The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides a global public good when it lends emergency balance of payments support to countries that otherwise could not access such financing at comparable terms. The hard, but uncomfortable truth is no country borrows from the IMF lightly, and a country only does so as a last resort in the face of an economic crisis. In exchange for IMF lending, the Sierra Leone government of President Julius Maada Bio or any other government surrendered some sovereignty, and self-determination of the government’s economic policies and implicitly admit that the government, on its own, could not manage the travails through which it is going. A lesser-known, but the costly trade-off is that the IMF imposes significant surcharges—akin to the penalty rates imposed by banks—on Sierra Leone and other countries with large borrowings from the IMF that are not paid back within a relatively short time.
The IMF estimates borrowing countries like Sierra Leone will pay over $4 billion in extra surcharges on top of interest payments and fees from the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis through the end of 2022. Additionally, the IMF estimates the surcharges have become the Fund’s largest source of revenue, accounting for almost half of revenues during this period. It is further estimated that by FY2027, surcharges will amount to almost two-thirds of the IMF’s lending income—nearly twice the level in FY2018.
A new policy brief by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Kevin P. Gallagher explores the consequences of the IMF’s surcharges and issues an urgent call for reform. The policy brief is jointly published with the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (https://policydialogue.org/) at Columbia University.
From what Stiglitz and Gallagher explain, it is very clear to ascertain that IMF surcharges are pro-cyclical financial penalties imposed on Sierra Leone and other borrowing countries precisely at a time when they can least afford them. What is more, the surcharges were found to worsen potential outcomes for a borrowing country like Sierra Leone and its investors, with gains accruing to the IMF at the expense of both. The authors note that this transfer of resources to the IMF has profound consequences for the borrowing country, as it affects not just the level of poverty, health, education and overall well-being in Sierra Leone and other as countries in financial crisis, but also its potential growth.
The IMF policy brief examines the economic implications of the surcharges from a global distributive perspective. Noting that, “of course, it is important for member countries not to become over-reliant on the IMF for liquidity,” the authors explain that, “regressive and pro-cyclical surcharges are not the most efficient way to create such incentives amid a global economic crisis.” The authors also stress that many countries are currently experiencing increased levels of debt beyond what they normally would have undertaken, given the fiscal needs of responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Stiglitz and Gallagher, the unintended consequences are two-fold. First, the surcharges disproportionately affect middle-income countries with lower quotas that, by definition, need both extensive IMF financing to repay and longer repayment periods to recover from crises. Second, they require borrowing members to pay more at exactly the moment when they are most squeezed from market access in any other form. The authors comment that “charging the countries in most dire straits for the basic support of the world’s critical financial institution seems peculiar.”
The authors highlight other ways the IMF can generate funds for lending, including borrowing from capital markets and taking advantage of access to funds from member countries, or their central banks.
In all, the authors stress the need to eliminate excessive surcharges in the COVID-19 era and call for more fundamental reform of IMF financing.
The government of Sierra Leone slashed fuel levies to bring the pump price down with an expectation to make the commodity affordable and available for the general good. So why are customers in Sierra Leone still facing artificial scarcity and are paying record prices to fuel up?
Considering the huge amount of international hard currencies the government is giving fuel companies, the drastic tax cut done by the government of Sierra Leone and the huge amount of revenue the government is losing in these tax cuts which fail to reflect on the current pump price, right-minded nationals are still asking why the fuel companies aren’t facing new government inquiries to determine if high fuel prices are the result of anti-competitive practices—the kind of review that will put the government in a better position to properly ascertain the reason(s) why measures like fuel tax cuts and the provision of international hard currencies for fuel importers aren’t reflecting on the current pump price of fuel in Sierra Leone.
We all understand the government of Sierra Leone cannot control world oil prices, but it is responsible for over 50 per cent of the pump price in taxes. If the primary purpose of these levies was purely to make money for the government, it means the government must cut down on taxes even though it is losing a huge amount of money to fuel importers and dealers (Connex).
The government of Sierra Leone further went on to provide international hard currencies for fuel importers and dealers (Connex) in order to make the commodity affordable and available to consumers to alleviate the suffering of the majority.
With all this, the fuel pump price is already far too high and the marketers, in a specific case an importer and marketer (Connex) is a part of the cabal to force the government to sell fuel at 21,000 Leones per litre.
The question is if government taxes are increasing the pump price of fuel above 50% and the government has drastically cut down on these taxes, why are these fuel marketers creating the current artificial scarcity in order to really force the government to increase the pump price to 21,000 Leones per litre?
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN THE INDUSTRY
Bank of Sierra Leone Foreign Exchange allocation from March to May 2022 – 47 million US dollars.
Petroleum Subsidies to keep pump prices below the market price:
2020 – 66.7 billion Leones
2021 – 248.9 billion Leones
2022 – 200.5 billion Leones
Aggregate – 516.18 billion Leones
– Oil Marketing Companies’ monthly foreign currency demand is USD 30 million. (Source: Government Strategic Communication Unit).
Sierra Leone, like other nations, is reeling from sticker shock as the price of fuel soar in the wake of the Russia-Western proxy war that’s currently going on in Ukraine. Over the weekend, the cost of a litre of petrol in Sierra Leone topped Le 25,000 (black market) for the first time in history. At the same time, the government of Sierra Leone continue to assist petrol importers with international hard currencies and tax cuts with a sense to make the commodity affordable and available in all parts of the country.
