Sierra Leone Telegraph: 24 September 2021:
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, spoke at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, about the progress his government has made in improving the democratic space, governance, and prosperity of the people of Sierra Leone.
In what many of his critics have described as a speech cut out of a textbook written by his Foreign Affairs Minister – former Bradford University peace studies lecturer Professor David Francis, president Bio spoke about ‘justice for all’.
“Building resilient and inclusive post-COVID societies involves increasing access to justice in a safe and secure society. In Sierra Leone, we have expanded legal aid services to poor and under-served persons and established special courts to fast-track cases for sexual offences, social security, corruption, and small claims among others,” he said.
But questions are being asked about his role in covering up the killings of innocent civilians in Makeni, Tombo and Pademba Road prison where dozens of people were shot dead by his security forces in cold blood with impunity. To date, no one has been brought to justice as families of those killed continue to suffer in silence.
“President Bio has got blood on his hands,” a relative of one of those killed in Makeni told the Sierra Leone Telegraph.
Read the full statement delivered by President Bio at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly:
Statement delivered by HE President Maada Bio UNGA 76th Session Wednesday September 22 2021
President Bio is not the one that killed ok. Most of Sierra Leonean youths are illetrate, how can someone just command the youths to stand against a rulling government by his name so called Adebayoh in Holland, using abusive words to our elders in the country which is very bad according to our culture in Sierra Leone. People’s supporting him just to tarnish the government and we are all government. I just think after the elections we just need to come together and build our country because if a citting president fails we all failed as a nation. People in Sierra Leone need to be law abiding because any country has his or her own laws.
This is the twenty first century it’s awareness time, the people of Sierra Leone need to fucus now and think the country first, president Bio is a good leader we need to support him and his flagship program. He has brought us free quality education and we need to embrace it. I would have come a drop out in School, 2013 I was about to recite my West Africa Senior Secondary School Examination wherein late Minkailu Bah formal minister of education said no reciter.
If you want to take WASSSCE again except you go for private WASSSCE just for them to make money in order to enrich themselves and their children while we continue to be uneducated and poorer. Bravo president Bio, continue the good work for your country as you are the only president that have took oaths for your country more than one, most of we know that you have the country at heart.
My fellow Sierra Leoneans, let us practice to run a clean campaign as the the 2023 election approaching slowly. If at all the APC party believed and have confidence that, in their tenure of 11 consecutive long in the state house, let them run with that legacy the voters will decide at the end of the day. All governments committed crimes not only Sierra Leone globally it happens. No one will be happy to loss love one naturally, let alone from a person you are not expecting. The families of the victims we always sympathizing with them, I wish they try to heal their pains one day. If this is the only campaign they’re taking to the voters, well it seems to me like they get nothing to campaign with, sorry to say that.
“Former Chief of Defense Staff Samuel Omar Williams was shot dead inside his home in Devil Hole village near the capital Freetown early Thursday morning”, it takes a several hours before the LEOs arrived at the scene, up to date what happen to the case? this man had sacrificed all his life defending this country. As I always said; do not challenge gov’t, and neither the gov’t to challenge the creator. Hey, each and everyone will be responsible for his accountability book tomorrow before God.
The President, H.E. DR. BREG. J.M. Bio is an academic, well educated man. Let’s reassure that all heads of governments around the globe have a “speech writer”. We can take an example from the Europeans white colors like Great Britain and USA, these leaders have only one language in common. They were born English and taught us English, but they still have their speech writers. Nothing went wrong with President Bio to have a speech writer period. Stop reminding people with their pains saying” President Bio has blood in his hands” folks, that’s not the real message. The same mistake Dr. Samura Kamara blundered with during 2018 presidential debate, when asked; who’s to be blame for the collapsed of the economy? his answer was” the gov’t”, forgotten that he is part of the mess!. See you next time.
Yes presidents do hire speech writers. As a presidential speech writer, you have to know the character, and the beliefs of the individual. Bio’s speech writers should be commended for not only being able to master his flip flopping messaging language , and timid mind set, but to able to crystallised his ideas until they get litigated in to pages, and finally dilivered to his targeted audiences. In the public space, is one thing for politicians to give a stump speech to their supporters, and a public speech designed for the wider world. Bio have mastered both. If we listen to Bio’s speech at Havrad University on leadership, one can’t help but think he was in his elements. In one part of his speech, talking about leadership, and how we should be on our guard, against leaders that want to change their constitution, and undermining democracy, it was the closest thing that Bio have come to given the tumbs up for the removal of Alpha Conde. Same with the speech he gave to the annual gathering of the 76th session of the United Nations General assembly.
But what was missing in that speech was its authenticity. Anything the president said in those two speeches were designed for his targeted audiences. And Bio never fail to disappoint. If we really want know how Bio sees the world, his beilefs, should be summed up as winners take all. which should act as a reference guide for his speech writers. The speech he gave back in May /June 2020,after the shooting of unarmed prisoners at Pademba Road prison, and the Tumbo and Lunsar riots, because people were expressing the slow pace of economics change, under his leadership,what sort of Bio is in the frame. And what are we looking at. The most grotesque speeches gave by a sitting president was dilivered by Bio. No apologies, or promise of investigation to state murder, but warning his political opponents, he referred to as terrorist to be mindful of their actions. That is the real Bio. Not the new coddley teddy Bio Bear.
Mr Parker, with all due respect, it is a big deal that our President is able to think for himself and articulate his thoughts without resorting to voicing the ideas of an intellectual master, presumably the wielder of real power, that is, the power behind the throne.
I don’t really know what’s the deal with so-called critics. Every conventional presidency around the world has speech writers. What is disingenuous about a speech written or influenced by Professor Francis, one of the bright minds Sierra Leone has produced?