By Kabs Kanu
The predicament of the Sierra Leonean people has worsened under the New Direction Government of President Maada Bio, with the now perpetual electricity blackouts, shortage of fuel, steep increases of prices at the fuel pumps, high cost of living and the unavailability of water–and Sierra Leoneans are complaining all over the country and on social media, making for a very difficult final year of the tenure of the Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP) regime.
Over the past few weeks, the price of fuel has gone up 50% in Sierra Leone and there has also been long lines at fuel stations as petrol has become very scarce , with even fuel tankers joining the public and vehicles to “Toe-line ” for petrol.
And nothing is more frustrating for Sierra Leoneans than the fact that the President , as usual , is not around to help address the serious crises and is busy travelling the globe. With elections around the corner, many Sierra Leoneans believe it is a poor statement from President Bio and his flagging government on the eve of president elections slated for June 24, 2023.
The Government blames the global international situation for the present fuel crisis . As for the blackouts, the SLPP government announced recently that the Turkish ship that supplies electricity to the capital is facing technical problems. But some media outlets and social media commentators have blamed the problem on the government’s inability to pay the powership and owing it money running to millions of dollars.
