DR. SENGEH SAYS: 70% OF MANIFESTO BASIC EDUCATION ACHIEVED

Minister of Basic and Senior School Education Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has stated that the Ministry in three years has been able to deliver on about 70 percent of the New Direction People’s Manifesto commitments on free and quality education.

He made this disclosure on Thursday during the weekly government press briefing held at the Ministry of Information Conference Hall Youyi Building.

“We’ve done about 70% of what we said we will do in the manifesto and the remaining 30% we’ve started already. There is no basic education commitment that is in the manifesto that we have not started already,” according to the minister.

He said in achieving the quality aspect of education, they’ve recruited 5000 teachers, assessed over 4,000 teachers and about 10,000 have undergone training, implemented 10% allowance for teachers in 2019 and in 2020 they added a 30% salary increment for teachers.

He said teachers made up about 40% of the payroll and there are presently about 85,000 teachers in the country.

He said a lot has been done for teachers, however, noted that as a government, they understand the challenges teachers are faced with and one of which is that many teachers don’t have pin codes, noting that government can’t possibly employ all the teachers.

The Minister said 3400 new schools have been approved and the government spent Le 150 Billion every academic year on school subsidies alone.

He said in the recent past, they are recording the highest number of passes ever in science subjects like mathematics, chemistry, physics among others, noting that there is a notable reduction in examination malpractice.

“For the first time in Sierra Leone, we are developing the Basic Education curriculum framework and the civic education curriculum framework. What we are using presently are syllabuses from Nigeria and Ghana, we gonna develop syllabuses based on what we want our children to be educated on like critical thinking, creativity, and the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.

He said they’ve brought the highest amount of money in education ever which is the World Bank USD$ 70 Million.

He said the ministry has built about 100 early childhood classrooms last year and they are expanding about 100 again this year, noting that they recently commissioned 327 classrooms nationwide that were built last year.

“We have continued to expand on teachers’ development, infrastructure development, learning, and curriculum, restructuring the human resources at the Ministry and policies development,” he said.

He said recently cabinet approved a policy on radical inclusion which they named ‘Paopa all man for learning book’, adding that they are also ensuring that every chiefdom has an adult education learning center so that the illiteracy rate in the country can be reduced.

“Improving Education and Skills Training Investing in quality education – primary, secondary, and post-secondary (including technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and university) will help transform Sierra Leone’s natural and mineral resources into sustainable development. Education is the key to individual, community, and national development. Education helps lift people out of poverty and creates vast new opportunities to reduce unfair income distribution and increase choices. It creates awareness and helps to sustain democracy and peace,” according to figure 3.1 in the People’s Manifesto under Human Development

First High Court Criminal Session Ends In Karene District

The Resident High Court Judge of Koinadugu District presiding over cases in Karene District, Hon. Justice Abdul Rahman Mansaray (J), has ended the first High Court holden in Kamakwie Town, in the North-West Region of Sierra Leone.

The Special High Court Criminal Session commenced with 12 cases ranging from Manslaughter; Possession of Small Firearms; Conspiracy; Wounding with Intent and Sexual Penetration among host of others.

The cases were prosecuted by State Counsel Aruna Jalloh Esq whilst Ibrahim Samba Esq. defended the accused persons.

During the session, accused Sinnah Kamara was brought before the Court to answer to one count charge of Murder. According to the particulars of offence, accused Sinnah Kamara on the 23rd day of February, 2019 at Laiya Loko Village in Sanda Loko Chiefdom, Karene District in the Northern province of the Republic of Sierra Leone murdered Ali Sesay.

The accused pleaded not guilty.

In his submission, the State Counsel told the jurors that the accused killed the deceased out of malice and therefore the act of killing, if not sanctioned, is inexcusable. He defined Murder as provided by law, stating that the act was unlawful in all forms and shapes.

 At the end of trial, the jury returned with a unanimous verdict of not guilty of Murder.

In his judgement based on the ‘not guilty verdict,’ the Hon. Judge, Justice Mansaray acquitted and discharged the accused of the offence of Murder.

In similar development, Justice Abdul Rahman Mansaray convicted accused Alhaji Kabba on two counts of Manslaughter and Possession of Firearms. On Count one, he was sentenced to Twenty years imprisonment and Count two, one year and six months. Sentencing to be run concurrently.

