When Julius Maada Bio swept into office in 2018 under the banner of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), he did so buoyed by a nation’s desperate hope. His campaign promised a “New Direction” — a break from corruption, mismanagement, and the stagnation of past regimes.
Citizens from every walk of life dared to dream of better schools, economic revival, accountable governance, and a future in which youth could thrive. But today, six years into his Presidency, Sierra Leone finds itself in a deeper quagmire than before. That hope has crumbled into despair, and the SLPP’s once-glowing promise now casts a long, dark shadow across the country.
President Bio’s central failure lies in his governance style — one that prioritizes optics over substance, loyalty over competence, and repression over reform. His leadership has been reactive, erratic, and at times, disturbingly indifferent to the suffering of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Far from being the unifier-in-chief, Bio has deepened ethnic and political divisions, fostering a climate of fear, favouritism, and fragmentation.
Despite his military background and his initial portrayal as a disciplined reformist, Bio has become emblematic of what he once opposed: a leader engulfed by the very corruption, nepotism, and inefficiency he pledged to destroy. His decisions have lacked strategic foresight, his governance has lacked moral courage, and his promises — from infrastructure to education — have largely turned out to be hollow slogans.
A government is only as good as the team that surrounds its leader — and Bio’s inner circle is a troubling reflection of his own leadership flaws. Many in his cabinet are selected not for skill or experience but for blind allegiance. Ministries critical to national development are led by party loyalists with little grasp of their mandates, resulting in administrative paralysis and failed policy implementation.
One glaring example is the Feed Salone initiative — a once-promising food security campaign that has collapsed under the weight of greed, incompetence, and mismanagement. Billions have vanished into unaccountable hands, leaving hunger and desperation in their wake. For a country where malnutrition remains a dire concern, this betrayal is not just a policy failure — it is a humanitarian disgrace.
The SLPP, once seen as the vessel of post-conflict national redemption, is today splintered, rudderless, and consumed by infighting. Internal battles between the party’s traditional power brokers and an emerging class of technocrats — most notably centered around the Chief Minister’s ambitions — have paralyzed decision-making and diluted the party’s ideological clarity.
Instead of providing stable governance, the SLPP has devolved into a battlefield of egos and political survival. The party machinery now serves personal ambitions rather than the national interest. As Sierra Leoneans demand answers, the SLPP offers only blame-shifting, deflection, and silence.
One of President Bio’s flagship policies — the Free Quality Education (FQE) program — initially ignited hope. But today, it stands as another grand failure. Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers underpaid and undertrained, and schools lack the most basic resources. What should have been a transformational program has been reduced to a politicized slogan — great for campaign speeches, woefully inadequate in practice.
Similarly, the much-hyped Lungi Bridge project, heralded as a symbol of infrastructural modernization, remains a phantom — all studies and no steel. The public has grown tired of artist impressions and feasibility reports while real roads, hospitals, and markets crumble daily.
Bio’s administration inherited economic challenges, no doubt. But instead of correcting course, it doubled down on the same reckless habits: bloated government spending, ballooning debt, and a runaway wage bill. Public procurement remains opaque, and state institutions are neutered by political interference.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), once seen as a beacon of reform, has lost credibility under allegations of selective justice. While minor offenders are paraded before the cameras, high-ranking officials connected to the presidency operate with impunity. The message is clear: corruption is tolerated — as long as it serves the regime.
Internationally, President Bio continues to enjoy the image of a reformist and democrat. But at home, his government has muzzled critical voices, restricted press freedom, and used state security to intimidate protestors. Civil liberties have suffered, and democratic institutions are weakening under the weight of executive overreach.
Public dissent is now treated as sedition. Peaceful protests are met with brutal force. Journalists and activists operate under a constant cloud of fear. In a nation that paid dearly for its democratic freedoms, this regression is alarming.
Sierra Leone’s economic reality today is harrowing. Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed. The local currency has depreciated. Youth unemployment is staggering. The once vibrant informal economy has been strangled by poor policies and over-taxation. Families are being pushed to the brink, unable to afford school fees, rent, or even daily meals.
Despite repeated borrowing, the government has delivered little in terms of infrastructure or job creation. The debt burden is growing, but so too is public frustration. Citizens now ask: where has the money gone? And why has so little changed?
A Regime of Excuses, Not Solutions
President Bio’s supporters often point to global challenges — COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, economic headwinds — as justification for the country’s failures. While these factors have had an impact, they cannot excuse the systemic dysfunction that predates them and has worsened under his watch.
The truth is painful but undeniable: Bio’s administration has failed not because of fate, but because of flawed choices, misplaced priorities, and an unwillingness to listen and reform.
Sierra Leone stands today at a crossroads — not just politically, but morally. The promises of 2018 have been betrayed. The SLPP has transformed from a symbol of renewal to an engine of decline. And at the helm of this sinking ship stands President Bio, whose leadership has fallen woefully short of the moment.
It is no longer enough to speak of potential, or to blame the past. The country needs transformation — not just in leadership but in governance, vision, and courage.
History will judge this administration harshly unless urgent change is taken. But one thing is already clear: rhetoric cannot build roads, feed families, or restore hope. Only bold, honest, and people-centered leadership can — and under the current regime, Sierra Leone continues to wait.
