WITHIN THE WALLS OF FICTITIOUS LOYALTY AND REAL LOYALTY: AN OPEN NOTE TO PRESIDENT MAADA BIO OF SIERRA LEONE

 

WITHIN THE WALLS OF FICTITIOUS LOYALTY AND REAL LOYALTY: AN OPEN NOTE TO PRESIDENT MAADA BIO OF SIERRA LEONE

Statement of Reality

 

        

Author: Prince Foday

President Maada Bio, please be cautious about fictitious loyalty and real loyalty. The people close to you should never be trusted, except for the few genuine worldly angels around who supported you and believed in you when you had nothing in the UK ( the springboard of your civilian political journey) and those beyond the UK. 

Trust that those you embraced from the few who were empathetic and never had a clue of their payback for their voluntary support of your political bounce-back are the very people that should be sealed in your heart.

When some of us were teenagers and young, we felt everyone around us was nice, loved us and had a heart of gold. Upon growing up and with challenges, we realised their evil hearts and noticed that they were humans born in their reincarnated lives to destroy and test the human angels of God.

Maada, I know you are a great angel, but being destroyed by people fanning the flames of your exile. Trust that the wrong decision you made was to allow Ernest Bai Koroma to go into exile. I am optimistic that the action was fuelled by fictitious loyalists and people who shall smile when you go into political exile after  the APC bounces back to power. 

The point I am making is out of genuine concern for you and the potential position you shall be in when the political steam subsides. I have a strong ancestry and parental lineage with the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party, and even registered with the party in the UK& I, although left out of the way politics was conducted by the team then. I was never motivated to stay after performing a litmus test of their political delivery. My dad even supported your win from his chiefdom and that tells the stake his siblings have in your win during the 2018 elections. My dad died a few months after the elections. 

Nigeria politicians continue to build the platform of their politicians to stay at home to create jobs, even with their history of stealing public funds. Do you know how many Sierra Leoneans were benefiting from Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma to the extent of removing household incomes from them? It is inevitable that Ernest still has businesses running in country, but the impact of his stay in the country would have generated more jobs and income from taxation beneficial to Sierra Leone's development efforts. 

In my observation, Ex-President Koroma was trying to set the stage for Nigeria's political model, where Ex-Presidents will stay home to provide employment, advisory SEP (social, economic and political) services and stability. Ex-President Koroma never stayed in the city but built a mansion in the village, engaged in agriculture and other employable services to relieve our Sierra Leone from its unemployment challenge. 

If you can remember, Ex-President Koroma never made it tough for you in your renewed political journey after the combat head of state. He encouraged you in your civilian political journey and even financed your party for national projects.

To be honest, Ernest had no clue about the coup. The coup, in my observation, was orchestrated by those who felt their bread and butter were removed from them and with the expectation that Ernest should stay in power for a lasting period, for them to benefit from their selfishness.

 

Understanding the Sagittarius 

Sagittarius cannot mince their words, although subject to unexpected deaths for the benefit of all. Sagittarius is Jesus (lower Jesus) in disguise with the inevitable risk of death out of human greed, misunderstanding and maybe regrets. 

Bio, my home in the UK is open to you during your potential exile, and that will be a time to tell you about my history of human deceit, nightmares, strong hope in God to sail me through from unknown encounters, faith and hope.

Learning from the Experience of Leadership and Life Journeys:  A genuine dispensation, hate, jealousy and natural karma

My first experience of betrayal was in university when I handed my assignment to a colleague to hand over to our lecturer after helping them with problems in quantitative economics. The colleague voluntarily asked me to give to him to present it. Upon asking the lecturer, he told me that he received no assignment. Assignments in my university are a component part of the comprehensive assessments, and I had lost that part of the grading.

 

Secondly and in the same university, I took a diamond to our hostel to show colleagues. After showing the diamond to colleagues, I put the diamond in my luggage. The diamond was worth 3 million Leones in the 90s. At the time, I wanted to sell it and looked in my luggage, it was not there, and I could not find it. 

The third experience of betrayal was from two colleagues in my department at the Gambia Senior Secondary School. One of my colleagues, who is now mentally challenged out of all the wrongs he had done and toes he stepped on (branding his family as witches and falsifying information about friends in the Gambia, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom to drag them into his mental challenge), failed a student on the subject he was teaching. As head of department, I was asked by the Principal to second-mark the paper. The student passed after the second marking. As the action was a professional misconduct, the school management held a disciplinary meeting. The management was about to sack him but I intervened to appeal to the disciplinary team to give him a second chance.

 

The fourth experience in my department was with another colleague I recruited in my department after going through an interview with the board of governors. As a tradition in the school, I was part of the interview panel. He joined my department after the interview, but within the first academic year complains started coming about him not knowing the subject or inefficiency in delivering the subject to the expectations of the students and standards of our school. I protected him by telling the students to be patient with him as he is new in the school. Further complaints went to the Principal and Vice Principal. But because I was protecting him as a new teacher out of my rationality and the fact that he needed to be given time to familiarise himselves with the standards of the school, he survived the first academic year. In the second academic year, I still continued to protect him, even when the students approached me on his subject delivery problem, I still kept on asking for patience in that de-escalating manner. As it is the culture, heads of departments, including the other members of the management team, will meet to evaluate all the teachers. I still continued to protect him. It was after the meeting that the principal and vice principal called me for a personal meeting, informing me that the very teacher I am protecting was coming behind my back  to gossip about me to them. I had no option but to leave the management to decide on his sacking. He finally left our school after the second academic year. 

The Question about My National and Global Contribution to Sierra Leone: Explaining the invisible hand to Sierra Leoneans, God being my reward, not human beings

The intense civil war situation in Sierra Leone made me flee to the Gambia, where, shortly on arrival, I became employed as a teacher. I was employed to teach Business Management and Economics at a grade “A” secondary school, Gambia High School, which later became Gambia Senior Secondary School. 

 

After teaching at Gambia Senior Secondary School for a year, I established the Gambia Senior Secondary Business Club together with my head of department. 

 

The club was meant to provide practical experience to students. The club opened a canteen and stationery shop in the school. The canteen and stationery shop were used as a research platform for students. The club organised a yearly trade fair that was open to businesses to exhibit their products and promote sales.

 

I can remember one of the business participants giving our school one million Dalasis for being impressed by the initiative. The hard work in the school led to my appointment as head of the commercial studies department after my head gained employment at Marina International School. 

 

Although I was teaching at the Gambia High School, my multitasking nature led to the establishment of a registered and incorporated charities, the Voluntary Teachers’ Association (VOTA) and Group for African Peace (GAP). 

 

The voluntary teachers association was formed to respond to the educational integration of refugee students from war-affected countries in West Africa. We intervened to meet their learning needs through the project, School for the Academic Displaced (SAD). We initially started with summer classes. Upon the reopening of schools, we wrote to Principals and Heads of schools appealing to them to absorb the non-exam class students. We maintained the refugee students meant to sit GCSE Exams in our school for the academically displaced. Interestingly, our school had nine division ones out of eleven divisions in the whole country.

 

The formation of the Group for African Peace led us to win a bid for Sierra Leone after the civil war for the African Youth Conference Against Hunger. I was appointed to represent the team from Sierra Leone to speak for them before the elections as to where the next conference should be. I used the sound bite that the conference in Sierra Leone will give hope to the youths. The sound bite appealed to voters made the Sierra Leone youth team win ahead of Senegal, Nigeria, Congo, and so forth. 

                                                                         

Upon returning to Sierra Leone after the civil war, I took up a job as an Accountant at a reputable security firm and later became a Columnist on human rights with the New Citizen Newspaper. The newspaper runs for five days a week and as a columnist, you are meant to come up with articles. My multitasking, teamwork skills, problem-solving skills, time management skills and result-oriented skills made me cope with both jobs. 

 

My approach in Sierra Leone after my return from the Gambia is to educate Sierra Leoneans to be self-reliant. I created my own job without depending on the government. 

