Astonishingly, the first two years of the Bio rule have been eventful to say the least, dominated by a president who is not, in any meaningful sense, achieved anything but vengeance. President Bio’s administration has repeatedly been branded as chaotic and dysfunctional. Chaos becomes the new normal: both in his personal life and in his running of the state .
In 2022, 2 years from today .Campaigning will start in earnest to succeed president Maada Bio, who is retiring after a single wretched term. Voters are angrier than ever—His administration , could not get anything done. He seemed incapable of working together with the opposition on anything, even when their interests align
*CORONAVIRUS PREPAREDNESS
The Bio Government showed little eagerness in monitoring travellers and any potential contacts within the expats community. with the lack of government preparedness – for example in procuring extra stocks of ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE) and virus testing kits. It should have been clear from the evidence coming out of China and Europe from February onwards that the risks of a global pandemic, requiring significant additional medical resources, were very high indeed. Yet it was only 3 days ago that this President requested for the procurement of 8 more ventilators. Details later emerged that suggest there was a lack of procurement competence within the government.
A good leader should have met with opposition members or parliament to discuss wide-ranging issues bordering on the Coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, not president Bio. Health professional workers on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus are now downing tools complaining about the negligence of their safety. Due to the unavailability of Personal protective Equipment (PPE). They are now facing a severe lack of facilities and are demanding the full payment of their wages from the government.
*SINKING THE ECONOMY
Bio and his Economic team are incapable to do everything in their power to restart the engine of growth, the economic clock is running more slowly than is the political clock, generating widespread discontent and a huge backlash from Sierra Leoneans .
The World Bank and the IMF to date disbursed amount totalling $82.75 million for budgetary support assistance and extended credit facility programme respectively .The Bio government wasted all of that by expanding Fiscal expenditure. The Unemployment rate has quadrupled over the last two years . Balance of payment is in poor shape. Inflation rate is on double digits . The Leone continues to depreciate. Fiscal Deficit is up. Foreign investment dropped 60.7% and foreign private investment also declined by a whopping 65.3%
President Bio pledged to create 500,000 jobs in the first year of his presidency. That did not happened. Political instability is driving investors away. Growth rate is dismal and poverty will not be tackled. Wages not paid on time. They are struggling to service sovereign debts. Two new ministries created in his reshuffle – Environment and Gender and Children Affairs. They were both carved out from existing ministries. For example,you have the Environment Protection Agency created by an act of parliament , which was headed by Prof Moriba Jaward. So why create a new Environment ministry when you have an agency tasked with the same responsibilities? That’s basically duplicating and a waste of tax payers money . That came against the backdrop of , a worsening total government domestic debt as a percentage of Gross Domestic product (GDP), worsening total government external debt as a percentage of GDP and time to maturity of new loans.
*FREE QUALITY EDUCATION
The free quality education was poorly rolled out and its turning out to be a fine mess, due to lack of adequately trained teachers, poor conditions of schools and equity issues related to opportunities provided to rural children. A grant from the Global Partnership was announced in 2018 totalling US$17.2 million to boost Maada Bio’s flagship quality education program. But with strict conditions that should be met. So what is going to happen after a year from today when that funding programme duration ends? Bear in mind it’s a 3 years financing grant programme.
*ATTACKING HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Human rights activists who speak up about the rule of law and people’s rights are also being targeted by the authorities.
*SILENCING THE OPPOSITION
In the last two years, the government also used dodgy tactics and other charges to implicate and silence opposition figures. This wave of political crackdowns would ignite a people’s movement if they are not careful
This government was elected on a wave of unrefined propaganda, supported by phalanxes of crawlers, liars and turncoats. In 2023, we are going to have a chance to press for change. Maada Bio and his crawlers, all of them are going to be very active trying to return us to the old, broken world they created.
Jonathan Salone Borbor Seamer
