By Hassan I. Conteh (Editor)
The ruling government is determined to clinch all votes in Southeastern province and in key areas in Northwest of Sierra Leone.
SLPP’s determination is seen as it has opened up more colleges in southeast and has strengthen access to education to young children and young adults across the nation.
Reacting to the lastest development in his district, a first-time voter in Kenema explains.
“We have got a college in Kenema; I don’t see the need to attend a college in Freetown while we have one here already” she boasted .
With the inception of Free and Quality Education ( FQE) initiated by the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio, the number of enrollments in schools has exponentially increased over the years.
As most students pass public exams, the number of students attendance as well in universities and colleges increases every year more than how it was in the past ten years.
“We are committed to opening up and supporting access to education to both high school and college level. In the US, there are more community colleges that seek to empower youths, we are also working toward that path…,” professor Alpha T. Wurie, told journalists at a government press briefing around April 2021.
Like 2018 general elections, the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio, is assured of first time -voters at high schools and students of various colleges and universities.
Already, the Bio administration has given a facelift to Milton Margai college , IAMTEC at Kissy Dock yard in Freetown, to get university status.
There is now a college in Kono, Pujehun district and the government has upgraded the status of most technical institutes to colleges while others sky up to university.
Apart from the newly built airport in Lungi by a Turkish company, Summah Group, political analysts say, Dr Kadie Sesay modern primary school in Port Loko and the fact that parents don’t pay fees for kids in all government schools will increase SLPP votes in Port Loko and other districts in northwest.
The ruling government is also making inroads as it has built few roads in Kono town.
Once a swing state whose support for both dominant parties , SLPP and APC, this time Kono votes may be swept all by the ruling party, SLPP.
This is because the main opposition, APC has denied Chief Sam Sumana, a key politician loved by the Konos, a symbol to run for the presidency.
Added to SLPP’s strength in Kono and Kenema, the two strong states in the east, is the opening up of more roads in the two cities, Koidu and Kenema.
If ninety percent of these roads in Kono and Kenema are finished before June 24 elections, the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio will have unshakable victory in June 24 elections.
But most analysts say without the completion of the roads, Mr. Bio is sure to get easterners’ backing to guarantee the politician second term in office.
Critics of Dr. Samura’s , APC presidential aspirant, selection of Chernoh Maju Bah (Chericoco) as his running mate, believe that SLPP’s will get commanding victory as APC denies Southerners and Easterners any of the top most positions in the country.
Most veteran political analysts say regional strongholds predict a winner of elections in Sierra Leone.
And going by that school of thought the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio is loved by his tribesmen in the South.
He has made easy for farmers and people in Moyamba and Bonthe districts in the south access to urban markets as he has connected ancient bridges between towns, villages and chiefdoms, in fulfilment of his 2018 People’s Manifesto.
Mabang bridge in the south and Magbale bridge in northwest have rendered smooth trips for travellers to and fro.
Therefore, as he has made marked progress just within his five-year term in office, the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio is assured of victory in SLPP’s strongholds and in most parts in northwest districts, particularly Tonkolili for agriculture productivity and Kambia, Falaba, Port Loko, Koinadugu, poorest district in the north, for free access to primary and secondary education. But some parents condemn government inaction to inspect schools as bribery and exploitation thrive.
The incumbent president Julius Maada Bio is campaigning to get himself re-elected for a second term in office because he believes he has provided free education for Sierra Leoneans and among other things he has expanded Freetown- Lungi airport.
Mr. Bio has been busy campaigning by moving across the country especially in the south and east to canvass supporters.
Since southern province is SLPP’s powerbase in terms of overwhelming support, the incumbent president might find it easier to win the hearts of people living in these areas.
The economy is badly being affected by corruption, inflation and high taxes on businesses have made things worse.
A price of bag of rice now stands Le 580,000.
Average Sierra Leoneans could not afford to spend one dollar a day on food.
Other food commodities are rising up almost on a weekly basis. Teachers in schools exploit parents despite government is running up free education project since 2018.
There are lot of grumbles around as a result of corruption and hardship caused by inflation in the country.
Most voters in Sierra Leone will cast their votes around these burning issues.
Most westerners hate the president for having committed systematic human rights abuses in the capital and in north of the country.
Some westerners and northerners are still calling on the international community for justice over the killings by the Bio administration in Pademba Road in Freetown, Tombo unrest, Lunsar and Makeni killings and August 10 killings of peaceful demonstrators of fuel price rise.
The ruling government will be affected by huge vote casts in the west and north of the country owing to the persistent hardship in the country and government’s human rights violations.
But some people in the north districts of Sierra Leone seem to appreciate the free education provided by the Bio administration.
SLPP’s magic or spell on voters in its strongholds and other places rests on Mohamed Gento Kamara, a civil engineer and owner of Gento Group of Companies. Voting in SLPP’s strongholds is on ethical lines not on hardship and suffering. Just paved roads and electricity are enough to secure Bio’s victory in southeast.
The engineer has many more roads to complete in the country especially in key voting districts such as Waterloo in the Western Rural, Moyamba , Kenema , Kono.
If all those roads are finished before June 24 elections, it could be a springboard for the greener party to claim nationwide victory.
But that success could be a roadblock for SLPP particularly in Western district, Sierra Leone’s populous district. And if northerners largely vote against president Bio because of the prevailing hardship in the country, president Bio may struggle to get a second term victory.
But if he succeeds to get Kono people’s votes and Kambians, he may get a landslide victory against the opposition, All People’s Congress (APC).