By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, here we are again. We have seen it all again. I have said it time without number: you are not on good terms with your wife. With her penchant for publicity, she was not with you in Egypt on a state visit. This is shocking. The First Lady, who always ensures she is at the center of attention, is suddenly missing from a crucial international trip? It raises questions that demand answers.
Mr. President, what is even more shocking is the scandal involving your daughter. The news making the rounds is that she has been impregnated by none other than Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Jos Bolle, a notorious drug baron who is soon going to start fighting his extradition to the Netherlands. This revelation has left the nation in disbelief, but the silence from the State House has only fueled suspicions. How did this happen? What does it mean for your government’s so-called commitment to law and order?
But let us not be distracted, Mr. President, because we all know that your visit to Egypt was never based on genuine diplomatic engagements. No, Mr. President, it was a calculated move, an opportunity for you to broker deals that will not benefit Sierra Leoneans but will instead sell off our sovereignty to foreign interests. Your secret negotiations with the Egyptian government over Sulima and other marine territories for military purposes have not gone unnoticed. We, the people, will resist any attempt to hand over our lands and waters to foreign forces.
Mr. President, we know why you travelled to Egypt, to learn how the Egyptian military has captured the state. Is that your vision for Sierra Leone? Is that why today, everywhere in the government, we see a dominance of individuals from the NPRC 2 Military Junta? This is no longer a democratic government. From the Army Chief of Staff down to other key figures in your administration, you have filled critical positions with former servicemen loyal to you. Your former military comrades, such as Taluva and others, have more say than the actual government ministers. It is clear that you are systematically militarizing governance, sidelining competent civilians, and entrenching a culture of fear and oppression.
Mr. President, Sierra Leone is not your personal military barracks. It is not a country to be ruled by force or through an iron fist hidden behind the facade of democracy. The people of Sierra Leone have suffered too much to allow another descent into authoritarian rule. The signs are all there: the growing presence of military loyalists in key positions, the strategic placement of ex-service men who served under your NPRC 2 regime, and your continued attempts to erode democratic structures to tighten your grip on power.
Mr. President, the people of Sierra Leone are watching. We see through your intentions. We know that your end goal is to manipulate the 1991 Constitution to suit your ambitions. But let me be clear: we, the people, will not sit idly by while you attempt to rewrite history in your favor. We will not allow you to trample on our rights and our democratic institutions.
Mr. President, be ready for a fight, not a fight of violence, but a fight of the people reclaiming their power. We will use our voices, our votes, and our unity to reject any attempt to hijack our democracy. We will stand against any scheme to extend your stay in power beyond the constitutional limits. Sierra Leone belongs to its people, and we will not be passive observers while you seek to dismantle the very foundation upon which our democracy stands.
Your governance has been characterized by economic hardship, corruption, and disregard for the will of the people. While the ordinary citizens struggle to afford basic necessities, you and your associates live in excess. While the youth remain unemployed, you continue to recycle the same group of individuals who have failed the country time and time again. You have alienated not just your political opponents but also members of your own party who once believed in your leadership. Now, even they are questioning whether you truly have the nation’s best interest at heart.
Mr. President, history is watching. Your actions today will determine how you are remembered tomorrow. Will you be the leader who chooses power over people, dictatorship over democracy, and personal gain over national prosperity? Or will you finally listen to the cries of the people and change course before it is too late?
The decision is yours, Mr. President. But know this: Sierra Leone belongs to the people, and the people will always prevail.
