By Alpha Amadu Jalloh, author of “Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance”
At the Sierra Leone Parliament, a place meant for sober reflection, lawmaking, and representing the will of the people, yet another moment of national betrayal occurred, this time in the form of orchestrated sycophancy and unfounded adoration of Mrs. Fatima Bio, the First Lady of Sierra Leone. What should have been a day of legislative progress turned into a theater of absurdity, where bootlickers hailed a woman whose record has brought more heartbreak than hope to the average Sierra Leonean, especially to the women and girls she claims to represent.
Let us not sugarcoat the truth: Mrs. Fatima Bio has been a monumental disappointment, a figure whose presence in Sierra Leone’s public sphere has brought with it more controversy, extravagance, and moral confusion than true empowerment or development. And yet, on this day in Parliament, we witnessed elected officials wasting taxpayers’ time and resources to glorify a woman who has contributed nothing substantial to the lives of everyday Sierra Leoneans. Instead of being a symbol of national unity, she has become a divisive figure, one who thrives on attention, craves validation, and manipulates public sentiment for personal gain.
What exactly were our parliamentarians celebrating? A legacy of self-promotion and extravagant spending in a country where hospitals lack gloves, schools have no chairs, and pregnant women still die needlessly in childbirth? The same Fatima Bio who reportedly spent three million dollars on office equipment for her pet projects while our healthcare system is bleeding and barely functional? Where are our priorities as a nation when such moral and fiscal recklessness is being applauded in the very chambers that are supposed to safeguard our collective interests?
Mrs. Fatima Bio’s public life has been a litany of contradictions. While her Hands Off Our Girls campaign claimed to be a revolutionary fight against sexual and gender-based violence, it often felt more like a PR stunt designed to polish her image on the international stage. Locally, its impact has been minimal. The program lacked depth, sustainability, and structure. It was flashy, loud, and hollow, just like the personality cult surrounding her.
And what is most insulting to the intelligence of the Sierra Leonean people is the recent insinuation by some parliamentarians that Mrs. Fatima Bio could be our “next president.” Are these elected officials completely detached from the realities on the ground? Are they so blinded by sycophancy that they would rather praise a deeply controversial figure than focus on passing meaningful legislation? It is a dangerous game they are playing, one that emboldens narcissism, rewards mediocrity, and sends the wrong message to future generations: that popularity is more valuable than service and that noise is better than substance.
Let’s be brutally honest: Fatima Bio is not even what many would consider a role model, let alone a presidential candidate. Her public behavior, her often loose and combative rhetoric, and her blatant involvement in political intimidation against opposition voices disqualify her from such consideration. This is a woman who has openly called for mob justice against critics of her husband’s administration. A woman who has stood on platforms and proclaimed that members of the SLPP are “more Sierra Leonean” than other citizens, a deeply dangerous and tribalistic sentiment that undermines national unity.
Her conduct not only disrespects the presidency but also further divides an already fractured nation. What kind of first lady spies on her husband, leaks sensitive information, and jostles to be the most powerful voice in the room? It is neither noble nor admirable. It is unbecoming of a national figure, let alone one that some delusional politicians want to project into the highest office in the land.
In a country where integrity in leadership is already a scarce commodity, the thought of promoting someone like Fatima Bio as a potential future president is not just laughable, it is tragic. Sierra Leone needs leaders with vision, empathy, and self-restraint, not individuals obsessed with the spotlight, luxury, and vengeance. The First Lady’s track record demonstrates none of the qualities we desperately need in our next generation of leaders.
To the parliamentarians who participated in this farce, your betrayal of the people’s trust has been noted. You are not representatives of the people but cheerleaders of the elite. While the nation groans under economic hardship, skyrocketing unemployment, and a failing education system, you spend time massaging the ego of a woman whose only qualification seems to be her proximity to power.
This sort of bootlicking is dangerous. It sends a message to the political elite that they are beyond criticism and beyond accountability. It fuels a culture where mediocrity is celebrated and patriotism is punished. And worst of all, it places our democracy in the hands of those more interested in personal favors than national progress.
Sierra Leoneans are tired, tired of being fooled, tired of being used, and tired of being betrayed by the very people they elect to safeguard their interests. We deserve better. Our women and girls deserve better. They deserve role models who uplift, who speak truth to power, and who use their platform to advocate for real change, not just stage photoshoots and speeches.
We live in a time when morality, humility, and competence should be the currency of leadership. And yet, we find ourselves being told that someone like Fatima Bio, whose track record is defined more by division and extravagance than vision and unity, could be our next president. That notion alone speaks volumes about the level of decay within our political class.
It is time to reclaim the narrative. Let us send a strong message to the ruling class and their sycophants in Parliament: Sierra Leone is not for sale. It is not a stage for those who seek self-promotion at the expense of the people’s dignity. Our democracy is not a toy, and our votes are not tokens to be exchanged for lies.
To Mrs. Fatima Bio herself, let this be a wake-up call. Power is fleeting. The people are watching. History is watching. And when the pages are written, you will not be judged by the cheers of Parliament or the selfies on social media; you will be judged by what you truly did for the most vulnerable Sierra Leoneans. Right now, that judgment is damning.
To the parliamentarians, your time is up. We see through your lies. We know your praise is empty and your intentions are selfish. The Sierra Leonean people will not be fooled again. We will not allow you to manufacture leaders out of spin and spectacle. We want leaders with integrity, humility, and vision, not those who are skilled in deception and loud in praise-singing.
Mrs. Fatima Bio is not presidential material. She is not even First Lady material. And no matter how much you shout in Parliament, you cannot force a square peg into a round hole.
Sierra Leone deserves better. And the people will rise to demand it.
