By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, I hope you had a very wonderful Easter celebration even though, quite frankly, I am not sure whether you are Catholic, Muslim, or perhaps one of the emerging hybrid faiths, CathoMuslism. Indeed, Mr. President, I observe your adeptness in serving as a bridge between various religions and traditions. But let me remind you: in Sierra Leone, we care very little about the religious affiliation of our leaders. What we care about is truth, honesty, empathy, and justice. What we care about is that you lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil you seem to relish. Sadly, your leadership continues to disappoint even the most forgiving of hearts.
You are trying so hard to show the world that you are “a man of everyone,” but it’s not working anymore. It’s become painfully transparent. Mr. President, Bra dae usai yu dae ya? Who are you trying to deceive?
Sierra Leone is one of the most religiously tolerant nations in the world, and we have lived peacefully among Christians, Muslims, and traditional believers. So, your public stunts to show us you’re at Mass one day, at the mosque the next, and then shaking calabashes at traditional shrines the following week are nothing but empty performances. You may be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of us all the time.
Mr. President, be who you are. You don’t need to perform holiness if your actions remain rooted in wickedness. You don’t need to wear a cassock or turban when your heart is full of deceit. The Holy Bible warns us sternly about this kind of hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:27, Jesus said:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
Sir, this scripture fits you like a tailored suit. On the outside, you paint yourself as the God-fearing leader, but on the inside, you are indifferent to the suffering of your people. No amount of churchgoing or Eid greetings can cleanse the stench of corruption, greed, and pride that your government has been exhaling since day one.
You manipulate the minds of the ordinary Sierra Leoneans with well-rehearsed speeches, staged photo ops, and empty “flagship projects” while the real issues—hunger, youth unemployment, maternal deaths, fuel scarcity, internet exploitation, and public sector rot—go unaddressed. You’ve betrayed every word of your oath to serve this country faithfully.
You parade yourself like a righteous man, but righteousness is not in appearances; it is in action. It is, in truth. It is in how you treat your people.
In Proverbs 29:2, the Bible says:
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
Are the people rejoicing under your leadership, Mr. President? Look around you. From Kissy to Kambia, Kenema to Kono, people are mourning. They’re mourning their broken dreams, mourning over their empty wallets, mourning the lack of justice, and mourning the loss of hope in leadership. Your presidency has been a long Good Friday with no Easter Sunday in sight.
Have you opened the Bible lately, Mr. President? Not on the day you renewed your vows with Fatima Jabbie Bio under God’s watchful eye, but on any quiet day when the burdens of leadership should bring you to your knees? I doubt it.
If you had, maybe you’d reflect on what the Lord said to unjust rulers in Ezekiel 34:2-4:
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.”
This scripture is a direct indictment of your presidency. You have fattened yourself “See your latest photos” and your inner circle while the nation starves. You reward incompetence and elevate cronies while the youth who once danced for your victory now roam the streets jobless and broken. Mr. President, “Wi Heart Dem Ol Pwel Ya,” indeed.
Even the way you handle national tragedies shows the coldness in your heart. When buildings collapse and families die, you jet off to foreign conferences and awards ceremonies. When children drown in flooded slums, you focus on organizing a new PR tour in America. When our hospitals run out of basic drugs, you’re busy funding foreign consultants and renting more office space for irrelevant ministries. You cannot serve two masters; you cannot serve the people and yourself at the same time.
The Bible offers strong words for this kind of failed leadership in Isaiah 10:1-2:
“Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.”
Mr. President, your governance has become a curse on the poor, a plague on the honest, and a celebration of the corrupt. Your anti-corruption czar throws an extravagant wedding while students learn under mango trees. Your diplomats are expelled from foreign countries due to gross misconduct, yet you call them patriots. You deploy police to beat peaceful protesters, while murderers and looters in suits wine and dine with you in the State House.
Sir, leadership is a divine trust. It is not for show. It is not a game. It is not about how many honorary doctorates you collect, nor how many selfies you take with foreign dignitaries. It is about accountability. It is about love for the people.
The Bible says in Proverbs 16:12:
“It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.”
What have you established, Mr. President? Nothing but fear, uncertainty, and a sense of betrayal. You blame the opposition for everything, yet you’ve had the power to transform this nation for years. You’ve turned every corner of leadership into a recycling center for failed ideas and failed men and women.
You are not righteous, Mr. President. And we are no longer deceived by your public performances. Your actions, not your attire, show who you are. Your silence in the face of suffering speaks louder than your speeches at international events. Your failure to speak truth, seek justice, and walk humbly is why this nation is where it is.
As the Easter season fades into memory, I ask you: what resurrection are you offering Sierra Leoneans? Are you giving them hope, or are you leaving them in the graveyard of despair?
If there is any flicker of God in you, may you meditate on Micah 6:8, which says:
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
So far, sir, you have failed this mandate.
But it’s not too late to change. It’s not too late to become a leader worthy of the cross you sometimes wear. It’s not too late to abandon hypocrisy and lead with compassion. It’s not too late to act like a man who actually fears God and loves his people.
Happy Easter, Mr. President. The tomb is empty, but your conscience shouldn’t be.
Let this season remind you of sacrifice, not selfishness. Of service, not grandstanding. Of truth, not treachery. Tell Ol man “Aw do fo mi ya.” Because Sierra Leoneans are watching, and more importantly, God is watching too.
