By Abdul Bero Kamara
*From Promises to Prayers: President Bio’s Shameful Betrayal of Sierra Leone*
When Julius Maada Bio ascended to the presidency in 2018, he rode a wave of public hope, promising to restore dignity, discipline, and prosperity to Sierra Leone. He lambasted the previous APC government for wasteful spending and mismanagement, vowing to put the people first and usher in a new era of transparency, economic growth, and national unity. Seven years later, the very fabric of Sierra Leone is in tatters, and the president’s recent call for nationwide prayers is not just a desperate gesture—it’s a tacit confession of colossal failure.
*An Economy in Ruins*
Today, Sierra Leone’s economy is at its worst since independence. The Leone has depreciated to a devastating Le24,000 to the dollar, compared to Le7,000 in 2018. Inflation is crippling the cost of living, and the prices of basic food, fuel, and transport have skyrocketed beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. Civil servants, who once received their salaries on time, now routinely go unpaid until weeks into the next month. Small businesses are collapsing, jobs are disappearing, and despair is becoming the national currency.
*The President Who Prefers the Sky to the Soil*
Instead of staying home to face the crisis head-on, President Bio spends more time gallivanting across the globe in private jets, racking up millions in unnecessary travel costs. While schools crumble, hospitals run out of supplies, and families struggle to survive, the president lives lavishly, flaunting luxury watches and expensive vehicles. This blatant disregard for the people’s suffering is not just tone-deaf—it’s insulting.
*A Government of One Tribe*
The promise of national unity has been shattered by a tribalized administration that brazenly favors the president’s own ethnic group and region. Cabinet positions, top civil service jobs, and public sector opportunities are disproportionately handed to his kinsmen, while qualified individuals from other tribes are sidelined, dismissed, or left out altogether. Sierra Leoneans who once dreamed of inclusion and meritocracy now watch as their government slides deeper into ethnic / regional division and injustice.
*Security and Sovereignty Compromised*
The state of national security is a mess. Afraid of peaceful assemblies and dissent, the government now suppresses cultural events like the beloved lantern parade—a symbolic act of fear and control. Even worse, Sierra Leone is gaining a reputation as a narco state, with mounting accusations and investigations linking the government to the harboring of a convicted drug lord. We are no longer just a struggling country—we are now a known hub in global drug trafficking networks.
*The Energy Blackout*
The energy sector has all but collapsed under Bio’s leadership. Entire communities remain in darkness, businesses cannot function, and children study under candlelight—if at all. Despite numerous energy contracts and millions spent, there is no light at the end of the tunnel—just more mismanagement and excuses.
In a dramatic and shameful display of a government at war with itself, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) recently sealed off the offices of the state-owned Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) for non-payment of taxes. A government agency punishing another government agency—it would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. The irony? The same taxes demanded from EDSA are likely to be funneled into either the president’s endless lust for luxurious overseas travel or misused by top government officials for personal aggrandizement. This is not governance; it’s cannibalism.
*A President’s Prayer Instead of Policy*
Faced with the wreckage of his failed leadership, President Bio now wants the nation to join him in prayer for Sierra Leone’s deliverance. But Sierra Leoneans are not fools. They know that prayer cannot replace policy, faith cannot substitute for food, and slogans cannot fix systems. This desperate appeal is not a call for national healing—it is an admission that the government has failed and has no solutions left.
*The Crooks Are Richer, the People Are Poorer*
What is undeniable to every Sierra Leonean is this: President Bio and his inner circle are now vastly wealthier than they were in 2018. Their newfound fortunes are flaunted while the masses sink deeper into poverty and despair. What was promised as a new direction has turned into a nightmare of greed, corruption, and betrayal.
History will remember this administration not for what it built, but for what it broke—our economy, our unity, our hope. President Bio came to power promising change; he will leave behind only damage. And no amount of prayer can cleanse the stain of seven wasted years.
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