President Julius Maada Bio, on Tuesday, 2nd May 2023, told supporters of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), that he is aware that things are very tough across the world, but with the strategies that his government has put in place to cushion the effects, there are signs of better days ahead.

President Bio, gave this assurance, speaking at the Attouga Mini Stadium, Eastern Freetown, after his nomination at the headquarters of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL).

He called on his supporters to continue to trust him to provide a solution to the hardship in the country.

“We have made several efforts to cushion the hardship. But because production costs of some of the essential products have gone up, coupled with increased freight rates, things remain expensive. However, plans are underway to have a permanent solution to the hardship,” he told his audience.

President Bio said Sierra Leone would have been very peaceful if it would have gotten only SLPP as a political party, citing the peaceful assembly of hundreds of party loyalists at Attouga Mini Stadium as an example.

“We have come here today for the third time, the SLPP has nominated me as a presidential candidate. I promise to continue to provide nothing less than quality leadership,” he said

He told his audience that he called them together to let them know that he was grateful for their support, while also thanking former Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh, Alhaji Alpha Khan, Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, and many others, for joining the SLPP to make Sierra Leone a better place.

“With Mohamed Gento Kamara, SLPP’s mayoral candidate for Freetown City Council, we will take command of this city and make it a better place that we would all be proud of. I urge all of you to support him in the June 24, 2023, mayoral election,” he said.

He reminded his audience that Sierra Leone is the fourth most peaceful country in Africa, noting that he would not tolerate anyone disturbing the peace of the country.

“We don’t want violence in our elections. But at the same time, we would never be allowed to be intimidated. We don’t need to fight, and our numbers are swelling up. On polling day, come out and vote because l will not take you back to 1961. I won’t even promise you that. We are making Sierra Leoneans proud, so let us don’t use the hardship to forget the gains we have made in the last five years,” he said.

According to him, the maternal mortality rate has significantly dropped as ascertained by the World Health Organization (WHO), adding that his government has made major gains in the health sector.

“We have also made serious gains in the corporate mining sector. Three days ago, we were in Lunsar town to give 38 billion Leones to both Marampa and Maforki Chiefdoms, as part of the reforms we have made in the sector. This is progress because mining communities were not benefiting anything from the operations of mining companies. We now have 1% turnover as community development fund (CDF) from the proceeds of the minerals that are mined in the various communities,” he told a jam-packed audience at the Attouga Mini Stadium.

He reminded his audience that he was the current Chairman of the Committee of 10 (C-10) Heads of State and also the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) of the African Union (AU), saying that he was telling them all those things because he wanted them to have hope that the future is bright for Sierra Leone.

First Lady, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, said President Bio is a people’s centered president, adding that anyone that wanted to prosper should join the SLPP revolution, citing former VP Victor Bockarie Foh, whom she described as the writer of the 99 Tactics of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party, as one of the people that have embraced the SLPP revolution.

“President Bio has taken the women out of the kitchen and has brought them into leadership positions. He has further empowered women by initiating and implementing the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022, which has now brought dignity to women. The progress of this country, through women’s empowerment, is the priority of President Bio,” she said.