By the NIGHTWATCH Newspaper
In his last address before Sierras Leonean law makers in 2007, President Ahmad Tejan Kabba warned successive governments against overreliance on foreign aid as it could raise questions of sovereignty.
Kabba’s warning has caught President Julius Maada Bio off-guard after the international community cut off aid owing to alleged election rigging.
The United Nations, European Union, Commonwealth, United States, United Kingdom, African Union and ECOWAS have stopped funding Sierra Leone as they do not recognise Bio’s government.
As the aid drought continues, Sierra Leone’s economy is almost on the edge of implosion as indicators of abject poverty and under-development have crystalised in various sectors of the economy.
Currently, Bio’s hands are tied down as he relies on domestic revenue to run a cash-trapped and bankrupt economy making it difficult to pay salaries and allowances to government workers let alone embark on serious development projects in the infrastructure and energy sectors.
Since funding cut was announced by the West, all roads project has stopped with no one knowing when they will begin again. It also remains unclear whether the collapsed bridge along the highway that leads to President Bio’s home has been repaired.
Energy supply also remains unreliable as government owes huge debts to the power supplier, the Karpowership which has been on Sierra Leonean waters for several years. The Bumbuna Pahse-2 project had come to a halt for years and the Cote d’voire energy project is still in the pipeline.
In the absence of donor funding, the Bio regime has closed down the Free Quality Education (FQE) initiative which has been government’s flagship project in the past five years. Despite the millions of dollars invested in the scheme, the result according to analysts, is nothing to write home about as no tangible could be pointed at.
The funding cut effect has even spilled over to Bio’s new flagship project, agriculture which prompted most of Bio’s visits to rich countries to see how he can make gains this time.
Bio, few months ago, was in a food summit in Italy as the world intends to go green in a year’s time. Records seen by this press have shown that a great chunk of foreign aid will be directed to agriculture to end famine and starvation in various parts of the world.
It is not yet known whether Sierra Leone would be counted among the beneficiaries as her government still grapples with the legitimacy crisis, but deeply interested in attending global conferences and meetings to which he is never invited.
President Bio is said to have forced his way to an inaugural ceremony of Senegal’s elected President Diomaye Faye just to interact with leaders of other countries so that he could be seen as a legitimate President of Sierra Leone.
He also faced similar challenge even in his first term when he had international recognition as he was snubbed by the Kenyan President, William Ruto when he attended his inauguration uninvited and unnoticed.
The seemingly unending struggle to get foreign aid has been linked to President Bio’s zest to retain power after he failed to win June, 2023 election supported by the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, an agency mandated by law to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda in Sierra Leone.
Chief Electoral Commissioner, Mohamed Kenewui Konneh played a key role in tilting the scale in favour of the incumbent who he offered 57% of the votes leaving 43% for APC’s Dr Samura Kamara, a man who many see as the actual winner of the elections.
The ECSL boss started his rigging tactics when he failed to implement most of the recommendations that emanated from the 2018 elections, and would always defend his action that “Sierra Leone is a sovereign state.” In his defence of Sierra Leone’s sovereignty, Konneh reportedly collected and squandered huge sums of money entrusted to him by EU and other donor agencies to ensure free and fair elections.
However, the love for SLPP could not let him do the right thing as he sacrificed the country for a party bringing to life Kabba’s prediction made over a decade ago.
At the time of the warning, Sierra Leone had poor roads, unreliable power supply, unsound health system, weak economy after emerging from a war that is dubbed the bloodiest on the continent.
Donor support was the only way out for government to meet its service obligations to its citizenry, and his warning implied that the country had to migrate from aid to trade to fend off undue external influence or control.
Such migration, if Kabba was understood properly, obliges Sierra Leonean leaders to mobilise local resources and embark on industrialisation schemes so that the country can enjoy favourable terms at the global market.
Unlike Bio, former President Ernest Bai Koroma who took over from late President Kabba worked hard to end Sierra Leone’s over-dependence on foreign aid seen in his widely known slogan of ‘from aid to trade.’ In his early days of his administration in 2008, ex-President Koroma canvased the international community that Sierra Leone was up for business and no more aid but trade.
Koroma’s appeal was a loud and strong one to world investors as Sierra Leone saw the arrival of London Mining Company, African Minerals Limited (AML) and SUCFIM Agricultural Company which created jobs and contributed to Sierra Leone’s economic growth and development.
