The ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) President Julius Maada Bio led government has come under heavy criticisms by the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) and members of the public for the use of public and civil servants and school children for what government called a ‘thank you float parade’ for governance’s achievement in the areas of free quality education among other sectors in last five years.

The ruling SLPP is also accused of wrongfully owning credits for the passing of the Gender Bill as well as for the illegal removal of public and civil servants from their official jobs for which they are being paid by the state and joined a pro-ruling SLPP for their thank you float parade.

The bill, according to the APC press release issued yesterday 16 March 2023, was enacted through the collective participations and efforts of all Members of Parliaments including opposition lawmakers who also voted in favour of the law.

“Civil and public servants are paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund… sourced by various other legitimate national revenue mobilization means established for and on behalf of Sierra Leoneans. This is why the APC is very concerned that the GoSL would force the operations of the state to a halt by compelling government employees to participate in a float parade to thank the government”, the release notes.

The APC party however describes government’s neglect of state duties as a blatant politicisation of the public and civil services, as well as a reckless wastage of their productivity, expressing their dismay and disappointments at government’s claims of prioritizing education could be so desperate to the point of conscripting pupils during school hours to boost the SLPP Bio-led regime deflated political posture.

“We hold the government fully responsible for the suffocation and exhaustion which innocent pupils were exposed to during that ill-fated partisan march past. This forced march is identical to another incident in Bo, again by government, that led to the hospitalisation of hundreds of school children”, the release said.

The opposition however strongly condemns the reckless and desperate actions of the SLPP government, urging authorities to ensure that adequate medical services are provided to the victims. The APC party extended their heartfelt sympathies to the affected children and profusely thanked the women of Sierra Leone…our Members of Parliament and our bilateral and development partners for the support they collectively gave to the Gender Bill.

It could be recalled that government under the leadership of the Bio led SLPP Tuesday 14 March converged children from school across the municipality of Freetown to State House in a float parade to thank him for his five years governance achievement in diverse sectors, which his opponents described as ‘misrule’ and ‘wastage of state resources’.