An Open Letter to the Government of Sierra Leone and to the People of Sierra Leone.
By Philip Conteh.
To the Government of Sierra Leone,
Freetown is not just a city. It is the heart, the history, and the hope of Sierra Leone. It is where freedom first found a home in West Africa. It is where our independence was born. It is where the voices of our people meet the world.
For over a century, the Freetown City Council (FCC) has carried the weight of self-governance, advocacy of place, and the secure delivery of local public services. These functions have not been built overnight. They are the product of decades of investment, trust, and the collective struggles of our people.
The recent reports that the SLPP Government is considering dividing Freetown Municipality are deeply troubling. This idea is not reform — it is reckless destruction. It risks undermining more than a hundred years of institution-building and tearing at the very fabric of Sierra Leone’s identity.
Why Dividing Freetown is Reckless:
- Institutions Take Time, Not Politics, to Build:
Local government systems are not experiments to be reshaped at political convenience. They take decades of collaboration and financial investment to mature. To divide Freetown is to erase this progress, replacing strong city-wide systems with fragile, competing councils. - Service Delivery Will Collapse:
Freetown already struggles with flooding, waste management, traffic, and informal housing. These require integrated, city-wide solutions. Fragmentation will create duplication, confusion, and paralysis — while ordinary residents continue to suffer. - It Wastes Money Sierra Leone Does Not Have:
Division means building new offices, hiring more staff, creating new bureaucracies, and duplicating financial systems. This is money that should be going into schools, hospitals, roads, and jobs not into political experiments. - Silencing the Voice of Freetown:
As one city, Freetown speaks strongly on the global stage. That is why it has been able to attract international partnerships on climate resilience, flood management, and urban development. Division will silence that unified voice, leaving weaker councils scrambling for recognition. - Destroying Our Shared Heritage:
Freetown is more than administration. It is history: the landing of the freed slaves, the Krio culture, the beating heart of our independence struggle. Dividing the city desecrates this legacy and turns it into fragments of political convenience.
What a Serious Government Should Be Doing?:
If this SLPP Government were serious about leadership, its focus would be revitalisation, not division.
Freetown has suffered dramatically. The burning of the Cotton Tree was not just the loss of a tree it was the loss of a symbol that had stood for centuries as a witness to our history and resilience. It was a painful reminder that the city is fragile and in need of renewal.
At this historic moment, any visionary government should be thinking about:
· Rebuilding the Cotton Tree precinct into a national landmark of unity, education, and tourism.
· Investing in essential services waste management, drainage systems, housing, and sustainable transport.
· Creating jobs and opportunities for young people so they are not lost to crime or despair.
· Strengthening the FCC’s financial autonomy so it can meet its responsibilities effectively.
· Forging global partnerships to make Freetown a modern, resilient African capital.
This is what responsible leadership looks like: building institutions, not destroying them; renewing the capital, not weakening it.
Let us be clear: Freetown belongs to all Sierra Leoneans. It is not only for those who live within its boundaries:
· It is where the Government of Sierra Leone sits.
· It is where families from every district send their children to study.
· It is where people from across the country come for work, health, and opportunity.
If Freetown is weakened, the whole nation is weakened.
That is why this is not only a Freetonian issue. It is a national issue. From Kailahun to Kambia, from Bo to Bombali, every Sierra Leonean has a stake in defending our capital city.
The Government has two paths:
- Destruction: divide Freetown, weaken services, waste scarce resources, and betray our history. OR
- Renewal: revitalise Freetown, strengthen its council, invest in its people, and preserve our shared heritage.
The people of Sierra Leone must make their voices heard. We must demand renewal, not destruction.
I urge all Sierra Leoneans:
To speak to your families, neighbours, and communities.
To raise your voices in churches, mosques, schools, and marketplaces.
To let the Government hear clearly that :
Strengthen Freetown, do not shatter it !
Revitalise Freetown, do not divide it!
Protect Freetown, for it belongs to us all!
Freetown is our capital. It is our pride. It is our future. Let us defend it together.
God bless our Nation, Sierra Leone.
