Though the official campaign whistle for the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone which is slated on 17th November this year is not yet blown, the scenario at home and abroad is gradually becoming frenzy as both the ruling All People Congress (APC) led by the incumbent, President Ernest Bai Koroma, and the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) led by Ret. Brig. Julius Maada Bio, are striving to score political marks both locally and internationally. They are not only doing so by oral jokes, but also in writing and in persons. While the pro APC newspapers strive to discredit every little step taken by the opposition flag-bearer, constantly using his past history as a weapon against him, the pro SLPP news outlets are doing likewise. But this hasn’t gone any way long in changing facts and realities as most of the ordinary voters who were interviewed on the ground by Critique Echo, seemed to have already resolute their minds as to where their votes shall go in come November. Majority are expected though, as usual, to vote for identity instead of policy, but some seemed to greatly consider the following facts:
Also, road rehabilitation projects in the East and Southern provincial headquarter towns of Kenema and Bo is something to write home about. The rehabilitation of Mahei Boima and Dambala Roads in Bo, Simaila Street, Kombema Road, Kingsway Street in Kenema are positive developments in those parts of the country.
Since I was born and breastfed in Kenema, I can’t recall any time in history when such dreams became a reality. The one and only tarred road in the whole town was Blama road which is also called Hangha road after the clock tower.
The Kenema – Kailahun road via Shegbwema and Pendembu is also in progress though majority of the direct beneficiaries believed that the project was initiated by the erstwhile SLPP administration. What is clear however is that most of the youths interviewed by Critique Echo say they will consider those roads and streets during the poll.
Saturday, 31st March this year was labeled Loko declaration day for President Koroma. Many Loko’s in the Freetown Western Area, led by Dr. Richard Conteh and cohorts, gathered at Youyi Building compound to declare their support for President Koroma, a man that is orally disassociating himself with tribalism and regional segregation.
Dr. Richard Conteh, a known Loko man who acquired his PhD in Germany, had been living at the disporal for years and has no political basement in Sierra Leone. So the easiest way he can create one is by basing his campaign on tribal lines so that he can be able to secure a share of the already divided voter population. This development is not going down well with the typical Theme man and woman who earlier perceived the President to be his/her own Makeni brother. Some of them might not vote Maada Bio due to obvious reasons but they can do so for Kadie Sesay’s sake.
In addition to that, even though poor citizens are still queuing for public transports, there seemed to be a lot of buses plying diverse destinations including provincial headquarter towns. The only negative thing about those buses is that they are overcrowded with seats which make them uncomfortable for long distance travelers. I boarded them quite a few times during my stay in the country and they seemed to serve the purpose.
4) The banking system: cash is not flowing in the country as usual. There is acute shortage of cash at the central bank. Critique Echo saw the anguished face of a disappointed contractor after the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank turned down a twelve million Leones check issued to him by a customer. We all know that banking system is said to be functional when debit and credit transactions are progressing. So is it not logical to conclude that shortage of cash at the bank means debit has exceeded credit? It must be noted that the central bank printed a huge bulk of new bills not long ago; one would like to know who is keeping all of it? Are business people storing their daily returns at home? This clearly shows that the general public has lost confidence in the country’s banking system. Otherwise, the central government might be spending money misguidedly.
“Water and electricity supplies in this area was far better five months ago”, said a school teacher while giving out a Le 2000 bill to his daughter to buy a candle from the nearest shops. “Ogulande Davidson was far better”, he stated verbally.
It must be recalled that since President Koroma was elected in the year 2007, one of his major political challenges was, and still is, the provision of electricity for the Freetowneans who possess the game-changing charm of the country’s political drama. Unfortunately, none of the Ministers appointed to head that very important Ministry seemed to have worked to the expectations of President Koroma and the Freetowneans. Certainly, electricity and water are very influential in the life of the average city dweller.
7) Diplomatic blunder: the expulsion of the United Nations Secretary General’s envoy to Sierra Leone, Mr. Michael von der Schulenburg, using a myopic method was diplomatic blunder number one of the year 2012. The way and manner it was done, particularly the aiding of UDM leader Mohamed Bangura to access the United Nations General Assembly using false designation was flabbergastable.
According to sources close to the German Foreign Ministry, a diplomatically warded letter has been already addressed to the Sierra Leone embassy in Germany urging the government to explain what was the rationale behind Schulenburg’s expulsion.
This development has sent a bad signal to the western world about President Koroma’s administration which chiefly depends on western aids prominent among which include the German taxpayers’.
If the Internal Affairs Minister Musa Tarawally wanted to put in place anti-riot measures, why not import teargas and water pumps? Is it not too difficult to explain how to control civil riots with hand grenades and live bullets? Incidentally, the same Musa Tarawally had been a culprit to electoral violence in some parts of the South where he previously served as Resident Minister.
9) President Koroma's political dilemma:
Also, the mammoth welcome accorded Maada Bio by the Kono community few weeks ago was a glaring signal to President Koroma that they (the Kono people) are more flexible in politics than the Germans. They wanted him to know that they have the game-changing magic that can affect polling returns of the entire eastern block and that they can vote Bio, if deemed fit.
10) Impact of the free health care project: President Koroma’s free health care project will likely win him some votes even in the opposition strongholds. Regardless the flaws and irregularities in the delivery process, some lactating mothers and pregnant women are still receiving few tablets which gave them a good reason to vote APC.
Being in the diaspora and reading your apt analysis, I have the feeling that a lot of our people are relying on infrastructure as a major achievement. We the people of Sierra :Leone elect a govt to promote physical and social development. The central idea I want to address here is the mantra on which the President came into power….."the eradication of corruption" and if after winning the election…it has been apparent that the President has failed miserably to address the issue of corruption…then permit me to suggest that he has failed to keep his promise to the people of Salone. There is an emerging situation in Sierra Leone that needs urgent attention….where the poor of Sierra Leone are living in conditions deplorable and inhuman…..all due to public policies having miserably failed. Referring the flag bearer's past is only for one reason….and that is to cause a divide among the innocent people who are being fed with inofrmation that cannot be substantiated. Maada Bio is a man that has Sierra Leone at heart and has no intention to run Sierra Leone as a business…that proposition in itself is a travesty on the understanding that business can flop so has Sierra Leone come to this very difficult realisation of flopping in all areas of social development. The people of Sierra Leone should demand that competent people are put into a job in which they can do well… and are committed…. and corrupt free….not on any other ground…..where this has not been the criteria for employment in the govt….everything seems to be collapsing due to mismanagement and incompetency. May I also draw your attention to a leadership that fails simply because key players are reluctant to cooperate with their leader…..this indeed is a difficult situation to grapple with… but came about because…. the leader is exercisng power…. relying on his misguided instinct to choose a team not based on professional qualification and experience. Let the people of Sierra Leone express thier dissatisfaction through thier civic right to vote in a free and fair election with a clear decision not influenced by infrastructure or bribery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Thank you very much Mr. Othman Sheriff for your analysis of the Sierra Leonean political scene. It was short, precise and also very objective. Let me conclude by wishing a coalition government between APC and SLPP for Sierra Leone and President Koroma retaining his position and Maada Bio his Vice President. What a beautiful day for our country and the development pace will be very, very fast. I hope that my dream will come through come the 17th November.