Are oil companies colluding to keep fuel prices high?
The artificial scarcity and the surge in the current pump price should prompt government action to ascertain whether the huge amount of international hard currencies government keep issuing to fuel companies is being wisely used for the intended purpose. This is the time the government of Sierra Leone needs to arm the country’s competition authorities to come down hard on fuel companies that are failing to pass on the benefits of the present fuel tax cuts plus the international hard currencies help to consumers.
Oil companies in Sierra Leone may claim, of course, that the tax break and the international hard currencies government keep on issuing to them are overtaken by the cost of transporting fuel to the country and within the country. Part of the government’s inquiry will involve;
a probe into whether on a specific purchase, fuel importers are using all the international hard currencies they’re getting from the government to purchase fuel;
If yes, what is the class of fuel we are using in Sierra Leone?
What is the international price per barrel?
Is the amount commensurate to the international hard currencies the government is issuing out to these fuel importers on a specific order?
And
Are the wholesale price and transport stages of the fuel sector to determine if cost escalations are indeed behind the spike in pump prices?
The government of Sierra Leone must promise stiff fines if any anti-competitive activity that led to the current artificial scarcity is discovered. And such inquiries shall result in strict punitive action. Fuel importers and marketers must be forced to pass on tax cut benefits to their customers. Sierra Leone competition watchdogs should investigate if fuel companies in Sierra Leone are colluding to keep prices artificially high in a sense to make the government generally look bad.
Leadership Crisis: Social Positions of Trust and the Decline of Trust in Sierra Leone?
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By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
Trust in government today is almost non-existent. No sector received a passing grade, not one even come close. Genuineness, authenticity and integrity are at an all-time low. The question is: Why is leadership in such disrepute and why is trust at such an all-time low? There are several factors that contribute to the deterioration of leadership trust in Sierra Leone.
First, the term leader is used extremely loosely. If there are that many thought leaders in Sierra Leone, why is the same old stuff continually regurgitated? The imprecise use of terms causes significant problems. For example, often people in organisations say things like “I have a problem, I have to select a vendor.” This person does not have a problem; they have a decision to make. The imprecise use of terms either leads the individual to the wrong thinking process that is not suited to the true issue. The same dilemma is true with the terms leader and leadership. Many authorities and companies in Sierra Leone advocate, “Everyone can be a leader”. This is used to motivate the unschooled people or employees, and sometimes even academics; to make them realise how much they are valued and how important they are. The problem is it waters down the true definition of leadership. If you don’t believe this, observe the level of poverty in our country with all our huge mineral deposits since independence to date. Or how organisations continue to send their employees through leadership training courses with nothing positive to write home about.
We don’t know who our true leaders are, so we elect anyone as a leader or we will train everyone as leaders. The truism is when everyone is a leader, no one is. When everyone thinks they are a leader, then the tendency is to take positive criticisms personal and start to hunt down right-minded nationals in our society with the intention to silence them and execute their wrongs with no objections. If a person believes he or she is a leader, the tendency is to evaluate others’ positive actions in light of how I would eliminate them. (after all, I tolerate no one that fails to dance to my tuning, do I need to?)
It is simply not true that everyone can be a leader. By definition, a leader produces change (progress) over time toward a specific vision. This is the most distinctive characteristic of a true leader – direction, change and movement. Leaders point others outside of the status quo; they stretch people; they move them toward results others never thought were possible. But pointing direction is not only what leaders provide. They also create movement and change. They stay ahead of the group and “lead the way”. And this is where the lack of trust de-rails many in our social positions of trust in Sierra Leone. They do not lead the way in their truthfulness. But every direction is not a wise direction. Articulating a positive direction and engaging people to move in that direction is what true leaders do.
By comparison, non-leaders and managers may perform well inside their boxes. Hopefully, they consistently produce quality and excellence, but colouring inside the lines is not leadership. Every staff member should be a good example. Professionals should show others how to work hard and how to give 100%. However, while good examples are critical, simply being a good example is not leadership.
Non-leaders may influence others. They share what they think. They may accurately diagnose a situation. They may even offer the right advice and influence the decisions of others. But influence by itself is not leadership.
Finally, non-leaders can be skilled craftsmen. They can produce excellent and skilled work, but being a master craftsman does not make one a leader.
The most common confusion in Sierra Leone is the distinction between leaders and managers. The difference is best described by comparing what they do. The tasks of leaders and managers are similar and parallel; they do similar work; they must work hand-in-glove. The similarity of the work is one reason we often confuse the two roles and in confusing them, we water down both. The real distinction is not in what is done, but in how it is done.
These distinctions can be further illustrated in the following ways:
Managers and non-leaders are focused on the present. Their value is in improving today’s results. Do what is expedient today to achieve the current goal. This role is needed and, when done well, is critical to an organisation’s success. This does not mean they do not think or innovate; it means these skills are focused on the immediate. Great managers influence people and they provide examples of what professionalism looks like. They keep things in order and in line; they meet deadlines and accomplish results; they make it easier for people to be successful and productive. But management is not leadership. Managers operate in the present and inside the box. They tweak the current. They are concerned with immediate results and efficiency.
Leaders, on the other hand, are change agents; they create movement toward worthy and meaningful goals and as a result, live in the world of possibility. Leaders have a restless dissatisfaction with the here and now; they are focused on the future. They cause people to lift their heads and look at the horizon and assess possibilities and potential. (One of the common dilemmas in today’s environment in Sierra Leone is that in most organisations, “leadership” positions call for people to be both leaders and managers. This means that managers have to learn how to lead or leaders have to learn how to manage; capabilities are not generally found within their skill set.
