By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, you find yourself on yet another journey, this time in Apia, Samoa, where you await the arrival of Sierra Leoneans living across Oceania who are eager to meet you. They come to see you out of respect and love for their leader, their president. Yet, one question haunts me: why do you rarely seem to reciprocate that loyalty? Your lack of warmth toward those who admire you is troubling, to say the least. And, truthfully, I do not expect much from you in this regard; it is clear to me, and to many, that you operate with a heart far removed from compassion. It’s your way or the highway, an approach devoid of the empathy so needed in leadership.
And while I have your attention, Mr. President, I would like to address something else, as it concerns not only you but the First Lady and your Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh. Recently, a fellow journalist called upon “levelheaded” Sierra Leoneans to step in and mediate a growing rift between your wife, Fatimat Jabbie-Bio, and Dr. Sengeh. Mr. President, why should anyone else have to intervene in a conflict between two people over whom you hold direct influence? Fatimat Jabbie-Bio is your wife, and Dr. Sengeh is your appointed Chief Minister. Surely, as president and husband, you have the authority and ability to put an end to this friction between them. Yet you watch, unperturbed, as if nothing is wrong.
This lack of involvement, Mr. President, only fuels a rumor that has been simmering for months: that your relationship with the First Lady has deteriorated. Many speculate that she is not pleased with your stance on her political ambitions. It’s no secret she harbors ambitions to someday hold the vice presidential office, possibly under a Kandeh Yumkella administration. Her recent solo ventures and her increasing distance from you are hard to ignore. You travel in one direction, and she heads in another. And all the while, you allow Dr. Sengeh to take on a larger public role, which has evidently irked the First Lady, leading her to see him as a threat.
The latest example of your disinterest in your household and government’s cohesion is, quite simply, your extended stay in Samoa. Other delegates have returned home, and here you are still abroad, fraternizing with our diaspora communities instead of facing the crisis at home. This isn’t just about time spent abroad, Mr. President; it’s about priorities and how you seem to consistently put public appearances over the well-being of Sierra Leone. The latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) report has grimly placed Sierra Leone among the two poorest countries in the world. One would think that such news would compel any leader to rush back, to strategize, to help alleviate the suffering of the people. Instead, you’re halfway across the globe.
Your household, it seems, mirrors the disarray of our country. While you fly off, your Chief Minister and First Lady remain at home, at odds with each other. Dr. Sengeh, since cutting his dreadlocks, appears to have lost his own focus, straying from the powerful, authentic figure he once was. Fatima Jabbie-Bio, meanwhile, works increasingly independently, her actions and her words projecting a clear ambition. The frustration you must feel as they pull in different directions would frustrate any leader, but it is also your responsibility to contain and guide these forces, not to ignore them.
Sierra Leoneans watch all of this, Mr. President. And what they see is a leader who appears more interested in cementing his legacy abroad than in fulfilling his duties at home. They see a president who travels to far-flung places while urgent matters, disasters, poverty, and an economy on the brink go unaddressed. They see an administration that lacks unity, with the Chief Minister and First Lady battling for influence, each perhaps wondering whether they have your full support.
The question many Sierra Leoneans are asking, and one that I pose to you now, is: Where do your priorities truly lie? Is it with the people of Sierra Leone, who suffer under the weight of economic hardship, or with these international appearances that seem to do little more than elevate your personal profile? Your lavish travels do not go unnoticed, and neither do the contrasting fates of the people you were elected to serve. Our nation is not just enduring poverty; it is battling despair, and with each international trip, you seem to distance yourself further from the people you vowed to lead.
It is heartbreaking, Mr. President, to think that the majority of Sierra Leoneans no longer have faith in you, nor in the governing parties that have held power. The people have grown tired of selfish leadership, tired of administrations that prioritize self-interest over public service. They are looking ahead to a future without the likes of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and the All People’s Congress (APC), a future free from the broken promises and wasted resources that have plagued our country.
Mr. President, Sierra Leone deserves a leader who shows compassion, who values unity within the administration, and who puts the people first. The challenges facing our nation are many, from economic decay to social unrest. We need a leader who can bring stability to our government, who can mediate conflicts within his own household, and who can inspire hope and resilience in the hearts of his citizens. We need a leader who listens, who cares, and who doesn’t see Sierra Leoneans merely as an audience for public appearances but as people deserving of dignity and respect.
As you return from Samoa, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the path that has brought us here. Perhaps you will find it within yourself to finally be the president Sierra Leoneans need. The road forward will not be easy, but with commitment, integrity, and a renewed focus on serving the people, there is still hope. Our people have endured much, but they have not yet given up.
But let this be a clear message from all Sierra Leoneans: we are ready for a change. We are tired of watching our leaders serve only themselves while our nation suffers. We are prepared to demand accountability, to seek leaders who genuinely care for their people, and to say, loud and clear, that we will not allow ourselves to be taken for granted any longer.
