By Beny SAM
For almost three decades we as a nation have been trying hard to lend enough meaning into our democracy which had been described variously as young, fledging and nascent. Somehow our brand of democracy seems to defy every positive definition even with the holding of some elections and rather smooth transitions putting in place new presidents and governments. What has made things very precarious and dicey for us politically is the sustained animosity between the ruling SLPP and the Main opposition APC which does not seem to have any end in sight even after some five years. While the APC is wishing the SLPP everything negative, the president is carrying on undaunted. Well Sierra Leoneans are generally left in gloomy apprehension and do fear for their safety and security amidst generally rising prices and basic services like transportation and commodities people buy on a daily basis.
What is exacerbating the unfolding imbroglio is the sheer huge populations that are not only illiterate but also too gullible partly powered by their political fanaticism and sycophancy. A healthy democracy requires informed citizens on all sides of the political spectrum. For Sierra Leone, extreme ethnic, regional and political polarization has created significant highly untoward challenges on every front. Every effort by the government is countered by the Main opposition to the extent to which representations are made to development partners putting the government in very negatively unfounded bad light.
It has been that difficult for everybody even those apolitical. The Civic education has been added to the Ministry of Information to try to bring a turnaround in misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and the rampant calumnies that fill our social media space.
Many compatriots have already accepted the present milieu as the new normal and seem helplessly resigned to whatever consequences.
Some citizens will just concoct some fake stuff and peddle it in Social media and others help to propagate it. The government has curtailed events that have the propensity to turn into violence like the rampant masquerading in the streets by masked “Devils.” This country has witnessed violence occurring between competing Masquerading Groups sometimes leading to the destruction of properties of ordinary citizens. What makes things very dicey this time is the long-drawn animosity between our two main political parties which seems not to stop at anything to bring each other down politically.
The Judiciary can do a lot to help out; yes, indeed, but somehow it appears the efforts they make are not good enough. The fact that they are appointed by the President, then perhaps the current Constitution review should make us proud this time around. Somebody cannot carry you on his or her shoulder and you keep saying the person’s head stinks! No, it won’t work!
We are finding it difficult to get things right in the Judiciary because we have had so many bad political precedents set and we keep replaying them never mind the consequence. We have had countless violence, injustice and intimidation with impunity. Over the years, investigations into violence have come to naught; no report, and impunity has flourished unhindered. An isolated case is the August 8, 2022 attempted insurrection for which a report is now out, Kudos to Chair and members of the special Investigation Committee. What we are yet to know is punishment for the perpetrators.
Sierra Leoneans who are older than Independent Sierra Leone like this author know how our country missed many chances we had to give this country a fine take off.. Just watch the solid foundation that the great Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana laid for Ghana. Up to six development sectors had a very strong start up. Heads of state in Ghana have been building on what Kwame left. Think about the Akosombo Dam. Accra, the capital city of Ghana is about the same population as our entire country but we cannot even provide clean drinking water for Freetown with less than three million people. The thought of all this is quite sickening.
We have so allowed partisan politics to divide and ruin us that there have been so much apprehensions over each election that no one could be surprised that everything is done by unpatriotic people so that every activity adds on to the doubts that people have.
Despite huge gains the anti-corruption Commission is making in fighting graft, there is still a lot to do to change peoples’ attitude. As a people we are too indulgent in corruption. The generality of our people think corruption is the way!
Just now there is so much tension and brouhaha and cacophony over the June 24, 2023 Elections even when the current president was declared winner and sworn in. The situation is so serious that the president had to make a very bold statement when addressing his American University Alumni. The president disclosed that the US Government tried to get him to interfere in the work of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone so the results of the elections could not be announced, he refused!
On the passive side, the Sierra Leone Parliament this time has more females in line with the Gender Equity and Empowerment Act 2022. A total of women 41 women are now in Parliament, some 30.4%, up from 14.5 %. This has been mainly due to the passing of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act passed in 2022.
What is clearly not an agenda item in our political conversations is the possibility of a Third Force. In fact, the third and fourth Parties in Parliament, the NGC and The C4C currently have no seats in Parliament and may well be appearing on the verge of disintegrating. Most of their key players have pitched tent with the Incumbent SLPP. This is a development coupled with the seemingly massive deflections to the SLPP from the APC and this partly spelt doom for the APC in the polls.
Outside whatever political analysis one can make, the real existential threat to our security as a nation is the constant rumoured demonstrations by a diaspora based group. We had the August 10 demonstrations that turned very bloody with civilians and Police losing their lives. Well for the recently planned September 11, 2023 demonstration, it was aborted by the overwhelming preparedness of the security apparatus. Indeed unless the Security sector stays upfront and upbeat, this security threat might continue hanging over our heads. We do not need any more needless ugly scenes.
The Main Oppositions desperation to remove the president from power seems to only increase insecurity for innocent citizens many of whom just want to have the freedom to go about their livelihood actives, many simply “hand to mouth.” Whichever way many sierra Leoneans have opted to support the president in his many developmental strides.