There is a second reason why true leaders are rare in Sierra Leone. Leaders grow from great character development. The dilemma is that in our society character development is declining. Our families, churches, mosques schools and government are failing us. Values are viewed as situational. They are to be followed when they are personally beneficial but are to be discarded when they get in our way. Years of this philosophy are taking a toll on leadership. One only has to look at recent events for examples of a lack of character. Lying is common today among our politicians and others in social positions of trust. Whether for enhanced reputation or financial gain, truth and integrity are viewed as situational niceties, not absolutes. Our politicians continue to lie on oath, they even lie at the Well of Parliament and get away with it and a host of others in our social positions of trust provide current examples that integrity is considered situational. Integrity is valued only if it fits a personal agenda or if it is a standard that can be conveniently applied to others (to make oneself look better?) Lying is becoming more common and as it does the distrust in our leaders continues to decline. As James, the brother of Jesus wrote, “but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation” (James 5:12). Today our leaders increasingly fall into condemnation for failing to heed this basic admonition.
There is a third reason for the decline of true leaders. There are no leaders without followers. The lack of character development creates a second impact on the leadership crisis. Not only does lack of character development mean that genuine leaders are not being formed in Sierra Leone, but it also means that followers no longer value character and integrity when true leaders demonstrate it. This creates two leadership dilemmas:
When a true leader does exist, he or she often does not appeal to the masses because the masses want leaders created in their own image. This creates the impossible leadership challenge of trying to be everything to everybody. Rather than leading according to a set of values or beliefs that are applied regardless of cost, appealing to the masses (consensus leadership) has become the standard of “successful” leadership.
Character in leadership has become difficult for our people in social positions of trust in Sierra Leone because followers do not hold leaders accountable. Followers are willing to rationalise the lack of character in those occupying our social positions of trust if it furthers their own personal goals. See the behaviour of political parties in covering up for their own stakeholders’ less than stellar behaviour. The sad state of affairs is that making sure our side wins has become more important than the practice of character.
Is there a solution?
Unfortunately from society’s point of view, there are no immediate or easy solutions. Our institutions are failing us (or maybe giving us what we truly want, but will not admit). As a result, leadership is slowly sliding toward the lowest common denominator. Societal failures (i.e., make up for the low quality produced by the education system; create meaning in work so that staff have something to live for; teach values and character not taught in families, mosques, churches or schools) are being placed on the doorstep of organisations to resolve. Productivity and profit are no longer the major foci of business; creating meaningful, challenging work within a healthy culture is supposed to be the new expectation.
So what is the government or organisation to do? There are several questions that must be asked and answered:
What do we believe leaders to be and do?
How many actual leaders do we require?
Where do leaders need to be located?
How do we align leaders and executors?
How can we identify potential leaders earlier?
What is the optimal method to develop them? (Hint: it is not classroom training!)
Thampèreh. Hot Day,
Sirens but Guns
Operations, Support, Divided
Cracks on Walls
In the Devil’s Hole
Stench is Raw
Torture till Dusk
Thampèreh. Cold Night,
Lightning and Thunder
Dogs Barking
Feet on Eggs
Bruises on the Back
Blood on Concrete
Head no longer Heavy
Thampèreh. Black Ropes,
Power like Samson
Scraped from the Skull
Blades and Snips
Rooftop with Snipers
Red loaded Syringe
Dizzy till eyes closed
Thampèreh. Sun Rising,
Heavy Rains
Flooded Streets
But Cloud …
Fill with Dust
Downpour still Sweating
Raindrops still tearing
Thampèreh. WAKE UP!
Bolt your Doors
Everyone Hide
They are Here
Strong and Tall
Enough is Enough
Can’t stop them Now
Thampèreh. These (Broken) Walls,
Sirens but Ambulances
Blood on Mud
Special Site Demolished
Holes on Walls
Array of Light
Free at Last
Thampèreh. LISTEN!
On the Hot Days
In the Cold Nights
With these Black Ropes
When you see the Sun Rising
Try to Wake Up
And move out of These (Broken) Walls
Flat, Self-Managed and Fun: Are We Positioning Government For Mediocrity in Sierra Leone?
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By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
More is expected from the workplace than ever before. The Government of President Julius Maada Bio is asked to develop foundational skills (compensate for the school systems). The government of President Bio is expected to be a place all employees can find fulfilment and meaning (compensate for the home, mosques and the churches). President Bio’s government is expected to provide national collaboration, harmony and happiness (no conflict or difficulties please; can’t we all be winners?) and all this should be done with no leaders (authority is so twenty-first century and giving orders is not acceptable). So the question is: Is the government in Sierra Leone changing for the better?
Consider three popular change themes.
1. Change the Authority:
No Managers. Management is in disrepute and not necessary (much like your big toe!). “Don’t manage people, manage things” is the current mantra. If we eliminate all managers (leave the leaders, they are good), government, departments, agencies and employees will be better off.
The goal of change: Create self-management, autonomy
Reason not to change: Leadership work is necessary. Planning, organising, managing and evaluating are required in every successful endeavour. No matter who does the work, the work has to be done or government, department or agency will end up in chaos. While minimising the number of management positions is proper, there is a danger that the current hostility toward “leadership” will diminish the important contributions of the management function. Even more important is the issue of creating alignment of individual and group efforts.
