By Albert Momoh
For the love of Sierra Leone, we must refrain from defending stakeholders engaged in #corrupt practices or have been found wanting. We must instead continue to hold them #accountable. We must endeavour to recover the stolen loot and more.
When these people embezzle funds meant for the #development of Sierra Leone and all, they’re not doing it on your behalf, or on behalf of their political parties, tribe or region. It’s for individual gain.
They use these same monies to #manipulate and use the people. In our local parlance, ‘dem de take we oil fry we.’ At the end of the day, the country loses and the people continue to die, suffer and wallow in abject #poverty.
For Sierra Leone to prosper, we must identify, prosecute, recover and #penalise all those engaged in corrupt practices. No one should be exempt. The process, I hasten to add, must be transparent, #fair and just.
For the love of Sierra Leone, we must wage a #war on corruption as a nation. We must not relent until the battle is won. The battle will only be won, when people are afraid to engage in corrupt practices. When the cost outweighs the benefit. When there are no sacred cows or scapegoats.
For the love of Sierra Leone, we must put the interest of the country first. #Corruption is a major factor responsible for our under-development and retrogression. To change that narrative, we must wage a war on corruption, which by all account, is a crime against #humanity – a crime against our people.
Through corruption, our people continue to #die needlessly, and to suffer, for the lack of basic needs, services and opportunities. All this because some people conspire to convert the much needed funds for their personal use.
Yet, you still see some, for one reason or the other, defending these same people. It’s like defending a thief after he’s been caught looting your home. It doesn’t matter whether those found wanting are from your political party, tribe or region. That is not important. What is important is that we are all #SierraLeoneons and we must put the interest of Sierra Leone, first.
How we respond to the fight against corruption will determine the outcome. Our aim must be to recover what can be proven to have been stolen, put the money back into the country and to penalise those found guilty. The penalty should be what the law says it should be. No ifs, no buts. People must never benefit from corruption or it becomes attractive. The cost must always outweigh the benefit for it to serve as a deterrent.
For the love of Sierra Leone, we must say NO TO CORRUPTION.
For the development of Sierra Leone, we must WAGE A WAR ON CORRUPTION.
For the progress of Sierra Leone, we must HOLD THE CORRUPT ACCOUNTABLE AND NOT DEFEND
THEM.
