A Sierra Leonean citizen, Paul A. Conteh, has publicly criticised the government, raising concerns over governance, economic hardship, and national development.
In a widely shared message, Conteh said he was among those who supported the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) during the 2018 elections, believing in its “New Direction” agenda and promises of change.
He noted that in the early days of the administration, there were signs of progress, including transparency measures, national cleaning programmes, and the launch of the Free Quality Education initiative.
However, Conteh said many citizens are now disappointed, claiming that the government has not delivered on key promises. He criticised what he described as a focus on social media engagement and political disputes, instead of addressing major national challenges.
Among the issues he highlighted were frequent power cuts, rising inflation, youth unemployment, drug abuse, and limited access to clean water. He also questioned the government’s ability to achieve its job creation targets and improve food production.
Conteh further expressed concerns about the country’s economic direction and governance system, warning that citizens are facing increasing hardship.
He also criticised the President’s frequent international travels, arguing that more attention should be given to internal development and strengthening local systems.
The statement reflects growing public debate in Sierra Leone over economic conditions and government performance, as citizens continue to call for solutions to pressing national issues.
Read full message
Dear SLPP-Led Government,
In 2018, I voted for your party to return to power. I am among many Sierra Leoneans who were disgruntled with the bad governance, corruption, tribalism, and poor management of the Ebola outbreak by the other guys. In addition, I bought into the “New Direction” message your party proposed as its development agenda and philosophy.
During your first days in governance, citizens had some optimism about the future of this beautiful country of ours: we witnessed national cleaning programs that brought cohesion between the masses, and policymakers organized; the State House released the names of people who joined the presidential entourage on trips outside Sierra Leone; NRA released weekly revenue mobilization figures; Human Capital Development was the flagship program, especially the launch of the Free Quality Education Programme and the president made unannounced visits at MDAs.
Now that your mask is off. Most citizens are now seeing you for who you really are. You fooled us! Your obsession with social media propaganda and the opposition party is now becoming weird. People voted for your party. Not the other guys. Get off your phones and do your freakkkin’ jobs! The last thing Sierra Leone needs is polarizing public figures occupying some of the most powerful government offices in the land. At a time when Sierra Leone’s social media is inundated with so much negativity, you should be the ones to shift the energy to something positive by serving as role models. But it seems you are using the controversial nature of your posts to distract citizens from asking the right questions on the issues that really matter.
There’s another thing that you keep saying #WeAreDelivering. Your Government is not delivering anything. This line of yours looks like a mockery of our people. Could you share one major policy or development program your Government accomplished in this second term that got the nation buzzing? Our country is littered with blackouts all over the place, youths are dying from drug addiction every day, inflation is hitting astronomical figures, our water resources are largely untapped to supply pipe-borne water across the country, a governance system that is slowly becoming authoritarian, and unemployment is the new love language for graduates (even though your Government promised to create 500,000 jobs this second term). With all the vast land, luxurious weather, and natural resources that we have, we cannot even produce our staple food, rice, for national consumption. This alone makes #FeedSalone an expensive joke. These are the issues your government should focus on addressing, not getting caught up in some childish back-and-forth with the opposition party members and supporters on social media.
When I listen to the president speak. He seems to justify his frequent travels in the name of rebranding our country and attracting foreign investment. Let me tell you guys here and now. That strategy has not worked, and it would never work. There is this adage, “If you chase butterflies, they fly away. But if you build your garden, they come to you.” Somebody within the system should have educated the Head of State on this ancient wisdom. All the countries that got it right relied on locally led resources, initiatives, and leadership. That is why he should have focused on the internal instead of the external. It seems many of you appreciate his frequent travels to exploit the void whenever he is out of the country.
You know what is sad? Most of you have schooled, lived, and worked in advanced countries. You see the way others organize their countries for the greater good of everyone. For some reason, you’re not implementing this stuff back home. Our country’s name is battered globally, and our people are struggling with the basics back home.
Once again, get off your phones and head to work. Discharge your duties with decency, professionalism, and patriotism. Our country is second-to-last in the recent World Happiness Index. That should be a major concern.
Son of the soil,
Paul A. Conteh (Octopus)
