By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, I understand that as the leader of this nation, your schedule is packed with engagements, diplomatic missions, and other duties of high office. However, the issues I bring to your attention are critical. These are not minor inconveniences; they are the very cracks that threaten to bring the whole structure down. Today, I must speak to you about a matter that touches on the essence of your administration’s mismanagement: the outrageous sums of money your government spends on rent for offices, some of which should not even exist, let alone require buildings.
Mr. President, I have reiterated this countless times: your government is bloated, and with that comes an unsustainable strain on our already fragile economy. We are overloaded with expenditures that the country simply cannot afford. This is not just a problem of today; it will reverberate into the future, leaving scars on our financial landscape for generations to come.
Let me begin with an example that will make my point clear: the endless rents your administration pays for government offices. Mr. President, we have perfectly suitable buildings like the Ministerial Building on George Street and the Youyi Building. These facilities are capable of housing multiple ministries and MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies), but for reasons that remain baffling, your administration continues to spend hundreds of millions of our new Leones on renting offices elsewhere. Why? Because you are compensating party faithfuls. That, Mr. President, is not governance; it is cronyism of the highest order.
This isn’t just about rent. It goes beyond. The expenditures tied to these offices are ballooning the national budget. Electricity, water, and maintenance are all essential utilities required to keep these rented offices operational, piling on top of an already bloated financial system. And the real insult? Some of the officials benefiting from these expenditures own their homes. They are being paid rent for buildings they themselves constructed, while the state foots the bill. Mr. President, can you explain how such blatant exploitation of the public purse benefits our nation? Is this what we signed up for?
Mr. President, have you stopped to reflect on the loopholes that your government is either failing to close or deliberately leaving open for personal enrichment? There are countless state-owned quarters, from Kissy to Wilberforce to the OAU Village. These properties were built with the explicit purpose of housing government officials, reducing the strain on the national budget. But instead of using them, your administration prefers to pay astronomical sums in rent, perpetuating a system of waste and inefficiency. Why? Perhaps it is because these rents serve another purpose: a means to fleece the system.
The American President John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” But in Sierra Leone, under your government, the sentiment seems to be the exact opposite. It is “Ask what your country can do for you, and then take even more.” This is not governance. This is theft, pure and simple. And the scale is shocking.
Let me give you an example that might infuriate even the most loyal supporter of your government: the yearly budget allocations under your administration. These funds, earmarked for national development and essential services, are often redirected to fund your ever-increasing list of international trips and lavish engagements. You and your wife embark on these “official visits,” and billions of our new Leones are wasted on activities that do nothing to advance the nation. These are not visits made in the national interest; they are trips for personal comfort and self-promotion. How does this help the ordinary Sierra Leonean struggling to survive? What message does this send to the rest of the world, let alone your people?
Mr. President, I implore you to be a leader for once. A true leader. Someone who looks at the suffering of their people and decides to change course. These reckless spending habits, the wasteful policies, and the disregard for accountability must stop. Sierra Leone is not a playground for a select few to enrich themselves. The state exists for all its citizens, and it’s about time your government recognizes that.
It is evident that this government is built on the foundation of “Operation Pay Yourself.” Every policy, every decision, and every financial transaction seems to be designed not to serve the people but to line the pockets of those in power. This is a free-for-all plunder of state resources with no thought given to the consequences. The more you and your administration take, the more you rob future generations of their potential.
Have you considered the impact these practices will have on the nation’s morale, on its international reputation, and on its ability to attract genuine development partnerships? I can assure you, Mr. President, the world is watching. And what they see is a leader more interested in personal enrichment than in building a prosperous, transparent, and accountable nation.
You and I both know that this cannot continue. The lavish rents, the unchecked spending, the failure to prioritize the country’s pressing needs—these are things that will ultimately destroy this administration if you do not act. You must halt this rot, not just for the sake of your legacy but for the future of this nation.
Before I conclude, let me ask you one final question, Mr. President. What kind of country do you want to leave behind? One remembered for progress, fairness, and integrity? Or one remembered for greed, corruption, and the enrichment of a few at the expense of many? The choice is yours.
But I fear that if the current path continues, you may leave behind a legacy of regret, of missed opportunities, and of a nation in tatters. You are still in control of this ship, Mr. President. It is not too late to steer it in the right direction. But that change must begin now. Not tomorrow, not next week, but today. The nation is watching, and it will not forgive continued betrayal.
With that, I will pause, Mr. President, not because there is nothing more to say but because I have said enough for now. “Mek ar lef yu fos becos ar don begin vex sef.”
