Ibrahim B. Koroma: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 27 October 2025:
It is deeply disturbing to witness young, educated, and well-trained men like Chief Minister David Sengeh and Minister of Information Chernor Bah rise to defend the current establishment in the face of glaring national decay.
Sierra Leone today grapples with a drug crisis of epidemic proportions, a failing healthcare system that lacks even basic equipment like BP machines, and a dysfunctional education system where teachers struggle without adequate pay or teaching materials – no school furniture, nor the promised bags and uniforms.
Equally disappointing is to hear a former Renaissance Movement civil rights advocate like Francis Ben Kaifala, now head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), justify corruption itself.
A striking example is the case of the former Clerk of Parliament, Umar Paran Tarawalie, accused of unlawfully employing his wife, who allegedly collected salaries and benefits for two years without working. Rather than pursuing justice, the ACC dismissed the matter to be “handled by the President” despite publicly acknowledging evidence of misconduct.
This pattern of defence has become the government’s defining characteristic – robust, coordinated, and often misleading – all aimed at protecting political survival rather than the truth.
Consider the unresolved issue of Europe’s most wanted drug lord, Jos Leijdekkers, the President’s son-in-law, whose continued presence in Sierra Leone frustrates international drug enforcement efforts. Many believe his operations extend deep into global narcotics networks worth billions of U.S. dollars.
Then there’s the case of Admire Bio, the President’s niece, whose unexplained accumulation of wealth and luxurious properties remains uninvestigated despite her own public social media disclosures suggesting potential money-laundering links.
The Auditor-General’s reports continue to expose massive financial leakages with hundreds of millions of Leones unaccounted for – yet the ACC dismisses these findings as mere “opinions.”
Meanwhile, drug-related deaths continue to rise. Reports from the Freetown City Council reveal over 220 unidentified bodies collected in 2025 alone, raising further alarm.
Diplomatic passports of Sierra Leone have also found their way into the hands of foreign nationals, including drug lords such as Abdullah Alp Ustun, recently extradited from the UAE to Turkey on 11th October 2025.
Whenever such scandals surface, the government’s response follows a predictable three-step pattern:
- Defend the issue with aggression and spin;
- Silence public discussion through intimidation or denial; and
- Buy international awards and recognition to whitewash their image abroad.
The question remains: What has turned these once-promising young leaders into defenders of corruption and deceit?
At the heart of this moral collapse lies the “Fountain of Honour” himself – the President. He has become the chief deceiver in a system built on hypocrisy and manipulation.
Under his influence, young and talented men within the SLPP have traded conscience for political survival. In their desperate bid to protect him and his inner circle, they have compromised national security, sold diplomatic privileges, manipulated justice, and misused state resources to sustain a false image of progress.
This is a sad and painful story – one that reveals how a generation that once symbolized hope has become complicit in Sierra Leone’s political and moral decay.
