Doubting Thomases, especially the APC and its surrogates, have been casting doubts over the election victory of President Bio come 2023, but we want to assure them that because of his massive development strides over the years, his re-election is certainly certain.
Ever since their ‘munku’ wild jubilations in Makeni after their convention, the shortsighted APC that was kicked out of power less than 4 years ago by President Bio should not fool itself or even dream of returning to the State House where there is no vacancy at the moment because “the talk en do” Chief Executive is firmly seated there and poised to give them a good run for their money whenever the whistle is blown.
It is obvious that the SLPP is poised to win the 2023 elections through popular votes, simply because within the space of the almost four years President Bio has been in power, his New Direction government has been amidst the extreme socioeconomic challenges posed to the nation’s economy by the Covid-19 pandemic not only succeeded in keeping the country going financially but also succeeded in undertaking very notable country transforming projects and programs that are ensured to change the country’s development dynamics positively in the medium to long term.
People who are talking about ‘bread and butter should remember that in trying to address it; President Bio launched the Medium-Term National Development Plan, through the Ministry of Planning and Economy Development (MOPED), to address the socio-economic and cultural problems of communities and citizens holistically across the country.
Citizens and political parties like the power-thirsty APC are expected to support the plan in making the areas of agriculture, foreign direct investment, fishery sector, energy, education, and telecommunication, among other things, achievable.
Among the notable achievements of President Bio, is the Free Quality Education program that now caters to at least two million Pre-Primary, Primary, and Secondary school going children, and on the economic transformation front, the start of the massive Rhombe and Torma Bum rice projects aimed at reducing Sierra Leone’s dependence on imported rice.
Under Free Quality Education, President Bio took the burden of paying school fees from parents for about 2.5 million school children in the country. The two agricultural projects, one in the north and the other in the south, will lead to considerable savings in foreign exchange as Sierra Leone currently spends about 250 million dollars annually importing rice.
These two major food security and job creation projects will not only transform the socioeconomic reality of the ‘chiefdoms in that they are going to be implemented, but they will also critically create at least five thousand new jobs.
Beyond that, they will have a great multiplier effect on the entire economy in terms of creating jobs for transporters, distributors, marketing, etc.
The list of President Bio’s socio-economic transformation of the country during these almost four years has included clean pipe-born water now available to the residents of the three provincial headquarters cities of Makeni, Bo, and Kenema. Whilst electricity continues to be a challenge, work is far gone on not only rehabilitating the archaic transmission and distribution system in the capital city but also on ensuring that all the provincial cities and district headquarters that have gone decades without electricity are provided for.
With the revision of the county’s mining laws and fresh incentives provided for credible overseas investors, the country’s mining sector is on the verge of a transformation that includes mining and smelting of gold in the country and several iron ore mining companies starting operations which means the creation of thousands of new jobs.
In his fight against corruption, President Bio has demonstrated that he has no sacred cow to protect in his fight against corruption, giving the several arrest and prosecutions of corrupt government officials by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission.
The joy and elation felt by the thousands of new teachers, soldiers, police, and civil servants that the new direction has provided with pin codes to earn a living and provide for themselves and their loved ones cannot be measured.
With renewed donor and international investor confidence based on the admirable work of the ACC and NPPA in curtailing widespread corruption in the country, coupled with the impressive tax collection achievement of NRA, every indication is that on the good governance and economic development fronts, Sierra Leone is on the verge of a great leap forward – Hence the reason why President Bio’s re-election is certainly certain.
Below are some of the completed jobs of President Bio since 2018 that will make his re-election certainly certain salaries 30% increment in teachers’, Abolition of criminal libel law, Massive roads projects around the country, and bridges including Mabang, Juba, Magbale, and Savage Street, Increase in NASSIT pension payment to Le 250,000, Massive revenue on including 20 billion Leones daily