Samuel Kallon 
By Parliamentary Reporter
Hon. Amidu Hola Mansaray of the opposition Allah People’s Congress (APC) party representing the people of Koinadugu district has on Friday, 7th November 2024, while contributing to the presidential debate, on the challenges and progress in President Bio’s government, described the President’s speech as a “sugar-coated vibes.”
Hon. Mansaray asserted that since 2018, he had not seen or experienced the construction of even a single kilometer road by the Bio-led government in the north especially in his district. He noted that, he was not surprised as he believed in the proverb “charity begins at home,” as a factor affecting the government.
He pointed out that the roads leading to President Bio’s hometown are in poor conditions, the road to the former Speaker Hon. Dr. Abass Bundu’s town is in bad state, the road to the Deputy Speaker’s residence is bad state as well, the road to the Honourable House is deplorable, and the road leading to the home of the current Speaker of Parliament is also in disrepair, he remarked. “So, we are not surprised; if you can’t construct your own roads, how can you construct ours? We are not surprised.”
Hon. Eskimo Jr as he is normally called furthered that the people of Koinadugu District are not convinced that the Feed Salone program will succeed.
He clarified that this belief is not rooted in malice, but rather in the experiences of both himself and his constituents.
He noted that the minimum wage in Sierra Leone is insufficient to even buy a bag of gari, a local food produced in the country.
He added that in the Southeast, many households have turned to eating gari as their primary food because they cannot afford to buy a bag of rice.
“It is very challenging,” he lamented. “When the people in the Southeast were singing and dancing, claiming that they were fighting for the SLPP, they forgot that when it comes to food prices, there has been no change.”
He pointed out that the price of rice in Bafodia, Kenema, Bo, Bonthe, and Moyamba is essentially the same.
The Law maker emphasized that he remains unconvinced about the success of the Feed Salone program due to the lack of visible signs of progress.
On the issue of kush (marijuana), he said, the youth are not entirely to blame. He suggested that if the youth were employed, they would have no reason to resort to smoking kush.
