By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, today I must speak on a troubling pattern that has come to define your presidency. If you’re not off jet-setting to some distant place with no clear purpose, then you’re busy launching projects or hosting grand conferences at home. Like Emerson sang in one of his hits, “wae dem trowae wan bag cement dem say infrastructural development” and “wae una supply wan tablet Panadol una hala say malaria don don na Salone”.
Meanwhile, Mr. President, our critical sectors are crumbling. Teachers recently issued a 21-day ultimatum, threatening to strike over unresolved issues, and yet you chose to leave the country. Instead of attending to this urgent matter, you’re elsewhere, giving the impression that teachers’ concerns and the future of our children’s education don’t deserve your direct attention.
Time and again, you’ve had golden opportunities to make things right, to intervene directly, and to show Sierra Leoneans that you genuinely care about their welfare. But these opportunities seem to slip through your fingers as you repeatedly choose travel over engagement. Mr. President, these are issues that demand your personal involvement. The leaders of these institutions of education, healthcare, and others need to feel your presence, and their members need to know that you’re advocating for their needs.
This situation with the teachers isn’t isolated. When the Medical Practitioners issued their own ultimatum, hoping you would address their grievances, you once again packed your bags and flew out of the country. Why, Mr. President? What is it that keeps pulling you away from these pressing responsibilities at home? From where I stand, it seems you are forever running from the issues that demand your direct intervention.
Mr. President, it’s your duty to meet with these people, negotiate, and find a way forward. Our economy is in such a state that we can’t afford these sectors to collapse. Doctors and teachers are lifelines in a country where health and education are barely functioning. Yet, rather than engage with them, you leave the task to ministers who often lack the influence or authority to make meaningful changes. Ultimately, the decisions rest with you, but your repeated absences tell a different story to the people of Sierra Leone.
And then, I hear whispers that you’re dissatisfied with having appointed so many young people to your administration, and now, you’re planning to reshuffle your cabinet. Some say this is a ploy to bring in “experienced” faces or, worse, a strategy to manipulate the SLPP delegate conference before the next elections. If that’s true, Mr. President, let’s be honest, it’s not experience or wisdom that is lacking among the young; it’s the guidance and accountability from their leadership. A reshuffle won’t fix the deeper issue.
Mr. President, your struggle is that you don’t listen, not to the people and certainly not to the voices of reason around you. As I sit here in my little corner, or “Sorkuma Corner” as my brother Sheriff Barrie calls it, I can see clearly what’s going wrong. And let me tell you, it’s not something that can be fixed with a few new faces in high places.
You cannot resolve the critical challenges in education and healthcare without committing yourself to sit with their leadership and negotiate, face-to-face. The reality is, Mr. President, you need to be the one at the table, listening to teachers, healthcare workers, and others on the frontlines of Sierra Leone’s toughest battles. Sure, ministers and department heads can make some progress, but when it comes to serious reform and strategic decisions, the people need to see that you are the one leading the charge. Only then can they have confidence in your commitment.
The people of Sierra Leone are feeling abandoned, especially when it comes to health and education. Medical practitioners have warned us repeatedly about the deplorable state of our hospitals, and teachers are struggling with poor pay and inadequate resources. This isn’t just about professionals feeling undervalued; this affects every family in our country, as children go without quality education, and people suffer in a broken healthcare system.
If you take a moment to listen, Mr. President, you will find that these are not just demands they’re cries for help from people doing their best under impossible conditions. Our doctors, nurses, and teachers are not asking for luxuries; they’re asking for the tools to do their jobs, for the support they need to serve their communities. This is a cry for the bare minimum of respect, and yet it goes unanswered as you focus on travel and appearances rather than engaging with their plight.
The painful irony, Mr. President, is that while you’re out there collecting awards and building your international profile, the foundations of our nation are deteriorating. These awards and recognitions are meaningless if our people are suffering at home. True leadership is shown in the sacrifices made for those you serve, in the time you spend listening to and addressing their needs, not in photo-ops and foreign accolades.
So here we are again, with another crisis looming as our teachers count down the days to their planned strike. And just as you neglected the health sector when doctors called for your attention, it seems you’re ready to turn a blind eye to education as well. But there’s still time to change course. Mr. President, come back and meet with these teachers; show them that their work and sacrifices matter to you and that you will take steps to address their grievances.
Our nation’s challenges cannot be solved by traveling or reshuffling a cabinet. These are superficial moves that don’t address the systemic problems. If you’re truly concerned about the youth in your administration, mentor them. If you care about the SLPP’s future, focus on policy and unity rather than manipulation. And if you genuinely care about Sierra Leone, stay in the country long enough to tackle the issues that matter most.
Mr. President, the people of Sierra Leone are growing increasingly frustrated. They feel abandoned and unheard. Teachers and doctors, the backbone of any society are losing hope. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can choose to engage, to sit down and talk with those who are holding up our education and healthcare systems, and show them that their efforts are valued. We need a president who is not just visible abroad but present here at home, where the real work awaits.
It’s time to lead by example, Mr. President. Show us that you’re listening, that you’re willing to make sacrifices for your people, and that you’re committed to addressing the issues that keep Sierra Leoneans awake at night.