 

 

An Appeal for the Return of Ex-President Ernest Bai: I have to beg you on this President Bio for the sake of stability and peace in our thriving democracy

 

Ernest and Bio: The national Brothers

                                                     

President Maada Bio, I am appealing for the return of former President Ernest Bai Koroma. President  Koroma set the stage for incoming presidents to settle in their villages or towns after their political careers. 

I was impressed by the huge mansion that he built in his town, coupled with the employment opportunities he provided for the township and its people. We need to understand that there is no place like home. Allowing him to stay in exile in Nigeria will not be beneficial to Sierra Leone, and that would cause him a psychological torture from being far from his people and country. 

Ex-President Koroma has contributed a lot to Sierra Leone and deserves stability and statesmanship. We need to understand that he is our brother and a family member, and there is no need to dispose of him in a bad bush. 

President Bio, I continue to appeal for his return to reset his vision of the political model in Nigeria. I am making the appeal because you are a Sierra Leone brother and building the right post-political pathway is the ideal to reset the outlier for the line of best fit. 

Sir, you have had the experience of life overseas and grave experiences of being in exile. The pathway I am suggesting is in your best interest for achieving a stable and peaceful political retirement. I will want you to search your soul and work towards the return of Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma. It is best thing to do to forgive him and embrace his innocence. 

I was a heightened critic of Ex-President Koroma, but that was all about providing the invisible hand to shape our beloved country for the better. I could remember writing an article about the arrest of some military personnel and civilians for a coup. I said in an article that Sierra Leone do not want to shed any more innocent bloods to avoid past curses fuelled by Ex-Presidents before Ernest came to power.  I further wrote many other articles to caution his social, economic and political negative actions.

In a post-war era, all those at the core of politics or steering our nation ships need is to work towards a reflective practice of what went wrong, how we can change the narrative of the yester-years, how we can build peace in all corners of Sierra Leone, how we  can ensure a fair spread of our national income and how we can model our political system to cope with international standards, and how we can ensure that the rural sector matches with the urban sectors

Conclusion 

President Bio hope you would learn from the note to reverse the wrong dynamics. You can do it through reflective practices, and why not, Mr President? We are not all perfect, but working above the threshold of perfection is the best pathway to be. 

Fictitious loyalists are damaging your credibility, affecting your psychological torture and mental health. They will praise you and lure you into dangerous and regretful outcomes. Within their hearts are insecurities, uncertainties in their static evil middle chain of fictitious loyalty. They are groomed by your political brand competitors to fake as a loyal party member but their intention is to destabilise your genuine political intentions and further share your political strategy with rivals. 

The fake political bees are among all political engagements and serving their self-interest beyond political ideologies and focus.  Most hailed from poor backgrounds that only understand the language of fictitious political loyalty and are predominantly and statistically self-centred. They present themselves as political loyalists but their poor past has made them aggressive to amass wealth to show off to feed their borderline personality disorder and to impress those that had seeing and benefited from  wealth through political lineages, families and hard-working wealth.

Most failed to understand that the civil war in Sierra Leone was a way of God turning the tables around for the poor to become rich. It is observed that lessons have not been learned, as only an infinitesimal step has been made to address the poverty gap, and close our poverty gap out of greed and forcing admiration out of stolen wealth. 

The country's politicians and rich need to wise up and embark on a positive pathway to mitigate the poverty gap. If lessons still continue not to be learnt, our beloved country will be returned to the dark days of President Siaka Stevens in the early days of the 80s and middle 80s, and President Momoh’s after the middle 80s and start of 90s.

The appeal to you, President Bio, is to organise a mediation between you and the ex-President Koroma based on his return from exile. I suggest that the mediation should include the ex-presidents of ECOWAS and an independent legal luminary to serve as a moderator.  I would like to be part of the mediation team on press coverage, as I have my media pass to interview leaders and famous people who want their voice to be heard at the community, national and global levels as a professional freelance journalist.  I suggest the outcome of mediation to be in the form of a memorandum of understanding should be strictly kept to by both you and Ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma. 

I and many genuine people who yearn for your peaceful post-political settlement in Sierra Leone mean good for you and nothing else. There is no place like home. We want you to settle in Sierra Leone after your political journey to provide the international community and us with political wisdom, to serve as an election observer in Africa’s democratic milestones, to continue creating jobs, and to live in peace in your community, national and global family, and continue be a respected statesman. 

Reconciling with Ex-President Koroma and setting the stage for our Ex-Presidents to stay home will be an inevitable way of building our social, economic and political peace. In addition, the reconciliation will support our citizens’ personal, social and emotional development. 

 

Prince Foday

Sierra Leonean

Managing Editor, the Global Incarnator Online News 

 

 

THE PRESIDENT AND GOVERNANCE THAT SIERRA LEONE DESIRES

Author: Prince Foday

Sierra Leone, a country that is rich in resources and with an estimated population of 5,485,998 (Source: CIA World Fact Book, USA 2012), is yearning for the right President and governance. The nation has a nice landscape and endowed with natural wealth. The nature of the landscape and the beauty of the nation made a Portuguese Sailor, Pedro da Cintra, to coin the name Serra Lyoa in 1462. The name Sierra Leone, which came into existence in 1896, sprang from the word “Serra Lyoa”……meaning Lion Mountain or Mountainous peninsula. No wonder why the off-springs have the attributes of a Lion, though the national leaders and governance that had ruled and subsequent rulers are frustrating the image. The country gained its independence in 1961 from colonial rule. I happen to witness the post-independent era ruled by Siaka P. Stevens, Joseph S Momoh, the military junta led by Valentine E. Strassa and later Julius M. Bio, Tejan Kabba and Ernest B Koroma. I came to understand that, the nation went through the ruling of Sir Milton Margai, Albert Margai and pockets of military rules, but the truth is that, I was not born at that time. My independent assessments of the string of rulers in the process of my lifespan are as follows:

               1. Siaka P. Stevens (All Peoples’ Congress)

The country was reasonably stable after his come-back from the military overthrow.

He had an autocratic style of leadership, political intolerance and the country was infested with human rights abuses.

There was reasonable immigration control, as I saw raids for illegal immigrants.

Inflation (a general increase in prices of goods and services) was controlled until after the hosting of the Organisation of African Unity in 1980.

Unemployment was minimal and there were strides to engage the people, though key jobs were only given to political activists.

There was a high level of variance in income distribution.....indicating a wide gap between rich and poor members of society.

There was a high degree of regional imbalance, as infrastructural developments were only concentrated in urban areas. Governance was highly centralised in the western area of Freetown.

Government spending on research was infinitesimal and there was a sustainable blockade on innovation and invention.

Education was encouraged, though there was much room for improvement. Scholarships were highly offered to undeserving people and by favour.

I experienced an element of sanitary concern, though lethargy on environment issues was alarming. The people were vulnerable to high health risk and environmental protection laws were ineffective.

There was no independent judiciary system. There was a high level of interference in the rule of the law.

The foundation of dominant interest, that every nation is supposed to be built on, was ignored and replaced by an edging self-interest.

He promoted a one-party state and the stage for democratic governance was blurring.

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             2. Joseph S. Momoh (All Peoples’ Congress)  

He was not democratically elected but forced on the people through a cooked and pre-judged referendum by his predecessor, President Siaka Stevens, and therefore, has the autocratic trait borrowed from the scalar chain style of leadership in the military.  His being to power is like stealing the democratic rights of the people of Sierra Leone.

He started very well and couldn’t continue his vision of a better nation after a few months.

He thought of restoring a multi-party system after pressure was mounted, though it couldn’t come to effect due to a military coup.

The nation was unstable during his reign as a result of the rebel war. The civil war exploded due to his negligence in promoting a peaceful nation through the provision of the peoples’ socio-political rights and weak security apparatus.

President Momoh had all the above issues mentioned about the outgoing President Stevens. He inherited a package that was preconceived and trained to follow.

