By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, what a tragic moment this is for Freetown and Sierra Leone at large. Blacker is dead. A man who was mentally challenged yet a recognizable figure in the streets of our capital. His death, however, cannot be disconnected from you, Mr. President. How do you truly feel knowing that a man who had no voice, no influence, and no wealth was brutally attacked by your party supporters, unjustly jailed by your courts, and left to perish, while you, the leader of this nation, remained silent?
Mr. President, it pains me deeply to witness you standing on podiums, proclaiming your commitment to the mentally and physically challenged, while your actions tell a completely different story. You are heartless, Mr. President. Your care for the vulnerable is a performance, a staged act for political gain. The truth is, your priority has never been the people; it has always been yourself.
Mr. President, we have heard disturbing reports that even some of your own children, twenty-three in total, are not allowed access to you. If you cannot be a father to your own, how can we expect you to be a father to this nation? Is it any surprise, then, that you did not lift a finger when Blacker was suffering, when he needed intervention, when he was dying? You stood by, indifferent, while your political minions executed their cruelty.
Look at the state of Sierra Leone under your leadership, Mr. President. Everything you touch turns to stone. Nothing prospers under your governance. You have left this nation in ruins, morally, socially, and economically. Our people have lost faith, their hopes crushed under the weight of your failures.
And now, Mr. President, I hear whispers of your intention to manipulate the constitutional review process, using the 1978 model referendum, to extend your term from five years to seven. Let me tell you plainly: this is a grave mistake. You cannot silence the will of the people. You cannot twist the laws of this nation to suit your personal ambition. You may listen to Kandeh Yumkella and Fatima, but know this, Sierra Leoneans are watching, and we will not allow our democracy to be hijacked.
Mr. President, let’s talk about the school feeding program. Are you truly feeding our children, or is this just another avenue for corruption? We have heard that all you provide is rice, just rice! “Na Drai Res Yu Dae Feed Yu Pekin Na Ose?” Mr. President, in which household do you serve dry rice to children and call it a meal? Where are the nutrients? Where are the proteins? Is this how you ensure a future for our nation’s youth?
Mr. President, I know you’ve been hoping that I wouldn’t bring up the issue of Jos Leijdekkers, commonly known as Jos Bolle. But let me ask you directly: where is he now? What has happened to Alusine Kanneh? Why is Mr. Kai Kai still employed despite his ties to Jos Bolle? The people of Sierra Leone deserve answers.
And where is our former ambassador to Guinea, Mr. Alimamy Bangura? What has happened to him? And let’s not forget Ambassador Foday Yumkella, a man still recovering from a stroke; yet somehow, you saw fit to appoint him to a demanding diplomatic post. Is this how you treat those who have served this country? Is this what you call leadership?
Now, Mr. President, let’s talk about the innocent children who were murdered at the Pentecostal School. Who killed them? Why has the Sierra Leone Police been so slow to act? Instead of swift justice, all we received was a press statement, one that has achieved absolutely nothing. Where is the accountability? Where is the justice for those children?
And what about the young girl who was reported to have drowned on New Year’s Day? Her death remains a mystery, buried beneath layers of neglect and silence. Where is the investigation? What have your police done to ensure that the truth is revealed? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!
Mr. President, do you now see how unhappy the people of this country are? You can no longer hide behind manipulated narratives and hollow speeches. We are ranked as the second most unhappy nation in the world, trailing only behind Afghanistan and Lebanon, two war-torn countries ravaged by bombs and destruction. And yet, you and your so-called researchers have the audacity to claim that Sierra Leone is the most peaceful nation. What peace are you talking about when the people are drowning in suffering? What peace exists when our citizens are hopeless and broken?
Mr. President, the truth is undeniable. Under your leadership, Sierra Leone has crumbled. The people are tired, angry, and desperate for change. You have failed us in every possible way. But let me remind you, history does not forget. One day, your name will be recorded not as a leader who uplifted his people but as a man who squandered his opportunity to bring change.
The people of Sierra Leone will remember. And we will not be silent.
