By Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara
It is deeply unfortunate that the Chief Minister has referred to the All People’s Congress (APC) as an “unprogressive” party. Such a statement fails to acknowledge the undeniable strides the APC made in transforming Sierra Leone during its time in power. The APC’s track record in education, infrastructure development, healthcare, and the promotion of peace and democracy speaks for itself. To dismiss these achievements with sweeping generalizations not only distorts historical reality but also undermines the hard work and progress that the APC delivered for the people of Sierra Leone. It is crucial that we base our discussions on facts, not rhetoric, and give credit where it is due.
Let me start with Education:
The APC education record towers over any SLPP government. We established the Law and medical schools, as well as facilitated the establishment of EBKust, UNIMAK, Limkokwing, and laid the foundation for the establishment of the Eastern University in Kono. If these are not progressive ideas, then what is it?
Social Development:
What the APC has done in social infrastructure, the SLPP will only dream of in propaganda.
We connected every part of the country in ways that travel time that used to last for a day could now be done in a few hours. It’s the APC that also connected the country with its neighbours through first-class trunk roads.
We built township roads in every district HQ town from internally generated revenue. No debt burden on our children!
Energy and Health: An Enviable Record:
The APC record in access to electricity, pipe-borne water, and healthcare services, especially for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and under-five children, is unmatched by any government.
Rule of Law and Peace:
The APC’s progressive record is even more impressive when it comes to democracy. Our rule of law, Legal Aid, and human rights credentials are unparalleled, to the extent that by the time the APC left power in 2018, Sierra Leone was reckoned as the 4th most peaceful in Africa and the most peaceful in West Africa.
Under the watch of the APC/EBK, the UN acknowledged that Sierra Leone was a storehouse of lessons of post-conflict reconstruction and Peacebuilding. All major benchmarks and President Obama commended Sierra Leone under the APC as one of the few “countries in Africa where democracy had taken root.” This is contrary to the current battered image of a government constituting itself in the face of rogue elections.One only needs to read the Amnesty International reports and the US State Department human rights reports on Sierra Leone to realize how deep our nation has sunk into the abyss of poor governance and human rights violations.
In conclusion, I strongly caution the Chief Minister to be more thoughtful and responsible in his statements. Dismissing the APC as an “unprogressive” party not only misrepresents history but also undermines the efforts and sacrifices made by those who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Sierra Leoneans. Instead of resorting to baseless rhetoric, it would be more constructive to acknowledge the progress that has been made, learn from it, and work towards building a future that continues to uplift the nation. It is important to remember that constructive criticism, grounded in facts, fosters progress not division.
