The main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) has described the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) as a disgrace to the country. “SLPP is a disgrace. SLPP is not fit for purpose and has failed to live up to the expectations of the people”, said Minkailu Pa Yamba Koroma, one of the leading aspirants for the APC National Publicity Secretary.
Koroma made the statement on Sunday 5th February 2023 during an interview with Hope FM Media Junction talk show, hosted in Makeni, Northeast of Sierra Leone, by Stanley Bangura Jr.
He observed that the SLPP couldn’t meet their manifesto promises made during the 2018 presidential and general elections, especially in the areas of poverty alleviation and human capital development, and instead imposed abject poverty on the people, for which he said the SLPP should not be given another mandate.
Koroma blamed the President Julius Maada Bio led SLPP government for condoning corruption, pointing out that their ways and manners of handling and addressing national issues are not pro-people. He informed that corruption does not only limit to misuses of public funds but also has to do with even the recruitments of untrained and unqualified persons to hold public offices and get them paid from state coffers.
“Even when unqualified persons are appointed to public offices is also a corrupt act. The Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala for instance is not qualified for the position he holds. Francis Ben Kaifala does not meet the age requirement to hold the office of the ACC Commissioner. The flagrant flouts of public procurement rules and procedures are all corruption issues which the Bio led SLPP government should be busy addressing”, exposed Minkailu Pa Yamba Koroma.
He however catalogued the violations of the Public Finance Act among other critical blunders of the Bio administration which he described as corrupt acts that need to be urgently handled by the SLPP and Bio, rather than they keep intimidating opposition APC members with all sorts of politically motivated court matters.
The firebrand APC member furthered that the SLPP on assumption of office in 2018 accused the APC of corruption but have throughout their five years misrule and bad governance been on the spotlight for rampant corruption.
He said several audit reports have roped the Office of the First Lady, wherein Mrs Bio is always denying of receiving funds from the Ministry of Finance and added that the First Lady by law does not have legitimate function other than complementing roles to her husband.
“It has been revealed by the audit report that the wife of President, Mrs Fatima Bio receive funds from government”, he said, and added that until government come out with an alternative to that then the public will continue to go by the investigative reports of the Africanist Press, because they are facts.
Minkailu Payamba Koroma recalled that the SLPP and Bio were voted into office in 2018 based on their campaign manifesto presented to the people of Sierra Leone.
He described the much talked about 15% salary increment of teachers as mere deceptions, saying that the salary increments for teachers hardly take care of their social burdens.
He therefore urged government that salaries of all grades of teachers including other civil servants be harmonized to address their needs.
Koroma reassured that the APC is set to provide an alternative government that will liberate the people of Sierra Leone from the claws of the failed SLPP and Bio come June 24.
