By Idrissa Bangura

The rate at which prices of food and other essential commodities are skyrocketing is enough to crave for government’s attention. This is largely due to the current high inflation rate in the country.

There is no gainsaying that the inflation has taken a huge toll particularly on parents who are barely managing to buy school materials. Daily high transport fare for their children who are attending distant schools is another burden on their shoulders more so with the rapid increase in prices of the petroleum products. This recent increase has undeniably led to hike in prices of all commodities as well as transportation fare. As usual, poor citizens always bear the brunt.

The skyrocketing prices of goods cannot be overemphasized as it is affecting every Sierra Leonean home. The grim situation has rung the sharpest alarming bell which prompted people to call on the powers that be to try and salvage it. There is hue and cry in every nook and cranny in the country owing to the worsening living condition.

Some school of thought insist that the inflation rate has reached this level because of the lackadaisical way government is down playing the prevailing economic situation including the recent removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

The government of any state is elected to take the responsibility of its citizenry but if it reneges, is a clear manifestation of not being responsible.

Government has been subsidizing petroleum products over the years which to a large extent was cushion the effect of prices but the recent withdrawal of the subsidy has added another woe to the country’s economy.

In spite of the public outcry, government has continuously defended its position blaming the situation on the Ukraine and Russia crisis. But for whatever reason the ugly economic situations has made the lives of ordinary income earners unbearable and have appealed to government not to lose sight of their sufferings. People strongly believe that the current inflation rate was triggered by the removal of government subsidy on the petroleum products.

In order to address the alarming inflation situation the government needs to revert to subsidizing fuel. That is the only way out to make the lives of citizens meaningful.

This continuous skyrocketing of commodities has had lot of negative effects on the lives of Sierra Leoneans, as citizens no longer afford to buy nutritious food not to talk of affording three-square meal a day.

The absence of such nutritious food in human body can undeniably lead to the fragility of our immune system to withstand any life threatening diseases. To crown it all, the high inflation rate has affected every aspect of our lives. It is against this backdrop that the citizens are still calling on the government to swiftly address the problem before it gets out of hand and to give their lives a glimmer of hope.