The floods and Ebola: a call for rethinking politics and governance
The Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) joins other concerned citizens and well-wishers to express our shock over the torrential rain experienced on Wednesday, September 16, and to convey our sympathy to all those who lost loved ones, property and livelihood. We commend government for its swift respose to the crisis and the steps taken to alleviate human suffering so far.
However, while it is undeniable that the flood is a natural disaster of epic proportions, the IGR notes that such disasters are underpinned and exacerbated by governance failures at every level in our country. We therefore draw attention to the governance environment that allows such problems to flourish. We point for example to the lack of implementation of existing policies and laws on land use, the failure to integrate environmental concerns into urban planning, and the non-provision of affordable housing options for the urban poor.
We note that years of systematic environmental abuse, including deforestation, building of structures in high-risk areas, and the lack of consideration of climate change in urban planning, laid the foundation for this current tragedy. While we appreciate that government has long expressed concerns about the environment, culminating in the laudable set up of the Environmental Protection Agency, true reform has often been undermined by political concerns, where short-term electoral gain takes priority over long-term development needs. Thus, slum resettlement and street trading for example are ignored for short-term electoral considerations, and highly visible vote winning projects such as road construction takes priority over investments in human security including health systems strengthening, affordable housing and quality education. Moreover, rather than having constructive dialogue on nation building, policy making has become territorial and an arena for party politics.
The outcomes of such political calculations can be seen in the difficulty Sierra Leone had in countering Ebola as well as the lack of preparedness to address the flood despite early warning and the Disaster Management Department established in December 2013. We believe that unless there is a deliberate rethinking of the way governance and politics are exercised, we will continue to struggle to properly respond to future crises.
We point to worrying trends in the past three months alone that show growing intolerance. The extension of the State of Emergency and the silencing of media outlets, as per the recent suspension of the Monologue radio programme all combine to make the policy environment restricted. We also note with concern that even the flood has become a playground for party politics, with various politicians jockeying for prominence through generous donations, which, while being commendable humanitarian gestures, need to be accompanied by genuine discussions around lasting solutions to address the effect of climate change and natural disasters.
To effectively tackle current and future disasters, we call on authorities to begin to address our governance deficit. Sierra Leone has to fundamentally rethink the way it practices politics. More voices should be included on the table as we seek solutions to our problems. Bi-partisanship and the opening of space to comprise all actors, including voices both supportive and critical of government, are necessary for us to identify viable solutions to our many problems. Rather than a co-opted opposition, the country needs leaders that put the country first, and prioritise development over personal gains. True change and development will only come when there is real tolerance for alternative viewpoints, and when those in the position to provide these viewpoints refuse to be bought and instead provide non-partisan based input and support.
We call on all stakeholders and citizens to join hands to push forward the development of our beloved nation!
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