A Lazy Assumption and Blinkered Vision ( By Tom Somah )

Reflections on Independence 

After sixty-three years of our so-called independence, can we boast anything?

Foreign Contributions and Mortgages  

The Maada Bio Children's Hospital of Excellence in Lumley, Freetown, Sierra Leone, was built with a donation from Japan. The new Airport has been under mortgage to Turkey's Summa Group for, allegedly, about twenty-eight years. The YuyiBuilding and the National Stadium in Sierra Leone were built with donations from China. The toll road tells a similar story.

The Trap of Corruption 

In the throes of corruption, we find ourselves trapped by lazy, if not utterly misguided, assumptions and a blinkered vision that the colonial masters and other nations should continue to spoon-feed us like infants. For heaven's sake, why and for how long must this continue? 

Under both the APC and the SLPP, Sierra Leone remains mired in corrosive and cancerous corruption. The ramifications of their abuse of power and controlling regimes have led the country down a steep, downward trajectory, impacting various facets of life and stifling progress.

Diminishing Optimism 

Optimism is becoming an increasingly rare commodity among the populace. Resource-endowed Sierra Leone is among the poorest countries in the world, with numerous indicators highlighting the severity of its economic challenges. 

As of 2023, over 70% of the population live below the national poverty line, and a significant portion experiences multidimensional poverty, encompassing poor education, inadequate living standards, and poor health (United Nations Development Programme, Sierra Leone, 2023: Multidimensional Poverty in Sierra Leone). 

Foreign Influence on Mineral Resources 

In her keynote speech at Harvard University, the First Lady criticized the pervasive influence of foreign entities over Sierra Leone's rich mineral resources. She highlighted that Sierra Leone has enough resources to provide for all its citizens, but external control and intervention hinder the country's ability to make autonomous decisions. 

She lamented that these foreign powers often dictate the terms of mining agreements, leading to minimal benefits for the local population. Such exploitation, she added, perpetuates poverty and underdevelopment despite the country's vast mineral wealth. 

The True Enemy: Internal Corruption 

As we commend the First Lady for boldly highlighting and blaming the West, we should candidly acknowledge that the gravity and tapestry of corruption, which encompasses nepotism, tribalism, kleptocracy, and a dysfunctional judiciary is our nemesis. 

After sixty-three years of Dependent Independence, we should no longer continue with the cliched clause: "It's the Whiteman's fault." It's no longer the West's fault but our kleptocratic leaders' fault. The casualties of corruption permeate every crevice of the nation. 

Crisis in the Education System 

There's an enduring crisis plaguing the country's education system. In Freetown, I witnessed students attempting NPRC exams extorted for the privilege of cheating under the complicit gaze of corrupt invigilators. Adult candidates face similar exploitation, with some institutions imposing fees up to Le 500 (new Leones) to facilitate exam malpractice. 

This culture of corruption breeds a future generation incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, even in academia. Our historical accolade as the "Athens of West Africa" has dissipated. In 2022, the adult literacy rate for The Gambia was 58.7%, while Sierra Leone's was 48.64% (World Bank Data; TheGlobalEconomy.com).

Historical Mismanagement of Infrastructure 

In 1898, Sierra Leone was the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to have a railway. However, power-obsessed Siaka Stevens sold the railway lines to a Japanese company, depriving the country of invaluable infrastructure. The proceeds from this sale remain unaccounted for, exemplifying broader issues of administrative waywardness and notorious corruption. 

The benefits of rail transportation, which include efficiency and cost-effectiveness, have yet to be recovered. The railway closure exacerbated food transportation challenges from rural to urban areas.

Stevens also shuttered the Torma Bum rice project, a significant source of the country's staple food, fearing it might empower his political opponents, as that beneficial project was the brainchild of the SLPP. 

Electricity and Aviation: 

Lost Firsts Sierra Leone was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have electricity in 1927. Since independence in 1961, we have lacked the foresight to provide one of the modern world's necessities—electricity—mainly owing to corruption. 

Additionally, in 1927, Sierra Leone was the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to have an airline. The airline's demise was partly due to massive debt accrued by Joseph SaiduMomoh's government, which used airline tickets for private travel without repayment.

The Futility of Begging 

Our leaders shouldn't resort to globetrotting and begging as their export commodities. All the country needs is fiscal discipline, not extravagant corruption that can ravage the nation to extinction. 

In one of its publications, the Sierra Leone Telegraph referred to Dr. Kelfala Kallon, former governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, who confirmed that approximately $8 billion from the sale of minerals between 2001 and 2021 disappeared unaccounted for. 

Furthermore, the Salone Times reported on June 3, 2024, that Le 672 million was stolen from the Freetown City Council (FCC). For years, the council has presided over one of the world's filthiest cities, with solid waste accumulation posing significant health risks. 

While people suffer under these catastrophic conditions, the FCC mayor, Yvonne AkiSawyer, indulges in globetrotting for photo opportunities, like her cable cars initiative. How can she even dream of such advancements when her capital city, especially the open markets, remains one of the filthiest imaginable? 

A Call for Fiscal Discipline 

Our leaders' begging sprees, masked as diplomatic missions, are met at home with euphoric praise. However, a predominantly donor-driven economy is unsustainable. Instead of begging for donations and blaming others for our woes, we must strive for fiscal discipline and mutual trade agreements with developed countries. 

A Nation's Ego and Reliance on Begging 

We have become a nation with a tiny mind and a huge ego. When the US imposed conditions for the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Grant, we accused them of insults, only to beg for the same grant shortly after. The Chinese auto industry barely existed in the early 1980s. 

Today, it's alleged the country has acquired the capacity to manufacture about 40 million vehicles annually, enough to supply half the world. (The Wall Street Journal). China should have relied on something other than begging and donations to achieve such a feat.

The State of Villages and Towns 

If you journey from Freetown to the provinces, you'll pass villages, most in ruins, that rear up from the landscape like skeletons. Once a commercial hub, York Island now languishes in deplorable conditions. Similarly, Bonthe Town was on the verge of becoming an abandoned fishing enclave until the Bio administration came to power. 

The endless navigation of the labyrinth of corruption under the SLPP and APC regimes is energy-sapping. One party tortures the country with one form of suffering, and when we're about to escape, the other party brings another form of torture that obscures the previous. Who will rescue us?

Despair from Leadership 

We can glean a sense of despair from our sentient First Lady and First Minister. Our First Lady said she has nothing to lose because her husband is not running for re-election, and the First Minister stated that even Jesus Christ cannot solve the country's problems. The future remains bleak unless we exorcise the vicious spectre of endemic corruption plaguing our development. 

The country continues to regress to the 1980s, with government over-expenditure, illicit mining, declining agricultural production, and rising international debt. These catastrophic trends have resurfaced under the Bio regime. 

A Grim Outlook 

It's a lazy assumption and a blinkered vision that the current regime would solve even half of the country's woeful wreckage. We wait and see.

Tom

I’m Tom. I explore poetry, current events, and inspiring stories at Echos in Words. Join me in discovering thoughtful and uplifting content!

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