In general, he was a weak and imposed President that had little or no knowledge of governance...... just a worst national leader that was manipulated by his greedy and self-centred key support group or political activists. He was more of an enjoyer President, who doesn't care about the suffering masses but personal gains.

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     3. Valentine E.M. Strassa and Julius M. Bio (Military Junta)

They headed the Military Junta after a launching a coup against the All Peoples’ Congress (APC) led Joseph S. Momoh. The military junta came to power at a time most Sierra Leoneans needed a change. The nation felt the Junta could be a saviour and would have been the right weapon to end the war.

They inherited a war from President Momoh and the intensity of the war increased during their tenure in office.

They had minimal control over their subordinates and the style of governance was autocratic and brutal.

Both of the Junta leaders are opportunists and had no sense of direction and dominated by greed. They became so obsessed by opportunities around them, to the extent that, their suffering past and the plight of those meant to rescue (suffering masses) was ignored. The nation was aggressively looted for personal gains and there was total disrespect for the people.

Their system of governance was fragile and untrustworthy within the national and international arena. This can be justified by a coup that led to the Strassa to Bio transition, and this may have continued if the Military Junta had stayed longer.

There was a total break down in the system and issues concerning the political landscape, economy, social outlook and other factors were chaotic.

          4. Tejan Kabba (Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party)

He ended the war in Sierra Leonean in 2001 after overthrown in power by Military Junta headed by Johnny P. Koroma in 1999 and having pockets of resistance from the West Side Boys.  He had high international experience, though not reflected on his performance.

He had a reasonable amount of democratic style of leadership.

He was surrounded by educated but highly corrupt officials. People that acquired the golden rule, but indirectly illiterate in dispensing knowledge acquired for the benefit of the people.

There was a high level of tribalism, weak national cohesion and political intolerance.

He created a weak magnetic field for party members and generally weak in decision making.

Immigration control was weak and the country was open to a high flow of unchecked foreign immigrants.

The rate of inflation was to some degree controlled, though far-fetched from the West African Monetary Union convergence criteria.

Unemployment was high and employment procedures were not fair.

There was a high level of variance in income distribution. There was a wide disparity between rich and poor members of society.

There was a high degree of regional imbalance, as infrastructural developments were only concentrated in urban areas. Governance was highly centralised in the western area of Freetown.

Government spending on research was infinitesimal and there was a sustainable blockade on innovation and invention. 

Education was encouraged to some extent. He built more schools across the country and ignited the increase in the level of post-graduates locally. Scholarships were highly offered to undeserving members of society.

There were high sanitary problems. The lethargy on environmental issues was alarming. The people were vulnerable to high health risk and environmental protection laws were ineffective.

There was no independent judiciary system. The state experienced a high level of interference in the rule of law.

The foundation of dominant interest, that every nation is supposed to be built on, was ignored and replaced by an edging self-interest.

   5. Ernest B. Koroma (All Peoples’ Congress)

He is homegrown and was face with infighting within the party, through legal battles with people that saw him alien to the struggle of the party.

He was lucky to assume power through voter irregularities on the part of the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party and rumours that he was most trusted by his predecessor, former President Kabba.

He has a reasonable amount of democratic style of leadership coupled with some level of autocracy style, a kind of mixed style of leadership.

He is generally a weak leader that is not firm with pertinent state decisions.

He is creating a strong magnetic field for party members, but couldn’t control the excesses of party stalwarts.

There is a high level of tribalism, weak national cohesion and political intolerance, and human rights abuses.

The country’s stability under his leadership is fragile, due to the continued promotion of national divide, an intolerant political environment and the issue of not fairly making Sierra Leoneans of all strata benefit from their national cake.

The degree of immigration control is weak.

The country is faced with high inflationary pressure. Prices of basic commodities, that form the basis of the peoples’ livelihood, are unreasonably high.

The rate of unemployment is high. Key jobs are only given to political activists and there are unfair employment proceedings.

There is high level of variance in income distribution.....the gap between rich and poor members of society are high.

There is a high degree of regional imbalance, as infrastructural developments are only concentrated in urban areas. Governance is highly centralised in the western area of Freetown.

Government spending on research is infinitesimal and there is a sustainable blockade on innovation and invention. 

Education is very expensive and losing its relevance. Scholarships are highly offered to undeserving people and there is an unfair selection process.

The country is experiencing high sanitary problems and lethargy on environment issues is alarming. The people are vulnerable to high health risk and environmental protection laws were ineffective.

There is no independent judiciary system. There is a high level of interference in the rule of the law.

The foundation of dominant interest, that every nation is supposed to be built on, is ignored and replaced by an edging self-interest.

A critical view of the above points on the Presidents and Heads of State clearly indicates that the nation is yet to have the right leader and governance. The nation is being faced with trier and error in its democratic strides. The Presidential contestants are known to provide beautiful manifestos, upon selection and after a reasonable period of the ruling, it becomes revealed that their actions are not reflective of promises. The nation is forced to undergo a wide range of disparity between promises and actual performance. The past and present leaders of the nation are known for improper transparency and accountability, dominant greed, promoting political intolerance and strategies, not fit-for-purpose, fueling weak economy, promoting social unrest and bitterness, discouraging invention and innovation, and technological progress. The painful issue is those few beneficiaries and party loyalist that continue to defend their leaders, even where there is evidence of defective governance. Most of the loyalists don’t care, as long as their pots are boiling or amassing wealth through dodge means. Worst even, is the process of assessing who to lead their parties. Most of our past national leaders assume power with a minimal asset (both fixed and current assets), and after their tenure in office, come out with a huge amount of assets at home and abroad. Some even connive with investors to syphon funds into their offshore accounts and embark on unfair investment contractual deals. They continue to amass wealth at the expense of the people and don’t care about the suffering masses. It is time for our leaders to search their conscience on the luxurious lives they are living whilst a large proportion of the people are in chronic poverty. We are living in a society where the President and governance need their people and the people, in turn, need their President and Governance. How would our President and governance feel if they are living in a nation with all the wealth without the existence of the people?  The nation will become definitely meaningless. It is on this ground that our leaders should create a society suitable for all to live. The nation’s resources belong to all, so, therefore, it is incumbent on our President and governance to ensure a fair distribution of the national wealth.

The model that one could be urged to develop in order to serve as the basis of evaluating the desired President and governance for Sierra Leone is: D=ƒ (Pˢ, Eᵗ, Sᵒ and O), where Dᴾᵍ = Desired President and governance; ƒ = depends on; Pˢ=Political Scenario; Eᵗ=Economic Trend; Sᵒ =Social Outlook and O= Other Factors

Political Scenario

Development economists had revealed that “an upward push to a nation’s general performance depends on the political factor”. It is the political factor that is responsible for shaping its nation to an enviable end.  The policies designed by the government should be tested, reviewed, updated and capable of achieving national success. The style of governance counts in crafting the road for a happy nation. Democratic style of governance, which involves the people in decision making, is an ideal course of action. Politics should be polite and tolerant. A genuine politician needs to concentrate on promoting the peoples’ happiness, rather creating an unhealthy environment for those serving. Politics should be about providing positive and emulating results. Those in governance need to be seeing a model of honesty and a national passion. The political scenario can be examined through the following questions:

What is happening to national stability?

What is happening to taxation policy?

What is happening to foreign trade legislation?

What is happening to social welfare policies?

