Sixty-five years after independence, one painful truth remains: we, as a people, have failed Mama Salone.

By Ibrahim Yusuf Bangura

Sixty-five years after independence, one painful truth remains: we, as a people, have failed Mama Salone.

In 1961, we inherited a nation of immense promise – rich in resources, rich in culture, and rich in spirit. Sadly, far too often, we have allowed tribalism to rise above patriotism, politics above progress, and personal gain above national purpose. Time and again, we have demonstrated a troubling lack of discipline, honesty, and collective responsibility to build the nation we were entrusted with.

As citizens, we are often quick (and mostly justified) to blame politicians and our leaders, but the rot runs far deeper. A nation is not failed by its political leaders alone; it is also failed when citizens normalize dysfunction, romanticize mediocrity, and justify or excuse wrongdoing. The decay is rooted in the simple, everyday choices we make – in the compromises we defend, the standards we lower, and the silence we keep when wrong becomes normal.

Alas, a country does not collapse in one dramatic moment; it decays slowly when, as citizens, we stop being honest; as leaders, we stop caring; and as a people, we embrace the collective mindset of “how for do,” accepting dysfunction as normal and survival as the only ambition.

Looking back, it is clear as day that what Sierra Leone now needs is truth and honesty. What we need is a collective realization that, as a people, we have not done right by Mama Salone. At 65, Salone no longer needs empty patriotism; she needs accountability, responsibility, and a generation willing to rebuild what others have comfortably destroyed.

Until then, the flag may fly, but the promise of independence remains unfinished.

Happy 65th Birthday, Mama Salone. 🇸🇱