Journalist Thomas Dixon Criticizes Government’s Proposed Train Project as Money Grab

Renowned journalist and social commentator Thomas Dixon has publicly criticized the government’s proposed commercial train transportation project, warning that it could become a scheme to exploit public funds.

In an exclusive interview with Liberty Online TV, Dixon referenced statements made by President Julius Maada Bio in 2018 regarding plans to revive Sierra Leone’s railway system.

“Since 2018 to 2023, we have not seen anything,” Dixon said. “And from 2023 to 2025, we’ve only heard about the establishment of a Railways Authority. I just think this is another means to eat government money.”

Dixon emphasized that large-scale infrastructure projects, such as rail development, require private sector investment, as the government alone lacks the necessary resources.

“It takes the private sector to do that development,” he explained. “We have to lure private investors. If they develop it, they need to find ways to recover their money, and in today’s world, there is no free money.”

He also highlighted the changing global financial landscape, noting that Sierra Leone could no longer rely on aid as it did during the Cold War era.

“Gone are the days of the Cold War when free money flowed from powers like Taiwan, China, and Russia,” Dixon said. “That was when we built landmarks like the Youyi Building and the National Stadium. Sierra Leone did not take enough advantage of that period.”

Dixon further challenged suggestions by officials that the railway could be completed before President Bio’s current term ends, calling it “impossible” within the given timeframe.

“Ideas like that should start with paperwork,” he said. “By the time feasibility studies are done, documents signed, and parliament approval secured, two years would already be gone. It’s not achievable.”

He concluded that any new government initiative of this scale must be supported by credible investment and transparent planning to succeed.