Pastor Mohamed Sesay: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 5 September 2018:
The 2007 to 2017 reign of the All Peoples Congress Party (APC) can best be described as the mining revolution era in Sierra Leone. Minerals including iron ore, bauxite, gold and diamonds, were mined at record levels.
During this period, the likes of the late Moseray Fadika alias Gibril Bangura, and Frank Timis, were hailed as mining heroes.
Makeni, the closest city to the mining areas of Ferengbeya in the Tonkolili District and Lunsar in the Port Loko District, boomed with many of its people employed by the mining companies.
As a result of the economic boom in Makeni, many houses and public structures were built in short periods of time. The lifestyles of many people changed, and new businesses were established.
There was a slight boom in the national economy, but this quickly turned to burst.
But by and large the only thing that changed for those in the mining areas was the number of large craters left uncovered by the mining companies, who acted with impunity wherever they went.
These craters are an environmental disaster, and a nightmare for local people. They have become death traps for inhabitants.
Despite the large amounts of minerals exported out of the country, the average Sierra Leonean did not enjoy the resulting increase in GDP.
There was no change in the lives of the majority of people in the country, with the cost of living spiralling out of control for most Sierra Leoneans.
Moreover, despite the large tons of minerals exported by the Koroma led APC government, Sierra Leone was taken once again into very serious public debt, amounting to billions of dollars.
What was clear is that the export of minerals never translated into poverty alleviation across the country, as those in government lined their pockets and handbags with mineral wealth.
Critics of the Bio administration have been quick to forget the mining era of the APC, when shiploads of minerals left the country unchecked, with little benefit to the people of Sierra Leone.
President Bio has been in office for less than six months and within this period not a single shipload of minerals has left this country.
Not a single cent was paid to government either as corporate tax or royalty by mining companies, yet the national economy remains steady .
The nation is surviving more or less on revenue collected by the National Revenue Authority (NRA) from local taxpayers and businesses.
The Bio led government is working hard to pay salaries to civil servants, run vital public services and meet its other contractual obligations.
President Bio must be commended for his good stewardship in handling the economy of this country. Citizens are being assured that things will soon pick up and the economy will start to boom.
Sierra Leoneans this isn’t the time for Politics. Let us support the government of the day. If this government fails, it is we the People that have failed.
I was in Sierra Leone during the run-off elections. I was not happy to see Sierra Leoneans attacking each other in the name of Politics.
Will you tell me that the good roads, energy, etc, put in place by APC are only for APCers? The answer is big NO. During my short stay in the country, I traveled to Makeni and Bo Town to see relatives, and I was impressed with what I saw. In such situation, we the people should empower this administration to continue the good works done by the past administration other than wishing them bad. Such behaviour will reflect on us the populace.
The reason why this administration is not getting money from the iron ore mining, is that since the fall of iron ore prices in 2015 there has been no progress in terms of price increase. We should continue praying for the price to increase so that they will have money that will boost the economy.
During the APC Era the International Financial Institutions describe Sierra Leone as the fastest growing economy based on the price of the Iron Ore and other minerals in the country.
God bless Sierra Leone and let us put our hands on deck for a United Sierra Leone.
Dear Sierra Leone Telegraph,
It has come to my notice that another Abdulai Koroma is participating in this notable and democratic online newspaper concerning burning and important issues about our beloved country – Sierra Leone.
Friends, as you may observed, most of my contributions are non-partisan. In view to that I would like to add my middle name which is popular in Freetown that will distinguish both of the Abdulai Koromas in your forum.
I dont have the right and power to hinder the contributions coming from the other Abdulai Koroma. Friends, my great fear is, may be the contributions of the other Abdulai Koroma are Partisan and might not be my views or ideas. So it will do me great favour to use my middle name people know in Freetown.
I thank you for your cooperation and support
May God bless you my President for making us to see the true insight of what was going on with the past corrupt government.
At this juncture in our history, Sierra Leone needs leaders like president Bio. I often wondered why Sierra Leone continues to regress, while countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Botswana (another diamond rich country) are progressing in leaps and bounds.
In president Bio, I see a true patriot, with a vision and the foresight to tackle the rampant corruption in the country. I believe that he’s going to do his level best to narrow the inequality gap that separates the rich elites and the poor.
Sierra Leone needs good roads and expressways, a functioning health care system, a sound education system from kindergarten to college, with emphasis on technology and science. We need to develop our wind, solar aqua energies. We also need incinerators near the garbage dumps, that can turn the rubbish to renewable energy etc.
I know that all of the above needs funding, and right now, H.E the president is doing the best he can, with the proverbial, rubbing two pennies together. I know that in time he will succeed to put Sierra Leone on the right path again, the path that Sir Milton Margai, the first prime minister of Sierra Leone had envisioned for the country, before he passed away.
I just returned from Salone, I saw grudge, hate, planned revenge against one group and the other, bitterness, etc etc. A very small country where everyone knows each other. “2023 we sef go turn debt pan dem” one political party supporter told me. Why? God save mama salone.
Preso you are indeed a true leader, may Allah continues to bless you in all your good plans.
I am convinced that if President Bio continues with such ethics, our beloved country Sierra Leone will change for the better. He must set an example to all those that put that country into poverty. He must be a model to all Sierra Leoneans.
I have started liking him, as he is one of the graduates from USA. He knows what is in the super world powers – USA. We wanna come back and settled, if only our country is free from armed robbers and corrupt officials.
Good and hard working president.