First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio, who is a recognized champion for social justice across the African continent, has berated some members of her husband’s Government, including in his Cabinet, as possessing disgusting, treacherous attitudes like common dogs.

She was speaking yesterday Tuesday March 4th 2025 in her home district of Kono in eastern Sierra Leone.

Without identifying the specific dog-like officials, she said those were persons who have already failed her husband and cannot deliver for the people of Kono and Sierra Leone at large.

She said such persons go over the media to boast that they are working hard when zero they cannot deliver for her husband. She said they were empty bluffers who have failed the country and failed her husband, H.E. President Maada Bio.

Related News

Giving a background to the developments, the First Lady, Mrs. Fatima Maada Bio, informed that there was a longstanding impasse between workers at a Kono mining company called Koidu Limited and the management of that company.

First Lady said after several attempts by the Vice President and the Chief Minister had failed to yield any dividend in resolving the dispute, her husband His Excellency the President Dr. Julius Maada Bio turned to her and requested of her, in her capacity as a daughter of Kono, to please take over the negotiations between the frustrated Kono people and the company.

The First Lady said upon receiving the request from President Bio, she first discussed with the Minister of Labour & Employment and together, they both commenced serious discussions with the company.

First Lady Fatima said she repeatedly told Koidu Limited that whilst some of her husband’s officials may have allegedly been collecting bribes from the company, she did not want a single cent from the mining company. H.E. Fatima said she told them that she only wanted the workers in Kono to be made happy.

The irrepressible First Lady said she pushed very hard during the negotiations over the past three months and eventually she got Koidu Limited to agree to a huge chunk of her demands on behalf of the workers. She said for example, the company agreed to increase by 30%, the salaries of all workers below the level of supervisors.

First Lady then dropped the shocking information that spurred her to travel from Freetown to go and lead the workers against Koidu Limited yesterday.

First Lady said as of last weekend, the only sticking point that had remained were just a few such as the issue of providing transportation for the mining workers.

Lamentably, the First Lady said that whilst on the verge of the historic agreement being endorsed by Koidu Limited, certain “dog mortal man” inside her husband’s Government went behind the back of her husband and herself and told Koidu Limited to reject any more negotiations if the First Lady was involved.

According to the First Lady, she said that treachery spurred Koidu Limited to have the audacity, the disrespect and the cheek to write a letter to her saying they now wanted to deal with “a Government institution” and no longer with the First Lady.

Continuing her explanation, the First Lady said Koidu Limited took such a disrespectful letter addressed to her and wrote that they copied to the Chief Minister David Sengeh and the Mines Minister but it was not copied to the Labour Minister who had been working diligently with the First Lady all these months to settle the workers’ issues.

“Who is David Sengeh for Koidu Limited to write to me and copy Chief Minister David Sengeh when the company knows I only engaged them on the directives of the President of Sierra Leone who has the fullest confidence in me that I can fight effectively for my Kono people without taking brown envelope bribes?” the dynamic First Lady thundered out her words to much jubilation.

First Lady Fatima said it was just an utter “disrespect” by Koidu Limited to “write such a letter and copy the Chief Minister”.

She derided the disrespect by asking repeatedly “Who is the Chief Minister to be copied in such a disrespectful letter? What makes Koidu Limited believe that they can write me such a disrespectful letter?”

In a very determined mood, the First Lady said she wanted to know who pushed Koidu Limited to disrespect her efforts to get a good deal for the workers.

“Who pushed them to believe they can disrespect my husband’s directives for me to help my Kono people get good salaries and improved working conditions? Well, Koidu Limited should now know that neither Sengeh nor the Mines Minister are the President of Sierra Leone. My husband is still the President of Sierra Leone and he is the one who gave me the assignment to fight for my people in Kono,” the First Lady asserted to thunderous applause from the workers.

Madam First Lady was speaking as she led an unprecedented mammoth sized peaceful protest through the streets of Kono against the district’s major mining company known as Koidu Limited. The workers of Koidu Limited all dropped their tools, abandoned the mining site and joined the First Lady to protest against the company.

As the First Lady marched through the streets in Kono, she was adequately protected by dozens of elite members of the Presidential Guards including armed police and military officers.