Politicians in Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in their new campaign document have made promises similar to 2018’s People’s Manifesto to Sierra Leoneans.

The second oldest political party, Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP),  in Sierra Leone after the first oldest Creole led-party, NCSL, is promising Sierra Leoneans again with job creation for the youths, construction of more roads and bridges that will boost economic development especially in the provinces.

The new SLPP People’s Manifesto of 2023 is more an expansion of the old SLPP 2018’s manifesto. Both manifestos the same name and as they espouse to prioritize the people of Sierra Leone.

SLPP’s latest manifesto commits itself to providing roads and building bridges in most parts of the country.

SLPP members have detailed their next plans in government on five strategic pillars. But the focus of this article is mainly on a key area, economic development.

Cluster 5 of SLPP’s People’s Manifesto of 2023, for example, captures TECH AND INFRASTRUCTURE as Pathways for Sustained Economic Growth.

Equally so, the old document of the ruling party which contains ninety-five pages earlier guaranteed Sierra Leoneans that it would boost economic development and create easy access for agriculture produce to market places.

But the actualization of that plan is not inclusive and fully implemented by the New Direction government.

This is because important business towns in opposition’s stronghold, north, were not reached as there are many existing bad roads there.

A look into SLPP’s old manifesto promised not only to fix roads in the south but to do more roads everywhere in the country.

“The New Direction will ensure that all towns and villages are connected by well-designed and safe roads to spur economic development and create linkages to the markets,” page 79 of SLPP’s 2018 People’s Manifesto, reads in part.

SLPP’s beautifully worded manifesto, however, could not be translated into reality as many roads across the country still remain damaged and crooked for vehicular movements.

Most parts of the country are still using timbers and palm trees on feeder roads. Despite the government has commissioned bridges in particularly Moyamba district in the south of the country, most districts still have many dilapidated roads that are yet to be rehabilitated.

Kailahun, which is in the east, has plenty death-trap roads which are feared areas for truck drivers.

In most parts of the country, the government only completed few meters of roads left to be finished by the previous government. And few of the roads constructed are funded by European Union, which Sierra Leone’s government gets credit for.

While just few roads get approval to be built by private companies, Koinadugu, Tonkolili, Falaba and Karene districts in the north are singled out by the government under the incumbent president Bio five years administration.

As he seeks a second term in office, most people in these neglected regions may not truly trust president Julius Maada Bio over his new promises.

Several roads have not been rehabilitated in most parts of the country despite the president has restated that roads will be built to create linkages to the markets.

The road from Matotoka through Yale town in the north which stretches to Bo town in the south of the country is an economically  important route that is seriously being neglected by the New Direction government which in 2018 promised to ‘spur economic development’ in rural areas.

If constructed, this economically viable route would create business opportunities for the people in south Bo and north Matotoka, Makali, Masingbi Magburaka and Makeni towns.

Other important towns like Masingbi in Tonkolili district and Simbariya, Yefi, Sunukoro, Delakurr in Falaba and Koinadugu districts are the worst feeder routes in Sierra Leone.

The  Masingbi-Simbariya road still covers with plenty cobbles and prominently known for its steep and rocky hills.

This bad road affects business people between these major towns.

The popular market day trading activities at Maingbi town in Tonkolili district and Modema town in Kenema district are greatly being affected due to the many poor roads that still exist in these areas.

Because of the too much risks that these feeder roads have had over the years on people, lorries and trucks are hard to come by along such long distances in most of these rural areas.

This is making it difficult for business to thrive as drivers fear that their vehicles may seriously damage as they fall off.

If SLPP is really serious to spur economic growth in Sierra Leone, it must construct more feeder roads in every major town in the country. It must not play politics by focusing on their strongholds and leaving out other important districts.