By Musa Brima
A cross section of supporters of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in various parts of the country are desperately calling for the replacement of the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Professor Keifala Kallon, for what they referred to as his gross incompetence to efficiently control the circulation of the country’s legal tender, which is the Leone.
This frustration and desperation on the part of the SLPP supporters became known through a random survey which our reporters conducted around the country.
The whole hue and cry came in the wake of the shortage of the Leone close to the end of last year,2020.It became evident when customers of Commercial Banks in the country including the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB), Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), Guarantee Trust Bank (GT Bank) among others ,could not access monies they have as deposits in their accounts. From what this medium understood, during the festive season, customers of these banks were only permitted to make minimal withdrawals as ceilings were set, meaning that an individual could not withdraw above a particular ceiling.
In his botched attempt to justify the scarcity or shortage of the Leone, the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone publicly told the nation that it is not due to the inefficiency on his part or by extension the current ruling Government but rather as a result of the prevalence of the corona virus that has affected every sphere of life globally. He furthered that as a result of the presence of COVID-19 the shipment of the country’s currency became very difficult adding that there was prior arrangement of importing two containers of the Leone but the printers could not meet the target. He ended that this is one way that the virus has affected the country.
However, for many his justification is deemed as hollow lacking merit. Based on what our correspondents in Bo, Kenema, Kono and other parts of the country intimated most of the residents in those places were frustrated for not being able to access their deposits. Most of them were disappointed simply because their plans of how they wanted to enjoy the festive season with their families, friends and other loved ones were thwarted.
Currently, businesses and homes are affected as the unfortunate situation still lingers.
“I felt like dying when I went to the bank to make a withdrawal and was informed that they could not give me the amount I wanted,” Abu Kulagbanda in Bo lamented stating that he had cause to postpone his wedding because of that. He added that if the bank had notified him earlier he would have known what to do.
Similar disappointing sentiments were expressed by residents in the other aforementioned districts most calling for the immediate replacement of the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone for his insensitivity and gross incompetence.
What, however, was interesting is the fact that most of those whom our reporters talked to are diehard supporters of the ruling SLPP. But as one of them put it: “This is not a party matter but rather one of survival.”
