By: James Kamara-Manneh
I recalled in April 2018 when President Bio was at the National Stadium to express appreciation to the nation for voting him as the next president, he said “today not everyone voted for me, not because you don’t like me, because you had problem of choosing the right person to lead this country, but today I promise you after my first term of office you all will like and vote me for the second term of office.”
This statement is manifesting itself today as many are describing him as the nation’s Moses who is leading us into that anticipated Promised Land taking this nation out of the economic loopholes into an enviable nation. The election of President Bio is for him to reposition the priorities of the nation, and since 1961 there has never been a time for solid stability and progress more than what he had provided in four years.
To start with, President Bio has guaranteed international reassurances especially from the country’s donor and multilateral.
This has led to so many transformational and infrastructural developments within the four corners of Sierra Leone, this is visible indeed.
He has recalibrated our foreign reserve which was virtually emptied by the previous government. Late President Tejan Kabbah left the country`s foreign reserve at $339 million, and in 2021, an international reserve for Sierra Leone was fixed at 945 million US dollars. International reserve for Sierra Leone increased from 46.5 million US dollars in 1972 to 945 million US dollars in 2021 growing at an average annual rate of 13.24%. Therefore, under President Bio’s astute leadership in just four years the nation`s foreign reserves stand at 945 million dollar.
More to this accolade, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a United States Foreign Aid agency in 2019 positively assessed Sierra Leone under the leadership of President Bio in the control of corruption, independent Judiciary and investing in people.
For the first time the country emerged with pass marks in guaranteeing democratic rights, civil liberties, the rule of law, health and primary education expenditures. The MCC also gave a pass mark to the government of President Bio in the area of economic freedom, trade policy, and gender, the economy and business start-up. Under his regime he has empowered the Anti-Corruption Commission to act robustly against graft, and the ACC has been able to recover stolen resources to the tune of $ 1.3 billion misappropriated by Ex-president Koroma’s regime.
Few days back, the Minister of Basic Education announced the recent result of the just concluded National Primary School Examination, which witnessed a remarkable pass rate of 81% nationwide. Speedy and constant progress has been visible under President Bio’s Free Quality Education Sector and over 2.5 million school going pupils are benefiting from this project. The sacrifice in educating our children for the future is truly worth the salt and the President has been constantly appealing for people to capture them when they are young, and it is time for us to embrace the president’s agenda in preparing a better future in the country. The Free Quality Education Program (FQSE) launched by the President in August, 2018 was met with mixed feelings and perceptions from the Sierra Leonean populace. Some believed that the program was not feasible, or was doomed to fail as there were no financial resources to help implement and sustain it. Today, there is surge in the enrollment of pupils in schools throughout the country. More than 3,040 schools have been approved, and more than 1,400 teachers have been approved; 1,901 teachers re-assessed, and recruitment process for more 3,400 teachers completed. Under President Bio, all Sierra Leonean children regardless of their physical, intellectual and socio-economic conditions have equal access to free quality school education in Sierra Leone.
Under Bio’s regime major projects in the health sector have been completed.
Projects such as the ongoing health center at Kerry Town, Wilberforce 34 hospital, and health facilities in Port Loko, Pujehun, Falaba and Lumley in Freetown.
There is also the newly built Satellite hospital and many more across the country. In four years, President Bio is challenging any survey to discern the number of healthcare workers his government has put on the payroll which not given a priority in the previous regime.
With the world economic constraints, the new direction government is working under tight budget, but they have been able to refurbished Parliament building, Miatta Conference Hall, and with support from its partners the government have constructed the Magbele bridge, Ma bridge, and constructing a University in Kono, the Hillside bypass road, Hill Station-Regent Road, the Peninsula Road, the Moyamba junction road, restructuring the Tonklili, Bo and Kenema roads.
In the area of roads, government has commissioned the Bo Mattru-Jong Road, the Kenema/Tongo-Fields/Koidu Road, the Commissioning of the construction of 68 streets in Kenema, commissioning of the construction of the Kenema mini stadium, the Commissioning of the completion of the Tokeh Peninsula Road and also supported the rehabilitation of the Bo stadium and the rehabilitation of Magburaka Boys School & Commissioned the road and clock tower.
The government is almost at a completing of the 170 bed rooms for senior ranks military at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown. Another 100 beds hospital at the 34 Barracks has almost been completed.
Even though Sierra Leoneans are desperate for power supply, the New Direction government has embarked on providing power supply to 7 district headquarters towns in Sierra Leone, and have been making frantic efforts to take power supply to areas that were long deprived of electricity such as Masiaka, Gloucester, Regent, and Tombo have been lit up with the solar grid, while transformers, poles, and cables are been positioned in the 7 districts for electricity supply.
With the many feasible and tangible evidences of the Bio regime`s transformation, it is but fitting that there is more work to be done.
Therefore a second term of office will suffice his ambition to change Sierra Leone to the Land of milk and honey. Yes the world at large is under economic nightmare and Sierra Leone is managing to sail through this, and together we can achieve if we lend our hand to President Bio.
