Celebrating Five Decades of Independence – The Insipid Journey of a Nation
Fifty years ago, a beautiful wind of change swept across the West Coast of Africa and brought forth our independence
Fifty years today, a great many still question its essence
Alas, as we continue to wallow in the shadows of our neighbours the world is yet to feel our presence
Fifty years ago the British left our land
Why we are still where we are I can’t quite understand
Fate, if I may conjecture, must have dealt us an unfair hand
Fifty years ago all the talk was about prosperity
Today the battle is being lost to the enemy that is poverty
In spite of years of unbridled turbulence, our beloved remains a land of astounding beauty
As we celebrate five decades of relative unity and unfettered liberty
I dare say things do not look all that pretty
The president has called for a change of attitude
To that end, we also need to work on our ineptitude
For the challenges we face require men and women of great aptitude
To our children we have to leave a legacy
Unto them we must bequeath a nation firmly entrenched in democracy
Verily, the real obstacle to our development remains the scourge of illiteracy
How we need a leader that can make us truly independent
The story has been the same president after president
Our weary eyes yet gaze the distant road of memory in search of a good precedent
Some left us independence
Others remorselessly dragged us to the threshold of decadence
Others still a semblance of good governance
Little wonder why we have lost patience and confidence
Where do we go from here?
How do we get there?
From our leaders we wait to hear
The price to pay for prosperity, they say, is never too dear
What part are you going to play?
Some will fast and pray
Others will work hard every day
I will do as our statutes say
A decade from now Sierra Leone will be sixty
To make this nation great is our scared duty
I pray we always remember this in the name of the Almighty
For this nation deserves to be very mighty
© Ibrahim Sorie Kamara
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