Backed up by donor support, Sierra Leone’s economy flourished with inflation kept single-digit, exports increased, exchange rate improved and cost of living reduced to its barest minimum.
As part of his continuation of the poverty reduction scheme, former President Koroma subsidised for most of the commodities especially petroleum product which many referred to as a ‘political commodity.’
Its negative effect will soon spill over to other sectors of the economy immediately fuel is tampered with and men in the streets who are in the majority are on the receiving end.
The world was surprised that Sierra Leone could intervene in several humanitarian crises with financial support. With a professional, well-paid and motivated police force, Sierra Leone immensely contributed to global peace and security in Africa and other parts of the world.
The financial returns earned from international peace keeping also made the country’s economy buoyant.
It was during the Koroma regime that Sierra Leone was rated, in 2013, fastest growing economy in the world.
According to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) economic projections, Sierra Leone’s economy was set to hit a high peak had things remained the same.
The outbreak of Ebola virus in May 2014, a year after its sound rating reversed the economic gains made in the past years. However, with a strong and dynamic leadership, former Sierra Leone stood again on her legs as the Chinese and British companies, Shandong and Timis Corporation took over the Tonkolili and PortLoko Iron Ore mines.
At the time he was riding into the sunset, Koroma left a functioning economy with $500m as reserves. In his handing over note of April, 2018, he admonished his successor President Bio not to cut off subsidies if he is to fare on well with his governance project and the people of Sierra Leone.
Political analysts wasted no time in describing former President Ernest Koroma as the most successful President in Sierra Leone’s history owing to the indelible landmarks he left in the socio-economic and political landscape with his predecessor Kabba taking part of the credit.
He groomed a good successor that took Sierra Leone from nowhere to somewhere owing to committed and honest leadership. Sierra Leone would have attained a middle income status by this time, if he had continued Koroma’s development trajectory.
Comment no. 2 above continues thusly: if the firebrand do seriously intend indeed to show their numerical strength versus the government by taking to the streets in protest, this has to be given a reasonably sufficient time to constantly feed the people virtually the need for the street protest and so all and sundry, people living on the westside of Freetown, people living in villages surrounding Freetown and those in villages up the provinces should be continuously bombarded with the convincing rational why we should demonstrate in the streets in these days of the week and of the month. Take into consideration that the Southeast shall never participate, and as for the Easterners, I am not sure about them. This latter region are almost all ways sitting on the fence literarily speaking. As much as I can remember, the last street protest that took place in Freetown in August 10, 2022, it was only the Eastern part of the city that took part in the street demonstration and some were killed as a result, and the Western part of the city remained aloof which made them look like chickens. This time around, please get all men and women, boys and girls involved from all the aforementioned areas. However, I am still convinced that the suggestion I made above on comment number 2, which is not to go “bone-to-bone”with Bio but to cripple the economy, the people spending less because of the economic hardship and thereby drastically reduces the national income on which Bio leans on. The international community which is made up of the following: a) the UN, the EU, the Commonwealth, the US, the UK, the AU and the Ecowas have already decided to suspend their funding to the country as they don’t recognize Bio’s presidency and so is his government as legitimate consequent upon the rigged general elections that took place in June, 2023, according to an article that appeared on the Cocorioko issue of the 10th April, 2024. Therefore, for Bio, having lost the international financial support, now depends solely on the domestic revenues to run his cash-strapped and almost bankrupt economy, it has become exceedingly difficult for Bio to take care of himself and his government and let alone pay the army, the police, civil servants, doctors, teachers and the rest. This is where we have an overwhelming power over him and his government and over any other government for that matter. In conclusion, let us use the funds denial to him and his administration. Believe you me, this is more lethal and therefore more devastating to Bio than we could imagine. As a result, I strongly recommend this approach to rub Bio’s nose to the grindstone. I rest my case. God be with us all. Amen (Ameen) to that.
