By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
The Institute for Government Reforms (IGR) has in their 2018-2023 Biometer Report titled “Did we get what we voted for?” confirmed that President Bio delivered 79.9 percent of the 536 Manifesto Campaign Promises made in 2018.
IGR disclosed the report on Sunday 30th April, 2023 at AYV, inviting representatives of the two main political parties, civil society organizations and the press for discourse.
According to Andrew Lavali, IGR Executive Director, the Biometer Report was an initiative developed in 2019 to track and evaluate progress on President Bio’s 536 campaign promises for the 2018 to 2023 years of governance.
“This report presents the results of the extent to which the New Direction Manifesto promises were delivered and is a contribution towards promoting accountability to the country for the trust vested in the President and his party through the 2018 ballot” he further explained in the reports.
IGR Executive Director justified that the 2018-2023 Biometer Report was not a perception survey but facts and evidence put together by experts from acts, parliamentary conclusions and international reports. He admonished Sierra Leoneans to put aside their political lenses and objectively digest the content of the report. He assured that the report was there to stay and advised Sierra Leoneans to consider it as part of them. Andrew Lavali ended by strongly advising political parties to stop making over promises and under delivery saying Sierra Leone was a very poor country.
Honorable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh representing the ruling party objected some parts of the IGR report saying their achievements were underrated. In a scale of 1 to 10, honourable Tawa rated the achievements of the New Direction Government 8 over 10. He made mentioned of major promises such as the Free Quality Education, Gender Empowerment, the Lungi International Airport and others which he said they had delivered.
On the economy which was poorly delivered according to the report, Honorable Tawa justified that their government met a worldwide projection economy. He said that despite they inherited a burst economy their government had still maintained stability in the foreign currency.
On the inflation of the foreign exchange he said it was due to the absence of mining companies that used to bring foreign currencies in the country.
Tawa however concluded by commending the IGR report saying they had done a fantastic job and should be accorded as that was a start.
Honourable Abdul Kargbo representing the main opposition All People’s Congress Party entirely condemned the report describing it as unfair and incorrect.
He said that not all the promises made by President Bio manifesto captured in the IGR Biometer Report, giving specific examples of some.
Abdul Kargbo doubted most sectors where the report rated the achievements of the government higher.
Honorable Kargbo specifically condemned the Free Quality Education and described that, what was in existence was only a fee free education.
Kargbo stated that the government had repealed the seditious criminal libel law but was still arresting people for that same crime. He made mentioned of Zainab Sheriff who was recently arrested which he said based on the repealed crime.
“Most Civil Social Organizations are subterfuge to the governments. They should stop making the governments look good when they are not doing the right things”, he said.