On the case of Sexual Penetration, Justice Mansaray acquitted and discharged accused Sulaiman Bangura.

PR MUSLIM PAGE

8 Health Benefits of Fasting, Backed by Science

1. Promotes Blood Sugar Control by Reducing Insulin Resistance

Several studies have found that fasting may improve blood sugar control, which could be especially useful for those at risk of diabetes.

In fact, one study in 10 people with type 2 diabetes showed that short-term intermittent fasting significantly decreased blood sugar levels (1Trusted Source).

Meanwhile, another review found that both intermittent fasting and alternate-day fasting were as effective as limiting calorie intake at reducing insulin resistance (2Trusted Source).

Decreasing insulin resistance can increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin, allowing it to transport glucose from your bloodstream to your cells more efficiently.

Coupled with the potential blood sugar-lowering effects of fasting, this could help keep your blood sugar steady, preventing spikes and crashes in your blood sugar levels.

Keep in mind though that some studies have found that fasting may impact blood sugar levels differently for men and women.

For instance, one small, three-week study showed that practicing alternate-day fasting impaired blood sugar control in women but had no effect in men (3Trusted Source).

Summary Intermittent fasting
and alternate-day fasting could help decrease blood sugar levels and reduce
insulin resistance but may affect men and women differently.

2. Promotes Better Health by Fighting Inflammation

While acute inflammation is a normal immune process used to help fight off infections, chronic inflammation can have serious consequences for your health.

Research shows that inflammation may be involved in the development of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis (4Trusted Source).

Some studies have found that fasting can help decrease levels of inflammation and help promote better health.

One study in 50 healthy adults showed that intermittent fasting for one month significantly decreased levels of inflammatory markers (5Trusted Source).

Another small study discovered the same effect when people fasted for 12 hours a day for one month (6Trusted Source).

What’s more, one animal study found that following a very low-calorie diet to mimic the effects of fasting reduced levels of inflammation and was beneficial in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory condition (7Trusted Source).

Summary Some studies have found
that fasting could decrease several markers of inflammation and may be useful
in treating inflammatory conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

3. May Enhance Heart Health by Improving Blood Pressure, Triglycerides and Cholesterol Levels

Heart disease is considered the leading cause of death around the world, accounting for an estimated 31.5% of deaths globally (8Trusted Source).

Switching up your diet and lifestyle is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Some research has found that incorporating fasting into your routine may be especially beneficial when it comes to heart health.

One small study revealed that eight weeks of alternate-day fasting reduced levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides by 25% and 32% respectively (9Trusted Source).

Another study in 110 obese adults showed that fasting for three weeks under medical supervision significantly decreased blood pressure, as well as levels of blood triglycerides, total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol (10Trusted Source).

In addition, one study in 4,629 people associated fasting with a lower risk of coronary artery disease, as well as a significantly lower risk of diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease (11Trusted Source).

Summary Fasting has been
associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease and may help lower blood
pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels.

4. May Boost Brain Function and Prevent Neurodegenerative Disorders

Though research is mostly limited to animal research, several studies have found that fasting could have a powerful effect on brain health.

One study in mice showed that practicing intermittent fasting for 11 months improved both brain function and brain structure (12Trusted Source).

Other animal studies have reported that fasting could protect brain health and increase the generation of nerve cells to help enhance cognitive function (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Because fasting may also help relieve inflammation, it could also aid in preventing neurodegenerative disorders.

In particular, studies in animals suggest that fasting may protect against and improve outcomes for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

However, more studies are needed to evaluate the effects of fasting on brain function in humans.

Summary Animal studies show
that fasting could improve brain function, increase nerve cell synthesis and
protect against neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and
Parkinson’s.

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5. Aids Weight Loss by Limiting Calorie Intake and Boosting Metabolism

Many dieters pick up fasting looking for a quick and easy way to drop a few pounds.

Theoretically, abstaining from all or certain foods and beverages should decrease your overall calorie intake, which could lead to increased weight loss over time.

Some research has also found that short-term fasting may boost metabolism by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which could enhance weight loss (17Trusted Source).

In fact, one review showed that whole-day fasting could reduce body weight by up to 9% and significantly decrease body fat over 12–24 weeks (18Trusted Source).

