By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, as I recall the day you were declared the winner of the 2018 Presidential Elections, I can still picture the vibrant atmosphere at the national stadium. It was a day of hope, a day when many of us, myself included, believed that the course of our nation was about to change for the better. I saw in you the potential for transformation—a leader who could bring new energy to a country exhausted by years of mismanagement and hardship.
I thought, at last, a new chapter would be written in our history. And yet, here we are today, still grappling with many of the same issues that have plagued us for decades. Our hopes have become fleeting memories, and as I reflect on the past, I cannot help but wonder: Where did we go wrong?
You see, I’ve lived through a number of presidencies, from the era of Dr. Siaka Stevens and Dr. Joseph Saidu Momoh to the junta of Valentine Strasser (with you by his side), and read about Sir Milton and Sir Albert Margai and the return to democracy under President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. I remember the courage it took for you to hand over power to President Kabbah in 1996, a selfless act that few would have dared to take at the time. For that, I thank you.
But, Mr. President, today I feel compelled to speak with you candidly, as a fellow Sierra Leonean who cares deeply for the future of our beloved country.
One of the most poignant moments in my life was when President Kabbah once said, “No Sierra Leonean will go to bed on an empty stomach by 2007.” Many misunderstood his words, thinking that by 2007, we would all have bags of rice delivered to our doorsteps. But in reality, he was calling on us to return to our farms, to toil and work hard to rid our nation of hunger and dependency. It was a message about self-sufficiency, about taking responsibility for our future. We misunderstood that then, and I fear, Mr. President, that we are still missing the point today.
Your government made promises—grand promises that raised expectations but did not deliver on substance. You proclaimed free and quality education for all—a noble cause indeed. But have you visited the schools and universities lately? Have you seen firsthand the condition of the classrooms, the disillusionment of the teachers, and the lack of basic resources? Mr. President, I urge you to take a walk through the institutions that are supposed to embody your flagship project. I fear you would find the reality far removed from the promise.
As much as your administration emphasizes the “Big Five” projects as the foundation of your legacy, I struggle to see any tangible outcomes from these initiatives. They have become little more than slogans, devoid of substance. They are echoed repeatedly by your ministers and party faithful, but there is nothing solid to show for them. And while you promised to fight waste and corruption, your government remains bloated with overlapping ministries and parastatals, each seemingly created to reward loyalty rather than deliver real change.
We, the people, see it. We feel it. The frustration of seeing resources squandered while ordinary Sierra Leoneans continue to struggle to put food on the table. We see party loyalists thriving, while the majority of the population languishes in poverty. Mr. President, I ask you, is this the Sierra Leone you want to leave behind?
Our history is full of leaders who had the potential to steer this nation towards greatness but fell short. Sir Milton Margai is remembered fondly as a unifier, while Sir Albert Margai divided the nation with his regionalism. Siaka Stevens built a reputation on his iron-fisted rule, earning the nickname “Bandaylay” for his shrewd but ruthless governance. And then there were those, like Strasser and Momoh, whose legacies were tainted by their failures to rise above the chaos and division they inherited.
You still have time, Mr. President. Time to be remembered differently. Time to turn the tide and become president for all Sierra Leoneans, not just a chosen few. If you choose to rise above the partisan politics and the regional divides, to govern for the benefit of every citizen regardless of tribe, region, or religion, then history will remember you as one of the greats.
You have the power to make that change. You have the opportunity to unite a nation that has been divided for far too long. It will not be easy, and it will require making tough decisions—decisions that may alienate some of those closest to you. But if you truly want to be remembered as a leader who made a lasting impact, then you must put the people of Sierra Leone first.
I am hopeful that in the remaining years of your presidency, you will seize this moment to leave a legacy that we can all be proud of. I pray that you will listen to the voices of ordinary Sierra Leoneans and make the changes necessary to uplift this great nation.
Thank you for your attention, Mr. President. May we continue this conversation for the sake of Sierra Leone’s future.
Yours sincerely,