Yesterday 12th April 2025, a fire of yet undetermined origin broke out at Sierra Leone’s State House, prompting swift and coordinated action by the country’s emergency services.

The blaze, which ignited alarm across the capital, was quickly brought under control thanks to the heroic response from the Fire Force, the Police, and other related state apparatus. The strong selfless actions from all sectors involved was remarkable and worthy of commendation.

But while the physical flames were extinguished, a far more dangerous fire — one of misinformation, baseless speculation, and toxic politicking — continues to rage across social media. Within hours of the incident, faceless individuals swimming on the fringes of the main political opposition had descended into an online frenzy, not to express concern or solidarity, but to peddle rumours, stoke division, and mock what could have become a national tragedy of a larger dimension.

What is particularly disturbing — though not entirely surprising — is the gleeful undertone with which some of these voices appeared to welcome the incident. One could almost sense a perverse prayer, ringing in their lines, that the fire would escalate into something more catastrophic. This disturbing trend of rejoicing in national misfortune points to a much deeper rot within the political psyche of certain depraved groups.

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This acidic attitude, may be absolutely shocking but not totally surprising. After all, this is the same desperate political corner where individuals have been caught red-handed torching public infrastructure — from electric poles and expensive transformers to school buses and maternity facilities. It is also the same satanic space whose historical legacy has been heavily stained by its ruthless role in manufacturing the conditions and fanning the flames of civil conflict, culminating in the brutal murder of thousands of Sierra Leoneans and the near-total destruction of the nation in what is infamously known as the RUF war. Arguably, affiliates of that brainsick group who set Sierra Leone on fire, in the form of an orchestrated civil war, will not hesitate in jubilating over a fire incident involving a critical national asset.

Just to be clear, no one is casting any accusations at any particular group with regard to that State House fire. The investigation is ongoing, and we must allow the relevant authorities to do their work. From technical malfunction to human sabotage, I believe that everything and every facet is going to be peered into with considerable glare and expertise. However, in these circumstances, it is certainly not unfair to cast a wary sidewards glance at those who always gleefully find joy in our national pain. These are the people who mistake tragedy for political opportunity and who enjoy using disaster for political leverage.

Since President Bio came to power, he has been busy Making what is best for our country. On the other hand, everyone knows those who have been hellbent on Wrecking anything they suspect to be good for the nation!

To the self-anointed tarot readers and dark doomsday conspiracy theorists, here is what you need to know: fires in government buildings and other sensitive national facilities, though hugely unfortunate, are not unique to Sierra Leone. History is replete with examples from around the world: in the United Kingdom the infamous 1605 Gunpowder Plot led by Guy Fawkes was a failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament — a reminder that even in advanced democracies, state institutions have long been targets of accidental mishaps and deliberate sabotage.

In 2019, a massive fire gutted parts of Brazil’s National Museum, destroying priceless cultural artefacts, and last year South Africa’s Parliament building in Cape Town was severely damaged by a fire, allegedly started by an intruder. Even the United States of America has not been immune to tragedies of this nature: over the years, the White House has faced its share number of threats, including arson attempts and suspicious fires in adjacent buildings.

Here in the UK, just last month a massive fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow airport caused a significant power outage leading to a temporary shutdown of one of the world’s busiest airports. From the Pentagon in the USA to the State House in Peru, no facility is totally immune to potential technical malfunction or deliberate human sabotage.

These events underscore a key point: while infrastructure vulnerabilities are a global reality, what sets nations apart is how they respond — with unity, maturity, and resolve — rather than shallow opportunism and petty pessimistic politicking. Lessons are learnt and precautions are taken to avoid potential recurrence! Of course where there are any culprits involved, they are quickly or eventually identified and made to face the full force of the law.

However, in our own situation, the real tragedy is not merely the fire at State House, but the sickening celebration of it by those who should know better. Only minds twisted by bitterness and driven by malice could even appear to rejoice at such an incident. Unfortunately, it appears that Sierra Leone, in its fragile state of post-conflict recovery, has no shortage of such sick individuals, chuckling on the fringes of opposition benches.

Times like this demands that the nation should come together to seek answers, offer solutions, and strengthen institutional resilience. We must resist the temptation to be consumed by the fire of partisan hate. Let us instead be guided by the fire of patriotism; the kind that builds hope and purifies the soul, not destroy a people. For only through the fires of collective optimism can we succeed in rising as a nation, and avoid perishing in the self-consuming embers of our own destructive negativity.