Another review found that intermittent fasting over 3–12 weeks was as effective in inducing weight loss as continuous calorie restriction and decreased body weight and fat mass by up to 8% and 16% respectively (19Trusted Source).

In addition, fasting was found to be more effective than calorie restriction at increasing fat loss while simultaneously preserving muscle tissue (19Trusted Source).

Summary Fasting may increase
metabolism and help preserve muscle tissue to reduce body weight and body fat.

6. Increases Growth Hormone Secretion, Which Is Vital for Growth, Metabolism, Weight Loss and Muscle Strength

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a type of protein hormone that is central to many aspects of your health.

In fact, research shows that this key hormone is involved in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

Several studies have found that fasting could naturally increase HGH levels.

One study in 11 healthy adults showed that fasting for 24 hours significantly increased levels of HGH (24Trusted Source).

Another small study in nine men found that fasting for just two days led to a 5-fold increase in the HGH production rate (25Trusted Source).

Plus, fasting may help maintain steady blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the day, which may further optimize levels of HGH, as some research has found that sustaining increased levels of insulin may reduce HGH levels (26Trusted Source).

Summary Studies show that
fasting can increase levels of human growth hormone (HGH), an important protein
hormone that plays a role in growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle
strength.

7. Could Delay Aging and Extend Longevity

Several animal studies have found promising results on the potential lifespan-extending effects of fasting.

In one study, rats that fasted every other day experienced a delayed rate of aging and lived 83% longer than rats that didn’t fast (27Trusted Source).

Other animal studies have had similar findings, reporting that fasting could be effective in increasing longevity and survival rates (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

However, current research is still limited to animal studies. Further studies are needed to understand how fasting may impact longevity and aging in humans.

Summary Animal studies have
found that fasting could delay aging and increase longevity, but human research
is still lacking.

8. May Aid in Cancer Prevention and Increase the Effectiveness of Chemotherapy

Animal and test-tube studies indicate that fasting may benefit the treatment and prevention of cancer.In fact, one rat study found that alternate-day fasting helped block tumor formation (31Trusted Source).

Similarly, a test-tube study showed that exposing cancer cells to several cycles of fasting was as effective as chemotherapy in delaying tumor growth and increased the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs on cancer formation (32Trusted Source).

Unfortunately, most research is limited to the effects of fasting on cancer formation in animals and cells.

Despite these promising findings, additional studies are needed to look at how fasting may influence cancer development and treatment in humans.

Animal and test-tube studies indicate that fasting may benefit the treatment and prevention of cancer.

In fact, one rat study found that alternate-day fasting helped block tumor formation (31Trusted Source).

 W ARTICLE

THE OSWALD HANCILES COLUMN

 

Salone’s “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER!”

“Diamonds are forever,

They are all I need to please me,

They can stimulate and tease me,

They won’t leave in the night,

I’ve no fear that they might desert me…

“I don’t need love,

For what good will love do me?

Diamonds never lie to me,

For when love’s gone,

They’ll lustre on….”

– Shirley Bassey, from the soundtrack of the movie that starred Sean Connery as James Bond, “Diamonds are Forever”.

 

Diamonds and erotic love  – engagement and wedding rings given by males to  females – are fused in the global consciousness -  from Freetown to Paris, Dubai to Beijing, New York to Moscow.  In the abovementioned 1972 film theme song for “Diamonds are Forever” by Shirley Bassey, she sang that diamonds are superior to erotic love. That was an earth-shaking statement. Diamonds AND Sierra Leone are fused in global consciousness.  The political boundaries of Sierra Leone are shaped like a diamond that has gone through the best of diamond jewelers in New York. Sadly, in spite of Sierra Leone having been the source of some of the FOURTH BIGGEST DIAMOND IN THE WORLD – “The Star of Sierra Leone” – and some of the biggest diamonds used by some of the most powerful and wealthiest people on planet earth, the people of Sierra Leone have gained very little since the industrial mining of diamonds started in the 1930s.  Instead of diamonds being a blessing to Sierra Leone, it has been a typical example of an African  “resource curse” – not only because of irreparable and irreversible environmental damage as the diamonds are mined; but more so, because diamonds have awakened the worst of greed and insensitive predation of the political and bureaucratic elite, which escalated during the eleven years civil war – 1991 to 2002 – when the ferocious  quest for diamonds by armed combatants, mercenaries, government soldiers, international troops…. was the rationale for the meting out on the hapless citizenry some of the most sordid brutality seen in modern history. 