This day Monday, 19, 2024, is the day our young and some older firebrand (hawks) are sitting at home in protest against Bio worse behavior and bad management of the country. Indeed, this is a good idea. However, are they going to remain so without in taking to the streets tomorrow? I don’t think this is good idea. Why? Because: a) you are outgunned, 2) the army which is supposed to be the national army and so are the police, comprise all mendes 3) needless to mention the kamajors, which is a mende standing militia and 4) Bio is irrationally allergic to the North and Northwest protest and not to Southeast protest. You see how both regionally and tribalistic ally biased Bio his. Bio has already killed a of Northerners and had a lot jailed already. And so he won’t hesitate a minute to kill again should you step out into the streets in protest. In this regard, please don’t step into the streets in protest. If you do, a lot of you will unfortunately lose your lives, which it does not worth it. Therefore, one of the most potent and lethal approach we can suggest to you, you firebrand protesters, is for you to organize a civil disobedience and nonviolent protest by shutting down the Nation in a manner of boycotting a) the Toll Road for a given period of time, b) Deep water quay, c) the Airport and d) stop all forms of transportations and foodstuffs going to the Southeast. This must and should be done in retaliation against this region that did not allow APC to setup offices this region during the 2024 general elections and not even permitting the APC to canvass in this trgion. These boycotts should mean to shut down almost all sources of revenues accrued to Bio and his mende government. In addition to these boycotts, please declare here and now the nonpayment of your taxes for the following readons: 1 ) unless and until the disaggregated election data are produced and gazetted, 2)No taxation if there is no civil liberties and freedom, 3) the rampart corruptions should and must cease almost instantly, 4) Bio and government are illegitimate as a result of the rigged 2024 general elections. If all these measures are firmly applied, Bio will be surely brought down from his high horses without crossing swords with him.Mind you you are dealing with a callous and fanatic tyrant and a dictator who is preparing or has prepared to stay in power for good. He is not ready or will never be ready to hand over power to the APC and not even another party in the country. By implication. he owns the country. His father left it for him. He means it. I might add. Therefore, my advice stand aside and be prepared for any arrows he is planning to throw at you. Don’t get caught with your pants down. Should the situation degenerate to this point, you can adopt gorilla war tactics, starting with the urban areas of the country and then to the rural areas of the country. Please listen to this advice in order to prevent any bloodshed in the country. May the Lord God protect and save our beloved country, and save us all from Bio’s temptations and his evil. Amen (Ameen) to that.
Before I make my short comment, I would like to make the following pertinent suggestions thusly: a) we should and must call for the decentralization of the Central government to: 1) provincial government, 2: district government and 3) local governments. Also we should decentralize the police into town, city and village and each should be headed by a mayor or whatever a fitting title that might be given to him or her. The details of all this decentralized structure of government should and must be handled by Constitutional experts. This of course will create more jobs and prevent tribalism and regionalism in the country. Now turning to making a brief comment about the status quo in the country, I must advise the young firebrand and hawkish Sierra Leoneans to please organize a plan to stay home, carry out a peaceful nonviolent approach which is to stay home. When I suggest this, I don’t mean for you to stay at home per se like being locked up at home. No! I don’t mean that. You can still feel free to go about your business but don’t pay your taxes. Also try to organize a boycott of the Toll Road, Deep Water and the airport. This way is to try and close almost all the sources of revenues accrued to Bio, which will make him cash-strapped and so will be out of pocket and, therefore, he will not be able to pay himself, let alone pay the army, police, the kamajors, his mende tribal standing militia who are bent in causing mayhem in the North and Northwest. By using this soft and peaceful approach will make us bring down Bio from his high horses without crossing swords with him, and at the same time make him suffer as much as he has made us, or making us suffer or he can br made to suffer more than he has made us suffer. What more could be lethal and destructive to Bio and government without the loss of any Sierra Leonean life. Please stay home and find ways to maintain your livelihood and family. Don’t take to the streets in protest. If you do, “you will swear the day and damn the hour” as the goes. Buo will not hold his breath for even a second to unleash the securities on you, to kill some of you. This does not have to happen if we should avoid it, and we have to Avoid it by all means. Remember that all the army are mendes, all the police are mendes and needless to mention the kamajors who are meant to molest a whole lot of you. From the 17 of July and on, please continue to stay home. If we can create fund to which we in the diaspora and those at home can contribute to help you weather the storm of hardship in the country, we will.Even if we contribute, say, $100 each that will soften the economic hardship. If this is well organized and the news passes around, we might get, say, 5000 to start with, it will be a good start.This means people will stay in their houses comfortably for a much longer time to make Bio wake up to smell the coffee. The securities might even revolt and force Bio out of power. To create this fund, we should kindly ask PKBS Kanu and staff to undertake the responsibility in creating the fund. Mind. You all, we can’t afford to see Bio continue to be the illegitimate occupier of our State house on to 2028. No, we can’t. That will be a disaster.Please tell the young firebrand men and women to cool down. Let us do it differently this time around. Please! Please!!. May God protect and bless our country, and also bless us all. Amen ( Ameen) to that