By Dadson A Musa
Sierra Leone gained independence in 1961 and democratic elections followed afterwards. Democracy is a beauty with all its flaws but when the opposition fails to be opposition and do it’s work then it becomes worrying for every nation. In 1967, Siaka P. Stevens won the election under the ticket of the All People’s Congress ( APC). He had policy and ideological differences with the Sierra Leone People’s Party then headed by Sir Milton Margai and his brother, Sir Albert Margai. In opposition for a very long time but never caved in, even when they almost denied him and his party, APC their election victory. Siaka Stevens, after finally ascending to the throne in 1968 made the attempt to keep himself and his party for long. To some extent he succeeded and it was only old age and illness that made him leave power. But Siaka P. Stevens succeeded in keeping himself in power not only using force or intimidation but by co- opting or luring the opposition members. This happened because our political leaders have shown over the years that they are in politics for their individual benefits and never about the collective benefit or general good of the country.
It is a worrying trend that had threatened the body politics, survival of the state and thriving of our democracy. And if anything, politicians have never been alone in this betrayal of trust, civil society, journalists etc. stand accused of selling out. A good number of our brothers, for the twenty – seven years of the APC in power caved in not because they agreed with the policies and ideologies of the APC but because of personal aggrandizement. They were in it for what they benefitted as individuals and nothing about the good of the country. It has become all to common that our political leaders, at the slightest chance of betraying the course of the people for selfish gains will not think twice about it. A lot of SLPP strongmen pitched tent with the APC regimen of the seventies and eighties. This move emboldened former president Siaka P Stevens to entrench himself and his party in power. It is an art that he mastered only when traitors from within the SLPP sold out. It ended up affecting our country which took us to where we are now; breakdown in system, budget deficit for a country endowed with with so many precious minerals. It also in a way contributed to the bloody civil war. Under late president Tejan Kabba we saw signs of politicians from the opposition APC selling out and pitching tent with his regimen all just for their selfish gains and nothing for the general good of the country.
It is pointing to one thing, that a good lot of our political leaders cannot make lives for themselves without politics. As politics has become a quick means for people to get wealthy and live better lives. In actual fact, politics should never be about life and death. In fact there is an American president (Jimmy Carter) who served only one term, but post- presidency served humanity better and longer. Leadership, in its true definition must be about serving humanity and nothing less. But when our political leaders in Sierra Leone begin to show us that for them, wielding power is the only sure means and that their survival and lives depend on it then citizens need to wake up and fight for themselves. And we should not be mistaking power in Sierra Leone be tied to tribal bigotry because not all Mendes benefit when the SLPP is in power as not all Temnes benefit when the APC is in power. As citizens we need to look out for leaders across party lines and across regional lines whose lives are not dependent on holding national leadership. But people who demonstrate that without politics they can live, thrive and survive.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday, 7th Noverber 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