 

The diamonds that almost littered the rough and muddy roads of the diamond-rich Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone from the 1930s to the 1970s and could  be easily picked up by a five year old child are no more.  Diamonds in the district today are largely mined by large scale industrial companies like Koidu Holdings. They dig a mile deep into the granite rocks.  They shatter homes and lives for miles around them.  I suspect successive governments of Sierra Leone since Independence in 1961 have no technology, or, professionals with integrity, to monitor exactly how much diamonds are being mined and exported by these companies – they meekly take what these companies give out to them, with childish naiveté. I suspect that the Kimberley Certification process concocted after the civil war in Sierra Leone to prevent “blood diamonds” reaching the international market has been a charade to salve the consciences of the global diamond merchants in South Africa and the West – but, the SLAVE MENTALITY of governments in Sierra Leone have them  accepting with slavish minds this  global diamond status quo.  I have an idea to reverse this pathetic scenario for Sierra Leoneans/Africans.

 

The Guru’s “Diamond Idea”.

We are going on a global quest for ALL the diamonds that have been mined from Sierra Leone (and Africa) and have been made into exquisite jewelry.  We are going to search for the STORIES of LOVE around these  diamond jewelries; and rubbish Shirley Bassey’s song that diamonds are superior to love.   Have in mind, please, that the entire jewelry diamond trade has been an illusion created by two white men – the famous British colonialist, Cecil Rhodes, who founded Debeers about 1898; and Harry Oppenheimer, the American who bought part of Debeers about 1938, and together with a US advertising agency, N.Y. Ayer, set in motion the concept of a diamond as the ultimate symbol of romance for hard-working citizens. The story line sold to people was this: by putting an almost valueless  rock called a diamond on the finger of their sweetheart, the breadwinner was not only displaying unparalleled affection, but also displaying enviable social status. And the bigger the diamond, the better! I aim to ride on the wave of this crafted illusion.

 

“The Star of Sierra Leone”

 

The 968.9-carat  “Star of Sierra Leone” diamond was discovered by miners on February 14, 1972, in the  Diminco  (National Diamond Mining Company) alluvial mines in Koidu town, Kono District, in Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.   It ranks as the fourth-largest gem-quality diamond in the world. On October 3, 1972, Sierra Leone’s then President, Siaka Stevens (APC Leader), announced that Harry Winston, the famous New York city jeweler, had purchased the Star of Sierra Leone for about $2.5 million. It was recut into a 42-carat pear shape by New York cutting firm, Lazare Kaplan. The rough diamond also produced 17 additional diamonds, of which 13 were deemed flawless. The largest single finished gem was a flawless pear-shaped diamond of 53.96 carats. Six of the diamonds cut from the original rough diamond were later set by  Harry Winston into the “Star of Sierra Leone” brooch – it is likely worth more than $6 million. A rare characteristic of the stone is its perfect chemical purity: it is ranked as a “Type IIa Diamond”, a category which includes less than 1% of all diamonds.

 

“Diamonds are Forever” Advertisements

Diamonds are not by themselves rare minerals.  Debeers monopolized the diamond industry globally which started by 1898 in South Afriica. He bought nearly all diamonds sold.  He prevented a glut in the market. He gave the impression that diamonds were extremely rare. Then, by 1938, US entrepreneur, Harry Oppenheimer, bought part of Debeers  With a United States advertising agency, N.Y. Ayer, the greatest advertising marketing feat in human history was unfolded. In the US alone, diamond jewelry revenues were estimated at $24 billion in 2012; and by 2020, 54% of the US’ jewelry trade of $78 billion comprise  of diamonds – almost $40 billion. The same goes for the global jewelry annual market of $229 billion, largely in the West, and China, Japan, the Arab Middle East, and India 

 

In Japan in 1967, only 5% of Japanese women used diamond rings for their engagement; by 1981, the number has jumped to 60% of Japanese women. Japan never had a tradition of romantic marriages, making diamonds a tough sell for brides. But by using slick advertising, playing up diamonds as a symbol of the modern West, or a way to break from traditional Japanese norm, De Beers was able to build a billion-dollar-a-year industry.  Now, the ‘stories of jewelry diamonds’.