Better option: When people complain about leadership in Sierra Leone, they usually are complaining about an autocratic style. People chaff if a person with authority lords that authority over them.
An autocratic leader who issues orders, who communicates one way, and, who only provides negative feedback will not create winning teams. The solution, however, is not to remove all management, but to make management work the way it was intended. Leaders in Sierra Leone (late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah) who simultaneously maximise a high concern for people with a high concern for productivity are worth their weight in gold. That is the type of leader that builds high-achieving government, departments and agencies.
2. Change the Structure:
No Levels Hierarchy is also in disrepute. Organisational levels are seen as barriers to individual freedom and autonomy. People envision an organisation with no levels, no job titles and no bosses. Thus, the holacracy movement. The problems with holacracy are several:
1. In a holacracy there are rigid hierarchies, not of individuals, but of circles of employees.
2. In each circle there are roles and those roles include management
.3. The skills required for a holacracy to be successful are greater than in normal organisations.
The goal of change: Create self-management, autonomy
Reason not to change: Structures will not significantly change President Bio’s government or a department or agency very much because “culture eats structure (not just strategy) for breakfast”.
Structure change is often done in the hope that moving boxes on a chart will change the government or any other department or agency. Many times structure only creates an illusion of change in Sierra Leone.
Before leaders select the best structure, there must be rational thought about what they want the structure change to accomplish. Jumping to a new structure (no matter how popular the concept) without having specific objectives in mind seldom works.
There is no perfect structure. All structures have inherent strengths and weaknesses. When a structure is changed, certain aspects may be improved, but other structural weaknesses will be created. Those weaknesses must be managed (and the systems or skills to do so often are not in place).
A structure never solves behavioural or cultural problems.
Better option: the ordinary man or Employees who long for the “no-boss” freedom of a holacracy will be dismayed when they find working in teams requires as much or more management; and, management is divided among multiple team members all of whom must plan, organise, lead and evaluate their efforts. An alternative is to develop and use collaboration skills within the current structure.
3. Change the Culture:
No unsatisfying work wouldn’t government departments or agencies in Sierra Leone be much more effective and better places to work if everyone was happy? How could anyone argue with that truism? Plus, the happiness movement claims two major benefits:
1. If people are happy, government, departments, agencies and companies will be much more productive.“Recent research coming out of Warwick University has concluded that happiness levels can increase productivity by a staggering 12%. Increasing the team’s mental and emotional adaptability, no matter what the circumstances, will improve the bottom line.” (“Boost Profits with Happiness Management” by Martin Murphy)
2. If people are happy, government, departments, agencies or companies will be more cooperative.
Consider this piece of research: Three-member teams in which one person was in a good mood are more than twice as likely to collectively solve a murder-mystery puzzle as teams in which all members were in neutral moods. Why? People in good moods are more likely to seek information from others and to share their own knowledge. So, start a meeting with a funny story to put people in a good mood and you may get a better exchange of information and better decision-making. (“Who’s bringing the doughnuts: The role of affective patterns in group decision-making”). If one action improves an agency, department or a government’s productivity by 12% and enhances decision-making, all leaders should adopt that technique Goal of change: Enhance self-esteem, and create contented, happy employees.
Reason not to change: Frederick Herzberg provided sound insights into the two major aspects of motivation. The first facet he called motivators which create true job satisfaction (factors are directly related to the person’s work). The second facet is hygiene factors (factors in the workplace, but peripheral to the work). These factors motivate ordinary people or employees, but if not done well, will de-motivate them. Focusing on happy activities is a hygiene factor which will never result in true work satisfaction.
Better Option: Making ordinary people or employees happy is an impossible task. Concentrate on true employee engagement around meaningful work. That is the recipe for satisfied employees. It appears the government of President Bio is neglecting the basics and chasing fads. If this is the case, are we settling for mediocrity rather than building the infrastructure and skills that will truly create a high-achieving government, departments and agencies?
What are your thoughts? Are flatter, self-managed and fun work organisations the wave of the future? Are we better off making current approaches work or making major changes to the way we work? Is our government, departments, agencies or companies being asked to compensate for parts of society which are not effective? If so, what other changes will we see?
Bring Your Palm Twigs and Ropes; Thampèreh Needs a Broom.
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By Jaime Yaya Barry
Times are challenging in Thampèreh, and there’s no sign of them getting better any time soon. We must brace ourselves for what lies ahead. But the most important thing is ensuring we overcome the present times together as a village. More than ever, we must rely on each other’s strength to get through these challenging times.
It is, therefore, a critical moment to reflect on our shared suffering in Thampèreh and transform it into shared love. It is time we lace our arms and move together with empathy, respect, and care for one another.
Let us appeal to all citizens of this resilient village.
If you have a car and know neighbours who go to work around the same location as yours, please give them a lift. Please give them a ride if you see kids going to school and can’t catch the school bus. Please resist the urge to take their phone numbers, especially the girls.
If you have food, please share it with your neighbours who may not have food to eat. It may not be enough for you, but it will make a tremendous difference if you share part of it with others and put smiles on their faces.
If you have a house helper that has a small family, please provide extra support to the family.
Even if you can (and you should), please stop by your neighbour’s house occasionally to greet and see how they are doing. Show them you care and listen to their stories. Don’t judge.
