By: Mohamed M. Sesay (Lucky)
The just published provincial result of the 2021 Digital Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, has set another agenda for public discuss. Fragmented views predominantly from the Main Opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC), are sending contesting views regarding the credibility of the Census. The governing Sierra Leone People’s Party supporters on the other hand, are comfortably placed especially when there was massive corporation in the South-Eastern Region regarding the Mid-Term Census.
The APC Party was busing boycotting the Mid-Term Census whereas; the governing Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party was constantly encouraging their supporters to be counted. As the popular adage says, “you can never harvest what you never cultivated”. If you cultivated cassava and you anticipate potato, then except the unrealistic mystery happen for cassava to produce potato which is not possible. The All People’s Congress Party has been in strong and ill-disposed annoyance towards the conduct of the 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census.
They became very rebellious towards at initial stage when a proclamation was made by President Julius Maada Bio, for Parliament to legislate and legalize the conduct of the Census. No sooner that proclamation was made, than the APC Party leadership started undermining the conduct of the Mid-Term Census on to the extent that, Honorable Members of Parliament exclusively from the main opposition, became dishonorable in their action during the period of legislating the Mid-Term Population and Housing Census.
That dishonorable behavior from APC Members of Parliament in contestation of the conduct of the Mid-Term Housing and Population Census, escalated into a wide ranging fisticuff at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown. Such dishonorable behavior for certain Members of Parliament equally led to the tearing apart of a whole Presidential proclamation. That was not only a disregard for the census process, but a premeditated disrespect for the office of the Presidency.
As if that was not enough, the main opposition APC Party leadership also galvanized their supporters to not only boycott the 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, but to equally stand aloof in the entire census process. That whacky call from the opposition to boycott the census process precipitated their remote controlled supporters to not only shun the Mid-Term Population and Housing Census, but to also run after census officers with harmful weapons. There were known villages in the North and even known locations in the Western Area, where people were hunting census officers preventing them from executing their lawful duties. That unlawful act propelled the leadership of the Sierra Leone Police to send strong worded warning to those unlawful folks, and also criminalized any act of political sabotage towards the Mid-Term Census.
The Courier is never surprised at the negative reactions which often emerge from the All People’s Congress Party reason being that, the APC has always being a crying baby. Affirmative actions were constantly made by the APC in order to completely distance themselves and their supporters from being counted. But now, they want to have a bumper harvest from their negligence cultivation which is impossible. The 2021 Mid-term Housing and Population Census results absolutely and holistically reflect the views of those who participated and allow themselves to be counted.
It is painstaking to realize that even the National Ground Coalition Headed by it Chairman Denis Bright, the Unity Party Chaired by Femi Claudius Cole, were all in league with the main Opposition APC Party to boycott the Mid-Term Census. They concertedly took their political sabotage to national media inciting their supporters not to take part in the Census. Inasmuch as they were busy discouraging their supporters to discountenance the 2021 Mid-Term Census, the Sierra Leone People’s Party were very ingenious enough to encourage their supporters to be very participatory towards the 2021 Mid-terms Housing and Population Census.
This is not the first time the APC has been a crying baby as they have also instructed their members who were persons of interest in the three Judge led Commissions of Inquiry to ignore every findings of the report. There was also uncontrollable pandemonium in the cause of legislating the three judge led commissions of Inquiries. Their adamant reactions towards the Bio led Government demanding democratic accountability has also been replicated in the Mid-Term Census.
The main Opposition also seems to be jittery of the increase in the country’s population with a total Population of 7,541641. They might be particularly jittery with the breakdown of the census which provides as follows; Eastern Province has a total of 1,939,122 population. Kailahun – 545,947 Kenema – 772,472 Kono – 620,703. The Southern Region also has a total of 1,830,881 with Bo – 756,975 Bonthe – 297,561 Moyamba – 346,771 Pujehun – 429,574. The North-West Region also has a total 1,186,050 with Port Loko – 528,038, Karene – 290,313, Kambia – 367,699, North East – 1,326,831, Bombali – 387,236, Tonkolili – 557,257, Koinadugu – 206,133 Falaba – 166,205, Western Area – 1,268,757 F/town Urban – 606,701F/town Rural – 662,056 respectively
It must be worth reminding the All People’s Congress Party about the essence of Population and Housing Census. The 2021 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census will help bring foreign investors into the country. It is very audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that no country on earth can progress without foreign investors. Therefore, our quest for foreign investors and donor supports as a third world country is the more reason why the Bio Government tried its best to attract foreign investors into the country. For every conduct of any population census, the total population’s size, composition and distribution are revealed of which such information is very important for development purposes.
It is also worth noting that the average country in the world especially Sierra Leone, allocates its meager national revenue and resources based on the geographical distribution of its population. Places of dense population are obviously going to get more resources than places of sparse population. Thus, it is truly a pity that the All People’s Congress Party could maliciously mislead their supporters to boycott the 2021 Mid-Term Digital Population and Housing Census.