 

Exciting Diamond Stories!!

Let us take a close look at the “Taylor-Burton Diamond”. The original rough diamond was found in 1966 in the Premier Mine in South Africa.  It weighed 241 carats.  It was to be auctioned in the US after being made by jewelers into a much-talked-about jewelry. The diamond was flown to Gstaad in Switzerland so that the most famous Hollywood actress of the time, Elizabeth Taylor, could see it. After she had seen it, it was flown back to the United States for the auction. Taylor’s equally famous husband, the actor Richard Burton,  had set a maximum bid of $1 million for the diamond. The sale proceeded in increments of $10,000 after $500,000, and only two people remained at the bid of $650,000. At $1 million, Yugler, who was bidding for Taylor and Burton, dropped out of the auction. Other famous names that put in a bid for the diamond included one of the most famous US jewelers, Harry Winston; another was the Sultan of Brunei (reputed to me one of the richest men in the world); another was the Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis (made more famous when he married the wife of  the assassinated John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States, the most famous stylish fashion icon of her era, Jacqueline Kennedy). Richard Burton had initially lost out. His reaction?

 

Burton wrote in his diary: “I turned into a raving maniac …I was going to get that diamond if it cost me my life or 2 million dollars -  whichever was the greater. “  In the 1970s, the celebrated love affair of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (who  married Elizabeth Taylor; divorced Elizabeth Taylor; and married Elizabeth  Taylor for the second time) was daily in nearly all the US media, with the same intensity that the Western media devoted to Princess Diana, the deceased first wife of the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles. Richard Burton managed to buy the diamond for a million dollars, a record then, three times what was previously paid for a diamond jewelry. The diamond was subsequently named the “Taylor Burton Diamond”.

 

There are diamonds on the fingers of hundreds of millions of ladies in the richest countries of the world – each diamond carries a story we are going to track down among the famous and powerful, and link to the diamonds of Africa, AND Sierra Leone. To sheen our quest, there is the 1971  Hollywood film  “Diamonds Are Forever”, which starred the sexiest film star of his era, Sean Connery, from a novel by one of the greatest novelist of his time, Ian Flemming.  Then, there is the movie “Blood Diamonds”, set against the backdrop of the civil war of the 1990s in Sierra Leone. It’s the story of Danny Archer (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) – an ex mercenary from Zimbabwe – and Solomon Vandy (played by Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman of Sierra Leone, whose son had been kidnapped by the rebels, and made to murder and maim civilians. Archer’s main goal was to get from Vandy a rare pink diamond; Vandy’s obsession was to save his son from the nasty rebels. It was a stirring story of an African father’s  LOVE triumphing over the GREED of the venal white man. See my story line…?

 

We are going to soften the ‘hearts’ and kindle the consciences of the millions of women who may have ‘blood’ on their hands (at best, a lot of dirt in their minds because of the millions of Africans who slave night and day to dig out diamonds only to live at starvation levels)

in their  purchase of diamonds from Sierra Leone/Africa.  They will ‘save themselves’ by contributing directly, or, indirectly, towards development of Sierra Leone/Africa. A form of “Diamond-

Reparations’. Shirley Bassey’s lyrics are wrong.  It is love that gives gloss to diamonds; love’s luster that will last forever.

I pause,

Oswald Hanciles, The Guru

BAD GOVERNANCE IN SIERRA LEONE:

DO THE YOUTHS STILL HAVE A FUTURE ?

By Prof the Legal Guru.

 

It all started well when the youths of Sierra Leone rally behind a deceiving regime of the current President Maada Bio with the hope of a brighter  future. Tears were all over my eyes when innocent youths were teargas in a peaceful demonstration calling on the president and his government to come to their aid as students of Limkokwing University. Those sad moments would forever remain a history of the struggle for success by less privileged Sierra Leonean students whose families cannot afford to send them to the university. As we all know it that it’s an ingrained tradition for the Sierra Leone police to brutalise Sierra Leonean youths at the slightest provocation. But at the very centre of these protests are frustrated youth whose dreams are on hold and whose future is uncertain. They are youth who are genuinely interested in pursuing higher education and involves in good governance but are disappointed at the lack of it. All they could ever ask for was for the president to pay their fees which today has  turned out to be a fruitless endeavour after several years of struggle. Today Limkokwing University Students have finally reached their breaking point.

