By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Mr. President, how far now? While Sierra Leoneans continue to suffer under harsh economic conditions, you are busy celebrating attention in Ibadan, Nigeria, making pomp and flair with our taxpayers’ money. Meanwhile, your wife is running unchecked, doing whatever she pleases, causing mayhem, and undermining government ministers, portraying them as incompetent in the eyes of the nation. Mr. President, mind you, all that she is doing, she claims, is under your instruction, and certainly we want an explanation from you to confirm.
Mr. President, how is it that you, as the elected leader of our nation, override your ministers and instruct your wife to handle government-related disputes? Is she a cabinet member? Does she have any official government position that justifies such an overreach? This pattern of behavior is deeply troubling. You appoint ministers and leave them at the mercy of people who have no business being around government offices, let alone speaking on behalf of the government. Your governance style has placed Dr. Kandeh Yumkella above cabinet ministers, despite him not even being able to win an election in his home district.
Mr. President, try to put your wife in order. She is fast becoming a national nuisance. The people of Sierra Leone expected her to implement meaningful programs related to what she claimed to be championing, “Hands Off Our Girls.” However, she has monopolized everything related to women in the country while doing nothing substantial to help them. Instead, we see her organizing paid-up crowds wherever she goes, seeking personal glorification. If she is not naming buildings after herself, she is claiming credit for the extension of the 34 Military Hospital or arbitrarily ordering the police and the judiciary who to arrest and when to release them.
Mr. President, the people of Sierra Leone are getting fed up with her antics. Her behavior is appalling. Instead of setting a good precedent for young girls, she is creating a toxic and destructive image of leadership. Why would your wife refer to government ministers as “dogs”? Mr. President, does that mean your cabinet is filled with dogs? Is this the respect you have for the people you appointed to serve the nation? This level of disrespect is unbecoming of a First Lady and is damaging the credibility of your government.
Mr. President, your wife’s reckless behavior is also creating a negative atmosphere for investment in the country. Right now, investment companies are folding up and leaving, which is going to impact our already weak economy, currently on life support. Instead of focusing on economic recovery and attracting investors, your wife is running around town like a headless chicken, insulting and targeting hardworking young ministers who you appointed in good faith to serve the nation.
Mr. President, another pressing issue that has come to light is about Koidu Holdings paying their Sierra Leonean staff using the outdated 2016 USD exchange rate instead of the current rate. How is this possible? How can a company operate in Sierra Leone while underpaying its workers, taking advantage of the people? This is a serious issue that your government should have addressed a long time ago to improve the lives of our workers. Instead, you are always on the road, flying for reasons best known to you, while the ordinary Sierra Leonean continues to suffer.
Mr. President, your wife recently disclosed that government officials received “brown envelopes” from Koidu Holdings. That statement alone is enough for the Anti-Corruption Commission to launch an investigation. If she has evidence to back her claims, then she must come forward and
Present it. Corruption is one of the biggest challenges Sierra Leone faces, and if government officials are taking bribes from companies, then they must be held accountable.
Mr. President, “yusef yu able O! Da kind woman has na serious headache”! If you do not trust your ministers, fire them. Do not allow your wife to continuously undermine their jobs and authority. Koidu Holdings is in Sierra Leone to make a profit, and there are surely agreements governing their operations in the country. Do not let your wife’s reckless behavior jeopardize our partnership with them, as it could lead to legal disputes that would be costly for the people of Sierra Leone.
Mr. President, it is time for you to step up and lead. Your government is falling apart, your economy is crumbling, and your administration is being ridiculed both locally and internationally. Your wife’s actions are only making things worse. The people of Sierra Leone deserve better leadership. The ministers you appointed deserve respect. And most importantly, the taxpayers of Sierra Leone deserve accountability for how their money is spent. It is time for you to act before things spiral even further out of control. Mr. President, we are still waiting to know what is happening about Jos Leijdekkers. We want to know; talk to us about him.
