4 October 2020.
By Yanguba Kai-Samba
Government is elected by the people to serve them–to create an enabling environment to create jobs, build the essential social services and prudent fiscal and resource management of the country for the wider benefits of the people.
In the case of president Bio of Sierra Leone, he promised the people on B B C focus on Africa that he would “create half a million jobs”in his first year as president.Nearly in his third year of his 5 years term, the economy is in a worst state now than three three years ago.Life is hard for the majority of the ordinary people.
Life is suffocating, truly human sufferings of the people of Sierra Leone,never envisaged in peace time.I write from UK but my eyes and ears are in Sierra Leone, with the people on the ground who tells me their stories either through whatsapp audio messages or calls. Some messages asking for help are disturbing and stressful.
But how do they still danced for politicians when the government has failed palpably to improve their economic conditions, despite the largest external budget supports the government has received from world bank, I MF, African development bank, EU etc etc.
With no opportunities for employment and lack of social safety networks life for the ordinary men and women have become perniciously unbearable.Cost of living is now higher and unaffordable than when the paopas led by President Bio came to power. I don’t write this because I want to embarrass the government but to brought to light that they have the responsibility to be more imaginative and creative, which the can, to build a nation that is at work.
I also write because I am personally affected by the plight of the people and the failure of the government to invest and its inability to reducing hardships.Therefore, here is my Sunday message to the people of Sierra Leone. I don’t have time for politicians in power because they are enjoying the privileges of the office you the people elected them to serve you.So this message is for those who are suffering and who felt government is not working for them and that they have no stake in Society.Sierra Leoneans should demand their economic freedom.
You can’t go on dancing for your politicians for ever.You have the right to share and benefit from your country’s god given natural wealth.While the politicians you elected in to power power prosper and built mansions -drives in expensive jeeps with your tax and donor funds, you and your families still lives in squalid slum ,darkness, drinking from the swamp and go hungry for days.60 years of independence have made the people more dependent on hand out from their rulers.
Politicians have done nothing to build a system that gives economic freedom to the people they govern. You should demand to have jobs. You don’t want to be given bags of rice ones a year during party campaign, and you don’t receive it for another year.A country cannot be run on charity as this has featured prominently under this Paopa SLPP administration,exposing their incompetence and trickery.Charities should never be used to peddle party political influence. That amount to bribery.It is the duty of the government to build social services and institutions through which every citizens can access .Job is critical to the emancipation of the people of Sierra Leone as it will liberate them from dependency on elected politicians, who paid themselves high salaries and multiple allowances .A man without a job loses his dignity, his pride and freedom to think and make decision for himself and cared for his family.
The right to employment is a human right and so is the right to shelter. In UK, it is a almost a legal obligation for abled bodied men and women to look for work as the government also has an obligation to create jobs for people to contribute to the economy.Job creation was one of the election promises made by Julius Bio before his election as president. He said he would create half a million jobs in one year of his presidency.
When you’re in job, you don’t have time to clap and dance for the very politicians who have failed to empower you, to create jobs for you, build good hospitals,roads and good educational system. When politicians gives you bags of rice, they know that come election campaign, you will vote for them. What you need are jobs, good paid jobs, good schools for your kids, good hospitals for your health care, electricity, clean water etc etc. Charities can’t do this.
Government has a contract with you the people who elected them in to office to provide the essential social services and amenities ,which you deserved and entitled to. With jobs, you will be able to look after yourself, take decisions for yourself on what you can do . Jobs gives you not only the sense of worth but a sustainable income that comes with responsibility and security.Politician gives you bags or rice or sanitary pads for girl not because they love you, but they are peddling their party’s political influence.
You have to ask yourself, why it is only now that we elected you in to power that you are giving us bags of rice? Why didn’t you do this then? And why can’t you give us back our pride by doing what you promised us to do during the election: create jobs for us, alleviate poverty quickly and solve the bread and butter issues within 6 months in power. That was what this government said. And president Bio even promised to create half a million jobs within a year of his presidency. He has just over two years left in office. Given us bags of rice but no jobs for us to earn salaries ,to buy our own rice, build our own homes and feed our families just as you the politicians do. Because we didn’t elect you in to office to give us bag of rice or throw money at us on dance floor. That is keeping us poor and dependent on you. National development cannot be outsource to charity nor should charity be a substitute to the development of Sierra Leone You elected the government to build a social and economic systems — in job creation, infrastructures — in good roads, hospitals and business enabling environment so that you also become a stake holder and not always a receiver. Y
You will only become free when you have jobs to feed your family. Don’t allow politicians to hold you back by given you bags of rice and penny penny. You will never be free but always follow them to feed you. This is the culture of dependency, a kind of social engineering that allows politicians to lie and fool you during election campaign.They are in Kenema this morning, to tell you they have built a clock tower , when it is the mobile company Africel that demolished the old clock tower and replaced it with the new one as, according to the director of Africell, it is his company’s gift to the people of Kenema.
Good Morning Sierra Leone and have a peaceful Sunday. Stay safe from COVID 19.
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