May 4, 2021
By: dadsonmusa2018@gmail.com
A retired military officer, a one-time military head of state and before ascending the throne in 2018 an academic, Julius Maada Bio has the year 2021 for him to convince Sierra Leoneans and the world that he is fit for a second term.
He took over power from the All People’s Congress of Ernest Bai Koroma amidst “wide spread corruption”. The commission of inquiry was set up to bring culprits to book and the process is still ongoing. So much money and other assets have been recovered.
The free quality education programme, his flagship project, has got under way albeit with challenges. This government has enjoyed some confidence of key international donor partners like the World Bank, IMF, EU, AfDB .etc
But the niggling question is to what extent has the combined feat of the President reflected in the lives of the ordinary man on the street? President Bio stands accused of “filling positions with tribesmen and cronies” which the previous regime of Ernest Bai Koroma stood accused of.
It is an uncontested fact that Sierra Leone has witnessed a “vicious” cycle of tribalism which has affected the development of the country. Tribalism has stood in the way of competence and efficiency.
The president has travelled a lot out of Sierra Leone but his PR specialists have argued that it has been done in the best interest of the country. Diasporans who have been away from this country for quite some time have been put in key positions. These set of people seem clueless of what obtains here and are out of touch with the reality on the ground. Some are arrogant and self-seeking.
Three years into his presidency and with two more to go, 2021 is the year that the president must make sure things are turned around for good.
Corona virus played havoc to his presidency but that also is the acid test for him. If overcome it will add feather to his cap. Inflation has rocked this nation since the coming to power of president Bio. Prices of commodities have kept going up and up like there is no good economic policy in place. This has added to the woes of the common people. This has caused hardship on the already suffering people of this country. The media landscape has been freed and journalists have the latitude to do their work which has breathed life into our democracy. Winning of the MCC compact of $400,000,000 is no small achievement. It has burnished our reputation as a country that is serious and ready to fight corruption. Three years is never enough to judge one’s leadership but for a president who has a five-year mandate the fourth year is a defining period for electorates to know if he is serious about governance or up to the task. In this modern age of democracy, the president should know that the electorates can be impatient and show no understanding of circumstances. All they will want is result and nothing less.
The All Peoples Congress party which is the only major and formidable political party that has what it takes to give president Bio a run for his money. They are bent on nothing but to avenge their loss in the 2018 elections. They may be down but definitely not out, so any slip, any stutter and any mishap will be seized on by them to come back to power and put the president into the category of One Term Presidents(OTP). It could as well be a farfetched wishful thinking of an opposition in shambles.
The president has the very difficult task of rebuilding Bonthe district especially the island which was neglected for decades. Bonthe has huge economic potentials though, as there are marine, agricultural and precious mineral resources. There are so far evidence of work in progress in that neglected Island where the President hails from.
At any rate, the President’s henchmen should know that this is not party time rather it is time for selflessness and hard work. This year, 2021 is the only time left for the president to deliver on his manifesto promises or do more if necessary. In this day and age of democracy, leadership Is about delivering the good the people, or else…