If you hire a taxi, please share it with others. You can occupy the front passenger seat and allow people to occupy the back seat, especially if they are going your way.
Tempers are high right now, and families are dealing with a lot. So, please be kind to people and say comforting words to them. And if someone says not-so-nice things to you, try your best to respond with love and kindness.
If you have a generator that provides more than enough energy for your home, please connect a cable to your neighbour’s home and light a bulb or two for them. In your compound, please make space for your neighbour’s children to use the electricity outside your home to study.
If you have a well or borehole in your home, please let your neighbours fetch some water from it.
If you are a police officer or a member of Thampèreh’s armed and other security forces, please minimize the number of times you carry your guns around your community. You don’t want to put people in a state of constant panic and fear when they already have so much going on in their lives.
If you are a minister or other government official, please make sure your bodyguards are less intimidating to people when visiting communities.
If you eat at a restaurant and have a decent leftover, please put it in a takeaway bowl and offer someone on your way home or to your neighbour.
If you are the head of a religious body (Mosque or Church), please use the offerings you collect to support some of the most vulnerable members of your congregation.
If you donate to someone or a family, please, please, and please avoid taking their photos or videos to share on social media.
And if someone offers you help, do not abuse it by constantly asking for more and putting all your burden on the person.
If someone offers you something, please be grateful and say, “Thank you for your help” or “Tenki, leh God bless you.”
Please note that these are not the new official governing rules or laws of Thampèreh. In fact, we don’t make the rules. If we did, some people would have resigned, been dismissed, or been in jail by now. But since we can’t make the rules, we are asking citizens of this great village to be kind to one another, show love, and be respectful. Or just be human.
“THAT's ON ME". WHY IS ACCOUNTABILITY JUST FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE IN SIERRA LEONE?
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By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
One of the indicators of the quality of democratic leadership is how pervasive accountability is in all sectors of the government. Like every other important leadership principle that has become a fad, accountability may be implemented in a genuine way or it may be implemented in a way that shows that our people in social positions of trust in Sierra Leone apply this characteristic to others, but not to themselves.
What Happened to Accountability in Sierra Leone Government?
Over the last four years, we have constantly watched our politicians in the two major political parties (Sierra Leone Peoples Party and All People’s Congress) point fingers, blame others and dodge personal responsibility. Whenever anything went wrong or when we, as a nation, had to go through tough times, an accusatory finger was raised. The endless litany of “Blame Bush” or “What difference does it make”? ‘Demonstrates that both political rulers’ attitude is more focused on trying to deflect personal culpability than accepting responsibility for and resolving issues that face us as a nation. That culture is one of non-accountability. Current political rulers of these two political parties’ example in avoiding accountability is copied throughout the hierarchy since Ernest Bai Koroma took over the affairs of the state in 2007 to date.
Two Observations and Three Dysfunctions
Accountability in Sierra Leone is currently a hot topic. Instruction is plentiful: books, seminars and leadership articles abound. Gurus and thought leaders preach the obligation of accountability. When there is nothing to lose, our rulers glibly preach and support accountability; but when there is blame to be had, fingers are raised and pointed. It seems that risk assessment and careful execution designed to ensure that nothing bad happened on a leader’s watch has now turned to “make sure there is no blame of me on my watch.”
First, before individuals charged with social position of trust in Sierra Leone can be accountable, they must first come to grips with their responsibilities and their obligation to authority. Accountability only exists around responsibility. Accountability can only be genuine if a person has the authority to fulfil their responsibility.
Three dysfunctions occur:
• First, political rulers in Sierra Leone want the “little people“ to be accountable when the ruler is unwilling to delegate authority (yes, you can only delegate authority to act). Therefore, staff who could have done nothing to prevent or resolve a situation are expected to be accountable when things go wrong.
• Second, political rulers in Sierra Leone often act as if their responsibility (and accountability) ends once decisions are made or orders are given. “Once it leaves my office, it belongs to others” is a common attitude. Political rulers do not want to take responsibility for faulty implementation, unintended consequences, mediocre results or mistakes made beyond the reach of their desks. (This would cause my old General to turn over in his grave. He was constantly preaching that the “commander is responsible for everything the unit does or fails to do.” He knew that unless responsibility came first, accountability could never exist by itself. He also knew that if a decision was not implemented it was a failure regardless of intent. And he never took one course in management theory!)
• Third, why is accountability only addressed when something does not fulfil expectations? Does it not ever dawn on anyone within the Sierra Leone People’s Party and the All People’s Congress that accountability also occurs when superior results are achieved? (Also called recognition!)
Second, our political rulers fail to understand that accountability cannot be foisted on others. It is a gauntlet each person must be willing to pick up and apply to him or herself. A person cannot choose the situations, issues and opportunities that cross their paths, but they can choose whether or not they will accept the responsibility to act and be accountable for their actions in response to those issues. True accountability occurs when a person accepts responsibility with the attitude of insuring a task is successful regardless of circumstances. Responsibility requires work is done to the best of one’s ability. A person can be lectured about accountability, but words do not necessarily change one’s attitude.
All leaders must answer (that is what accountability means) for how they use their authority (power and influence to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations. The higher the level of the leader, the broader and deeper is their responsibility and therefore the broader and deeper their accountability to answer for actions taken or avoided by them or their subordinates. It is just as much a dereliction of duty to avoid issues and leave them for one’s predecessor, as it is to take a wrong or inappropriate action. That means the leader must be accountable, not only for what they did but for what they failed to do.
