Chernor Maju Bah (MP): Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 November 2019:
On Thursday, November 7th, 2019, President Bio shocked the nation with a cabinet reshuffle that comes across to many as insensitive and needless.
One of his cardinal campaign messages was that, within one year, his government will turn around the economy which he described as ‘battered and the worse in Sierra Leone’s history’.
President Bio (Photo), persistently accused the erstwhile APC government of running a bloated cabinet and wastage.
But almost two years on, Sierra Leoneans have experienced economic hardship never before seen.
Inflation has only hyper galloped with prices of basic commodities increasingly becoming unaffordable.
Everyone agrees that this President Bio led government has in all accounts, failed to sustain the growth they inherited from the APC, let alone improve on it.
The biggest disappointment has been the government’s very poor management of the economy.
Report after report, including the MCC, has pointed to this fact that the government’s economic management has been disastrous.
Therefore, the public expectation is that after almost two years of trying the same failed policies, it’s about time this government changed course.
But what we have seen is a dogged continuation on the wrong direction, as demonstrated in this most disappointing cabinet reshuffle which doesn’t even align with the president’s own avowed development priorities. (Photo: Chernor Bah).
How can you run such a sham economy, yet you are adding undue pressure on the budget by creating new ministries, appointing more deputy ministers and keeping the same old non- performing ones!
And on the newly announced embassy in Turkey, even the current embassies, consulates and missions are not well resourced, yet a new embassy has been opened under such difficult circumstances; the timing is just simply wrong.
It’s also a shame that this cabinet reshuffle ignored the gaping need for more inclusion of women in cabinet, which from the outset has been a serious deficiency in this government.
I think that this cabinet reshuffle is a deliberate denial of the suffering and aspirations of the general public.
It clearly shows that the establishment doesn’t care about how the electorates feel. This is a totally insensitive and unnecessary cabinet reshuffle.
About the author
Chernor Maju Bah is the Parliamentary Leader of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party in Sierra Leone.
Well,anyone with a good sense of judgement would have clearly seen,as I did,since day one, that this New Direction vehicle was on a collusion course,that was bound to lead to outright failure,and disaster. Not surprised at all! Indeed every criticism, I have made about this inept government,has been right on the money! Plain,and simple,they are a bunch of masqueraders dressed in robes of hopeless Incompetence.
Again,what do you expect when the President lacks the intelligence, maturity,and confidence that true leadership demands? His attitude of depending,and leaning on disingenuous,self conceited men like Francis and Saffa for support, like an injured man on crutches is truly disheartening.
All the decisions this President has made so far are shockingly wrong, poor, I’ll advised, and not properly thought through – the Free Quality Education is one of them. And his decision,to lawlessly disregard an international Court order to restore the mining rights of SL Mining, has already tarnished the image of our country abroad. A lawless nation,with arrogant leaders like Kaifala that brushes aside the Rule of Law,humiliates,and tramples on the rights of citizens,is what this President is intent on creating,and its quite clear he is going all out to achieve those aims.
Yep,they are going all out,using rampant tribalism,favoritism,and tactics of marginalisation,to tighten their grips on power. – they going all out to discredit and delegitimize the opposition and its leaders in the eyes of the world. My goodness! Why would anyone in their right minds increase the size of an already bloated government budget by creating new, unnecessary positions, and appointing more ministers into public offices? Inadequacy? No something far worse than that – Amateurishness!
Priorities are not in order! Unlike the days of the APC when everyone could get a piece of the national cake, no matter how small it was, things are quite different now – anyone, even little kids will tell you that the New Direction is a ship, loaded with Goodies, heading strictly towards the South….Rising Sun Will Rise Again.
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Please post the area name where you have a private agriculture farm, and state what you have established at least to help Sierra Leoneans across the country. Since you know the government is failing the people, what are your contributions towards the nation? Or are you criticising when you cannot contribute anything. Look for different things to say.
I have been impressed with the current main APC opposition party leadership in parliament for at least saying something (although most are not constructive criticism) as compared to the past SLPP opposition leadership that was perceived to receive brown envelopes from the current lifetime leadership and chairman of the APC, who was considered as the most corrupt leader in the world.
It took the APC party about 25 years before and after our country became a one party dictatorship plus another 10 years under the APC when our nation was rated as the poorest country in the world, most corrupt country in the world and the third hungriest country on the planet earth. In less than 2 years, Sierra Leone is now rated positively and on the path of the Right Direction – focusing on Agriculture , Environment and Human Capital development, especially children and gender. I hope and pray that the APC party will stay in opposition for the next 35 years.