By Ragan M. Conteh

The All People’s Congress (APC) Member of Parliament for Koinadugu District, Hon. Adama Conteh has called on President Julius Maada Bio to “confess” that his flagship Free Quality Education programme is struggling to deliver on its promises.

Speaking in Parliament, Hon. Conteh expressed deep concern over what she described as the government’s failure to adequately fund and sustain the initiative.

“Looking at the Free Quality Education in Sierra Leone, there is nothing to write home about. There is no money to support this flagship project. The President should be bold enough to confess that free education remains a challenge and the nation should know,” she said.

The MP pointed out that many schools are still under-resourced, with students sitting on makeshift structures and teachers waiting for subsidies that are often delayed or unpaid. She also criticized the school feeding programme, saying it was poorly implemented and failing to meet children’s nutritional needs.

Moving beyond education, Hon. Conteh highlighted other urgent development issues in her constituency, particularly the state of the Makeni–Kabala road which she described as a “death trap.” She urged the government to prioritize repairing key roads that connect rural communities to markets and essential services.

“Koinadugu is an economically important district,” she said. “We produce cattle, cow milk, vegetables and other farm goods, but poor roads make it difficult for farmers to transport their produce. The government must give this region the attention it deserves.”

While acknowledging some national initiatives such as the Feed Salone programme, Hon. Conteh insisted that genuine progress requires transparency and accountability from the highest level.

“The people deserve honesty,” she emphasized. “The President must tell the truth about what is and isn’t working. Only then can we find real solutions that benefit our children, our farmers, and our communities.”

Her remarks reflect a growing frustration among citizens who believe that government promises especially around education and infrastructure have not been matched with the realities on the ground.