Accountability and the Little People in Sierra Leone
In today’s environment in Sierra Leone, a culture of accountability is all the rage. But the emphasis is only on the “little people.” Leaders who are willing to be accountable like Chief Esserman are few and far between. Politicians that refuse to accept responsibility and accountability are the root cause of the employee dissatisfaction and leadership distrust we observed in the Ernest Bai Koroma and the current Bio led governments in Sierra Leone. The “it’s not my fault” mentality is a key characteristic of politicians and others in social positions of trust who are not in their positions to serve the suffering majority through high-quality products and services. Instead, these politicians and others in social positions of trust use their positions to enrich their reputations and pocketbooks and to position themselves for even higher positions and more power to amass unexplained wealth at the expense of their people and the country. Politicians who are untrusted and will not be accountable for past actions should not be allowed to continue in their positions or voted into those positions in the first place.
Sierra Leoneans are forgiving people. When a person fails (and we all do), it is not an unforgivable sin. However, pointing fingers and deflecting criticism by blaming others is inexcusable. Claiming actions were appropriate, nothing illegal has been done is even worse.
It is time for politicians in Sierra Leone to lead. It is time they demonstrate moral courage and decisiveness. It is time our political rulers change to leaders and accept responsibility for everything that happens on their watch regardless of the consequences. It is time they answer for how they use their authority to create and implement solutions to problems that plague us.
Sierra Leoneans We Need To Expect And Demand Better
Right-minded nationals are tired that only the little people are expected to be accountable when the example of our politicians in our two major political parties and others in social positions of trust is just the opposite.
The party is over. A celebration that began with the election in 2018 of a dynamic president who promised change and a new dawn in Sierra Leone politics is now a pipe dream. We stand more than three years later in the ruins of false hopes and broken dreams. A new era was to begin—post tribalism, bipartisanship, regionalism and with the unity to right an economic ship that collided with the great state looting of our national resources that began under rogue former President Koroma.
A nation of people looking for stability and restoration, not the continuation of failed policies and State House orchestrated gridlock. The opportunity and the moment were there to be seized when Koroma peacefully exited the Presidency, but our grip melted as despair replaced optimism. Newly elected President Bio, spend no time in-country to study the socio-economic situation of the country he’s elected to govern and the characters of the people that surround him to deliver his social contract mandate with his people.
This divide that continues to widen every day has been a calculated goal of the Bio led SLPP since the first champagne corks were popped and people raised their expectations that this time, finally, things might be different. But the Bio led SLPP Party, the “Paopa” wing and ultimately the “Paopa government” were not interested in the melody of national cohesion and the greater good of the economy for all nationals. Their agenda was set from day one, and with the bulldozed of the Speaker of Parliament in favour of his SLPP Party, the scores of constitutional violations, the politicisation of independent institutions, the illegal sacking of top civil servants assumed to be members or supporters of the opposition etc, Bio demonstrated that his number one priority was to keep on fanning the flames of discord the damper on this soiree began. Bio showed that the economy, jobs creation, social service protection for all nationals, guaranteed human rights for all nationals and national cohesion were distant to his number one goal of not just trying to further destroy national peace as started by Koroma but to build a wall of regional and tribal difference to anything and everything that is geared towards national cohesion.
So as 2021 unfolded, and around the world as Bio toured out of taxpayers monies, President Bio unveiled his never to be realised mission of “winning international investors” with the very weak democratic institutions under his presidency. The anti-corruption battle which meant to specifically target unexplained wealth, something he believed would bring pragmatic solutions for his uninsured second term and tackle, in part, the rising cost of his poor leadership qualities, he keep on experiencing a barrage of resistance and indigenous behaviour from genuine democrats across the globe. From the increase in human rights violations to the badly behind the scene negotiated contract, forming a paramilitary unit, withdrawing monies from the national purse to pay illegal paramilitary unit, over-bloated wage bill to create jobs for the guys and others are all clear signs with the intent of destroying democratic standards and perfect wrongs Bio once condemned when Koroma was lording over the affairs of the state.
At the same time, we are also seeing the rise of a group of people who, prompted by prejudice and preconceived ideas when in opposition, began a movement on the premise that they wanted the government to lower or eliminate taxes on essential commodities—although their initial methods, which included carrying signs portraying World Bank and IMF as Hitler is now at odds with their actions of being in bed with all World Bank and IMF conditions they’ve once condemned as oppressive and causing untold economic hardship in the lives of the majority. Within three years of the Bio regime, the gains and strides we expected to gain as a nation in national cohesion relations and bread and butter for the suffering majority are now as out-of-focus as the mirrors in a funhouse.
In 2018, March general elections buoyed by an economy that was slow in turning around and a public that was fed a daily dose of falsehoods and innuendo from paopa-wing talk radio shows, Paopa newspapers and Bio created an atmosphere that led Sierra Leoneans to believe positive change with a nationalistic sense of purpose is indeed possible. The “Paopa” winners had talked during their campaign about jobs and fixing the economy by observing fiscal discipline policy with the blocking of leakages, and, with their mask of patriotism and Constitution in hand, had convinced restless and discontented voters of their sincerity. The desperation and exasperation the voters felt toward Bio gave the SLPP “Paopa” party the foothold it needed and in the four corners of Sierra Leone, ordinary people, state legislatures, and civil servants, a wave of new SLPP “Paopa” party-goers arrived to make the change possible for all nationals. Yet jobs and economic development for all nationals to get their “bread and butter” were not Bio’s first order of business. In fact, that issue for the most part has taken a back seat to nepotism and violation of human rights for the suffering majority. The definition of opportunity for all Sierra Leoneans changed and suppression of the young, the poor, and elders irrespective of their income bracket is increasing rapidly. This party has truly become a masquerade party and now they have saved the best for last.
