Sierra Leone today is a country where the suffering of the ordinary citizen is written on every street corner, in every household, and in every struggling parent trying to feed their family.
Yet, while the sons and daughters of the soil are jobless and sinking deeper into misery, rogue foreign businessmen are being handed the keys to our economy, our contracts, and even our sovereignty.
This is not just betrayal—it is daylight robbery sanctioned by our own politicians.
In almost every government ministry, department, and agency, foreign businessmen—Indians, Chinese, Lebanese and others—have captured the largest contracts. From military supplies to police procurement, from passports to driver’s licenses, from mining concessions to government catering, foreigners are looting state resources while Sierra Leoneans are left as beggars in their own land.
Our so-called leaders have turned into auctioneers, selling contracts and opportunities to the highest foreign bidder while our graduates roam the streets jobless. Sierra Leoneans with qualifications, skills, and experience are ignored because they cannot afford to bribe ministers or offer kickbacks.
This sell-out is unique to Sierra Leone. In Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, and even Gambia, no foreigner can simply walk in and take over state contracts or open businesses without partnering with citizens. These countries have deliberately designed their immigration and labor systems to protect their people first.
For example in Ghana, A work permit for a foreigner costs thousands of dollars, and strategic sectors like mining, retail trading, and transport are restricted to Ghanaians only.
No foreigner can open a corner shop or transport business without local majority ownership.
Similarly in Nigeria, to operate in oil, construction, or trade, foreigners must partner with Nigerians and employ locals in significant numbers. Work permits are strictly controlled, and penalties for illegal work are severe.
Of course in Rwanda, Residence and work permits are tightly regulated. Even skilled professionals cannot just take jobs without proving that no Rwandan is qualified for the role. This ensures that Rwandans always come first.
And even in South Africa immigration and work permits are so expensive and restricted that they generate huge revenue for the state while ensuring South Africans benefit from jobs and contracts.
Meanwhile, in Sierra Leone, foreigners enter with tourist visas, overstay without consequence, operate businesses without work permits, grab lands, own properties, and win government contracts—sometimes with forged papers.
They pay next to nothing, while in other countries, immigration fees and permits generate millions for national coffers.
To add insult to injury, both past and present governments have sold out Sierra Leonean passports, including diplomatic passports, to rogue foreigners. Sierra Leonean citizenship—something sacred, something that should belong only to those born of this soil—has been traded for dirty dollars.
Chinese businessmen, Middle Eastern mafias, and shady operators from across the globe now boast Sierra Leonean passports.
They use them to loot contracts, launder money, and exploit our weak systems.
Meanwhile, ordinary Sierra Leoneans suffer the indignity of being treated like second-class citizens even in their own country.
This betrayal by our leaders is costing Sierra Leone dearly. Every foreign businessman who wins a contract takes the money back to his country.
Millions of dollars meant for schools, hospitals, roads, and jobs are siphoned off to build mansions in Beirut, New Delhi, Guangzhou, or Dubai.
Our economy remains stunted, our young people remain unemployed, and our poverty deepens daily.
Parents are collapsing under the weight of school fees and food prices.
Depression and hardship are sending Sierra Leoneans to early graves. Yet, the government continues to celebrate “foreign investors” who are nothing but parasites bleeding this nation dry.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) turns a blind eye to these crimes.
Instead, it chases poor policemen, teachers, and clerks for petty bribes, while the real looters—the politicians and their foreign cronies walk free.
The ACC’s silence on the theft of contracts, the sale of passports, and the illegal presence of foreigners in our economy is proof that it has been captured by the same corrupt system.
This rot did not start today. The previous APC government opened the gates wide to foreign exploitation.
But under the SLPP government of President Julius Maada Bio, things have gotten worse. Every passing day, Sierra Leoneans sink deeper into hunger while politicians tell us we are “happy” and “doing well.”
This is a dangerous lie. Sierra Leoneans are not happy. They are tired, frustrated, and angry. Our politicians have sold us out, and foreigners are feeding fat on our sweat.
Our laws must be rewritten to put Sierra Leoneans first and therefore Foreigners must not be given contracts without local partnerships and things like Work permits and residence permits must be expensive and strictly enforced.
And the way to go is that our immigration service must generate revenue for the state, not for corrupt officers and for land ownership, the lands Ministry must ensure that no foreigner should own land without strict regulation while our Passport sales must end immediately, and citizenship must be sacred.
Until Sierra Leoneans are prioritized in jobs, contracts, and opportunities, our country will remain enslaved by rogue foreigners and their corrupt political allies.
The time has come to reclaim Sierra Leone for Sierra Leoneans. The Bio government has messed up big time and Sierra Leoneans are craving for change !!
The system is designed for a few corrupt politicians ; inclusive of some corrupt opposition APC politicians who connive with the rulling SLPP government to keep the people in abject poverty and some of these guys are contractors in the Bio government .
Yes , they still collect !! And some are on monthly salary from the state ; hence why they are silence on these malaise .
A few , within the opposition APC disguise , day time and night time to collect brown envelopes ; hence you can’t see any vibrant opposition in the country .
They sold the votes of the people!!
Yes , they are selfish, greedy and corrupt and part of the present state of affairs of the country.
And politicians like Andrew Lavallie who dressed in fake civil society robes are disguising and have become spokespersons for the Bio government.
Lavallie who was a member of the Solo B campaign team in 2007 presidential elections like many of his party card holders have shown their real faces since !!
It’s visible! they fixed paid for skewed research and subjective opinions on national issues siding the SLPP government.
Time will tell !!
By Joe Turay
Public Review newspaper online series : 3rd September , 2025
