By Stephen Sahr Mambu
We Sierra Leoneans are highly intelligent people with the highest I.Q. scores among Africans across the continent. And yet, due to lack of vision and caring among some of our leadership, we have not really applied our intelligence for the maximum benefit of our nation.
Across the rest of Africa, we hear grumblings about ‘colonialism and the crass exploitation’ of the continent to benefit outsiders but not ourselves; well, I am here to fix that, at least for Sierra Leone. It’s time that we gain the benefits of the riches our country is fortunate to possess. The secret is to bring in the skills, experience and the resources of a more developed culture, partnering with them to gain the benefits of what they have learned to do:
SO HERE IS THE POLICY IN A NUTSHELL: A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNANCE WITH THE BRITISH.
I gained the perspective to devise this new idea in part because of my personal exposure to more advanced wealthy countries while studying abroad. That unique global experience will help me lead our nation to greater heights.
Case in point: We embraced the British system of government, which is not originally our own. It only makes sense, then, to gain insights from those who created it. We can’t expect to develop a better system of governance without the participation and insights of the British since they created what we embraced.
Here’s further perspective on my policy. The way that Almighty God distributed the resources is an untapped marvel of potential for us all. He graced the African continent with 90% of all the natural resources on the planet, but buried them underneath the ground.
In effect, the Almighty God has said, ‘I am a sharing God. And to Africa? I will give you these natural resources without the means for fully utilising them to your advantage. You are therefore granted the chance to discover the opportunities beneath your feet: Using these remarkable resources to make you a wealthy nation.’
Meanwhile, it seems God continued: ‘I gave Africa the resources but not the knowledge of how to maximise them. Simultaneously, I gave the West fewer natural resources and advantages, but allowed them the expertise and the insights of development. So let’s see if these disparate cultures can learn to cooperate for the the shared good of humanity across the planet. That is the lesson waiting to be learned and turned into action.’
People of Sierra Leone: this is our opportunity! It’s time to do away with such over-use of ingratitude like ‘colonalism and exploitation’. Remember: it was the English who built for us the University College of Sierra Leone, FBC (Athens of West Africa), before they sent the first railway to the United States. I refer to “John Bull” now on display at the Washington Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. It’s a famous example of the innovative expertise that we now have the chance to harness for the financial well being of our nation.
Consider, that a prominent African-American institute of higher education like the Licoln Uinversity College in Philadelphia – a product of Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana-first mislabeled Africans as victims of ‘colonalism and exploitation’, rather than being blessed with riches from which our nation can profit and prosper.
What is deeply and profoundly sad about Africans in general is that we typically follow the marching order of words, while failing to research and verify if these statements are true. This despite the fact that most Africans knew that our continent was built by Europeans. They met nothing in Africa, but huts not fit for humans to live in. So the other culture that discovered us actually helped advance us.
Despite of the ungrateful words like ‘colonalism and exploitation’ versus words like ‘development and progress’, no tangible proof of these statements has been shown to be correct.
Europeans built Africa. They did this in our unused rain forest, extracting natural resources, processing them. Certainly, they benefited, but they also achieved results which help to build and truly advance our continent.
How can natural human beings with a basic common sense not acknowledged the tremendous human sacrifices made by the Europeans in the face of tremendous malaria and other deadly tropical diseases that devastated these Europeans in the ‘dark continent of Africa’?
The great news is: We have much room to grow! So why not create a common sense policy to reverse the underdevelopment of Africa?
I am blessed that my political philosophy is deeply and profoundly rooted in my most beloved Catholic faith in Almighty God. It is a common sense approach to help my beloved Motherland of Sierra Leone to flourish.
The influence of the British Civil Service on our governance system in Sierra Leone will limit the unproductive effects of tribal divisions within our government. The British Civil Service will employ qualified Sierra Leoneans while limiting the influence in our Civil Service System. This means being rational and smart for the development of our nation. The opposite currently is practiced by the Maada Bio administration and those of the past administrations since our Independence in 1961.
Let’s establish a smarter and better Civil Service System within our nation, on the very same level as the current three branches of our government. Let’s learn from and incorporate the British Civil Service System approach into the way we lead and develop Sierra Leone.
It’s time to do away with the ugly ingratitude that words like ‘colonalism’, ‘exploitation’ convey. Let’s instead focus on two positives, and key words like: ‘cooperation and development’ and ‘opportunity’ as we collaborate with the British.
Our shared future will be much better, much brighter as a result.
I am ready and eager to make that happen as your beloved President.
