Messeh Leone
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 30 September 2015
Disgracefully, Ernest Koroma’s first and worst mistake in delivering that speech at the UN, was to spend time praising other world leaders, whilst ignoring the efforts of his people fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone.
He failed to start his speech with the Ebola crisis that has killed thousands in Sierra Leone. And he went through several paragraphs before mentioning Ebola – albeit vaguely.
He failed to pay tribute to our fallen heroes and heroines – courageous citizens, including medical personal who lost their lives fighting Ebola.
The Ebola crisis should have been the very first words to come from his mouth: ” I am affected by Ebola”. Shamefully, Ernest Koroma’s speech was all about rhetoric and propaganda about his cosmetic achievements.
He ignored Sierra Leone, and mainly spoke about issues affecting other countries. Other leaders use the United Nations’ podium to speak about the issues affecting their nations, but Ernest Koroma was there talking about irrelevant issues.
The rest of the speech was a shopping list of issues that are of little relevance to the people of Sierra Leone. There were no quotable quotes, nothing to take from the speech, no central idea to think over, nothing to grapple with.
It quickly became boring watching a president, ravelled and nervous to speak. Speeches are not just shopping list of demands, there must be a key message, an ideology that the public can take away.
Even the old man Robert Mugabe, and Muhammadu Buhari were widely quoted in the media, but there was nothing to quote from Ernest Koroma’s speech.
However, there was to his credit, some lines on Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), somehow connected especially that Sierra Leone failed in many ways to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ( MDGs).
But again, Ernest Koroma was not effective in delivering the core issues and important areas were left out.
As far as I humbly know, the UNGA attended by world leaders, is supposed to focus essentially on the state or condition of the nation and thus enable the president to outline his agenda and priorities for the country.
But Ernest Koroma’s speech was the most boring and the most useless. There was no thematic content, no idea unifying what he was saying, no quality in delivery, no attempt to speak to the world outside the United Nations hall, no plan for the future and no sign he is prepared to learn from his mistakes and take some serious lessons from Barrack Obama’s excellent speech, undressing dictatorship and the famous supreme executive authority.
The failure to communicate challenges facing Sierra Leoneans wasn’t just a technical or presentational fault – it was a failure of ambition to bring change to Sierra Leone.
It shows Ernest Koroma is not among the most serious of leaders in the world. The speech was for his misguided people alone.
He spoke about equality between large and small countries in the UN , but he fell short of walking that talk and demonstrate that leaders from small countries too can and must make a change.
The UN address may allow the president to highlight his propaganda achievements, but definitely not to ignore the burning issues affecting poor Sierra Leoneans.
Ernest Koroma was more interested in speaking about and advocating for other countries, while Sierra Leone continues to languish in the bottom of the international development index, amid rampant corruption and injustice.
It was all about ego and making himself look good in the international community, at the expense of Sierra Leone.
The United Nations is not a place for cheap politics. Neither is it intended for the delivery of campaign speeches to satisfy the selfish interests of praise singers dancing in “red APC debul” outfits who have travelled as part of the 50 wasteful holidaymakers – tagged UN delegates backed by a few jobless and homeless APC fanatics in America.
They are reportedly paid and booked in luxurious hotels to enable them participate in the pro-APC rally. This is downright ironic, because Ernest Koroma is not in America to satisfy the selfish interests of misguided APC fanatics.
Ernest Koroma’s address to the United Nations, as well as his speeches in Sierra Leone, were based purely on his illusionary accomplishments, while his misguided bigots are tirelessly fighting and insulting concerned citizens who they foolishly tagged “The Opposition”.
The speech represent the type of leader and followers of the leader whose education is not paramount. It is a sad day for Sierra Leoneans to witness this monumental disgrace, for our leader not to recognize the pain and suffering of our people during the Ebola crisis and all the atrocities that took place in Sierra Leone.
For a Leader to bring 50 entourage from the poorest country in the world where most children are unable to go to school because their parents cannot afford school fees, that says a whole lot about the man. May God bless us with a good leader.
May Sierra Leone be blessed with a good leader.
I agree that Ernest Koroma’s speech was disappointing and wishy – washy. I listened to it and for the first 15 minutes, he did not once refer to anything important. In fact, I was bored and restless listening to the speech.
Compare him to nonagenarian Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
I was gripped by Mugabe’s speech from beginning to end. It was well written, punchy and he spoke like a world statesman.
I particularly like the fact that he continually spoke about the economic empowerment of Africa.
I learnt a few things as well – like the 10 year development plan agreed by the African Union.
The plan involves creation of free trade within Africa; creation of an Africa centre for disease control; a single aviation market within Africa; development of a Pan African e – network; a high speed train network with Africa and Gender Equality.
We in Sierra Leone have a major issue with gender equality. Hannah, a young girl in her prime was killed so brutally, young children are being raped mercilessly.
Ernest Koroma could have spoken about this and it would have gripped the world.
As the writer wrote, he could have elaborated on where Sierra Leone is on the fight against Ebola. He should never ever tire of talking in detail about our fight against Ebola.
He wasted a good opportunity.
Dear Editor,
How could you allow such a disrespectful piece to be published. One thing to keep in mind, disagreeing with a Presidents policy is one thing, but writting baseless politically motivated insulting articles – helps no one.
Maybe if you had the clout to be invited to the UN, you would understand the format and who is being addressed. President Koromas’ speech was proper, sincere and touched on World issues, as this is the UN not parliament.
You talk about Mugabe!?! the ‘We are not gay’ comment, in the United States of all places. He made a fool of himself.
President Koroma is a humble man, and one of the few leaders who put the legacy of his country before his own… He leads this country, and prayer for God to give him strength is what he deserves.
Reading you work, reminds me of TMZ or the national enquirer. Have some respect.
What an insightful piece! It hits at the heart of the malaise that is ignoble Ernest Koroma.
Anyone who listened to his vacuous speech would weep for our dear country Sierra Leone. He would have been better off not making a speech at all….that would have saved us the embarrassment.
How did we get here as a nation to have elected a clueless clown to lead a country that is still recovering from the devastating effects of the civil war?
It beggars belief that his so called speech writers would come up with such a watery speech without anyone raising an eyebrow about its contents. Wasn’t Mr Koroma briefed before hand? Was he not privy to its content?
Vacuous, ignorant, ignoble, empty, backward, useless, moronic all very apt descriptors of President Ernest Koroma.
The man can barely speak, let alone engage in the deep thought which is required to tackle the many problems the nation of Sierra Leone faces.
And the fool delights in surrounding himself with fools whose only accomplishments are sycophancy and praise singing. Sad. Truly sad. What trouble Sierra Leone!