Spectators and guests that attended the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday10th May, 2022 did not miss noticing the melancholy which filled the air in the House of Parliament, Tower Hill in Freetown, while President Julius Maada Bio read his last State Opening of Parliament address.
To many observers, the tone of his speech and the fact that, most of what he said were mere repetitions of earlier speeches was perhaps the reason why most of his Cabinet Ministers could not stay awake and were caught on camera sleeping soundly.
However, tongues were wagging in the House as to the reasons why so many SLPP Cabinet Ministers and even some SLPP Members of Parliament slept soundly rather than stay awake to listen to the President. One school of thought had it that, one reason they could not stay awake is because they had heard the same speech countless times before and were au fait with it to the extent that they knew it by heart and could read-along with the President as he made his speech.
Another school of thought had it that, it is because the printing on the wall about the demise of the SLPP come 2023 election is so glaring that the Ministers and other SLPP henchmen are bored stiff and have acknowledged the fact that the fate of the Bio-led SLPP Government is sealed as the electorate is poised to vote them out.
However, at this crucial point in the SLPP Government when Cabinet Ministers and other top government officials are supposed to be wide awake and solidly behind their leader – President Julius Maada Bio, they go to sleep at very important public events when President Bio is speaking about his government’s accomplishments, challenges and future prospects.
“Is it a sign that the SLPP is getting ready to take a long nap come 2023 when we see our Cabinet Ministers sleeping soundly right inside the Well of Parliament, right through President Bio’s speech?” This was the question posed by one SLPP stalwart member to another.
Credit: Owl Newspaper
