By Kemoh Saidu Sesay
Recently, we have seen an unapologetic outburst from the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Fatima Bio, who has called out some government ministers, labeling them “dogs” who are surreptitiously collecting brown envelopes at the expense of signing rogue contracts that undermine the socio-economic wellbeing of Sierra Leonean workers.
This valorous outburst by the country’s First Lady comes at a time when the 2024 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency International has revealed troubling realities in the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone.
The CPI by Transparency International ranked Sierra Leone 114 out of 180 countries, with a disappointing score of 33 out of 100, a decline from previous years. In previous years, the country made a lumbering pace of progress, scoring 34/100 in 2022 and 35/100 in 2023, while ranking 108/180 countries. Although there was recorded progress in previous years, this year has dashed off the hopes of many Sierra Leoneans about the true work of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Fatima Bio’s explosive rebuke has presumably spotlighted rogue contracts and stolen futures directed to impoverish the masses, stifle national development, and exacerbate societal inequalities. Is the First Lady’s outcry going to meet deafening silence from complicit power brokers?
Moreover, the reverberating impact of corruption on the country’s socio-economic development cannot be overstated, given the hue and cries of the country’s economic strain. Unnoticed systemic graft within the corridors of power has left millions of Sierra Leoneans surviving daily by the skin of their teeth.
Sierra Leone’s obvious struggle to fight against corruption prevails at a time when the rest of the world’s attention is focused on climate change and its related crises. It is revealing how years of mismanagement and embezzlement of public funds, and misplaced priorities have crippled the country to ruins.
This status quo is persistently alarming. Despite significant donor funding and government pledges aimed at addressing corruption, the menace remains unabated, leaving Sierra Leoneans trapped in a cycle of unending poverty and creating a jungle where only the well connected to power get to eat the share of the national cake.
