Look at President Koroma’s 36 months in office…Why we should support the President for a second term!
Political observers have said that the Ernest Koroma-led APC Government deserves to be commended for living up to its promises, as it has been demonstrated time and again, from the time it came to power in September, 2007. (Photo: H.E. President Ernest Bai Koroma gives exclusive interview to Press Attaché, Alhaji Jalloh in early 2008)
First Year In Office
Five months after he took over the mantle of leadership in the country, I met the President at his State House office and had an exclusive interview with him. In that interview, the President told me that the All People’s Congress (APC) Government had within five months succeeded in deepening the democratic process and unifying the country by effecting a smooth transition that had never happened in the political history of Sierra Leone.
“I believe I am president of the country and I have a responsibility to unify the country. I have a responsibility to let everybody develop a new concept of democracy, a new culture of democracy, and that is, you are not an enemy with anybody. You are just maybe opponents on political issues, but at the end of the day, we must present ourselves as Sierra Leoneans, united in the development of our country,” says President Koroma in February, 2008.
The Chief Executive of the nation said that his party came from the opposition and took over governance without any recrimination. “We have not arrested anybody. All we have done is bringing people together and unifying the country.”
As a determined leader, he emphasized the urgent need for the restructuring of the Government and the public sector. It was against this background that he took all Government Ministers on a retreat to Bumbuna, a few months after he was elected to office. They emerged from Bumbuna with a renewed focus and determination to do things with a difference.
Sierra Leoneans fell in love with their President shortly after they voted him in office. The reason is: He identified and prioritized their problems. He started with energy as a number one priority, as without it, it will be difficult for the economy to pick up or the social service delivery sector to improve.
He therefore, embarked on the improvement of the country’s perennial energy problems; a move that was widely supported in the country.
In my interview with him, he was pleased to say that within five months of his administration, the power generation capacity increased from seven (7) mega watts for the whole country to thirty-two (32) mega watts before the commissioning of the Bunbuna Hydro project.
“That is a looming achievement for any administration that is coming in with all of the difficulties,” he said.
Today, Sierra Leoneans, particularly in Freetown are enjoying frequent electricity supply. In spite of the Bunbuna Hydro Project, the APC Government also put in place plans to provide electricity for all the twelve districts in the country in order to attract more investors nationwide.
The Last Two Years
It is an open secret that President Koroma’s administration has achieved a lot in his “Agenda For Change” in the areas of Infrastructure, Agriculture, Mining, Health, Tourism, Women’s Empowerment, Security, to name but a few during the last two years. These achievements within 36 months in office are indications that the APC Government is committed to sustainable development in the country.
“One impressive thing about President Koroma is that he has the country at heart and, his vision for the country’s total transformation is unfettered. He only needs the people’s support, commitment and dedication to pursue his agenda for change,” says a renowned Sierra Leonean economist in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
When he assumed office in September 2007, President Koroma told Sierra Leoneans about his areas of priorities – Energy, Agriculture and Infrastructure. Since then, His Excellency has been working day in and day out to ensure that these areas are tackled by government to lift Sierra Leoneans from the state of abject penury.
Time to Support the President
As a nation, I think we should continue to support President Koroma for his exemplary achievements registered so far since he came to power just three years ago. “If he can perform remarkably well to the admiration of a good number of Sierra Leoneans, including the opposition, and the International community in less than five years in office, I think there is need for Sierra Leoneans to re- elect him for another term in office come 2012 to complete more projects,” an SLPP supporter in the UAE, Mustapha Brima said recently.
Why Should We Support the President?
Candidly, President Koroma deserves another term in office taking into consideration the leadership skills he has demonstrated over the last three years. He’s a leader who can reach across political, geographical and ideological boundaries. His charisma, boundless energy, multi-faceted experiences, charm, courage, decisiveness, thoughtfulness, watchfulness, compassion – are all factors the electorates should take cognizance of before casting their votes in 2012.
He’s also a genius in the area of leadership. Sierra Leoneans have confidence and trust in him because he has demonstrated a noble and incorruptible character and he has also shown himself to be an exceptional and visionary leader.
President Koroma is also a shining example among African leaders. If some of our African leaders can emulate his good leadership qualities, the African continent can easily attain good governance.
President Koroma’s government is celebrating 3 years in power on Friday, September 17th, 2010 and I am sure even critics will agree with me that we have seen so many positive changes in the country since President Koroma came to power. The achievements of the President are numerous. It’s good to witness or be part of that huge celebration on Friday!
Alhaji Jalloh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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