Statement written by Salifu Kamara,
Contact: 202 704 0354 {USA}
Why Sierra Leone Deserves Honest and Sincere Leadership — And the Role the All-People’s Congress Can Play in Restoring Hope
Sierra Leone is a country richly endowed with natural resources, diverse cultures, and an incredibly resilient population. But beneath this beauty lies a painful truth: millions of Sierra Leoneans wake up every day to the harsh reality of poverty, systemic neglect, and broken promises. Many survive on less than a dollar a day. This is no longer just an economic crisis—it is a moral one. Our people are not asking for luxury. They ask for dignity, fairness, and a future they can believe in.
The children of Sierra Leone, who should be learning and dreaming in safe classrooms, are instead roaming the streets, trapped in child labor, or stuck in overcrowded, underfunded schools. They are being denied the foundation they need to grow into tomorrow’s leaders. They deserve books, not burdens. They deserve education, not exploitation.
Women, who are the heart of our families and the driving force of our communities, continue to face daily struggles. Many endure gender-based violence, discrimination, and economic hardship without protection or justice. They are raising entire generations with little to no support from a government that should uplift them, not ignore them.
Our youth—brimming with talent, ambition, and hope—are continuously sidelined. With no access to vocational training, job opportunities, or proper guidance, they are left to wander a path of uncertainty. This abandonment not only wastes their potential but endangers our national future. They deserve more than hollow slogans; they deserve real investment in their aspirations.
Our senior citizens, who once built and served this nation with pride, now age in poverty and neglect. They are denied even the most basic necessities—pensions, healthcare, or comfort. We owe them more than this quiet suffering.
And then there are our brothers and sisters living in communities with disabilities, who are too often forgotten. They are denied access to buildings, schools, jobs, healthcare, and most tragically, denied a voice in national decisions. A government that fails to create inclusive systems is one that actively contributes to their marginalization. Disability is not inability—what is missing is access, opportunity, and the political will to embrace true inclusion.
At the root of these injustices is a leadership deficit—a lack of sincere, people-centered governance. For too long, leadership in Sierra Leone has been characterized by self-interest, corruption, and a detachment from the daily struggles of ordinary citizens. Our institutions are crumbling, our public services are failing, and our people are crying—not just from hunger but from a sense of hopelessness.
The All-People’s Congress (APC) is pivotal in history. It has the opportunity—and the obligation—to break this cycle, to rise beyond politics as usual and lead with integrity, compassion, and courage. This is not just about winning elections. This is about restoring the soul of our nation.
The APC can:
Develop inclusive economic programs that empower youth, women, and individuals with disabilities through vocational training, entrepreneurship grants, and job creation initiatives.
Reform education by investing in infrastructure, training educators, and ensuring access for all, regardless of location or ability.
Prioritize women’s and children’s rights through robust laws, social protection programs, and increased access to maternal and child healthcare.
Support senior citizens with pension schemes, free medical care, and policies that honor their contributions.
Build an inclusive government that reflects the voices of all Sierra Leoneans, including persons with disabilities, and ensures accessibility and representation at every level.
Fight corruption relentlessly, ensuring public funds, not private pockets, serve the people.
Sierra Leone deserves honest, sincere, and compassionate leadership. Leadership that listens to its people’s cries, walks in their shoes, and governs with heart and humility. Leadership that views everyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, or status, as worthy of dignity and opportunity.
Our people have suffered enough. The time for silence is over. The time for action is now. Let Sierra Leone rise—not through empty promises, but through bold and inclusive leadership that restores hope, justice, and pride in our nation.
Let this be the beginning of a new chapter—for every child, every woman, every youth, every elder, and every person living with a disability, because true leadership leaves no one behind.
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