By Kabs Kanu
The more the nation shows that it does not like his brand of Paopa Politics, political oppression , arm-twisting of even Parliament, misgovernance, abuse of police power and police brutality , human rights abuses etc, the more repressive President Maada Bio becomes and most of the nation-Even some people in his Southeastern stronghold–have regretted that they voted for him in 2018.
Fanatical and clannish supporters of President Bio are not oblivious of the fact that their man has become very unpopular after only four years of governance . And it is not that they are not seeing what is happening. The fact in Sierra Leone today is that politics has become so partisan and so divorced from the national interest that supporters will continue to hail a failed leader and continue being in denial that their president or political party has lost the mandate and goodwill of the people, even if the truth keeps slapping them in the face.
Bio is the most despised President we have had in Sierra Leone, but though they continue to see the signs, his supporters will not believe or accept . But in case they would want us to remind them , below are some of the reasons that Sierra Leoneans do not like President Bio and why they oppose him vehemently on the social media and in the country. No President in the history of Sierra Leone has faced public demonstrations by Sierra Leoneans at the UN , White House, World Bank, UK, Brussels and other countries as President Bio. Sierra Leoneans do not like Bio and these are the reasons :
- PRESIDENT BIO IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSER
Since President Bio came to power in 2018, his supporters and armed forces have engaged in extrajudicial political killings, beatings and maiming of political opponents and egregious and grave human rights abuses. Bio’s supporters gave Sierra Leone the first taste of the tribulations that will hunt their lives during the tenure of this government when as soon as the results were announced and Bio declared President, his supporters went amok and went all over the country destroying market stalls and the means of livelihood of women and presumed supporters of the APC, beating , killing and burning their houses.
A KID BEING DRAGGED BY THE POLICE ON THE STREET
IMAGES FROM THE MAKENI MASSACRE
During President Bio 4-year rule, his security forces committed a wholesale massacre at the Pademba Road Prisons. Youths and other citizens demonstrating against the government were murdered at Mile 91, Tombo Village, Lunsar, Makeni, Tonko Limba, Koinadugu and other parts of the country.Nothing was more galling, sickening , shocking and disappointing than the fact that the Local Unit Commander of the Sierra Leone Police, Superintendent Sesay , told Radio 98.1 after the Mile 91 massacre that the raiding police and army said they were acting on instructions from State House.
A MASSACRE VICTIM BEING RUSHED TO HOSPITAL
The United States State Department 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights graphically highlighted these facts.The President cannot afford to be silent when law and order are being disregarded and human rights abuses are being committed with impunity in his country by security forces and supporters, but this has been the case. Click here to read more : U.S. State Department accuses President Bio’s SLPP Government of arbitrary political killings, tribalism, widespread corruption and grave human rights abuses – Cocorioko
A. Politically-motivated harassment and intimidation of opponents have been perpetrated on a scale unknown in the history of Sierra Leone. Leaders and officials of political parties and anybody perceived to be opposed to the government’s misrule have been subjected to unlawful arrests and detention. Right now, the Chairman of the Alliance Democratic Party, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray is dying in jail , since he was detained two years ago for an alleged bailable offence. Police also entered the well of Parliament and beat and injured opposition MPs belonging to the APC as seen in the photo below.
PHOTO : MAADA BIO ‘S POLICE RAIDED THE WELLS OF THE SIERRA LEONE PARLIAMENT AND BEAT AND INJURED OPPOSITION MPS
B. There is no respect for the Rule of Law in Sierra Leone since President Bio came to power in 2018. The style of government is junta-like. The President, his wife, supporters of his political party and security forces have no respect for the law, the constitution and the fundamental rights of citizens. His wife, a one-time NOLYWOOD film acctress, Fatima Bio publicly called for mob justice against supporters of the opposition APC and shortly after, the macabre massacre of prisoners and correction officers at the Pademba Road Prisons occured.
SEE PART 2 TOMORROW.
