Sierra Leoneans Are We Going To Be Fooled Again?

Sierra Leoneans, we have come a long way. Sixteen years ago we were under siege. Revolutionary United Front rebels from Malal Hills used to lay in wait for us from Masiaka to Mile 91, ready to ambush us, kill us, maim us, loot our goods and burn the rest they could not take. For twelve years successive governments could do nothing in Sierra Leone. No roads and schools were built, no hospitals were repaired or built, no stadiums in the provinces, because they were busy spending millions buy arms and ammunition to keep away the marauding RUF vandals from our doorsteps.

The Excuse for Our Suffering
Joseph Momoh

The evil that men do.

Foday Sankoh used the pretext of lack of democracy to bring suffering, death and bone crushing misery to our doorsteps. We became fearful, paranoid, and suspicious of each other. We hated our soldiers, called them "sobels" and denied the existence of Foday Sankoh. Our gallant men and women became demoralized and equally suspicious of civilians and a cat and mouse mentality developed between the protectors and the protected. Everything ground to a halt, inertia, an impasse that was occasionally punctuated by random acts of extreme senseless violence. Those days in my hometown of Segbwema the only soothing sound we could hear in the middle of the night was the occasional sound of Rocket Propelled Grenades, punctuated by the thunderous and rapid bursts of anti-aircraft guns.

Children grew up desensitized, emotionless, heartless and devoid of hope. We lost our sense of community, our sense of pride, our self esteem and faith in our leaders and our security institutions. We became melancholy, cynical and pessimistic. We grew old in our youth, premature age lines crisscrossing our tender faces. We turned to violence, urged on by desperate men, we amputated our brothers, decapitated our uncles and disemboweled our pregnant sisters.

Our Children Became Beasts

We went through all this and came out resilient, toughened, hardened and hopeful that those sad events would enable us appreciate the joy of brotherhood, to appreciate the privilege of citizenship.

So why are our leaders today taking us down the same path that led to years of devastating quagmire once more. Why are men who only four years ago could hardly afford the transport from Freetown to their villages suddenly buying and building million dollar homes around the world and Sierra Leone. Why are our leaders carting our precious timber, that used to provide shade, condensation for rain, that protected our topsoil, off to Europe. Why are paramount chiefs brazenly stating on camera that anti-timber laws do not apply to them and face no consequence from the anti corruption commission. Why has the Anti Corruption Commission suddenly grown so loudly silent.

Interior Minister
Planning Genocide

Are we like Pharaoh in the old testament who was visited by ten plaques before he could finally let God's people go? Do we need the death of all our firstborns before we can realize that the present path of intolerance, tribal discrimination and arms build up is a recipe for disaster, for pandemonium and mayhem? Does Musa Tarawally and IG Munu not see that the arms given to the OSD to annihilate the opposition are now being used to murder and maim people in Bumbuna and Kambia? Why did God give us eyes if we do not want to see and ears if we do not want to hear.

IG Arming Police for Whom?

Sierra Leoneans, especially the youths, are you going to allow yourself to be used once again and discarded and flushed down the toilet of history once you have fulfilled your use. Are you going to allow men to give you guns to fight each other while they rest in Juba and Spur Loop drinking expensive whiskey and playing tic-tac-toe with your sisters? The first time you were fooled, the second time is it not insanity on your part? Are you really going to allow these same old politicians, who jump from one party to the next, to allow you to kill your brothers once again? When will you be brave enough to say, "take your gun and go attack them yourselves!"

When are you going to say to politicians, " a woman gave birth to me same as a woman gave birth to me. You are no better than I nor am I better than you. Go do your dirty work and let me live my life. No longer am I going to allow you to manipulate me, to fool me, to use and abuse me. All the years I have been behind you what have I got? Why should I always have to call you brer and why do you always have to call me "bellah" or "borbor"? Get out of my face and use your own hands to create the mayhem and pandemonium that you have planned, as for me and my family, I am going to eat my old cassava leaves and go to bed! So go away and leave me alone."

This is Always The Result

Youths of Sierra Leone do not allow yourself to be fooled again. Take their money, because they stole it from you. Wait for election day and go vote your conscience, for even if your candidate wins or loses your life is almost certainly going to be the same, ask your fathers before you if you feel I am wrong.

Do not let politicians break us apart, do not let them break our hearts again.