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| Author: Prince Foday |
Political parties have their differences in ideology in Africa and
other continents, and I had experienced and continue to experience an untouchable
base-line political dispensation for all the countries travelled both developed
and developing nations, and United Kingdom and the Gambia as cases in point. The
base-line here comprises food, shelter, electricity, education, and health
care. Let us the take the case of the
Gambia, regardless of the autocratic style of governance, the country still
remain to ensure that there is reward for national efforts and the poor and
vulnerable members of society are of utmost concern and care. Gambia is a case
in point where elites and non-elites take the poor and vulnerable to a high
esteem, and taking frantic strides at private and public levels to ensure that
they are of priority, putting aside the autocratic style of President Yahya Jammeh’s
Leadership. The Gambia continues to strive highly to meet the base-line,
regardless of whatever political party that is in power. United Kingdom can be highly rated when it
comes to satisfying the base-line, and this is unshakable, whether it is Labour
Party or Conservative Party or a coalition at the helm of power. The Gambia is a country where pets and insane
are taking to a high esteem, and not to talk about service providers to the
nation. This is not the case in Sierra Leone and the situation continues to be
pathetic and yearning for urgent action. In Sierra Leone, food, shelter,
electricity, education and health care are only enjoyed by few and the bulk of
the populace are having bitter and heartbreaking experiences with the base-line.
A large proportion of their people are finding it hard to have the required
calories per day, not having decent housing to dwell, are in perpetual
darkness, the added value through education is expensive and the disadvantaged
members of society are finding its affordability challenging and the health
care system do not favour the poor and continue to pave the way for predominant
cheaper traditional health care alternatives. My concern and the global concern is the need
for nations to endeavour to reasonably satisfy the base-line. The Gambia, a
developing nation and a country highly dependent on groundnut export and tax, is
making unrelenting efforts to meet the base-line and I had a lovely time there
as a Teacher. My salary was able to afford self-contain house (that is two bed
rooms, parlour and descent lavatory), food was not a problem and I had the
required calories per day, I enjoyed eight hours electricity per day and
sometimes electricity was twenty-four hours, and had enough money to entertain
myself, friends and relatives, and save to meet unexpected shocks. Honestly,
I saw no difference in lifestyle between me and those working in other entities,
whether public or private sector organisations. This is not the case for Sierra
Leone where Teachers and a large proportion of national service providers,
except for those beating the political drums or favoured through political
connection, cannot afford decent housing, cannot have reasonable electricity
supply and cannot have the required calories per day to build their immune
system to face the high health risk surrounding them, and the satisfaction of
other welfare needs are in the red. Politics come and go, but what is required
is the type of governance, like the model in United Kingdom and the Gambia,
that has the base-line sound welfare delivery for its people. The Type of base-line
that is unwavering, regardless of any political party that comes up. This is
the type of Sierra Leone we looking forward to based on its natural wealth. If
a groundnut and tax oriented nation like the Gambia can do it, why not Sierra
Leone? I had seen it and continue to see it all out of Sierra Leone, and given
a candid opinion on the reality. I am raising this awareness to alert the
politicians in Sierra Leone that they need to do more to keep to the Jones or
global call for meeting the base-line. The political stalwarts or activists
have to be aware that this is not the time for self-centeredness or drumming to
satisfy the self, but the time to stamp or act on the reality of modern times.
The rational minded are craving for a better nation and disregarding any
detractors towards the move. It is time to decide whether you are for a forward
looking nation or a backward nation. It
is not about “after you nar you back”, but shaping the society in a way where
everyone is happy, and this should be evident in all regions, and balanced for
both rural and urban sectors of all the regions of any nation. A bird-eye view
around Sierra Leone clearly shows that infrastructural development that the
current government is knocking its chest about is concentrated only in the
urban areas and there is even a lot more to be done in order to put it to the
required standard and pride. The rural areas of all the regions in Sierra Leone
remain isolated and yet to be given the appropriate facial uplift. If you want
to prove this about Sierra Leone, take your time to drive or travel around all
the regions. You will definitely arrive at a conclusion that much is needed to
be done and you will realise that the nation needs a total overhaul to meet the
base-line standard of modern times. Furthermore, when driving around look at the
faces of people you meet in all the regions. You will realise that a large
proportion of the people are not happy, having bitter faces and wishing for a
saviour, as there is an ill-satisfaction of the base-line. In this post-war era,
the nation was governed by Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) and now being
govern by All Peoples’ Congress (APC), yet still, the base-line satisfaction
continue be in the red for both ruling parties. Some may want to give the
excuse of the past civil unrest, but I see the nation as simple to govern,
looking at the small a population (approximately six million people) in relation
to its God given wealth (having gold, diamond, marine resources, rich farming
soil and potential for rewarding animal husbandry, tax revenue, highly skilled
human resources and pool of other sources to be to be tapped). Development
economists had concluded that a forward looking nation depends on the political
factor and it is unquestionable that a weak political strategy has a
ripple-effect on the performance of a nation, and this can be either a positive
or negative performance. A nation only needs to have the right leader or
governance to tap the resources for the benefit of its people. Rumours are in
the air that President Ernest Bai Koroma in Sierra Leone wants to go for a
third term. If this is the case, then it is time to for him to start screening
himself on the delivery of the base-line. Furthermore, he needs to study the
trend of politics beyond his/our country on the third term issue. The trend for
nations beyond is two term, and there is a reason for that. Firstly, being in power
for long makes leadership boring and will tend to an autocratic or dictatorial style
of leadership, and a recipe for igniting civil unrest, particular for a nation
like Sierra Leone that has just emerged from war and in its fragile state. Secondly,
it blocks other leadership talents good for a nation’s positive progress and
denies the people from their search for a saviour. However, it is implied that
you might bounce back where the entire people are happy with your lovely
national dispensation of the base-line. It is a nice thing to be independent,
though the world is globalised in such a way that the concept of independence
is losing its grip. A lovely independent flag can be flown where there is a
reasonable satisfaction of the base-line. The question that requires an answer
is, Is the so called independence worthy of celebration in Sierra Leone? In my
opinion, there is nothing to celebrate. Celebration of independence should
emerge as a result of positive and plausible outcome (s). The national positive
and credible bench mark, using base-line parameters, is yet to be reached and
in negative phase for Sierra Leone. For me, it is the Gambia, Senegal and other
developing nations reasonably satisfying the base-line that are justified to
celebrate.
Author:
Prince Foday
Reporter, Human Rights
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