Human Rights Lawyer, Basita Michael, has refuted claims made by Presidential Spokesman, Alpha Kanu, stating that 70% of the country’s rural population is now employed.

According to Michael, such a statement by Kanu is not only misleading but dangerously misrepresents the grim employment reality in the country, especially when made without reference to credible, verifiable data, serves to distort public perception, obscure necessary policy interventions, and silence the genuine struggles of millions of citizens.

Michael made reference to a report by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, which states that over 70% of Sierra Leone’s youth population which is estimated at 1.5 million are either unemployed or underemployed, and nearly half are illiterate and unskilled. She added that even those in employement have been described by GIZ as “working poor,” which she said paints a far more sobering picture of the challenges facing young people in the country.

It is imperative that watchdog institutions such as the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) actively counter misinformation. Platforms like Dubawa and Africa Check must move beyond occasional fact-checking and respond robustly to statements that attempt to erase the socioeconomic struggles of citizens.

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Citizens deserve a government and public officials who are honest about the challenges they face, not one that attempts to ‘flip’ their reality. Words have power, and when used irresponsibly by those in authority, they can deepen mistrust and disengagement among the populace.
She called for the retraction or correction of which she described as misleading employment claim. “This is therefore a call not only for the retraction or correction of the misleading employment claim, but also for greater vigilance and accountability in public communication. Truth and transparency must remain the cornerstone of responsible governance.”