Sierra Leone is unfortunate to continue facing a political scenario that is fueling national instability from its action. This situation continues even now. The political gateway is intolerant and volatile. The style of politics is not embracing all strata of society, but creating divisions and discontent. The bulk of the policies are widening the poverty gap and only a small proportion of the populace is enjoying the national cake. The wealth is not fairly distributed and corruption is endemic in society. The political factor is not leading by example, but part of corruption game. If you want to know this, check the assets of the President (both past and present including former heads of state) and those running the affairs of the state, before and after rule. It seems people enter into politics to make fortune at the expense of the people. It is heart rendering for people to enrich themselves by stealing from the state. We expect our politicians to be honest with the people. The taxation, foreign trade and social welfare policies are out of the feasibility region and generally weak. Recently, I read through an investment agreement between a government agency and a Private Investor in the United States of America on the issue of launching a Steel Manufacturing and Semi-Captive Power Plant (see the site http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/46881). The government agency (Trade Ministry) agreed on the investor has 75% shares and 25% to the unknown. Is the 25% for the nation or who? How there can a government allow such huge share to the investor? What provision did the government leave for our domestic entrepreneurs to buy shares? What are the corporate social responsibilities provisions? This might be the case for agreements with other foreign investments in the country. It is a further heart beating to see that a large proportion of the people cannot have the required calories per day, decent and affordable homes to live, the right and prompt wage/salary to meet pressing needs and save for unforeseen contingencies, fair educational opportunities and other awful social needs.

Economic Trend

The economic position of any nation determines the strength of its President and governance. The answers to the key economic problems below can be a basis of evaluating the state machinery:

What is happening to unemployment?

What is happening to Inflation?

What is happening to Poverty?

It is when the above economic problems fall from higher to lower values, and then we can say, the state is in sound shape. The other indicators to be considered in the assessment basket are the trends in a business cycle, gross national product and disposable income. A view of the statistics in the area of unemployment, inflation and poverty on the country will portray that the levels continue to be unreasonably high. Why such high economic indicators? Explicitly justifies that the nation is yet to generate the desired President and governance. Unemployment is in the increase due to inappropriate policies needed to create jobs. The government, both past and present, seem not to put their acts together to encourage and support indigenous people to be self-reliant, through entrepreneurial development schemes. I definitely agree with John F. Kennedy’s assertion that, “ask not what the country has done for you, but what have you done for the country”. People can be motivated to do something for their country when the right enterprising environment is created. The government needs to trigger the peoples’ appetite for partnership or boost the private sector. The problem that is rooted in Sierra Leone is the dominant culture of the self and lost trust among indigenous people. This particular culture had been fuelled by our politicians. Politics has divided the nation, to the extent that, the concept of trust and patriotism had faded away. The bulk of employed Sierra Leoneans, both at home and abroad, are complacent with the income earned from jobs and do not have the entrepreneurial and partnership spirit. It will be a nice step, if our employed people, at home and abroad, could create an income pool by putting resources together to establish partnership enterprises. Such a move is necessary to supplement the government’s national employment efforts. However, the government has the leading role to play in facilitating this and it depends on the ideal investment inertia. I highly buy the Gambia model of high national interest and resounding spirit of entrepreneurship. There are enticing government policies that encourage indigenous people to have loan facilities for business. I saw many cases of elites and non-elites opening businesses and creating employment opportunities for the people. There is a case of a couple of friends (from different jobs) that came together to launch pubs around the country. Those pubs were able to employ their family members and friends, and it was used as social meeting points. The profit gained from the partnership at the end of the financial year was partly shared among them, partly used to meet liabilities and partly reinvested into the business or used to explore growth opportunities. During my time in the Gambia, the government initiated a loan scheme to all teachers to the tune of D30, 000 (thirty thousand Dalasis). The loan was more accessible to indigenous teachers and few foreign teachers got it. The Gambia is known to give high priority to its indigenous people when it comes to employment and other opportunities. Inflation is experienced when there is evidence of higher prices for goods and services.  Such inflationary pressures are due to increases in the cost of production, consumer purchases, and spill-over effect from countries of imports. Poverty becomes prevailing through unemployment problems and the weak standard of living.  When someone is employed, that enables him/her to generate income to meet recurring expenses and save for unexpected situations. The parameters of a standard of living are per capita income (that is the national revenue divided by the population of the country) and household consumption (that is items of necessities and luxuries). The business cycle refers to booms (increasing income from consumption) and slumps (decreasing income from consumption) experienced from an investment. In simple term, when people are employed, they will earn income to buy the products of businesses, and businesses, in turn, will face a boom period. The increase in disposable income (income after tax) of the people can assist in the circular flow between businesses and the people that form the consumers’ base.

Social Outlook

The elements of every society are the government, people and communities, pressure groups (trade unions, environmental agencies, etc.), and others like creditors, suppliers and the international community. It is the responsibility of the President and governance to ensure a harmonic and satisfactory relationship among the stakeholders that form the social fabric of the nation. Sustainable trust and positive performance in society can only be ensured through transparent and accountable governance. The questions that can be raised in determining the social outlook of the nation are:

Is the governance transparent and accountable?

Are the people happy with welfare package?

What is the state of corporate social responsibilities to communities?

What is the state of the people’s attitude to work and leisure?

What is the state’s position on education?

What is happening to income distribution?

What is happening to social mobility?

What is the position of the population trend?

What is happening to social discipline?

What is the position of its cultural heritage?

    A high degree of transparency and accountability can substantiate governance commitment to sound reporting culture to the public. Looking at the country, one could observe wide communication gap across all the regions. The rural sectors of the nation are highly affected in this case. The weak electricity supply, weak communication gadgets (like television, internet and others) and high level of corruption account for the weak performance in the area of state comprehensive reporting to the people. The Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) is hollow and those meant to benefit from the activities of businesses are sidelined and not incorporated in decisions pertaining to the CSR. Besides, the general CSR to the state, employees, communities, pressure groups and the international community needs a total overhaul. It is observed that the issue of greed on the part of our government is making CRS fail the test of times. Corporate bodies are forced to mainly satisfy the private pockets of the President and governance than the expected targets. The attitude of the governance and employees to work and leisure desires an eyebrow. Lots of time is wasted on irrelevant issues and the many holidays are responsible for the slow economic growth. The high level of bureaucracy and preferential treatment continues to widen the social gap coupled with a weak Gross Domestic Product (income from consumption, private and state investments......using the income approach) trend. Income distribution favours the rich whilst the poor continue to stay in abject poverty. The poverty reduction strategy can be termed as a “white elephant” and having a stagnating effect on the lives of the common man. Only a few proportions of the entire populace are benefiting from the bulk of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In terms of social mobility, the urban sectors are densely populated as a result of the weak decentralisation process. The bulk of the powers continue to be in the hands of the President and the governance, and the move to transfer power across the regions remain slow.  The regions are in the hanging on the issue of empowerment and Freetown remains the hub of opportunities. You need to be in Freetown or connected to the ruling party or politics of the day to be employed, you need to be in Freetown to have access to state and private jobs, and in general, you need to be in Freetown to be informed on the affairs of the state. One needs to be in the cities of the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern regions to have a sip of a small proportion of the welfare facilities. The rural sectors of the nation are impoverished, disconnected from the welfare basket and used as a laboratory for fictitious projects that are yet to create a real impact on their lives.  The population trend should be controlled, particular the level of foreign immigrants to the country. Policies have to be in place to protect indigenous goods and services. The government needs to be very tactical in handling the explosive issues of nationalisation and globalisation. The synchronisation of nationalism and globalisation should be done in a way beneficiary to the nation and indigenous people. The situation in Sierra Leone at the moment is that indigenous people are sidelined or treated as trash against foreign nationals, purely because of the self-interest of our governance. The Gambia, as a case in point, is one developing nation I admire the most for the immense protection of their indigenous people. The people may have their individual differences but strongly united towards the national interest. Social discipline in Sierra Leone is weak, mainly because of preferential treatments and flexibility in the legal system. There is no social parity in the queue system, as preference is given to the so-called dignitaries or, “who know you syndrome”. The legal system is not fair and favours those connected to the state machinery. The judiciary system has no independence and interfered with by the caucus of governance. The level of orchestrated crimes by the state machinery is so high that, activists for fairness are vulnerable to jail terms at any time. The cultural heritage of the country has faded away and traded-off. The days when societies like “Ojeh,”  “Poro”, “Bondo”, etc., are given higher premium are gone. The cultural fabric has worn-out and the country has nothing unique to be proud of.

