By Albert David
In Sierra Leone today, the promise of connectivity has turned into a betrayal of trust. Citizens are relentlessly defrauded, cheated, neglected, and abandoned by the very institutions meant to safeguard them. Network providers, regulatory bodies, and even parliamentary committees such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Committee on Information and Communication have failed in their duty, while co‑opted civil society groups remain silent. Amid this troubling silence, one of the few voices courageously standing with the people is civil society advocate Edmund Abu, who continues to expose the rot and demand accountability.
Internet services are deteriorating by the day. Sierra Leoneans pay with their hard‑earned money, expecting reliable access, only to be left stranded without the services they purchased. Providers enrich themselves with impunity, while ordinary citizens are forced to endure outages that cripple their businesses, studies, research, and daily lives.
Government institutions, ministers, and official mouthpieces enjoy uninterrupted internet access, shielded from the chaos that ordinary Sierra Leoneans face. This dual reality is not only unethical and uncivilised, it is a betrayal of public trust. It reveals a system where rogue operators and complicit regulators collude to cheat the very people they are meant to serve.
The consequences are devastating: Businesses ruined as customer service collapses without connectivity. Students and researchers blocked from accessing vital information. Journalists and media houses silenced, unable to report or publish in real time. Investments destroyed or undermined, both local and foreign, as dishonesty and unreliability network services scare away partners.
This is not merely poor service, it is a systemic scam that undermines Sierra Leone’s credibility in the global digital economy. The situation is worrisome, disturbing, and deeply troubling. It is a national disgrace that internet providers operate as unchecked profiteers while regulators and parliamentary committees look away. Sierra Leoneans deserve transparency, accountability, and a digital infrastructure that supports, not sabotages their future.
Civil society must rise above co‑option, and voices like Edmund Abu’s must be amplified. The people cannot continue to be cheated while their leaders enjoy uninterrupted privileges. This betrayal must end.
