BY Kabs Kanu
The Millennium Challenge Corporation ( MCC ) grant program worth nearly U. S $500 million will after all not be the only U.S project about to be suspended by the U. S government. There are more coming.
This was one of the bombshells dropped by the U.S Ambassador to Sierra Leone, His Excellency Mr. David Reimer in his prerecorded interview with Radio Democracy 98.1 that was leaked in Freetown today.
In the interview which should have been aired on 98.1 today before it was leaked on social media but was aborted when the radio was deliberately switched off by the SLPP government to stop people from hearing it, Ambassador Reimer clearly stated: “Sierra Leone had done everything else up to that point to get a compact… (but) given the fact that there are all sorts of questions about the results, we’re taking a look at everything, and that includes the MCC compact.”
Ambassador Reimer said that suspensions of programs will not affect initiatives which constitute the US work with the people of Sierra Leone , including health programs, but he left nothing unsaid that the U. S would review its government-to-government programs, including a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact grant .
These punitive actions against the Maada Bio government are precipitated by the outcome of the June 24 , 2023 multi- tier elections which the U.S, UK , European Union ( EU ) and international observer teams believe were rigged by the Maada Bio government .
Said Ambassador Reimer : “The United States is concerned about irregularities in the results that were announced by the ECSL — that includes a big difference between the ECSL announced results and the parallel vote tabulation, as well as inconsistencies that were analyzed by domestic and international observers. “All of these things raise questions in our mind… about the integrity of the official results.”
And it is not as if President Bio did not receive prior warnings from the U. S government that these consequences would result if he rigged the elections. He was warned. Ambassador Reimer stated that : “In the year or two preceding the compact, we were very clear with the government of Sierra Leone that in order to get a compact they needed to have a fair, free, open, and transparent election. “
If the U. S government carries out its plans to reevaluate government- to – government programs between the U.S and the Sierra Leone governments; it will lead to wholesome suspensions of economic and technical assistance that will cripple the Bio government.
Today’s development was greeted with joy by a cross- section of the Sierra Leone public who are also disconcerted with the SLPP government for boldly stealing the elections. As for SLPP supporters, they condemned the Ambassador and accused him of interfering in the domestic affairs of Sierra Leone.
Political observers, for their part. thanked the American ambassador and the Government of the U. S. for standing up for democracy in Sierra Leone .They are delighted that President Bio will not get away with it after all.