Other Factors

The other issues of concern in the Presidential and governance assessment process are spending on research, inspiration for innovation and invention, environmental protection laws, waste disposal, health and safety law and product safety law. Research is the key to valuable state information and it is relevant to the designing of national policy. The amount allocated to research is enough to determine the state dedication to national growth and development. Sierra Leone, a state where incoming and outgoing Presidents and governance structure are highly engaged in exploiting the nation, is not taking research seriously, and this can be substantiated by the minimal spending and lip services to research. The bulk of the researches are prejudged and samples collected do not reflect the population of the study. Information is cooked to serve the interest of politicians and the selfish-core. The nation has a pool of brains with the flair for creativity, but not encouraged to bring it forward for the interest of the nation. We have traditional healers with untapped knowledge. We hear of people that are involved in creating aircraft, guns, human healing and other ideas in the underworld. The governance is not making the efforts to encourage (both financial and non-financially) them to come out of the dark world and make their invention and innovation beneficial to the nation. Instead, the same politicians are using them to gain power and for their self-interest. In Senegal, the government is highly encouraging traditional healers to be part of the mainstream health care system. The issue of traditional healing is not hidden and hypocritical. Environment protection laws and waste disposal are not fit for purpose. The level of pollution and untidiness of the nation are high. All the regions of the nation are vulnerable to serious health problems. The recent outbreak of Cholera and other health hazards are living testimony to the state of affairs. The sewage system across the board is weak and government policy on health desires a total recoup. There is no firm health and safety law and strong monitoring of products sold by firms. It is observed that national consumers are open to being sold outdated products. The product preservation mechanisms are weak, as a result of the horrible electricity supply and other scientific preservation methods.

Conclusion

Sound policy design should be the limelight of a true national leader and governance. The right policy framework can generate national success. The path to positive strategic decisions is through policy research and evaluation. The fiscal policy (taxation and expenditure lines of action like reducing tax and increasing government subsidy) and monetary policy (lines of action on money supply like quantity easing), foreign trade policy (like a free port that encourages the importation of goods in the country.......Guinea and the Gambia are having free ports meant to promote foreign trade with the intent of making the prices of the imported goods reasonable to domestic consumers) and social welfare policies (like affordable housing, free national health care, electricity, etc.) should be manipulated in a way beneficiary to the nation. Most of the policies in Sierra Leone are facing hiccups, due to intensive government interference and the fact that the people are isolated in policy decision. The nation has to revisit its style of governance to a democratic terrain. The people need to be involved in decision making. The parliamentary representatives for all the constituencies need to have surgeries and suggestion boxes to ear peoples’ concern. National stability can be achieved through a tolerant political environment, transparent and accountable governance, sound policy environment, and the satisfaction of peoples’ social needs. Most of our politicians are more concentrated on boosting their egos and accumulating wealth than doing the actual jobs meant to do.....having the national flag on their automobile and showing off to the people, and looking for outlets to steal.....”it is better to be simple than to live your life in vanity or worldly acquisitions at the expense and detriment of the people”. We need our politicians to be down-to-earth and ensure that the welfare satisfaction objective of the nation is met.  I will suggest that all those recruited into public offices declare their assets before commencing responsibilities and further provide quarterly reports on their assets. The government should ensure that a dodgy report becomes a criminal offence. Furthermore, all public officers should declare whatever assistance (whether financial or non-financial) when on official trips within and overseas. The people had lost trust in the governance of the country and this lost trust can only be restored through such transparent action. What belongs to the public is not personal and it is time to be accountable to the people.

The economic trend can shoot up through job creation, inflationary control and fair measures needed to save the lives of the people from poverty. Jobs can be created through the right policies meant to encourage entrepreneurs (whether foreign or domestic) to increase their labour force. Indigenous people should be inspired to create businesses and the spirit of partnership among them has to be triggered through appeasing investment environment. Apart from building up the pure science base in the educational sector, there is the immense need for commercial students in senior schools to set up Business Clubs with the intent of germinating the entrepreneurial flair in them. We need to prepare ready jobs for our children (every child is your child.....United Nations convention on the rights of the child) and this can be done through a business club in senior schools, and thereafter, organising them to take up business and simultaneously encourage them to continue tertiary education. I use to admire my first cousin, Mohamed Dauda (Accounting Graduate), who was in school (senior up to university) and at the same time being a carpenter. We need to make our children have a multi-faceted approach to services, thereby increasing the revenue base of the country.

The social outlook can reach a satisfactory level through the following:

The infrastructural facilities (electricity, water and sanitation, housing, healthcare, education, transportation, communication and many more) are spread in all the four provinces. The country needs a reasonable and affordable supply of electricity (If Mali and Senegal could have 24 hours electricity, why is Sierra Leone still in continuous darkness?), better water and sanitation, free health care for all, a highly educated nation, alternative and efficient transportation facilities including the re-institution of trains accessible to all regions, communication facilities to all and sound reporting culture on state affairs and all those social capital relevant to give a facial uplift to the nation.

The society (stakeholders) benefits and become accountable to, from the activities of domestic businesses.

There is a positive and balanced attitudinal change from the governance and the people towards a favourable and positive national outlook.

Education becomes a priority, fair to all and finance does not become a barrier to it (firms are attracted to invest after a feasibility study on the level of education and skill labour of the nation). This area had really produced mostly selfish and unfair people in the past and this continues even now. One could not imagine the University of Sierra Leone creating the environment for students to do Masters for four years and sometimes even making it impossible. Most of the certificates, and even now, are not awarded by merit but by the syndrome of “lay beleism”. Students that don’t dance to the tunes of teachers and lecturers are awarded horrible grades. The state of affairs in this area had made the nation to fall short of its national income. Students that are meant and having the courage to study further in order to compete for international jobs were and continued to be deprived to make use of such opportunities, thereby stifling the net income from overseas. This sector requires special attention and those from all backgrounds should be encouraged to learn the “Golden Rules” needed to shape the economy.

There is an equitable distribution of income ( a progressive tax system where the rich is highly taxed than the poor and provisions made to uplift the poor from their awful position can be helpful in the fair income distribution);

The right strategies are in place to reduce the density of the population in all the provinces. I will recommend Freetown to be the Hong Kong of Sierra Leone and government offices located to Mile 91 or in another strategic area out of Freetown. I further suggest a decentralised system and government relinquish most of its powers to local councils. The government should ensure towns and villages are empowered for people to find them habitable.

The nation is part of economic integration (like Economic Community of West Africa States, African Union, etc) and there is the issue of globalisation. It is a good idea to be part of the groups, as no one nation can live in isolation. However, the nation has to put its indigenous people first and ensure that there are protective measures to cover them. Your household should be happy before extending gestures beyond. The country has to ensure that foreign immigrants are of benefit to the nation and should facilitate a proper screening process to sieve criminals from non-criminals.

Social discipline should be imperative. Every individual regardless of your background should be treated equally, as we are all equal before the Supreme Being. Queues should be based on first come first serve and there should be an independent judiciary system. Anyone (whether politician or otherwise) found wanting of social disorder and breaching the law should be prosecuted. The government needs to avoid criminalisation of the innocent and activists for fairness. The country had gone through unjust killings in the past and even now, and it is time to stop propagating such national curse from innocent blood shedding.

There is a need to restore our culture back to where it was in the past. We have a unique culture that needs to be maintained and proud of. Shedding that is like forgoing your national identity. The culture was a strong force that held us together and a path to cementing the cracks among us. We need to strengthen our” Poro”, “Ojeh”, “Bondo” and those entire cultural brand that shows our Lion traits.