During the campaign and since Bio came to power, these words have been uttered more than any time in our Country’s history: “APC past government was corrupt and oppressive.” After more than three years in governance, voices of reasoning considered this description as nothing, but the standard procedure of diverting the attention of the suffering majority to give way to massive sycophancy and covert corruption activities in governance. This is now being used as leverage by the Bio led government as he extracts taxes from nationals with no increase in social service protection. Now they’re really redefining how the government in this country should work for all citizens. And if they could not get their way, it appears they are willing to paralyse Sierra Leone and impact the fragile Sierra Leone economy because the prevailing environment is not conducive for any genuine investors to invest in the country. They were in favour of us criticising the past government in bed with the World Bank and IMF conditions.
And despite the dire consequences of such conditions to national and economic security and to an enormous percentage if not a majority of this country’s citizens, consequences which almost every single expert warned about, the Bio led government does not believe there is a real cause for concern. In the end, the only thing that really matters for them is their deceitful ideology, steeped in oppressing the suffering majority.
So, yes, the election is over and Bio and his “Paopa” team have taken off their masks, and, whether in the light of day or in the dimly lit rooms where they gather, their appearance is diaphanous and their rhetoric and actions contribute to the sounds of the nihilistic madness that pervade us today.
How President Bio Makes The Case Against Corruption
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He may have some very harsh words for alleged corrupt contract deals from the previous government, but his actions highlight his system is currently benefiting from the same alleged corrupt deals of the past regime.
On scores of occasions when he was in the opposition, it was reported that Bio’s SLPP “Paopa” team is against the very exploitative toll road contract, mining contracts, well-inflated procurement contracts, and actively campaigned against them.
To right-minded nationals, this is, of course, nothing short of insincerity because what was bad yesterday is still bad today. If you really thought a company was so bad, you’d probably make sure your government revisit the terms or terminate it. If you really thought well-inflated procurement contracts were a problem when you were in opposition, you probably wouldn’t give that problem a green light when you’re President. What’s more, if you were really concerned about the plight of the suffering majority, you might, you know, give them some good contracts to move the country forward tangibly, instead of giving your government support to the very companies and well-inflated procurement contracts you’d criticised for ruining them.
What we have with this revelation is just another example of how Bio’s time in the spotlight has made an argument against corruption, instead of for it. The heavily regulated exploitative toll road, mining and procurement contracts were bad, he said, but his actions say that he prefers them now as President — a shift that is only possible because of the thing he stands most opposed to. Corruption!
Now, this is not the first time that something like this has happened. As citizens notes, Bio seemed to make an argument against himself again during his campaign when he expressed his sadness over the huge wage bill burden on the state purse and the politicisation of state institutions.
Then there is, of course, the repeated and complete breakdown of his positions whenever they are evaluated through the lens of reality and facts. Immediately after he became President of Sierra Leone he stated flatly that the “elections showed sharp divide in our country and he will work and ensure that does not exist anymore in Sierra Leone” — undoubtedly an argument for an inclusive -style redistribution of national wealth — when the reality is that the division class has actually grown under his “Paopa” presidency system within the past four years.
Many people might be tempted to see the rise of Bio, and particularly his initial popularity in the media, to be some sort of sign that his version of presidency might actually be viable in this country. Anyone who is actually paying attention, however, would see that the opposite is true. At almost every turn, the spotlight on Bio’s presidency ideals has shown how completely infeasible they are, and how often they are rooted in false information and misunderstanding.
No one should know this better than Bio himself. After all, if you look at his actions instead of his words, it seems that even he understands the benefits of narrowing the political landscape to make himself bigger at the expense of the country and its people — and his terrible ideas to violate our laws and concentrate powers in his hands has his direct destabilisation of the Civil Service to prove it.
Painters have ruled the village of Thampèreh for the most part, and many specialized in applying beautiful colours to objects of development with fake paint. Once they leave power, the paint quickly fades away, leaving behind dilapidated structures hanging over the village’s inhabitants, waiting to crush them with every given opportunity.
The village doesn’t have a functioning education system. Its healthcare has always been on life support through the oxygen of foreign donors. The only constant light in the village is from the sun in the day and the moon at night. The frequent water supply villagers can boast of as a blessing, and other times a curse is that of the rains. Corruption, poverty, brutality by security forces, and a flawed justice system are the village’s watermark in all its pictures. The issues led the village to undergo one of the most brutal civil wars in recent times.
Then the people found a renewed hope when they voted for Pa Kaba, their first-ever Farmer, and Healer, to lead the village.
Pa Kaba’s farming skills and healing power were not just found in the words he uttered but in the things he did. He planted seeds of integrity as he led by example. He made sure, through his sanaku-yagal that villagers could respectfully tease each other about their differences in opinions on national issues, tolerance, and even disagree on many things as long ‘they don’t end up in the bush.” He appointed individuals from all regions to serve in his administration. For a village recovering from a brutal civil war, Pa Kaba knew he cannot let his people continue to suffer just so he could give a speech about their resilience.
