Concord Times (Freetown)
Kenday S. Kamara
27 January 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
The economic ills the country suffers have come upon the people of Sierra Leone over several decades. They will not go away when leadership is weak and not determined to deal with corruption head on. They will only be dealt with by a president with the capacity to lead, and assertive enough to do whatever needs to be done to change the political character of the nation for the greater good.
With the chronic conditions of bad governance, government is not the solution to Sierra Leone's problem; government is the problem. From time to time one is been tempted to believe that the Sierra Leonean society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among Sierra Leoneans is capable of governing himself; then who among Sierra Leoneans has the capacity to govern someone else? All of Sierra Leoneans together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions the presidency seeks must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price.
Much is talked about democracy. Well, the concern must be for a democracy in Sierra Leone with a form of government, where the Constitution guarantees basic personal and political rights, and independent courts of law. A democracy that knows no sectional boundaries and ethnic divisions, and that makes people know what the laws are and how they apply to everyone. A democracy made up with men and women who work honestly and hardly enough to feed themselves, faithfully maintain law and order in the country, earnestly manage the country's natural resources, teach the country's children, keep people in homes, and heal people when they are sick.
Koroma was voted into office with the objective that his administration would be a healthy, vigorous, growing democracy that provides equal opportunities for all Sierra Leoneans, with no inefficiencies born of greed or self aggrandizement. Putting Sierra Leone to work means putting all Sierra Leoneans to rebuild, construct roads, hospitals and clinics, schools and housing for all. Controlling inflation means freeing all Sierra Leoneans from the terror of runaway living costs. The reformed All People's Congress of Koroma has an opportunity to enable the country to share in the productive work of what should have been a "new beginning," and in the bounty of a revived economy. But the lack of idealism and fair play which should have been the core of the APC system and strength is again costing the country a great deal.
Looking at this inventory of blunders of the Koroma administration, one may be tempted to suggest that the nation has no government making Sierra Leone so 'not cool' among the nations of the earth. In a democracy, government has no power except that granted it by the people. If Koroma therefore really believes in the power granted him by the people, it is time for his administration to check and reverse the inefficiencies of his government, which show signs of having lost a great deal of the credibility of the governed. If people have put their faith in him, it is his responsibility to take decisions that are tough but right for them. And if Koroma is afraid that his rogue ministers and State executives will disapprove of these decisions then what kind of leader is he?
Doing what is Right for the Greater Good
If only it could be the resolve of Koroma to efficiently use his presidential powers to demand commitment and dedication to public service by cabinet ministers and public officials in departments of government. All public officials need to be reminded that the national government did not create the presidency; the people created the presidency and empowered it. Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not the intention of this analysis to do away with government. It is rather to make it work. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.
If Sierra Leoneans could only answer as to why for so many years since independence the country is in chronic despair and underdeveloped as no other nation on earth, it was because here in this land the country's political leaders have failed to do what is right. Exploitation and the indignity of the individual are seen everywhere and assured in Sierra Leone than in any other place on earth. The cost in human suffering and infrastructural dilapidation has been high and leader after leader has not been quite willing to serve with a purpose.
It is no coincidence that the present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention and intrusion in lives of Sierra Leoneans that result from unnecessary and excessive corruption of government. It is time for Sierra Leoneans to realize that Sierra Leone is too blessed a nation to limit themselves to small dreams. Sierra Leoneans are not, as some would have them believe, doomed to an inevitable degeneration. Sierra Leoneans should not believe in a fate that their country is cursed no matter the hopelessness of their leaders. They should rather believe in a fate that will fall on them if they do nothing. So, with all the creative energy at home and in the Diaspora, should demand to see an assertive president who is capable of weeding out undisciplined and nonperforming cabinet ministers and public servants.
Sierra Leoneans have every right to live in their nation as human beings. Those who say that the majority of Sierra Leoneans do not deserve to live with dignity they are making a mistake. These are the true heroes who are being deprived. They are the individuals and families whose taxes support the small elite group that calls itself "the
government"; and whose natural resources are being pillaged; and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, and education. Their patriotism is quiet, but deep. Their values sustain the national life.
President Koroma should have the dreams, the hopes, and the goals of all well meaning Sierra Leoneans. He should reflect the compassion that is so much a part of the makeup of the champions of Sierra Leone's independence. If Koroma truly loves his country, he should love his countrymen as well. And loving his countrymen means he should reach out a hand when they fall, heal them when they are sick, and provide opportunity to make them self-sufficient so they will be equal in fact and not just in theory.