The nation is advised to take research with a high level of seriousness. All state departments should be given the required funding and support to undertake surveys. The surveys should be reflective of the views of the population of study. Conducting a survey without having the desired result will be just a waste of resources. Department will not have value for money and this will have a negative impact on the nation. The findings from the research should be implemented for the benefit of the country. Innovation and invention need to be encouraged in order to tap the unique intellectual ability of the people. Those traditional healers (mostly called witchcraft......name not ideal for them, as it is a discouraging factor) should be inspired to come out of the dark world and display their talents. There is a need to incorporate them into the mainstream health care system. Living them to operate in the dark world will make them dangerous to society, as this will encourage evil people in society to use them against innocent people. I never realised that the underworld exists, until someone in my region in the Gambia got shot with a witch-gun. As Chairman of Sierra Leone Nations’ Union (SLENU) in Bundung region, I coordinated the taking of a member of our community to a conventional medical hospital, but it was not of help until someone suggested that we should take him to an old woman in one of the villages. We took the sick man to the old Majango woman in Sanyang (I pray that her helpful soul rests in peace. Amen!), who was able to solve the national brethren’s touching sickness. The old woman took the bullets out from the sick (something she knows in their own world) and later asked whether she should send it back to the one that used the witch-gun on him. I told her no, as two wrongs cannot make a right. The man became healed and the old woman fortified him further against subsequent attacks. The other case studies are from the experience of my Dad and younger sister. Someone(name withheld for chiefdom organisation and culture)  took the name of my Dad to a  “Marabou” (spiritualist) for him to be killed but the person couldn't succeed, as the Marabou exposed the culprit. My Dad is a hard core (Ex-Military man and unbreakable) and very strong in the Islamic faith (Alhagi from Mecca and guided by the scriptures, but not a fanatic).  My younger sister, Zainab (a beautiful and nicely caved by God), died recently and sources informed me that someone (a rival) used the witchcraft on her. She was meant to travel to Australia to reunite with her husband. It is this underworld that evil people are using to eliminate people from job competition, political competition, mateism and all sort of worldly conflicts. It is time for our governance to embrace traditional healers and this can transform them from such dangerous acts. Most of the killings, through the so-called witchcraft, is costing the nation huge loss of income, due to brain drain and making loved ones to fade away dishearteningly. They are out there and unless we contain and recognise their importance for the benefit of the nation, they will continue to become dangerous to our society. The environment and waste disposal should be given the needed priority. A healthy nation can promote a sustainable national success story. When people are healthy, they can have the energy to provide services for money and the income raised a contributing factor to the national income. There is the need to institute strong health and safety laws to protect people from possible damage. Products sold by firms should undergo on-going checks by the relevant department, so as to stifle those enterprises with the habit of trading out-dated and misrepresented products. Any firm indulging in such dodgy trade practice should face the law.

It is time for the governance to love its people and ignite their passion for the nation. The reciprocal love from the people can be spontaneous when there are tangible benefits from their wealthy nation. Sierra Leone is so wealthy that, a large proportion of the people should not be allowed to continue facing an on-going hardship within and overseas. The recurring situation is that the country continues to be a nightmare that is scaring away the bulk of the people. This nightmare can only be removed, if and only if, the political scenario, economic trend, social outlook and other factors mentioned becomes evidentially satisfactory. I have to end this road with an extract from musical icons, the Bee Gees,” we going nowhere, somebody helps me”. Furthermore, I have to leave my lovely readers with a song of the 80s, though orchestrated for our country. One of the lyrics says, “I am dreaming of a new Sierra Leone, a land of peace and love”....the name of Artist forgotten and will be grateful if anyone could tell me.   

PRINCE FODAY

INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL EQUITY WATCH (IGEW)

A free institute of independent research and learning

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Author: Prince Foday

 

 

STAGES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT FROM BIRTH TO NINETEEN YEARS

Birth to 3 Month

Physical Development

The movements of the child are smooth with arms and legs. Child can push heads up when on their tummy and hold head up.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The head of the child is responsive to sound. The child can make babbling sound and coos.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child makes efforts to look at parents. He or she can calm down by sucking fingers.

Intellectual Development

 The child begins to cry if activities are boring and monotonous. He or she recognises things from a distance and follow trends through eye movement. The child becomes cognisance of faces.

 

 3-6 MONTHS

 Physical Development

The child can push up to elbows when on stomach, can lift hand to mouth, capable of holding and shaking toys and move to swinging toys. He or she can roll from tummy to back, push down on legs when feet are on hard surface and can hold head without support. The child can sit without support, support weight on legs when standing and capable of bouncing.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

Child cries to express the feeling pain and hunger, chat by showing expression and imitate sounds he or she hears and can start to say some consonants like “b” and so on. The child produce sounds to convey pleasure and displeasure, become responsive to own name, follows parents in making sounds, and produce chains of vowels like “oh”, “eh” and so forth.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can replicate facial expression and some other movements, will like playing with people and might cry when the play ends, can impulsively smile at people, and can be responsive to familiar faces and might show if someone is a stranger. He or she would like to view him or herself in a mirror, can be responsive to other people’s emotions and will develop the passion to play with others.

 Intellectual Development

The child can recognise distance objects and builds familiarity with people, can watch faces closely, being observant of moving objects, can simultaneously use both eyes and reach out for objects, and be responsive to affection. He or she can show signs of pleasure and sadness and pass things from left to right hand, develops curiosity, and seek for things. The child can further view objects nearby, go for them and bring objects to the mouth.

 

 6-12 MONTHS

 Physical Development

The child is capable of creeping, stand or sits without support, can be in a sitting position. He or she can hold on to an object, capable of standing independently and take some steps without holding on an object.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can utilise fingers to point at objects, imitate the sounds and gesture of others, can make different sounds like “mama”, “baba” and so on. He or she can be assertive by saying “no” or wave hands and can be responsive to requests.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can make decide on their best toys, can be attached to familiar adults, shy of strangers, play games, use their arms or legs to a support their dressing, and repeat sounds to seek attention. He or she can make effort to hand over a book to hear a story, express fear in certain situations, build the situation of favourite objects and people, and would want assurance from their parents and scared of strangers.

Intellectual Development

The child takes things by using the index and thumb fingers, capable of moving objects from one hand to the other, place objects in his or her mouth, play around and search for hiding objects and can watch things as they fall. He or she can follow easy direction, poke with index finger, put objects in and out of container, pound objects together and rightly start to use objects.

 

 1-2 YEARS

Physical Development

The child can use spoon to eat and drink from a cup, capable of undressing. He or she can drag object while walking and can run up and down steps without supervision.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can point what is needed by someone, capable of expressing “no” by shaking head, say various single words and follow easy instructions. He or she can say sentences with two or four words, express the name of familiar things and points to objects or pictures when they are named.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can explore with parental supervision, point at interesting things to others, and cling on caregivers in unfamiliar situations, imitate by feeding a doll, show affection to familiar people and frightened of strangers. He or she can show outburst of displeasure, hand over things to others in play time, can be stimulated when with other children and show disobedient behaviour.

Intellectual Development

The child can follow verbal instructions, sit down when told to sit down, write on his or her own, point to body parts, show concern for doll by pretending to feed and seek attention by pointing. He or she can have knowledge about ordinary things like spoon, brush, etc., can identify the name of pictures, build towers with toy blocks, and do simple puzzles, read, and complete sentences, identify shapes and colours, and find hidden objects,

 

 3-5 YEARS

Physical Development

The child can independently walk up and down stairs, ride a tricycle, and easily run and climb wells. He or she can catch a bouncing ball sometimes, stand on one foot and hop for few seconds.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can take part in conversion by using two to three sentences, communicate clearly for strangers to understand most of the time, and communicate words like “me” and plurals like “cat”. He or she can name a friend and say first name, have knowledge about words like “under”, “in”, etc., name things that familiar, and follow commands with 2 or 3 steps.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can dress and undress him or herself, be offended with changes in routine, and can easily disconnect from mum and dad. He or she can show affection for friends, take turns in games, and imitate adults and friends.

