By Dadson A. Musa

Elections in Sierra Leone are becoming a trend where people go at length to do anything once they don’t win. Politics in Sierra Leone is such that people become rich within the few years that Sierra Leoneans spend in power. It has been made more attractive by the enviable conditions of service passed by members of parliament. I spoke to a colleague of mine who just graduated from law school and was called to the bar and he sounded more inclined to go into politics than to practice law. ” I intend to become a member of parliament as soon as the opportunity arises than to continue practicing law,” he would say. I didn’t even go ahead to probe him further why the decision. It is how attractive politics is in Sierra Leone that people can do anything to wield political power. A position that once attained should be where one becomes a leader to serve and make the difference in his or her community or people’s lives is now a money – making venture.

So, in Sierra Leone, people can do anything to achieve political power. It is such that they are ready to crush whatever stands in their way. They want political power whether by hook or crook. Some of the tools they use include idle and unemployed youths. Once these youths are enticed with alcohol and other drugs, they fall under the whims and caprices of selfish politicians who use them to achieve an end.

Tribalism is another factor that drives people to do whatever they can to achieve political power. Once a particular tribe wields power and become dominant, the other tribe stands to lose so many things and suffer under them. This is a factor that has lured so many citizens to always want to fight so that they don’t lose out or become subordinates.

And in a country where jobs, I mean good ones are few and far between, politics is definitely a means to an end. And politics here is for the most part unchecked, unaccounted for and is therefore a sure means of getting quick wealth. So, all the above and so many other factors make it a ground for people to achieve political power using whatever means. With a justice system and law enforcement that is easily compromised, violence is used by competing forces to intimidate opponents to be fearful and retreat or cave into the antics of the other. Back in the days, violence was so barbaric in our elections that killing, destruction and other savagery were common place. Even with our war’s end the trend has hardly gone away. Politics in Sierra Leone has been made a life and death issue that people want to win at all costs. Alternatives in the country are so few that politics has become very attractive to so many. With youths who are easily manipulated, violence is a trade for them during elections.

And it is a trend that we know lead to the eleven years of war in our country. It rendered Sierra Leone almost as a failed state. Something needs to be done to change the trajectory otherwise the future of especially our youths is going to be uncertain and in jeopardy. The recent lower-level elections have seen a penchant for violence by youths especially to dance to the tune of their god fathers. It puts the country in bad light especially to the international community and would be investors. And action must be taken to let perpetrators know that there is no hiding place or safe haven once they get involved in violence in our country’s politics.