LACK OF MORAL LEADERSHIP SUNK SIERRA LEONE- 46th Independence Anniversary of Sierra Leone : My Reflections.

First Name:  Alphajoh
Last Name:  Cham
Email Address:  alphajohcham@yahoo.com
Address:  2372 Bankside Circle
City:  Decatur
State:  GA
Zip Code:  30035
Comments:  46th Independence Anniversary of Sierra Leone. My Reflections.

Before, and shortly after independence, Sierra Leone was known as the “Athens of 
West Africa”. Today, just after 46 years of independence, Sierra Leone is one of 
the poorest in the world, at the bottom of the UN Human Development Index. I 
will not go into the statistics here, as most of us are familiar with them. But 
what I would want to focus on here is the question: what went wrong, and what 
can we do about.
As a country, we have abundant material resources require to put Sierra Leone on 
the path of development for economic and social prosperity, and yet can not 
deliver.
As a people, we have the human resource with the knowledge, experience, and if 
you will, the wisdom to manage our natural resources for the benefit of our 
people, and yet we still can not deliver.
As a nation, we have the democratic and educational institutions, at least to 
our own standards, for good governance, and yet we still can not deliver.
So what went wrong? The simple answer, in my humble opinion, is the lack of 
moral leadership not only at state house, but in all government ministries.
•   A leadership with wisdom, moral character and integrity
•   A leadership that understands the needs of its people and provides for their 
welfare
It is said: “A society that is morally bankrupt is hollow, and is bound to 
collapse. This is where we are, a collapse nation with no sense of direction.
I cannot imagine, not with any sense of moral conscience: How and why our 
leaders will drive in Mercedes on pot holes in a dark city, while our kids go to 
school on foot with no shoes on.
I cannot understand, not with any sense of moral conscience: How and why our 
leaders will live in “glass houses” with light and running water, while our kids 
go to bed hungry, and sleep in the dark.
I still cannot comprehend, not with any sense of moral conscience: How our 
leaders will despise the most needy in our society like the amputees, the 
victims of the war, and seen as a burden to society.
The sad truth is that we can afford to provide the basic necessities of life: 
shelter, food and water. But we are just too greedy and selfish to provide them 
for all.
If there is no light or water, let there be light or water for nobody. Then we 
will understand that we cannot afford them as a nation.
Now, is all being lost? The answer is no. I think we still have the energy, 
vision and opportunity to put Sierra Leone back on the track of economic 
development. It is said in the Qur’an (in interpretation) that: 
“Allah will not change the plight of a nation until and unless its people are 
ready for a change”.
The question now is: Are we ready for a positive change? This challenge is 
especially for the youth of Sierra Leone, for our fathers have failed us, and we 
cannot afford to fail our own children. Just as we are holding our fathers 
accountable today, so will our children hold us accountable tomorrow if we fail?
So let this year’s anniversary be a year of reflection for a renewed energy and 
determination to put Sierra Leone back on its track to economic development and 
political stability. In whatever we do as individuals, political parties, civic 
and non-profit organizations, let it be first in the interest of Sierra Leone, 
and then it will ultimately be in our individual interests. One thing we should 
have learnt from the decade-long rebel war in Sierra Leone, is the fact that we 
can only survive as a family, a community and a country. Let us all work 
together irrespective of our political philosophy and aspirations, cultural 
diversity, and above all our individual differences.
Together we can get to the Lion Mountain, the land of Peace, Unity, Freedom and 
Justice, and we will leave no Sierra Leonean behind.
May Allah bless Sierra Leone.
Alphajoh Cham
Earned B.SC (Hons) in Zoology at FBC, and M.Sc. (Eng.)in Environmental 
Management at University of Technology in Germany.


 

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