Intellectual Development

The child can turn door handle and build towers with more than six toy blocks, turn the pages of books one at a time. He or she can copy a drawing with a pencil and can count some figures and can do three- or four-pieces puzzle.

 5-7 YEARS

Physical Development

The child can climb and swings, capable of using toilet on his or her own, and use cutleries unsupervised. He or she can skip and somersault and stand on feet for 10 seconds or longer.

 Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can express names and address, use tenses, have interesting thoughts and opinions to share, capable participating in conversations and can ask questions to gain information, and make friends and engage with people outside their immediate family. He or she can learn to separate themselves from others and have separation anxiety, being self-assertive, try to figure out their place in the world, and learning about empathy and making efforts to understand the feelings of others.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can be very demanding and sometimes cooperative, displays more level of independence, decipher between real and mmake-believe. He or she can be aware of gender, sing, dance, and act, more likely to accept rules and would want to please friends and want to imitate friends.

Intellectual Development

The child can be aware of everyday things, say food and money. He or she can solve mathematical problems, write numbers and letters, and draw images and count numbers.

 

7-12 YEARS

Physical Development

The child is independent for physical activities. He or she will be able to jump, skip, walk on her toes, use scissors, gain general athletics skills, and improve coordination skills.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can show the differences between left and right. He or she improves vocabulary (say 50,000 words by the age of 12), tenses, contest incomplete sentences, and resorts to social speeches than being egocentric.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child can build more in-depth understanding of how social interaction works, starts to enjoy teamwork, and understand what it means to contribute to task. He or she can show competence, sexual feeling is not obvious, and become self-assertive and self-regulatory.

 Intellectual Development

The child can solve problems without adult input, decipher between right and wrong and become more logical.

 

 12-16 YEARS

Physical Development

The child develops primary and secondary social attributes. Ten years plus becomes the start of sexual maturity. There is evidence of Adolescent growth spurts (girls before boys).

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

Child communication becomes the focus of relationships. He or she takes up personal speech pattern.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child builds cross-gender relationships, or otherwise. Compliance to rules and regulations become significant. The issue of identity becomes significant. Organised sporting activities lessens for many.

 Intellectual Development

The child will have the ability to understand past, present, and future. He or she can deal with opinion or fact, develop problem-solving skills, and understand abstracts.

 

 16-19 YEARS

 Physical Development

The child has necessarily completed physical maturity and the likelihood of acting on sexual desires enhances.

Language, Communication and Literacy Development

The child can communicate like an adult, manage their job or homework without supervision, and capable of driving a car safely. In education setting, they can interpret concrete and abstract thoughts, fully understand grammatical rules, punctuations, and can read and write sentences with complex structures. They can calm down by playing video games, read and browse through social media.

Social, Emotional and Behaviour Development

The child has confusing feelings about independence and dependence, might appear angry, moody, lonely, stubborn, confused, lonely, impulsive, and self-centred, and may be concern about failure. He or she might strongly involve in romantic relationship, usually have many friends and few confidants, can talk about marriage, and may fluctuate in maturity. The child may sometimes feel that parents are too nosy. Relationship with parents will span from friendly to hostile.

Intellectual Development

The child can seriously be interested about the future and begin to combine knowledge that may lead to decisions about the future. He or she might be short of information or self-assurance concerning personal skills and ability.

THE IMPACT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE 

Poverty and deprivation

Poverty and deprivation have a direct relationship with the development of the children and young people. Children and young people from financially challenged or low-income family can have an  effect on their educational performance and development. Child Poverty Action Group (2021) proposed that the entire areas of children’s life are unpleasantly influenced by poverty, school, and friendships, and so forth. The organisation further expressed that children living in poverty are usually known to face humiliation and have the feeling of exclusion. It is a truism that children and young people from low-income background are deprived largely of physiological needs ( basic needs) and other needs appropriate for their wellbeing and sound frame of mind. Children from poor family settings are deprived from enjoying their childhood and meant to experience suppressed aspirations. Children from overcrowded households due to poverty are prone to high health risk and many domestic challenges that can have an impact on their emotional, physical wellbeing and educational achievements, and development in general.

Family environment and background

Children and young people are meant to be faced with a situation that is not only defined by relationship with family members but society, friends, and strangers. Although family background (financial status, educational level, social skills) plays a significant role, the presence of other stakeholders can influence the development of the child and young people. Children from family background with strong financial status, high educational level and appreciable social skills can develop faster. The parents’ strong social skills through the acceptance of the fact that society has a stake in the development of the child can build the right growth environment for the child. Children deserve social protection and parents of the child should understand that society has a role towards the development of the child and the young. Children and young people rely on their family and society. The right family and society support can have a positive impact on their general wellbeing and development (ahpoohnjuvian, 2014). Children and young people rely on their family and society. Children deserve social protection and parents of the child and young people should understand that society has a role towards their development.

Personal choices

Freedom of choice is great within the context of human rights. However, children and young people need guidance in their personal choices. Making the wrong choice or decision can be costly and have a spread effect on development. Children and young people’s personal choices such as food, groups, friendship, academic environment, and extra-curricular activities will impact their development as they grow (Graduate Way, 2021). The wrong choice of food that is unhealthy can have a negative impact on the health of the child. Being in the wrong social group or peer group or around inappropriate friends and family members will affect performance and that can enable them to imbibe a culture that will affect their social image. An academic environment or extracurricular activity that does not decipher between weak and strong students can impact on the performance of outstanding students. Providing the enabling academic or extracurricular environment for students with outstanding performance can influence the performance of children and young people. Children and young people need to be guided or supported in their personal choices and environment that suits them the best.

 

Look after/Care Status

Children and young people that are looked after by people outside their family setting can affect their development and mindset. Children and young people that are impacted by physical and emotional abuse will lack trust in the care of others outside their past parenting experience. Protective lineage builds a strong pillar for understanding oneself and others, enhances healthy self-reliance and positive interactions with others, support one’s resilience, and serves as a psychological model that directs both present and future experiences, enlightening one’s expectations, beliefs, emotions and having the ability to build successive healthy relationships throughout one’s life span (Kvarnstrom, 2018).  Growing up in an abusive family and the trauma that accompanies it can dent the trust of a child and young people, even where someone outside their family is given the care responsibility. The healing process takes time, and it takes time for the child and young person to adapt to a new care scenario. Children and young people from a caring family or that are well looked after will have a positive impact on their development. They will have a sound frame of mind to concentrate on their education, can unleash their potentials and perform better.

 

Education

Education has a significant impact on children and young people. It does not only assist them in shaping their personality but helpful when dealing with real life situation. There is a shift in mentality that education does not only provide knowledge and earning money but can assist in personal development. After our physiological needs, education is a necessity of life (EducationWorld, 2021). Education is an important necessity of life after food shelter and clothing. It helps children and young people to develop healthy thought and improve their cognitive ability. Education should focus on satisfying the mental aspect, social aspect and physical aspect of children and young people. Education can broaden the horizon of children and young people in different areas like people, literacy, politics, history and many more. It provides the outlet for them to socialise, meet different challenges and acquire new ideas. The school environment provides the avenue for them to use their energy to the best of their capability and enable them to unleash hidden physical talents through extracurricular activities.  

 

THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL FACTORS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE 

Health status

Biological factors such as gender, hormones, brain chemistry and genetic composition can influence the development of the child and young people. Experiencing serious adversity at the early part of life can build up physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges (Harvard University Centre on the Developing Child, 2021). A high level of stress can affect the educational performance of the child and young people. Adult’s positive and responsive relationship with children and young people can have a dual beneficial effect of developing a healthy brain and combating stress. Additionally, prevailing health conditions can affect the development of the children and young people. The development of a baby can be influenced by maternal consumption habit. A mother that takes drugs, smokes and drinks alcohol during pregnancy is likely  to have an infection (say, rubella) that can affect the development of the child. The toxic consumption habit of the mother during pregnancy can stifle the physical and mental capacity of the child and young people.

