By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Author of Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance
Recipient of the Africa Renaissance Leadership Award 2025
Mr. President, we return once more to this conversation not because we enjoy repeating ourselves but because the condition of this nation continues to demand reflection, accountability, and truth. Mr. President, can we talk again?
Mr. President, this country is exhausted. Tired of appearances. Tired of ceremonies. Tired of hypocrisy. And tired of your silence. Sierra Leoneans are not asking for much. They are asking for honesty. They are asking for justice. They are asking for leadership that makes sense, that speaks the truth, and that puts the people first.
Mr. President, let us begin with a painful truth. You are hosting conferences and global events while our economy is on life support. You are organizing ceremonies and launching projects we cannot afford. We see banners. We see foreign guests. We see red carpets and motorcades. But Mr. President, where is the money coming from? What are the people getting in return?
Mr. President, our hospitals are broken. Our schools are underfunded. Our public servants are unpaid or poorly paid. The price of basic food items has skyrocketed. The Leone has no strength. And still, you find the funds to host international summits. Mr. President, with what moral authority can you do this when millions of your people go to bed hungry every night?
Mr. President, you are creating new positions in government not because the country needs them but because your party loyalists are demanding compensation. We see the strategy. You are handing out appointments to silence critics and reward insiders. Ministries are bloated. Agencies have become resting places for the politically connected. The civil service is overcrowded, yet service delivery has collapsed. Mr. President, is this the New Direction we were promised?
Mr. President, let us return to a subject you seem determined to avoid, the case of Jos Leijdekkers. A known international drug trafficker. A man wanted by European authorities. A man allegedly linked to individuals within your administration. Mr. President, why have you not addressed this matter directly?
Mr. President, why has Jos Leijdekkers not been extradited to the Netherlands? Why have individuals clearly associated with him not been investigated? Why are they still walking around freely, conducting business, and holding influence while your government continues to arrest and prosecute Sierra Leoneans for an alleged coup in November 2023?
Mr. President, your silence is not a strategy. It is complicity. The people want answers. They want transparency. They want to know why a drug trafficker can enjoy protection while political opponents are hunted like fugitives. Mr. President, why are some above the law while others are crushed by it?
Mr. President, you have not addressed the nation on the issue of Yenga. That silence alone is enough to raise suspicion. How can our land remain under Guinean military control and not a single public statement from you? No national address. No press conference. No diplomatic strategy shared with the people.
Mr. President, the rumours about Kambia and Karene are spreading. Citizens fear that parts of these districts have also been quietly handed over or infiltrated. Yet again, no word from you. Not even a denial. Mr. President, this is not leadership. This is negligence. This is abdication of duty.
Mr. President, the office you occupy demands more than presence. It demands clarity. It demands that you speak in times of crisis, that you reassure the people, and that you take action when the nation is at risk. Instead, you go quiet. You vanish behind protocol. You delegate silence to your ministers, who themselves lack the moral courage to speak the truth.
Mr. President, this country cannot continue like this. Sierra Leoneans are watching you. They are listening for you. But all they hear is silence. And in that silence, suspicion grows. Mistrust deepens. Anger builds.
Mr. President, we are not at war. We are not in a state of emergency. But the fear in the streets, the pain in our homes, and the hopelessness among our youth make it feel as though we are already under siege.
Mr. President, your priorities are misplaced. Instead of standing with the people, you have surrounded yourself with praise singers. Instead of confronting hard truths, you chase image building. Instead of building a nation, you are managing a party network.
Mr. President, this is not what leadership should look like. It is not what we voted for. It is not what the future demands.
Mr. President, when you ignore questions about Jos Leijdekkers, it is not just about drugs. It is about integrity. When you avoid the issue of Yenga, it is not just about land. It is about sovereignty. When you prioritize ceremonies over the economy, it is not just about waste. It is about betrayal.
Mr. President, can you truly look at the state of this country and say that you are proud of the path we are on? Can you say that your government has been transparent, fair, and accountable? Can you honestly say that the people are with you?
Mr. President, this country deserves better. It deserves truth. It deserves safety. It deserves justice.
Mr. President, the longer you stay silent, the louder the truth becomes. And the louder the people will speak.
Mr. President, can we talk before your silence becomes a permanent scar on the soul of this nation?
