The current status quo in Sierra Leone’s politics is sad than ever in the history of Sierra Leone.

Both famous politicians from the red and green house are failing to talk on ways to yet again improve the present devastating economy.

Samura Kamara still struggles to put his thoughts together as there is no well-tailored out manifesto from his party, All People’s Congress.

Most of his public talks on the economy don’t carry with it much emphasis as the dire situation deserves quick fix.

The APC party seems not well-prepared as it has been wrestling with several court hearings. Samura is on a cut-throat as he still answers questions on a long-drawn out corruption case hangs around him.

He is unable to make a solid presentation about how he intends to run the country or fix the current, rampant inflation in Sierra Leone. Samura Kamara needs to clear his name of his corruption allegations.

If he is cleared of, will it be too late for him to tell Sierra Leoneans his plans to address the bigger concern of Sierra Leoneans which is fixing the economy.

Likewise, incumbent Julius Maada Bio is yet to show clear sign of an economy recovery. He has tried through his ex-Bank Governor, Professor Kelfala Muana Kallon, but failed to see a U-turn on the economy and living standard of Sierra Leoneans.

Under Bio’s leadership the economy has suffered a backlash as jobs are not created for many youths. The mining sector became paralyzed due to a sudden ban on the operation in the early days of president Bio in governance in 2018.

Before coronavirus peaked up, most companies had already flown away as they could not withstand somewhat heavy taxes imposed on them, despite government continue to shifting the blame about the reckless economy on the pandemic and later Russian-Ukraine war.

At the height of the pandemic, many little businesses suffered profit growth largely due to government’s repressive measures to stopping the disease from spreading.

The Bio administration was quick to shut down the country’s airport and closed down its neighbouring borders with Liberia and Guinea.

The retaliation by Guniea’s government headed then by professor Alpha Conde, resulted to the many suffering and hardship seen by Sierra Leoneans who trade in Guinea.

Guinea’s exchange rate rose up exponentially as the dollar equally preyed high on the Leones, making goods bought from Guinea to be expensive enough to buy by consumers in Sierra Leone.

“When you change the Dollar here in Freetown, you buy Guinea Franc in high cost so we are running at a loss because our money is not value again,” a trader doing business at Sani Abacha Street, Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, where Guinean products are sold, was responding to an interview in July 2021.

President Bio is unable to make easier the life of most business people as lockdowns and curfews mean hardship for Sierra Leoneans. It also means suffering for consumers as goods especially foodstuffs scarce in the markets.

After lockdowns come new weak Leones

Sierra Leoneans under lockdowns and curfews could not farm or do business effectively. Government’s attempts to pump new Leones to the economy cannot provide any realistic changes.

The then Bank Governor, Professor Kelfala Muana Kallon, advise to print new currencies to stabilize the economy further destabilize things. The new and old Leones continue to weaken rapidly.

Price on fuel substances shot up dramatically which automatically increased transport charges and high cost on foodstuffs last year.

And, there are no signs of it abating as a gallon of petrol now stands Le 21.50

Protests by Sierra Leoneans could not turn government’s attention to salvage the dire situation.

Instead more killings happened as civilians, last year, took to the streets to call for a speedy reduction on the cost of a gallon of petrol which jumped at the time to around Le 22.

The Leones is rapidly free-floating against the US Dollar. Currently, USD $ 100 is exchanged at Le 2,200 or 2,200,000.

Now, poor Sierra Leoneans want quick and drastic changes on prices of basic commodities.

Such as a fall in the price of a bag of rice, Sierra Leoneans’ staple food, which is now sold Le 615,000 ( full bag of pushawa); a fall on a bag of flour which has skyrocketed to about Le 1,300,000,  causing loaves of bread to peak up, more than ever, as loaves are sold between Le 3 to 10.

“I don’t have to vote this time; I don’t believe in any of the candidates. So I won’t go there to waste my vote” says a passenger in a vehicle heading to the capital.

Most Sierra Leoneans’ views are that they don’t just need development in education and expansion on roads but a freeze on foodstuff commodities.

Some say they are spending a lot on educating their kids in spite of the free education that government is running.  It seems the market is troubling them a lot than paying fees for their kids.

“If you go to the market these days, you will take there hours without knowing exactly where to start from. Prices on goods are increasing in a way that we don’t know as to what is causing things to increase almost every week” a common sentiment shared by consumers who go to the markets to buy goods.

As Sierra Leoneans go to the polls this year, things are not clear whether the two red-hot favorites candidates, Samura or Bio will have a quick fix on Sierra Leone’s persistent inflation on basic goods and foodstuffs if any of the frontrunner wins June 24 elections.