Your Excellency,
Coming back to Sierra Leone after about two years and the Covid-19 global pandemic that inhibited the entire globe and incidentally kept me trapped here for nine months running, which however got me very au fait with your current governance and socio-economic operations, I can this time make an independent appraisal of some issues that I consider very pertinent and pivotal to the governance, survivability and livelihood of the majority of Sierra Leoneans, who only live on the fringes of society and receive the daily brunt and struggles of our artificially struggling economy. I am sorry that I would not be able to stay longer than this week, because of professional academic responsibilities and missionary/clerical functions in Liberia. However, I will make some salient observations and proffer some summary solutions (as I characteristically do in all my publications,) that may be relevant or offer significant information to your government and the functionaries that superintend the pertinent areas.
I would commence by expressing satisfaction for the strides you continue to make in improving the economic roads infrastructure and connectivity that your predecessor laid as a formidable foundation for economic growth and the free, easier and comfortable movement of people and goods across the length and breadth of the country. I frankly admire your pragmatic continuity-process in national development – as well as your innovative revitalization of afore productive and viable agendas in national development and self-reliance; such as your drive to revitalize food security and forge through realistic renewable energy production that is very invaluable for economic and sustainable cutting-edge industrialization that would not be comparatively too cost intensive. This would make Sierra Leone attractive to both global and regional industrial investors. Your administration has also painstakingly dared to renegotiate with powerful global multinational concessionaires to elevate their royalties to the nation and improve on their corporate social responsibilities both to their host investment communities and the nation at large. Your sustained and pragmatic anti-corruption drive has been very invaluable in ensuring public sector accountability; which I would however opine got selective and soft-pedalled on when you refused to prosecute some accused top ministers in towards the end of the first term of your regime. This is indeed among several other retinues of very laudable interventions your government has made so far, that I pray would be sustained by your administration and the relevant lines of authorities. Bravo Your Excellency and my brother!!
And I could go on in trumpeting more of your indelible strides in nation building and some foreseeable potentials too, but due to brevity of time and space I would proceed to highlight certain crucial struggles in our economy that continue to bear heavy and excruciating brunt on the common and struggling masses – with the caveat that if those addressable issues are not addressed sooner than later, they would definitely taint your legacy and becloud some of these laudable strides you have been relentlessly pursuing since the inception of your administration till now. Your Excellency, while I am cognisant of the fact that development is both individually and nationally sacrificial, yet in the midst of development, if the common people’s avoidable plights are not prioritized and frantically looked into, while they observe obvious opulence in governance and top public functionaries’ lifestyles, they would consider your governance only patronizing and primarily working in the interests of the minute few privileged minority – in a patronage system. As a result your legitimate national development strides and strategies would not be acknowledged, applauded and owned by the very masses that brought you to power and whose interests and plights you vouched to decisively address in the spirit of true patriotism and nationalism.
At this juncture, may I highlight and delve in resume into some of the critical day-to-day struggles of the ordinary Sierra Leoneans that I believe could be much alleviated if our governance structures and top public servants could see working in the interests of the masses and downtrodden, as a priority in nation building and closing the ever widening gap between the “haves and the haves-not.” In my opinion, there needs to be a deliberate and major paradigm shift in government’s policy-making and review mechanisms, budgetary allotments, international travels, operations, etc. – in order to pragmatically and realistically forge some very needed fundamental, people-driven interventions that would much sooner than later implement measures aimed at definitely ameliorating these daily non-evadable, but certainly avoidable pains meted out on the striding common people. After all they say, Western democracy is all about “government by the people, of the people and for the people.”
But sadly, African democracies are mostly “governments by the people, for the leaders, their cronies, hegemonies and international shrewd and self-centred contrivers. This is why, while Western democracy greatly profits the West and could be preferred to Soviet/Russian socialism and communism, (the latter of which are characteristically policing and void of real civil liberties,) Western democracy, with its manipulative invisible, neo-colonialist arms that can rather keep African dictators like Yuweri Museveni, the Bongos and Paul Biya in power for the longest, because they are unapologetically aligned with them, have only brought repression, exploitation, segregation and civil wars in Africa, that have devastated viable African economies and nations – like Libya. Leaders and nations with potential African egalitarian socio-economic and political ideologies, like Kwame N’krumah, Patrice Lumumba and Thomas Sankara that were leading their countries into a clearly carved out African egalitarianism and economic freedom and self-reliance were systematically targeted exterminated. These were leaders, who regardless of their human inadequacies, were seeking for greater African economic independence that would decisively chart and champion Africa’s unique intra-regional economic and political cooperation in the global political agenda. It is obvious that the West does not certainly relish this kind of true African economic and political freedom, economic self-reliance and robust global power play.
Also, there is so much taxation and tax regimes in African countries that fail to provide basic, quality and affordable education, health and sustainable energy services and amenities that would better the lives and livelihoods of the generality of the respective nations. Nor do they accrue Tax Returns to tax payers at any time. In lieu they pay themselves (the political class and contriving top public functionaries) with fabulous salaries, fringe benefits, astronomical travel par-diems and obvious opulent and extravagant lifestyles they never used to enjoy and afford before ascending into governance and top public roles. In resume these patronage mentality politicians and public servants (exploiters) see governance and public service as sure means to reckless and heartless acquisition of fast-tracked ill-gotten generational wealth as their given entitlement; while the rest and huge majority of the masses wallow and languish in artificial abject poverty. This is really unfortunate and appalling, to say the least.
Our GSM/Mobile Phone communication companies, like Africell and Orange service deliverers still charge high tariffs for subscriptions, even though government had declared that they had installed fibre-optic cables and modes that are supposed to make communication more affordable, effective and brisk. But rather than being so, communication within Sierra Leone and the sub-Saharan region is very expensive and internet connectivity is very erratic. So, either the declaration of Fibre-optic installation by our politicians during election campaign period were hoax or there seems to be contrivance with NATCOM, the national communications regulatory body and its relevant actors, who are turning blind eyes to this broad day light robbery in the tune of millions of dollars/Leones daily. I hereby alert NATCOM to take seize of this communication anomaly and extortion – in the bid to improving effective and affordable service delivery to consumers nationwide; and as well as making communication brisk, swift and cutting-edged.
Mist of our leaders in Africa certainly do not have or understand the culture of servant hood in governance and public service delivery to their peoples they vouch to serve indiscriminately during electioneering periods.
The above highlighted struggles are just a few crucial areas of neglect and reckless abandon in governance and public service that are continually breaking the backs of the poor masses. And it would do well for your government and relevant authorities to intervene now robustly into these cancerous plights in the bid to ameliorate the numerous plights of the common people and give them too breathing space in such a dire economy.
I hope I have been objective enough to bring up these governance and economic issues that are weighing so heavily upon the commoners and which your proximal cronies and hegemony may not garner the courage and fortitude to address you with – which are certainly capable of tainting your indelible legacy in this second and final term of your tenure of governance.
God bless you as you frantically seek to address these crucial daily “bread-and-butter” issues of the vast and struggling majority of your people!! LAND THAT WE LOVE OUR SIERRA LEONE!!
Best Regards,
Rev. Dr. Abraham Williams
Clergyman/International Rights Advocate/Anti-Corruption Campaigner/Pan-Africanist
Best Regards,
Rev. Dr. Abraham Williams
(Clergy/International Rights Advocate/Anti-Corruption Campaigner/Pan-Africanist)