By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, I ended our last discussions with a question that remains unanswered: Where is Jos Leijdekkers, also known as “Umaru Sheriff”? Mr. President, I am still wondering how it is possible that his entry into Sierra Leone is not on record. Yes, I seriously doubt the manner in which he left Türkiye and made his way into our country.
Sierra Leone boasts of having some of the best surveillance equipment in Africa. If that is truly the case, how come there is no trace of how this individual entered the country? This omission is deeply suspicious. Mr. President, the plane you are frequently flying could very well have been the means of his clandestine entry. Given the circumstances, it seems only you could have facilitated his arrival without scrutiny or consequences.
In any nation where the rule of law prevails, an undocumented alien is deemed an illegal entrant, breaking the laws of the land. But what makes this situation even more troubling is that despite his unrecorded entry, he was somehow able to acquire a Sierra Leonean passport. This raises serious concerns about the integrity of our national registration system. And the only person who can provide a credible answer to this mystery is you, Mr. President. The buck stops at your doorstep.
Mr. President, it appears that whenever we engage in these conversations, we transition from one crisis to another. It now seems you have thrown Mr. Almamy Bangura, our former ambassador to Guinea, under the bus. And what have you done next? You have replaced him with someone from a family historically known to be his adversaries. A family that will stop at nothing to achieve their ambitions.
Mr. President, your actions have effectively positioned you as a supporter of the Yumkella family against their own people in the same region. This, Mr. President, is political suicide. The most disliked people in that region are, in fact, the Yumkellas. This decision will come back to haunt you.
Mr. President, let me be candid. The same strategy you used to sideline Mr. Charles Margai is precisely what you are now doing to Dr. Kandeh Yumkella. But Dr. Yumkella, in his quest for power, fails to see the trap you have set for him. He remains unaware that you are merely using him to prove that despite his high level of education and so-called monopoly over knowledge, he is still susceptible to manipulation. “Lek Wae Dem Kin Say Na Sense Mek Buk, nor to Buk Mek Sense”
Dr. Yumkella should take heed. His willingness to be misused will ultimately prove his undoing.
Mr. President, I understand your game. You are playing it well. But let me ask this: How dare Dr. Yumkella challenge the Sierra Leonean energy sector? This is a sector notorious for swallowing funds without accountability. Yet, he prides himself on being “Mr. Energy,” as though his mere presence can transform the department.
Mr. President, the Ministry of Energy has long been a bottomless pit for government expenditure. Money disappears into it like an abyss. And now, here comes Dr. Yumkella, declaring himself its savior. His newfound attachment to this ministry is amusing, to say the least. “Bra the Ministry of Energy nor to BANKASOKA O!” Does he really think he will fix what generations before him have failed to rectify?
Mr. President, I stand as your brother and fellow citizen, compelled to address yet another critical issue: the unjust imprisonment of Hawa Hunt and other Sierra Leoneans. Mr. President, we urge you to release them. It is well known that these individuals have been incarcerated due to political machinations. This is not justice.
A leader’s greatness is measured not by the number of political adversaries he crushes, but by the fairness and justice he upholds. We cannot continue down this path where political differences translate into persecution. The Sierra Leonean people deserve better. Mr. President, we call upon you to act with compassion and fairness.
The people of Sierra Leone are watching. They see everything. History, too, will judge your actions. It is time to set things right. Mr. President, can we talk?
