Prior to the inning of President Julius Maada Bio led Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) administration in 2018, there were high expectations especially among his party faithful that things will be better for Sierra Leoneans as was expressed in their popular campaign slogan “Paopa Salone for Beteh.”
Whilst in opposition, members of the Sierra Leone People’s Party were so vociferous in trumpeting the difficulties in the country ranging from rising prices in essential commodities, high inflation rate, poor health facilities culminating into high cost of living for the average poor, thus blaming the now opposition APC government for all the problems.
The SLPP campaigned largely on the platform of the then government of All People’s Congress (APC) party’s failure to provide “bread and butter” (basic needs) for the poor. In its desperation to come to power, the SLPP promised, if not assured that if they come to power, they will alleviate the people’s difficult situation by every means possible. Every development stride the APC government took at that time was instantly condemned by the SLPP; referring to it as “cosmetic development,” accusing the former government bigwigs of corrupt practices than providing the actual needs of the people.
But since assuming office six years down the line from 2018 to date, the SLPP has not been able to fulfill its promises of providing the basic needs of the people including but not limited to providing sufficient food, quality healthcare system, reliable power supply, reducing corruption, improving agriculture, reducing high inflation, reducing high unemployment rate and importantly stabilizing the ailing economy.
This situation, though, has dashed the high hopes or great expectations of particularly those who voted for the SLPP, many of who still do not know what their future hold.
Giving the current state of affairs in the country and not knowing when things will change for the better as promised, many despondent SLPP supporters have however not hidden their feelings to describe the government as “Deaf, Dumb and Blind,” given that it has failed to listen, has remained silent and turned blind eyes to the problems of the suffering masses.