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Sierra Leonean Faces Beamed With Hope As Development Flourishes

Author: SEM Contributor

Sierra Leone, like many developing African nations, has over the years been crushed and torn apart by many factors, including endemic corruption in state institutions, failure in leadership, political bigotry, tribalism and nepotism. People lost hope in the political system, and the country was almost turned to an animal kingdom where the armed and strongest devoured the unarmed and innocent. The country was plagued into an eleven-year civil war that further destroyed its infrastructure, and human and financial resources. But this war brought about a new era of citizens’ awareness in the political and socioeconomic management of the country. Politicians faced severe criticism and scrutiny, new revolutionary especially youthful political groups were formed, and musicians sang revolutionary songs calling for change and improvement. All these developments were not taken seriously by the then ruling SLPP government until they bulged and burst into rage before, during and after the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary elections against the regime.

The citizens were now critical and robust to choose a leader whom they thought had the political will to move the country to a higher height. Ernest Bai Koroma, now President of Sierra Leone, was evaluated and identified to be the fittest and all efforts were made by all classes of the society, especially youths and women to ensure his winning. What follow after the elections should be the benchmarks on which to judge whether the citizens made the correct choice.

President Ernest Bai Koroma, having in mind the full weight of the burden of an impoverished nation and its people and his promise to change and improve the status quo, swiftly and dynamically started work to restore lost hope and happiness to his people. One could see him pass every morning before 9:00 a.m. and return late at night to fulfill his promise to bring about electricity, good roads, food sufficiency, good drinking water, youth employment, and above all a proud identity for the country.

In the area of electricity, President Koroma has tried immensely to light a city which was once the darkest in the world by bringing electrical machines to serve the short term provision of electricity. In his bid to provide electricity for most, if not all, parts of the country, President Koroma vowed to undertake and complete the Bumbuna Hydro Electric project started for decades. Recently, the President proudly switched on the Bumbuna Electric Dam which will provide abundant and reliable electricity for Freetown and other parts in the provinces.

In the area of road construction, a lot has been done. The Freetown-Bo Highway is almost complete. Work has commenced in the Freetown-Conakry Highway; a contract has been signed for the Kenema-Koindu road leading to Liberia and work is expected to commence in October 2009; the Freetown Peninsular road is under construction and feasibility studies are being made for other road networks. Emerson Bockarie, one of Sierra Leone famous musicians would now be sitting in his corner relieved and say “Yeh… Ernest Di Bomba!” as he predicted in his song.

Agriculture is fast regaining its lost glory as mechanisms have been put in place by attracting the private sector in agricultural investment and the government’s engagement in extensive and modernized farming. Farmers have also been encouraged by giving them input for effective and extensive farming replacing the aged long subsistent farming. Sierra Leone will soon become a major exporter of food in the world, a position it once enjoyed.

Residents of Freetown, the capital city, can now boost of good drinking water.

Youths like us, the Progressive Youth Group, are proud and happy when constant efforts are being made by the President to establish The Youth CommissionÂ to champion and deal with youth problems in the country including unemployment, education, drug addiction, violence and vagrancy. Youths must however bear in mind that the formation of the commission would not instantly solve their numerous problems but it is a positive beginning to their solutions. Responsibilty, Commitment, Action and Nationalism should now characterize all youths in the country as they are the human resource base on which the progress of the country depends.

Bravo President Koroma for making us proud once again! Through the reintroduction of the National Identification Cards and the introduction of the ECOWAS passports, coupled with the current infrastructural, socio-economic and political developments in the country, Sierra Leoneans, both within and outside the country will once more be proud to be labeled as citizens of Sierra Leone. Good bless the President and the people of Sierra Leone for their demonstrable commitment to national security and development, and sub regional and regional integration

The Progressive Youth Group Sierra Leone

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One Comment on "Sierra Leonean Faces Beamed With Hope As Development Flourishes"

Anthony on Fri, 16th Jul 2010 3:58 pm

Thanks for the information. Just some minor correction: I think the term ‘visibility’ in line five of the fifth paragraph should be ‘feasibility.’

Another thing I would like to point out though is that there should be a particular and focused-project to get rid of all pit latrines in the country starting with the city.

If this message can be relayed to the president it would be great.