By Pastor Mustapha Konneh.
Timeline:
1991: The rebel war in Sierra Leone started in Sierra Leone on March 23, 1991, when The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) invaded Sierra Leone from Liberia, launching a rebellion to overthrow the One- Party rule of the All People’s Congress. The war started on March 23, 1991, to 18th January 2002. It lasted for exactly ten (10) years, three (3) weeks, and five (5) days. In September 1991, after the start of the Civil War, President J.S. Momoh ushered in a new constitution which dismantled the one-party state established in 1978 and instituted a multi-party democracy.
1992- On April 29th, 1992, young military officers led by Captain Valentine Strasser took control of the
The ineffectual government of President Joseph Saidu Momoh sent him into exile in Guinea.
1992 – 1996: The NPRC suspended the 1991 constitution, ruled by decrees of The Supreme Council of State. In the latter part of their reign, a palace coup was initiated by top members of the junta which brought Brigadier J. M. Bio into power briefly and transitioned to civilian rule.
1996- 2007: President Ahmed Tejan Kabba took over the reins of governance. He was democratically elected in 1996. He will be remembered in the annals of history as the leader upon whose shoulders the heaviest burden of the state and society has ever been placed. He fought tooth and nail to bring peace to a failed nation and succeeded. He weaved the fabric of the nation once again. Democracy and the rule of law were his focus. It was more difficult to grow the economy because of the devastating war, but he can be credited for building institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Security Agency, strengthening the National Revenue Authority, etc. He sets the stage for a prosperous nation immediately after his reign. Even in the midst of the Civil Conflict, Sierra Leone enjoyed an average GDP growth of 4.5 % annually between 2001-2007.
2007- 2018: Then came President Ernest Koroma. One good thing about this period is that President Ernest Koroma consolidated the peace that President Tejan Kabba fought for. On the other hand, corruption increased at an alarming rate. It was like: ” the dog returning to his old ways”. Sierra Leoneans became poorer with a few elites: Politicians and crooked businessmen siphoning millions of dollars all over the world. The economy was adversely mismanaged, leading to a call for austerity measures to rescue a dying economy in his last months in governance. In all of this, the majority of Sierra Leoneans plunged into abject poverty. The country further fell to the bottom of the Human Development Index of the United Nations.
2018- Present: A new government was democratically ushered in 2018, but Sierra Leone continued on a downward spiral socio-economically. Corruption has quadrupled (forget the propaganda of the ACC). Poverty is at an all-time high. Unemployment for young people is at an alarming rate. A promise of five hundred thousand jobs for young people is yet to be seen after two years of its proclamation. Sierra Leoneans continued to wallow in poverty. Sierra Leone is more or less a ” donor case”: primarily depending on foreign aid for its survival. The IMF, with its draconian conditionalities, is emphasizing taxation in a country whose tax base is very small, with few businesses and industries, triggering an economic depression if care is not taken. Over taxation kills investments and business opportunities. Unless there is a transformational or radical change of direction, Sierra Leone is heading for the worse. There is some time left for this administration, and a full synopsis of the report card will be given after 2028. Sixty-four years of independence: what have we gained (WATIN WE GAIN). The answer is nothing to be proud of. We need transformational leadership in Sierra Leone. A leadership that will be exemplary. We need SCARIFIERS, NOT BUTCHERS! People who do not see politics as a road to riches but as a way to serve their people. A way to improve the lives of ordinary people. We need a cadre of honest Men with integrity, who will lead without reproach, who will move the people to follow their direction. GOOD LEADERSHIP IGNITES GOOD FOLLOWERSHIP!
