October 27, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
President Julius Maada Bio’s travels abroad is one of things some critics want to make great fuss over. It is understandable that in the absence of any wrong-doings on the part of the President, his critics are seeking to manufacture this so-called “frequent travel” stuff. There is nothing anybody can do or say about the usefulness of President Bio’s travels that can put sense into those whose singular purpose in life today is to oppose government.
It should be recognized however, that there are many innocent and gullible Sierra Leoneans who could be hoodwinked into the lie that President Julius Maada Bio’s travels are a waste of state resources or a means to riches. It is these innocent and gullible Sierra Leoneans that this paper wants to speak to say that the President’s travels are not a waste of state resources or a means to riches. First, those who know the President Julius Maada Bio would know that he has always been a man of moderate taste, with no interest in worldly pleasures. It is only with great malice that anybody would suggest that the President is travelling for pleasure.
The purpose of President Bio’s travels overseas, and even within the country is work that benefits Sierra Leone. President Bio has made a decision that he will travel for as much as necessary for the good of the country; and even at his personal discomfort. After the country came from war, the late President Ahmad Tejan-Kabbah did a lot work to cajole the international community to take interest in rebuilding the country. The late President Ahmad Tejan-Kabbah used his personal charisma, connections, and the trust he had built to cajole the international community to come to Sierra Leone’s aid. Without international community’s support, resettlement, rebuilding, rehabilitation of the country was going to be an extremely difficult journey. The late President Ahmad Tejan-Kabbah made himself the country’s foremost “ambassador” and “spokesman”. What he said about his country was what mattered most to outsiders. From 2008 when the APC took power, Ernest Koroma and his men squandered the good image of the country that they inherited. The hallmarks of that squander included massive corruption, shady mining deals, the sacking of the Vice President, and making himself Chairman-for- Life for his party.
President Bio took over a country with a battered image. Recovering and rebuilding the image of Sierra Leone, and cajoling external partners to be part of national development drive, is the job that President Julius Maada Bio is leading. The country has ambassadors, diplomats, ministers, and technocrats; but President Julius Maada Bio has taken it as his strategy to personally lead the recovery and rebuilding of the image of Sierra Leone, and cajoling external partners to be part of the national development drive. The so-called numerous travels are a small and inexpensive aspect of President Bio’s work for the good of the country. For the purpose of illustration, readers should be reminded about the President’s attendance at the Global Education Conference in London, a few months back. Compare the cost of that travel to the fact that Sierra Leone bagged millions of dollars in pledged support to the education sector. The millions of dollars pledges poured in because his presence demonstrated his personal commitment.