He knew and understood how much corruption destroyed the village and how it became one of the major causes of the brutal civil war. In his efforts to prevent future conflicts, Pa Kaba the Farmer planted the Anti-Corruption Commission and appointed Val Collier to head it.
Val Collier was a crusader who specialized in hunting the Two-Foot Aratas of Thampèreh. These Two-Aratas were devil-like creatures with long dirty claws who raped, looted, and plundered the village’s resources. Pa Kaba’s commitment to fighting corruption made Val one of the village’s most respected individuals.
Many in the Palm Tree even blamed the Pa Kaba and Val Collier for the party losing the Two Thousand and Seven elections. And though the Heavens fell, Pa Kaba never interfered in Val’s efforts to rid of the Two Foot Aratas of his time, starting with Pa Kaba’s very own political appointees and top civil servants.
He also helped reform the village’s police to a Force for Good and the army to serve the republic.
One of the most cherished moments of Pa Kaba’s healing power was during his address to the nation shortly after taking his oath of office for his re-election. Despite his Supreme Executive Authority, the Healer knew that bringing the village together under one umbrella and inviting all to work together was more important than the powers given to him by the people. That’s why shortly after winning the election, he said:
“In these elections that we all agreed were not a war but a friendly contest, there are no losers. As a matter of fact, we should all consider ourselves winners. We are all winners because, irrespective of the results, we succeeded in making this one of the most violence-free electoral processes in Thampèreh since independence. So, to you, my former contestants, be assured that there is a place for each and every one of you in the service of your village. I say this because the privilege of serving the people is not limited to a seat in the People’s House or occupancy of the Big House and The Lodge. You know, as I do, that there are other seats, offices, and positions available in all sectors of our village from where we can each make a contribution to improving the lives of our fellow compatriots. There are also important and positive roles that each individual can play in helping us achieve that objective.
Those who care, and I have no doubt that we all do, need not be reminded that we have a lot of work to do in this village and that no single political party, no single Government, can do it alone. I would therefore like to appeal to you, whatever your party affiliation, whatever your party symbol, and whatever your ideology, to join me in building a new coalition for national development. It was our right and responsibility to vote. It is also our right and collective responsibility to work together in raising the standard of living and quality of life of all in Thampèreh. I trust that I can count on your cooperation.”
This wasn’t just a call to move the village forward; it was the foundation for Thampèreh’s New Direction.
After diligently laying that foundation, he transferred power to Hee Bee Kay. And that transfer of power became the biggest test for Thampèreh’s re-emerging democracy and its New Direction.
Hee Bee Kay began well by identifying corruption and mismanagement of the village’s vast natural resources as the key issues bedevilling the people for many, many moon circles. He followed Pa Kaba’s footsteps by appointing Tejan-Cole to serve as the village’s new corruption crusader.
But like the Bee that he is, Hee smelled the fragrance of power and slowly moved away from Pa Kaba’s laid down path for a New Thampèreh. Hee failed the test of continuity after he began interfering in the affairs of the Anti-Corruption Commission and caused the highly respected Tejan-Cole to resign as the institution’s head.
Tejan-Cole’s departure paved the way for Hee Bee Kay to begin appointing political party loyalists to serve as the village’s Accompanying Corruption Commissioners. And like Munku boss pan matches, corruption exploded in the village like the Wellington tanker.
Hee moved from being the World Best to a plunderer who amassed wealth from scrapping the village’s resources. Hee began punching holes in the village’s Guiding Principles by unconstitutionally sacking his Vice. Hee folded back the carpet of integrity and started interfering in judicial processes with “orders from above” as he slowly pushed the village back to its Thampèreh name. And despite his few successes, Hee’s biggest legacy is written on the forehead of a drunk sailor.
As if Hee Bee Kay wasn’t mad enough, the village voted for another Painter, who is even Maada.
The new Painter mastered the art of painting invisible colours and the blame game. He appointed a dynamic Ariogbo performer to serve as his Accompanying Corruption Commissioner and recruited vuvuzelas to clean up his muddy feet. His rule has been overshadowed by allegations of rampant corruption, thuggery, human rights violations including murders, stifling free speech, and lies.
As the living conditions continue to get tough and Maada in Thampèreh, the people are back to praying for a Farmer who will double as a Healer. More than ever, the village now needs another healer who understands the rights of every citizen. Someone who sees the need for a united village and has plans to bring everyone together.
The people of Thampèreh are largely divided and broken by various issues ranging from tribal conflicts to economic inequalities to injustice. The Healer must recognize these problems and be honest in solving them.
Thampèreh needs a Farmer who can plant seeds of discipline, integrity, honesty, and humility in every citizen. The Farmer must first have these seeds within him or her to be sure he can plant them on others. He must surround himself with gardeners who can water and nurture these qualities in the people they serve.
The Healer who doubles as a Farmer must not crave re-election to the extent of becoming afraid to do the right things that might “hurt” his/her party’s re-election bid.
Thampèreh needs a farmer and Healer who, like Pa Kaba, would mean when he said:
“I vow to serve you to the best of my ability and strength, God being my helper. I promise never to sacrifice the interests of Thampèreh or yours for any other interest or consideration, and I shall strive to ensure that all those who serve you under my direction shall do the same. And so today, and in the succeeding days, I say ‘let honesty, unrelenting hard work, love, and unity prevail among us.’”
