“During Pa Kabbah ein tem food bin very cheap n pipul dem nor bin dea suffer for tin for eat lek now wey di kontri don mona so,” a passenger explaining her economic frustration inside a ‘Poda poda’ plying the East-end of Freetown to Eastern police Clock Tower. She distinguished the economy during late President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah’s era to that of incumbent Brig. Rtd Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s SLPP as quite differential in terms of goods and commodities and basic social services.
Basically, even though the two presidents are coming from the same political party, there has been huge criticism distinguishing the two rulers.
The Economy
Even though things were not that economically beautiful during Kabbah’s regime as the country was just reviving from its 11 years civil which led to massive economic frustration. But the prices of food stuffs, basic and essential social services were not too exorbitant as in the current SLPP regime. Late President Kaabah fought tooth and nail in ensuring that he revived the country’s dead economy by setting up strong, formidable and viable institutions. Despite mining activities were stalled as a result of the war, the citizens were somehow satisfied with the economy as national peace had been restored by the late man. Former President Kabbah did not shift the burden of blame on the economy to the past regime but wittingly managed the economic situation at the time to soothe and meet the needs of the people.
Fixing the economy has been a serious challenge for president Bio’s SLPP. Just after winning the 2018 presidential polls, the economy was badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic which exposed the country’s economic realities to the outside world. The hike in prices of foodstuffs and other basic social services gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic through the announcement of lockdowns as citizens were deeply worried about food for the lockdown. Moreover, President Bio has put the blame on the poor state of the economy over the Russia Ukraine war and also said it is a global economic challenge.
Energy
(The Kabba Tiger Era)
Despite the economy was not that too bad during Kabbah’s era, the country was stark with darkness. Kabbah’s SLPP was not able to produce a day’s light and intermittent electricity supply of energy was the order of the day. Infact, it was during his era that the small ‘TIGER’ generator was referred to and fondly labeled as ‘Kabba Tiger’. The whole country was absolutely suffering from energy and this derailed the economic effort of that regime because investors dreaded to invest in a country where energy is not reliable and self-sufficient for the citizens. The famous Bumbuna hydro-power was not in good working order and therefore was not fit for its intended purpose. Citizens were stunned anytime the National Power Authority (NPA) brought in light the collective shout in local communities that “light don kam” was a culture shock to other neighboring countries who were already swimming in 24hours energy.
Like Kabbah, President Bio’s SLPP inherited full free flow of energy that his predecessor worked tooth and nail to restore and maintain its free flow. Former President Koroma promised to light Freetown within his first hundred days in office and he did which led to big time economic boom and open the space for investment. But since he took over governance, President Bio has failed to maintain what he inherited and this too is causing turmoil for his SLPP and has scared away many potential investment cannot thrive where there is low supply of and interval supply of electricity. Critics and political scientists have said that President Bio has failed in that direction to maintain what his predecessor has hardly worked to achieve.
The Media
The media plays a critical role in every government and has maintained its core values and objectives in putting state officials on their toes to do the needful. Another setback for Late Kabbah’s SLPP was the media. The media was there to make sure that the thing was always done by the government. The media was excessively critical as various Sierra Leonean musicians with the likes of Emmerson Bockarie, Daddy Saj, Dry Eye Crew and others were critical of Kabbah’s SLPP. Interestingly, Late President Kabbah was branded as truly democratic leader because he did not arrest or neither locked up any journalists in jail for what they wrote and as well as any musicians for what they sang at those times, excluding veteran journalist Paul Kamara of For Di People. President Kabbah of blessed memory was mindful of the 1965 Public Order Act which some of his official used against the media.
For expunging the obnoxious and draconian seditious and criminal libel law that has helped to impede the growth of the media fraternity, president Bio has received high accolades for this move. This was a move in the right direction to efface this law that tagged journalists as criminal as Mr. Bio has receive high international recommendation for such. Mr. Bio’s SLPP has also been lauded for accepting huge media criticism as no journalist or musician is behind bars for what they have written or sung.
Accountability and Transparency
Accountability and Transparency were two watch words under Kabbah’s SLPP but the government was unaccountable to the citizens and transparency was nowhere to be found if seen. Because the government was not transparent and accountable this led to high public criticism including the media and civil society organizations. As a matter of fact, the state officials were not bothered and less worried about what the public is saying. And because his government failed to be accountable and transparent this made the SLPP to lose the seat of power that ushered in a new government.
Just after he assumed office, President Bio was transparent and accountable as he used to inform the public about his overseas trip and how many delegates he is travelling with. But things just took a U-turn and information about his overseas trip and how many delegates he will be travelling with was no longer communicated to the public. This unannounced overseas trip of Mr. Bio and his entourage left the public astounded in fear of taxpayers’ money being spent without being accountable and transparent. CSOs on accountability and transparency has advocated for the Mr. Bio’ SLPP to open to the public to tell and show how they expended taxpayers’ money but has not been fruitful.
Water supply
Water is a basic social amenity for the state and therefore governments in and out must be able to enhance the free flow of pipe-borne into homes, places of worship and offices.
Pipe-borne water supply was a challenge for late Pa Kabbah’s SLPP but his government managed the situation in ensuring that the citizens drink clean and safe water. Street taps were ubiquitous because some communities were hard to reach and water supply was not on interval basis but who needed it will get it. School children will open street taps and hang their mouth to drink after a long walk from school. Tap owners pay their monthly water dues without even being told to do so because they were enjoying the facility.
The price for a sachet of water is sold at NLe1 and the bundle at Nle 8-9. Providing and supplying the citizens with clean and safe pipe-borne water is another case study for Mr. Bio’s SLPP.
His government has not been able to effectively supply water to Freetown and beyond and this has made owners of Water companies to make huge profit by a hike in price of water. Children stayed up late in the night at street taps just to fetch water for their homes and most girls have fallen victim by being sexually harassed and untimely pregnancies is prevalent. Even up to the tail end of his term Mr. Bio has failed to address the water menace. Hilly communities depend on digging bore holes or fetch rain water for drinking and other domestic uses.
Human Rights
Late Kabbah’s SLPP was not rife with human rights abuses as he was a peaceful and democratic leader that believed in criticism and sounding the views of the ordinary Sierra Leonean. His human rights records cannot be tainted based on his merit to let everyone made their opinions. Late Kabbah even when musicians were singing against his government, he told his appointed officials not to arrest anyone for saying their views stating that “so long as dem nor go na bush leh dem sing,” were his exact words. President Kabbah at that time knew where he has taken the country from and was not ready for any reversal.
Despite abolishing the old age death penalty, Mr. Bio’s SLPP has been highly condemned by international human rights NGOs as not having respect for human and people’s rights citing all the major killings that have happened during his first term in office. And what more has pained citizens is Mr. Bio’s silence during all these killings. Human rights abuse has taken its toll during Mr. Bio’s SLPP as people cannot openly say their views without being locked up behind bars. Popular entertainer, producer and singer, Zainab Sheriff spent days at the CID Headquarters after a video making the rounds that she has declared for main opposition flagbearer of the APC, Dr. Mathew Wison Samura Kamara and famous rapper and CEO of the Red Flag Movement spending his days behind bars for similarly expressing his opinion about the government. So many big guns of the APC have been sent to Pademba Road for simply critiquing the excessive of the government and most of their failed policies.