Disability

Neurodevelopment refers to a  various group of situations that start in the early years of child’s lives and that will have an adverse effect on their lives and development. People develop in their own way and that should be considered when dealing with children and young people. Children with development impediment desire immediate help and early diagnose and intervention can have an important influence on a child’s ability to learn new skills and minimise the cost of intervention as time unfolds (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). The early diagnose and intervention of a child’s neurological problem can have a positive impact on the development of the child. It would help in reducing cost as well as provide the desired support to their welfare and development. Cerebral palsy and spinal bifida are different forms of disability. Cerebral Palsy is a neurological problem that affects the brain and general nervous system. Spinal Bifida is a health condition that exists from birth and can affect the child’s cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and social development.

Sensory impairment

This is evident when one of the senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, spatial awareness, and sight) is not functioning. A momentous hearing loss can have a huge influence on the child’s development, specifically on their social interaction skills and communication. A hearing impairment is a situation where speech is unclear and words not rightly articulated, and such sensory impairment can affect the development of the child.  Children with hearing loss are meant to use sign language or a combination of speech and sign language, and unless necessary action is taken to make them feel confident and inclusive in social situations, they are likely to be withdrawn and on the edge of other children (teach Early Years, 2021). Children with sensory impairment are part of our society and should be provided the platform to feel confident and not be on the edge with other children. Allowing them to feel withdrawn can have a negative impact on their development and deprive them from unleashing latent potential.

 

Learning difficulties

Children and young people with learning difficulty will find it challenging to achieve academic development. Children with disability such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia and dyslexia will have problem with their cognitive development. It is appropriate to identify and recognise such learning difficulties and provide the needed support. Those with learning difficulties demonstrate an uneven pattern of development in terms of perception, academic progress, physical development, and language (Child Development Institute, 2019). Such a skew pattern of development requires educational support from a special educational needs (SEN) coordinator. Children and young people with special needs will feel different when they are stigmatised. Their emotional, social and wellbeing will be influenced by a show of stigmatisation by people around them. Learning difficulties are because of emotional problems and mental impediments. There are disparities in the development of the child, as children within the same age group develop at different rates-some develop at a slower pace than others. It is important to be cognisance of such variations in the development of the child and ensure that the desired support is provided to those with special needs. There should be an inclusive and fair child development approach.

 

THE EFFECT AND INFLUENCE OF THEORIES ON CURRENT PRACTICES 

Cognitive

Cognitive development is about how the mind thinks and learns throughout the early years of a child’s life. It is a major area that can influence current practices. Cognitive development can assist

parents/carers/educationists to delineate between a child and young people’s behaviour that demand reward or punishment. Children and young people should be able to understand such distinction as that can be helpful in mitigating bad behaviour. Jean Piaget, a psychologist, expressed that children are meant to go through different stages of cognitive development, and all are dissimilar from each other and affected by nurture and nature (Universal Class, 2021). The point raised by Jean Piaget should be embraced by all concern with the duty of care for children and young people. Children and young people should be nurtured to embrace acceptable behaviour and rewarded for that but that should not be looked at as a form of bribery. Current practices should be able to influence children to understand acceptable behaviour and influence their sense of reasoning.

Humanist

Humility helps in caring for children and young people and the current practices should be cognisance of that. Children and young people desire to be rewarded or inspired for doing their best. Maslow’s humanist approach stressed on the insatiability of human needs and drew the link between personality and motivation. Bartlett et.al (2006) advanced that the five hierarchy of needs suggested by Abraham Maslow are physiological needs (food, shelter and clothing), safety needs (the need to be freed from physical damage), social needs (the need to belong and approved by others), ego-status needs (the need for self-confidence, prestige and power) and self-actualisation needs (the need for self-fulfilment or unleash one’s skills and talents). In my opinion and from evidence, current practices are streamlined towards such hierarchy of needs. Children and young people can provide their best where such hierarchy of needs are satisfactorily met. Humility matters in the dispensation of services and Maslow’s humanist approach provides a significant template for service providers, and for parents/carers to deliver a humanist approach to the development of the child and young people.

Operant Conditioning

School should be the platform for teaching good behaviour and imbibing the culture of politeness to children and young people. Discipline matters in school, and it is a way of teaching good behaviour. Operant conditioning is a theory developed by Skinner as method of learning using rewards and punishments, and that the conditioning is embraced by the principle that reward and punishment have a link that leads to learning (Sincero, 2021).  The theory stressed that operant conditioning is a type of learning that clings on the likelihood that a response will be achieved as a result reinforcement. Operant condition is an approach to learning where the outcome of responses determines the likelihood of it being repeated.  Reinforcement or stimuli can be positive (its application can increase the probability of a specific behaviour...reward through food, grades, praise, medals, etc.), and negative (its removal increasing the probability of a specific behaviour...exempting students from a homework when the undergo a particular punishment).  The three types of responses that can influence behaviour are neutral operant (responses from a specific punishment that neither decreases nor increases the chances of behaviour being repeated), Reinforcers (reactions from a particular punishment that increases the probability of behaviour being repeated) and punishers (reactions from a specific scenario that minimises the probability of a behaviour being repeated). Punitive measures on children and young people that lead to behaviour not being repeated are ideal for the learning environment and their development.

 

Social Learning

Social learning is a form of learning that was developed through social network. The theory was developed in the 1950’s by a psychologist Albert Bandura and his doctorate student, Richard Walters, and the concept of social learning is that humans improve their learning process through mutual learning (Zoe, 2021). Zoe further stated that Bandura and Walters discovered that by sharing ideas and perspectives and monitoring the process, people can learn effectively and better retain information.  As the adage goes, “two heads are better than one”. The theory has influenced current learning as institutions have developed teamwork or encourage groups to share ideas together. The theory of social learning had improved its significance through the emergence of social media (Facebook, twitter, WhatsApp, zoom, etc.) and online learning. Learning is a continuous process. The use of social media has influenced ongoing learning from a distance. Online learning has made people to acquire knowledge from a distance and enhanced employability. Zoom has made it possible for presentations or meetings to be done from a distance and reduced the cost on institutions. 

THE TYPES OF CHANGES OR DIFFICULTIES THAT MAY AFFECT A CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT OR WELLBEING, AND WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO REFER TO COLLEAGUES FOR SPECIALISTS SUPPORT 

Economic Instability

Economic instability due to parental or carer financial hardship can affect a child’s development. Children from financially challenged families can have cognitive and emotional problems. The financial hardship can affect their academic performance and they would not have the support needed for learning. Identifying children with financial hardship and referring them for specialist support can mitigate the spread effect of the hardship on their academic performance.

 

Employment Instability

Some children may be unfortunate to have parents or carers with unemployment problem. There may not be much household income to meet the physiological and academic needs of the child, and that can affect their development. The employment instability of the parent or carer can affect a child’s domestic and external behaviours and can lead to weak academic performance. Specialist support is needed for such children.

 

Family Instability

Family instability will have an impact on child behaviour and academic performance. Children and young people desire continuous care giving to establish safe lineage, need parent/caregiver support, expect parent/caregiver to be role models, need constant residential stability and support from educational institutions to achieve success (Sandstrom and Huerta, 2013). It is inevitable that the absence of a child’s secured attachment, support, stable residence, and the right platform for academic success demands specialist assistance. Children and young people are meant to reveal more negative behaviour with the absence of material, emotional and social support.

 

Instability in out of home contexts: School and Childcare

The constant movements of families from one region to the other or changing schools can affect the development of the child and young people. Changes in care arrangements can further affect the stability of child and young people. Continuous changes in educational setting can minimise their social proficiency and hinder academic performance. Specialist support is needed where there is evidence of such child and young people school and care instability.

 

References

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Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) Facts About Development Disabilities. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts.html (Accessed 27 September 2021)

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 Author: 

Prince Foday 

Professional Freelance Journalist