enemies to ourselves sacrificing our rights and our dignity for the crumbs of false promises. Our families, our communities, and our national identity are slowly being eroded by leaders who see us not as citizens deserving of respect and opportunity, but as tools to be manipulated for their own enrichment.
Sierra Leone is a paradox, a land that should be a haven of abundance and prosperity but is instead shackled by a legacy of deceit. We possess everything under the sun that could elevate us to greatness: fertile lands, mineral wealth, a resilient spirit, and a deep cultural heritage. Yet, these blessings are squandered in the labyrinth of corruption and dishonesty.
It is a cruel irony that while the world marvels at our natural beauty and potential, many of our fellow Sierra Leoneans are left to struggle in poverty. The global image of Sierra Leone as a land of riches is in stark contrast to the lived reality of its people. This disconnect is a direct result of a leadership that has consistently sold out our future for short-term gains, turning a nation of promise into a candy-wrapped façade that conceals an unpleasant truth.
At this critical juncture, it is imperative that we, as Sierra Leoneans, confront the painful reality of our social imbalance and demand accountability from our leaders. The time has come to peel away the candy wrapper of lies and expose the bitter core of corruption that has long held our nation hostage. We must stop accepting sweet-talking deceptions as a substitute for genuine progress and begin to build institutions based on transparency, justice, and truth.
This transformation will not be easy. It requires a collective awakening, a realization that the future of Sierra Leone lies in the hands of its people, not in the manipulative grasp of those who have repeatedly betrayed our trust.
We must reclaim our rights, our dignity, and our destiny by insisting on policies that uplift the many rather than the few. It is only through relentless vigilance and an unwavering commitment to truth that we can hope to create a nation where the promise of a better tomorrow is not just a confectionery fantasy, but a living, breathing reality.
The journey toward reclaiming Sierra Leone’s true potential begins with each one of us. We must reject the notion that we are destined to be passive recipients of false promises. Instead, we must engage in the political process, demand transparency, and hold our leaders accountable for their actions.
Let us not be swayed by the sweet allure of empty rhetoric but instead cultivate a discerning eye that sees through the façade of deceit.
Education, civic engagement, and an unyielding commitment to the truth are our most potent weapons in this fight. By arming ourselves with knowledge and a clear understanding of our rights, we can begin to dismantle the web of lies that has ensnared our society for so long. Each conversation, each act of resistance, and each call for justice is a step toward liberating Sierra Leone from the clutches of corruption and deceit.
Imagine a Sierra Leone where leadership is synonymous with integrity, where institutions are built on the foundations of truth and accountability, and where every citizen, rich or poor, has the opportunity to thrive.
This is not a mere utopian dream; it is a vision of a nation that is truly worthy of being called the pearl of Africa. In such a Sierra Leone, our abundant natural resources would be harnessed for the common good, our cultural heritage would be celebrated as a source of unity, and our collective future would be guided by principles of justice and equality.
To achieve this vision, we must first confront the uncomfortable truth: our nation is wrapped in a candy of lies, and it is time to unwrap it. We must acknowledge the past, understand the present, and, most importantly, commit to a future where honesty and transparency prevail. The road ahead will be challenging, but the promise of a truly prosperous and equitable Sierra Leone is worth every effort.
The bitter irony of our situation is that while Sierra Leone is celebrated on the global stage as a land of beauty and potential, its people are trapped in a cycle of deceit and exploitation. The institutions we once believed would usher in an era of progress have instead become the breeding grounds of corruption, leaving our nation with a legacy of unfulfilled promises and widespread disillusionment.
But hope is not lost. The power to change the narrative lies within us, the citizens of Sierra Leone. By demanding accountability, nurturing our collective resolve, and insisting on a future built on truth, we can begin to dismantle the system of lies that has long undermined our society. We must stop treating our nation as a mere object of adoration from afar and start engaging with it in a way that honours our rights, our heritage, and our dreams.
Sierra Leone, my brothers and sisters, is indeed a pearl, a treasure that the world is eager to possess. Yet, if we continue to allow ourselves to be manipulated by sweet lies, we risk turning that pearl into nothing more than a decorative shell, admired for its surface beauty but hollow at its core. Let us rise above the deception and commit ourselves to a future where truth, justice, and genuine progress are not just lofty ideals, but the very foundation of our society.
It is time to cast off the candy wrapper of lies and reveal the true, unblemished heart of Sierra Leone. Only then can we build a nation that truly lives up to its potential, a nation where every citizen can bask in the light of honesty, equality, and lasting prosperity. The destiny of Sierra Leone is in our hands; let us shape it with the clarity of truth and the unwavering strength of unity.
In exposing these harsh truths, we do not seek to tear down our beloved Mama Salone, but rather to reconstruct it on a foundation that honours both our history and our future. The call for change is loud and clear: let us end the era of deception and usher in a new chapter of transparency, accountability, and genuine progress. Our nation deserves nothing less.
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