Incumbent Presidents who work for the common good takes a little time to convince the voters for a second mandate. But, those who chill more than the work during their tenure find it difficult to sell their policies and programmes to the people for a second coming: President Julius Maada Bio falls into the category of weak performers. 11 months to 2021 elections, Bio still finds out to know which route to walk to create a political climate that favours him.

He is also seeking ways to mitigate the impact of his 4-year failings. But, the 2023 elections is just 11 months to go, and one does not wait for the 11th hour, and a pig cannot be fattened on the market day. Weak governance indicators have hallmarked President Bio’s administration and have persisted for a long time.

Their effect is intense and sign of receding remains faint. Bio has not only failed in critical sectors of governance but also has failed to protect his people from criminality and other fraudulent schemes, One of the greatest fraudulent syndicates My Coin money took place in Bo city in Southern Sierra Leone where people have been robbed of hundreds of billions of Leones.

The money, sources say, is held at the Bank of Sierra Leone while the fraud victims continue to perish and fester in the worst of conditions. The exact total could not be quantified as the victims are many and countless. Investigation of the fraud has taken a time longer than expected..

The time which the investigation should have been completed is long overdue, and signs of bad result have already shown As the probe moves at a snail pace, accusing fingers are being pointed at Bank Governor Professor Kelfala Kallon and President Bio for depriving the people of their hard-earned money .

One of the victims, Mamie Junisa (not her real name) told this press that the ‘My Coin’ business group is genuine, but it is government that is derailing the project. “Government hold on to our money without paying  us,”

she said. She made reference to those who have benefitted from the scheme after putting their money there. “We have suffered too much for money we have genuinely worked for. Why is government doing this, to us she vented out her sadness.

Without working hard to ensure that the money is given back to the customers, government is accused of complicity, and that will heavily weigh down hard on government in the not-too-distant future. It has not taken long after Bo residents were frauded by a group of impersonators called Wealth Builders.

The fake buinessmen took billions of money away from the impoverished town. Efforts made by the people of Sierra Leone to get back their money was watered down by the then government. The people are powerless, and the only way to hold government accountable is to snub them when they come again for votes It goes without saying that the fraud costs ex-President Koroma many votes in the south. A similar situation will also runt President Bio in next year’s elections.

Since Bio has found it difficult to cover up his failings, he embarks on bizzare ways to make it to the polls. Credible sources have informed this press that one of the most effective ways is to halt the pump and fanfare of next year’s election.

The main suppression tactic is to reduce crowds in the streets. Credible sources have intimated this press that a ban wil be placed on election rallies to reduce threats of violence. The proposed ban is not about mitigating violence, but a way of suppressing the people’s right to association and assembly..

Nowhere in the world can people go to elections without rallies and gatherings. They are ideal platforms for politicians to educate the electorate, and sell their policies and ideologies to them.

For decades of multi-party democracy in Sierra Leone, the country has never gone into election without holding and organising rallies, but But these are inimical to Bio, and the only way is to stop them. It is also expected that the rallies if left unsuppressed would show the scale of Bio’s unpopularity. Close to five years, Bio has not lived up to expectation as Sierra Leone remains a hub for hardship for many Sierra Leoneans with the low income earners on the wrong end and hardest-hit.

The electorate are determined to demonstrate it through the ballot box by voting out Bio. Fo avert the threat, the ban is sure to come. The act could be fatal and counter-productive as the people are set to resist the ban. Men in the Street have threatened to disobey the ban next year, and have warned government not to venture it now and in the future.