By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, still, we have not heard from you. Are we to force you to talk? Are we to assume that you no longer feel accountable to the people who put you in office? Mr. President, why are you bluffing? Do you truly understand your position as the head of state of our beloved country? Do you think we are mere subjects under a monarch?
For your information, you got where you are through an election. People voted for you, though even that remains questionable. But for the sake of peace, we let it be and moved on. Yet, by your actions, it seems you believe we are inferior, and you are some kind of a colossus towering over us. Let’s be clear: you are not, Mr. President. You are a public servant, elected to serve, not to rule with impunity.
Now, let’s talk about this latest appointment. The new immigration boss, who is he? Why him? What about the numerous other capable citizens across the country? Why should he come from the southeast, like those before him? Mr. President, why is it that every immigration boss under your leadership comes from one side of the country? I do not want to sound tribalistic, but I have to ask: are you aware of the glaring nepotism you are demonstrating? The evidence is clear; look at the appointments all over the place. It is either your direct family members, your close friends, extended family members, or individuals willing to blindly carry out your wishes. And despite all this, you pretend that nothing is happening. You turn a deaf ear to criticism; you play dumb, not because you are actually dumb, but because you are dishonest.
Mr. President, your wife has recently made a bold claim that you sent her to Kono to fix the problems of the people. If that is true, then let me ask: who are you going to send to the other regions to fix their problems? Or is the entire country now reliant on your wife’s discretion? Since when did Sierra Leone become a family enterprise? Your wife is openly accusing your ministers of corruption, yet where is Francis Ben Kaifala of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)? Has he suddenly lost his voice? Or is he now selectively blind? If your wife is correct in her claims, what has she done to officially report those she accuses?
And speaking of accountability, did your wife obtain police clearance before embarking on her so-called mission? We have a policy requiring clearance 21 days before any form of demonstration or public gathering. Did she follow this procedure, or is she above the law? Or is she just a loose cannon that you cannot control? Not long ago, members of the Concerned Sierra Leoneans group were arrested for merely requesting permission to protest at the Electoral Commission office. Yet your wife can declare a mission, go wherever she pleases, do whatever she wants, and no one questions her authority simply because she is the president’s wife. Mr. President, are we really running a democracy, or is this a dictatorship disguised as an elected government?
Fasten your seatbelt, Mr. President. More revelations are coming, videos and evidence that will shake the very foundation of your government. These exposures will not only discredit you personally but will also open a can of worms that you will struggle to control. The international community will demand answers from you directly. Your government’s secret dealings, the corruption that festers beneath the surface, and the blatant disregard for democratic principles will soon come under intense scrutiny.
I pray that you do not find yourself in the shoes of Manuel Noriega, Mr. President. History has a way of repeating itself, and leaders who disregard the cries of their people often find themselves trapped in the consequences of their own arrogance. The people of Sierra Leone deserve better. They deserve transparency, fairness, and a leader who understands the weight of his responsibilities.
Mr. President, can we talk now? Or must we continue watching you pretend that all is well while the country crumbles around you?