Can Koroma start solving the problems confronting Sierra Leoneans? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic "yes." Koroma did not just take the oath of office with the intention of presiding over the progressive demise of Sierra Leone. It's time Koroma gets to work to removing the roadblocks that have slowed Sierra Leone's economy and destroyed all productivity. Steps aimed at restoring the balance between the various levels of government need be taken at this point in time. Progress has been extremely slow, measured in inches, not even in feet. It is time for Sierra Leone to have a government that could confront the punitive burden of corruption. These should be the first priorities, and on these principles there should be no compromise.
Koroma is a charismatic leader. But Koroma's forbearance has been misunderstood especially by the corrupt and incompetent cabal of cabinet ministers and State executives he surrounds himself with. His reluctance to confront those who have been challenged to be corrupt has been judged as a failure of will.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth taking a back drop to the statement posted as title at the beginning of this analysis: 'Government is Not the Solution to Sierra Leone's Problems; Government is the Problem.' Paradoxically, the response to the above statement may be axiomatic, but what is certain is that throughout the history of Sierra Leone, governments have failed their people contributing largely to the dismal conditions that have plagued the country. Governments have also condoned systemic corruption and have not empowered citizens and maintained institutions that work. One could therefore satisfactorily conclude that the future for Sierra Leone lies in the hands of a strong leader, a leader who stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of Sierra Leoneans, or strikes out against injustice.
The Gambia with just a population of approximately 1.6 million people, whose economy is predominantly agricultural and tourism is today the beacon of development in West Africa all because of the mammoth development strides undertaken by President Yayah Jammeh in his 12 years of leadership. "Ms. Min-Whee Kang, the UNICEF Representative to the Gambia has described the Gambia as a shining example with regards to its drive towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) because the Gambia is "on track" to meet most of the MDGs by 2015" (Daily Observer, 2008, http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/2008/1/28/gambia-is-a-shining-example-says-unicef-country-rep). The Gambia ranks 18th place above Sierra Leone on the Human Development Index rating of the United Nations. Therefore, for Koroma's dreams for Sierra Leone to come true; he must wake up, for as the adage goes: 'dreams don't come true unless you wake up'.
Kenday S. Kamara is a freelance development consultant in administration, policy development and capacity building. He can be reached at kenday
Sierra Leone Policy Papers: Sierra Leone faces a number of pressing policy issues - persistent poverty and economic stagnation. In this context,
Sierra Leone Policy Papers are papers on topics of interest to policymakers involved in the development politics of Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone Policy
Papers is a patriotic effort dedicated to encourage research and scholarship in policy development - http://bizclim.ning.com/group/sierraleonepolicypapers
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As a child born in Sierra Leone, I felt pain,as a boy growing up in the Diamond area of Tongofield,I felt pain and as a man now I'm still feeling the pain of poverty that most of my Sierra Leonean people are surrounded with. I felt pain, not because it was the worst country to be born in,but due to the fact that the Leaders of the Country at that time caredless for the well-being of the citizens. They allowed corruption to take control of all the good things that could have saved Sierra Leoneans from that mess-brink of untold poverty. My first day in school was the most unpleasant part in my life, that I have today come to notice,imagining myself going to school bear-feeted.Eventhough,footwear,was not part of my Village-growing code of atire.But seeing my fellow students,whose Fathers corrupted the politics of Sierra Leone and helped to wreck the country,were all dressed neat, from head to toe. It was the bound duty of my Parents to provide all those encessentials for me.But,how could they? When ends could not meet.Instead, they were left between the alternatives,as to have a new shoe or I sleep hungry for the day. Ends could not meet because there wasn't any good Governance in the country that could direct the use of the country's resources for the benefit of the people.Every dirty Political Leader followed the stupid slogan"the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer" Also the ends of my parents could not meet because the crook company the British crooks and thieves brought into the country,calling it SLST, was making our people work hard and paying them less wages. This slogan, I'm not prepared to accept it from no political Leader in Sierra Leone,anymore. Koroma, the people put you in power you must listen to their cries day by day. It's not your party banners that put you in power,rather it was the Youths(majority)that put you to the presidency,with the hope that you will deliver the change. Truly, "Government is the problem". May God Bless Sierra Leone.