By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, I hope you heard what your Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated. He emphatically declared that he did not sign any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with anyone or with the Guinean authorities regarding the case of former Ambassador Alimamy Bangura. Yet, your Minister of Information and Civic Education came out swinging, informing Sierra Leoneans and the world that there was indeed an MOU.
Mr. President, can you tell the nation whom to trust? If the Minister of Foreign Affairs is telling the truth and did not sign any MOU, should Minister Chernor Bah remain in his position after misleading the public? Your government, particularly the Ministry of Information, has become synonymous with lies and deceptive narratives. Minister Bah does nothing but twist and deflect issues. Did you appoint him for this specific purpose, to misinform the public, or was his appointment meant to build a society free from misinformation and disinformation?
Mr. President, another question that lingers in the minds of Sierra Leoneans is: where is former Ambassador Alimamy Bangura? Do you want to clarify his current location? Reports from Guinea suggest that Mr. Bangura is still under detention in Guinea, and the Guinean authorities are requesting your government to remove his diplomatic immunity so that they can try him. Will your government comply with this request, or will this case be buried under bureaucratic rhetoric like many others before it?
Mr. President, I have raised this issue before, and I will raise it again. The notorious drug baron Jos Leijdekkers, aka Umaru Sheriff, who is wanted by the Dutch government, has been reportedly enjoying safe haven in Sierra Leone. The Dutch authorities have requested his extradition so that he can face the 24-plus-year jail term handed to him in absentia. Mr. President, your government’s silence on this matter is deafening. You have refused to cooperate with the Dutch, despite repeated warnings that there are not just one but several international criminals operating freely within our borders. Why is your government failing to act decisively? Is Sierra Leone now a sanctuary for drug lords and criminals evading justice?
Furthermore, Mr. President, what is the fate of your daughter? She is serving in a diplomatic role in the United Nations Security Council and other UN agencies, yet she has been compromised due to her alleged connections with Jos Leijdekkers. Mr. President, the people of Sierra Leone are calling for her removal. How can she represent us with integrity in the UN system when serious allegations of impropriety are looming over her? Should she not step aside pending an independent investigation? Would you allow an ordinary Sierra Leonean in a similar situation to continue serving in such a high-profile position without scrutiny? The answer is clear, Mr. President; she should be fired.
Now, let’s discuss the state of the Ministry of Energy, another sector where your leadership continues to fail. Mr. President, your handling of this ministry is nothing but a game of musical chairs. Instead of addressing the real energy crisis affecting Sierra Leoneans, you continue to hire and fire ministers without any tangible solutions. Electricity remains erratic, businesses suffer, students cannot study at night, and hospitals struggle to operate due to power outages. All we get from your government is talk! Talk!! Talk!!! Yet, no real action is taken.
Mr. President, it is clear that your administration has failed in delivering on critical issues that affect everyday Sierra Leoneans. The economy is in shambles, corruption is rampant, and the institutions that should be ensuring accountability are compromised. You promised a government of transparency and accountability, yet your ministers contradict each other in broad daylight. You assured the people of development, yet basic services continue to deteriorate under your watch.
Sierra Leoneans are tired, Mr. President. They are tired of deception, tired of corruption, and tired of unfulfilled promises. The people demand answers, and as their leader, it is your responsibility to provide them. Will you, Mr. President?
