Many Sierra Leoneans are of the view that the last presidential election conducted in the country was rigged. Members of the main opposition party, All People Congress (APC) are aggrieved and irked by the results announced by the chairman of the National Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone, Mohamed Konneh because they are inclined to believe that their party should not have lost the election. However, many will agree with me that President Bio’s first term was not far from mediocrity, but he did well in some areas just like those before him.

He invested in the educational sector in the country as his free education initiative enabled many poor Sierra Leoneans to send their children to school which lessened the burdens on the part of parents. That singular giant stride of his was unprecedentedly unprecedented, and he deserves to be extolled regardless of your political sentiment.

Further to that, his first term in office also led to the abrogation of some draconian laws that were affecting media practitioners especially the seditious libel law enshrined in the Public Order Act. This enabled media practitioners to practice without any petrification.

Moreso, the proliferation of rape was permeating like a pestilence, and he ensured that he hit hard on the perpetrators during his first term. As it stands, many men out there are cognizant of the legal implications of raping either an underage or an adult. If his government had failed to put severe punishment in place, it would have been an unmitigated situation by now.

On the other side of the spectrum, his first tenure also saw economic hardship in the country which made many Sierra Leoneans unable to afford three square meals a day. Prices of commodities made a wide range of Sierra Leoneans unable to cook every day like they used to. Many people would only cook once a week rather than every day.

To add it up, taxes were high to the extent that businesses were crippling to survive during his first tenure, and it is something that he should swiftly look into during his second term in office.

To climax, Bio’s tenure may not have been perfect, but since many Sierra Leoneans have entrusted him for a second term, we can only hope that he does the needful by rejuvenating the areas that need urgent attention like agriculture, unemployment, high-cost of living and the list goes on.