By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, today I come in peace, despite knowing that you were not pleased with my previous discussions about the MCC Funds. You refused to let the people know the facts about that agreement, and yet you find yourself in a quagmire. Be sure that not a single dime of that USD $480,000,000 will be accessible without honoring the terms of the tripartite agreement. But today, that is not my focus. Our discussion will center on a matter just as crucial to the nation’s development: telecommunications (TELCOS) Orange, Qcell, and Africell.
Let us begin with the very infrastructure that was supposed to revolutionize communication in Sierra Leone. According to records, it was your political adviser, Alhaji Alpha Kanu, affectionately called “the Apprentice,” who landed the fiber network; he knows all the loopholes. And yet, Mr. President, despite that achievement, Sierra Leoneans are still suffering under the burden of bad decisions made by your leadership in this sector. The question remains: why?
Mr. President, what has happened to NATCA, formerly known as NATCOM, the regulatory agency that was supposed to push these telcos into providing better services to the people? The agency is now headed by Pedou Brewah, your appointee, someone with little experience in telecommunications or regulation. This is where the problem begins.
Under competent leadership, the agency could have pushed for a better deal for Sierra Leoneans, one that would lower the cost of communication and make the benefits of fiber connectivity accessible to all. Instead, the public is saddled with exorbitant data costs, and the telcos operate unchecked. Why has NATCA failed to regulate them effectively? The regulatory system is meant to serve the people, not the corporations or the few political elites at the top.
Look at Freetown today. Companies rely on the metro fiber network that has been built, but the cost remains prohibitive. The provinces, despite having fiber network infrastructure in 14 out of the 16 districts, are left with no last-mile connectivity to homes and offices. The infrastructure is there, but without the necessary investment and drive to connect it to users, it remains useless. You ask why the economy is not moving, Mr. President? This is why.
The cost of data in Sierra Leone is among the highest in West Africa. Why is that, when the fiber project was backed by the World Bank and could have been structured as a grant if properly managed? You, your government, and your regulators have done little to bring down these rates, leaving the people to suffer. The World Bank has given a $50 million gesture for digitalization, but where is the benefit to the people? Gigabit-speed internet is available in Sierra Leone today, yet the vast majority of the population can only afford megabit-speed connections. How is that fair?
Mr. President, “Na Wetin Hapin Ba?” Why should Sierra Leoneans be unable to access monthly unlimited bundles? This was the plan, was it not? Instead, you have allowed Sierra Leoneans to be charged per unit of data usage, while in the countries you frequently travel to, bundles and unlimited plans are the norm. In fact, during your over 200 overseas trips, have you not noticed the difference? Are your traveling companions not aware of the SIM cards handed to them at airports on arrival, which offer much cheaper and better data services than what Sierra Leoneans can access back home?
The cost your people face for internet is astronomical compared to our West African neighbors. In Sierra Leone, people pay between $25 to $100 per month for slow speeds, while the minimum wage ranges from NLe 8,000 to NLe 10,000. Who, in good conscience, will use their entire monthly salary just to access the internet? Meanwhile, telcos are charging ISPs wholesale prices of $20 to $30 per megabyte, leaving little room for these service providers to make a profit or lower costs for consumers. This is not sustainable, Mr President. It is a system that is slowly choking the people.
Your government as it currently stands does not seem interested in fixing this. You and your cabinet seem more focused on personal gain than on improving the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. The CEOs of these telcos are making a fortune, while the average citizen struggles to pay for basic internet services. Communication drives economies in today’s world, and by allowing the telecom sector to operate unchecked, you are stifling any hope for economic growth in Sierra Leone.
This brings us back to the fiber network. It was landed during the Koroma government, under the supervision of Alpha Khan as Minister of Information. Yet, under your leadership, the promise of that project has been squandered. The fiber is there, but the cost of data is still out of reach for most, and the last-mile connectivity remains a pipe dream for many in the provinces. Mr. President, this cannot continue.
Sierra Leoneans deserve better. They deserve affordable internet. They deserve a regulatory agency that works for them, not for the pockets of a few political elites. They deserve a government that prioritizes the welfare of the people over its own self-interest. But instead, they get the opposite.
Mr. President, communication is the lifeblood of modern economies. By failing to address the issues in the telecom sector, you are ensuring that Sierra Leone remains stuck in the past. It is time to change course. The people are breaking under the weight of bad decisions, and it is only a matter of time before they demand better. Are you ready to listen? Or will you continue to stand by as the country falls further behind?
