Sierra Leone’s incumbent president Julius Maada Bio is now under close scrutiny on his enduring legacies.

One of his legacies on peace and national cohesion was the setting up of Independent Commission for Peace and National Commission (ICPNC) in Sierra Leone, and Sierra Leone regaining a non-permanent member seat at the United Nations Security Council in June this year.

Sierra Leone is to occupy the seat for two years starting from 2024 to 2025.

It has been a member of UN Security Council in 1971.

“As a non-permanent member Sierra Leone will have the ability to shape resolutions, engage in decision-making processes, and advocate for the interests of African nations and developing countries” the government had stated.

To gain more respect, trust and love in Africa and the world over, Sierra Leone needs to put its house first in order-addressing opposition concerns and citizens’ plights.

And president Bio and his government must desist from making statements that have the potential to undermine the peace, security and national cohesion on whose foundations and rocks Sierra Leone has stood on.

The five non-permanent nations elected to UN Security Council and presidents of these countries: Sierra Leone, Algeria, Republic of Korea, Guyana, and Slovenia are now symbols of global peace and security.

But most Sierra Leoneans are silent over the success of president Bio and the achievement of Sierra Leone as a UN Security Council member.

Most people in Sierra Leone believe that the president’s government has long failed to ensure that there was security and peace at home.

The SLPP government is still unable to stabilize situation on the ground. There have been several violence demonstrations and across the country.

And 2020 April 29 prison riot in Sierra Leone and other riots at by-elections are still sad and fresh memories on Sierra Leoneans.

When president Bio assumed power in 2018, he was accused of sidelining the opposition.

He was also believed to have kept moot on some burning issues affecting Sierra Leoneans, such as inflation on basic foodstuff and commodities. SLPP government was slow to respond to inflation crisis and most rowdy violent activities happening in opposition strongholds.

Though the politician had acted late in his home country to have set up a peace commission and had failed to protect the lives of many Sierra Leoneans, Mr Bio has been given a huge task at international level to keep peace and security in the world.

The task is credited to his country, Sierra Leone, to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. National cohesion, peace and global security are architects of President Julius Maada Bio.

These architects must be protected by the incumbent president Julius Maada Bio until his time expires as president and a member of the UN Security Council.

He must not be seen backpedaling on his enduring legacies.

“Sierra Leone’s election to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member is centered on the principles of partnership, multilateralism, and a representative approach to ensuring lasting global peace and security,” president Bio said two weeks ago through a public state broadcaster.

The President of Sierra Leone, Mr. Bio, is running a second term in office but amid growing frustrations among Sierra Leoneans.

Most people in Sierra Leone are frustrated because of the deaths of their loved ones. Since president Bio of the ruling government and opposition aspirants have recently signed a Peace pledge ahead of June 24 general elections this year, he needs to live up to the expectations of the international elections’ observers and citizens of Sierra Leone in ensuring a peaceful, free, fair and credible elections outcome.

President Bio’s government now has a key role to protecting the lives of every Sierra Leoneans.

Before the president thought of setting up a peace commission in Sierra Leone, his administration was said to have made grievous mistakes, according to the views of many people in Sierra Leone.

There had been killings of inmates and civilians across the country by government security operatives. It was at this time when the government would have prevented security officers from taking up arms against civilians. In most of civilian protest killings in the country, the opposition party condemned president Bio’s administration for not acting seriously to protecting the lives of civilians on rampage.

To quell down violence actions that happened in the year 2020 and 2022, many say, and arrests would have been made by police officers other than shootings taking place that led to many killings of people.

The head of state, equally, was expected to have condemned the acts of police killings of protesters but shifted the blame on the main opposition referring to them as terrorists.

But since Sierra Leone has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the country needs to adopt a different outlook.

And that is what the president seemed to have started doing. Mr. Julius Maada Bio has changed his tone of message to Sierra Leoneans.

On the ongoing sit-down protests, the president encouraged Sierra Leoneans to go about their normal business. That is what is needed by president Bio to fight hard to ensure that peace and stability reigns over terror in his home country.

And he needed to adopt a new strategy on the failed information ministry if he won the upcoming elections.

The information ministry must in the future engage early the traditional media in discriminating information to the public.

The traditional media (radio, TVs, newspapers, local media, and megaphones) must be effectively used by the government to educate people on the consequences of violence to a nation.

To handle fake news and overcome panic, a seasoned politician and media expert, Dr Julius Spenser, had said: “The traditional media needs to be more engaged; let the traditional media itself play a part to put out the correct information to the public” he advised government.

Being aware of the huge tasks ahead of him, the retired soldier, President Maada Bio said while addressing Sierra Leoneans.

“Sierra Leone’s membership in the Security Council presents a unique opportunity for the nation to contribute to international peace and security discussions, counterterrorism efforts, global challenges and humanitarian crisis,” he said.

There are wars in African continent in West Sudan, Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and some African countries don’t have stable democracies like Guinea, Sierra Leone’s neighbour.

The five-non permanent members would face climate change crises in North America, Asia, Africa such as Mozambique and Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Sierra Leone, however; gets the seat at troubling times when the nation gets its general elections and with president Bio seeing more resistances from the main opposition. And the country seats on the UN seat in the middle of civilian protests over growing concerns over signs of elections’ rigging by the government, something that is fuelled by opposition voices.

The president is heavily being criticized too for his deep intolerance throughout his last five year term.

But now he must be seen as somebody who is willing to embrace peace and works toward ensuring stability to Sierra Leoneans and other Africans.

And he must be ready to accept defeat if only he lost June election to Samura Kamara, his tightest challenger.

And surely he needs to put his house in order first before working to make peace in other countries should he win the elections to start a second term in office.

The incumbent president Bio must be conscious of his statements to be free of any violence and hatred.

This is because you can’t tell a child to stop throwing stones when you yourself keep holding some in your hands.

And the president needs to allow his architects to live on but not to die of with a rage of flame, violence in elections.