Alpha Amadu Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 December 2024:
Sierra Leone stands on the precipice of despair, its people gasping for breath under the weight of a system built on lies, corruption, and gross mismanagement.
President Julius Maada Bio and his government, along with a complicit international community, have treated Sierra Leoneans with profound disregard, undermining the fabric of a nation already fragile from decades of hardship.
From the unemployed youth to the struggling families eking out a living, life in Sierra Leone has become unbearable. The once vibrant hope for a better future has been extinguished, replaced by a stark reality where survival itself feels like a daily burden.
A nation blessed with abundant natural resources is drowning in poverty, inequality, and systemic oppression, thanks to a leadership that has prioritized self-enrichment over public welfare.
The Bio administration came to power promising a new dawn for Sierra Leone. Instead, it has ushered in an era defined by lies and broken promises. The much-heralded “New Direction” has veered off course, leading the country into a quagmire of economic decline, political oppression, and social decay.
Job creation, one of Bio’s flagship campaign promises, remains a mirage for millions of Sierra Leoneans. Youth unemployment has soared to alarming levels, leaving a generation disillusioned and vulnerable to exploitation. The few opportunities that exist are often reserved for those with political connections or the financial means to buy their way in.
Meanwhile, the cost of living has skyrocketed, rendering basic necessities unaffordable for the average citizen.
Amid this crisis, the president and his inner circle continue to flaunt their wealth, jetting off to international conferences and galas while the nation crumbles. The “Big Five” initiatives touted by the government have largely failed to materialize, becoming symbols of empty rhetoric rather than meaningful reform.
Perhaps the most egregious aspect of Bio’s rule is the transformation of Sierra Leone into a de facto police state.
The Sierra Leone Police Force, once tasked with protecting citizens, has become an instrument of repression, shielding the president and his allies from accountability while silencing dissent.
Peaceful protesters are met with violence, and activists who dare to speak truth to power are intimidated, arrested, or worse. The police have flouted every basic human right, trampling on the freedoms of assembly, speech, and expression that are the cornerstones of any democracy.
In Sierra Leone today, to criticize the government is to invite danger, a chilling reality that has left citizens fearful and voiceless.
This climate of fear extends to the media, which has been muzzled under the guise of national security. Journalists face constant harassment, with many resorting to self-censorship to avoid retribution.
The once vibrant press that held leaders accountable is now a shadow of its former self, reduced to parroting government propaganda or risking closure.
The unchecked power of the Bio family has further eroded public trust in the government. Relatives of the president operate with impunity, amassing wealth and influence while ordinary Sierra Leoneans struggle to make ends meet.
Corruption has permeated every level of government, with scandals routinely swept under the rug to protect those in power.
This culture of impunity has bred resentment among the populace, who see no recourse for justice in a system rigged against them. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), ostensibly established to root out graft, has become a toothless entity, unwilling or unable to confront the excesses of the ruling elite.
The international community, which should serve as a watchdog for democratic values, has been complicit in Sierra Leone’s decline.
By turning a blind eye to human rights abuses and governance failures, global actors have enabled Bio’s authoritarian tendencies.
Recent accolades and awards bestowed upon the president, ostensibly for exemplary leadership, mock the struggles of Sierra Leoneans who live under the weight of his misrule. These gestures, whether driven by strategic interests or misplaced priorities, only serve to embolden a regime that thrives on deception and repression.
For the average Sierra Leonean, life has become an unrelenting struggle. Access to basic services like healthcare, education, and clean water remains elusive, particularly in rural areas.
The healthcare system is in shambles, with underfunded hospitals and clinics unable to meet the needs of a growing population.
The education sector fares no better, plagued by inadequate resources and a lack of qualified teachers.
In this context, the burden of survival falls squarely on the shoulders of the people. Mothers watch their children succumb to preventable diseases, fathers toil endlessly for meager wages, and young people abandon their dreams in the face of insurmountable odds.
Under Bio’s rule, Sierra Leone’s democratic institutions have been hollowed out, reduced to mere formalities in a system where power is concentrated in the hands of a few.
The judiciary, once a pillar of justice, now bends to the will of the executive, undermining the rule of law.
Elections, the cornerstone of democracy, have become exercises in manipulation, with opposition parties and their supporters facing intimidation and violence.
Sierra Leone cannot afford to continue on this trajectory.
The country’s survival depends on a collective effort to reclaim its democracy and demand accountability from those in power. This requires the courage to speak out against injustice, even in the face of intimidation, and the resolve to build a nation that prioritizes the welfare of its citizens over the interests of a privileged few.
The international community must also reevaluate its engagement with Sierra Leone, moving beyond symbolic gestures to demand genuine reforms.
Aid and investment should be tied to measurable progress in governance, human rights, and economic development, ensuring that the benefits reach the people rather than the pockets of the elite.
Despite the bleak reality, the resilience of Sierra Leoneans offers a glimmer of hope. The same spirit that saw the nation through a brutal civil war and the Ebola epidemic can be harnessed to overcome the challenges of today.
Grassroots movements, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens have a crucial role to play in holding the government accountable and pushing for change. By working together, Sierra Leoneans can build a future where the rights and dignity of every individual are respected, and where the nation’s vast potential is finally realized.
Sierra Leone is indeed a drowning nation, but it is not beyond saving. The path to recovery will be arduous, requiring honest leadership, active citizen participation, and unwavering commitment to the principles of democracy and justice.
President Bio and his government must recognize that their legacy will be defined not by the awards and accolades they collect abroad, but by the lives they improve at home. Until that realization takes hold, the people of Sierra Leone will continue to bear the heavy burden of survival in a nation that has failed them.
About the author
Alpha Amadu Jalloh is a writer and social commentator focusing on governance, human rights, and societal development in Sierra Leone.
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