 

But what went wrong?

Under the watch of President Maada Bio, Sierra Leone has gone from being a failed state to a dead one. Virtually,  everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. In addition to the perennial problems that have bedevilled Sierra Leone over the years, there’s now a colossal systemic failure on the part of the government of the day. There’s mediocrity, there’s nepotism, there’s ineptitude, there’s incompetence, there’s propaganda, and there’s a dictatorship. Things have fallen apart and the centre cannot hold anymore. Under the watch of President Bio, Sierra Leone has gone from being a failed state to a dead one. There’s no conscience at State House,  no conscience at Sierra Leone Police, the military and the Ministry of Education with that of the Youth Ministry. Worst, there’s no conscience in  the Well of Parliament , the judiciary and other relevant offices of the government.

 

Sadly, when there’s no institutional conscience , guess what?  the  society groping in the dark, and a nation at a crossroad, a people are thrown into unprecedented hardships and a confused youth force whose future is on the verge of collapsing. Even though the country has habitually been plagued by bad governance and corporate ineptitude, but it has never been this bad. Sierra Leoneans have never been divided along ethnic and religious lines as they are today. The tension in the land is palpable with another civil war that seems  imminent. There’s anger, there’s anxiety, and there’s age-long resentment. Innocent and unarmed protesters are arrested, tortured, and brutally murdered, terrorism  act as displayed in Sierra Leone prison and bandits are  forgiven and even rewarded. Herdsmen, who have been wreaking havoc across Sierra Leone are treated as sacred cows under the influence of party colour while Sierra Leoneon youths who are rightfully protesting against bad governance, access to education are the scapegoats.

 

 I know many would want to know why the youth are furious?

For the youth, President Bio raised their hopes and tossed them and leaving them out in the cold. A typical case for this is today seen with the Limkokwing University 1,500 youths whose future has finally been destroyed by bad governance, tribalism, partisan and hate all in the name of GREEN AND mendacratism. What a mess for a president of a modern time, whose thought and senses are too small to see the essence of having such education an institution like Limkokwing and its productive students who are the bridge builder for a better nation.

 In his 2018 presidential elections campaigns, Bio promised to bring ‘change’ and to change the narrative.

And that ‘change’ was a promise many Sierra Leoneans craved for and looked forward to embrace. It was that promise that persuaded many to widely vote and gave the the responsibility to   President Bio to govern the nation.

However, three years down the line, it’s now very obvious that that ‘change’ was a fake campaign promise made in utmost insincerity? It was a promise shrouded in deceit, a promise that was never meant to be fulfilled. The only ‘change’ President Bio brought is hardship and more. His policies and agendas are a complete departure from his campaign promises. This is clearly seen in his utmost priority program which is education. The sad contrast is that today over 1,500 youths are perishing without any hope for their education. Life has become a lot harder and a lot more miserable. The youths, President Bio raised their hopes and tossed them, leaving them out in the cold. He promised to take them to the ‘promised land’ but left them stranded in the middle of nowhere.

 

In his electioneering campaigns, President Bio had among many things promised to create millions of jobs for the youths;  but the opposite has been the case here. In the past three years, many Sierra Leonean youths  have lost their jobs as many companies (local and international) have either collapsed or relocated to neighbouring countries, no thanks to Bio’s harsh economic policies. Under Bio, the rate of unemployment has tripled from what it was when he took over in 2018. This very failed president promised also to run an inclusive government in which the youths would have a voice, even as cabinet members. Currently, the only two youngest ministers in Bio’s cabinet are that of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education and the Youth Minister. The youths are completely out of the picture. Rather than being empowered, Sierra Leonean youths have been reduced to a bunch of frustrated citizens with many of them becoming political thugs and agents of destruction in the hands of the politicians. Some of them have even paid the ultimate price while the politicians are safe in their heavily guarded mansions.  Painfully, while the children of these politicians study in some of the best schools abroad and graduate on schedule, the youths in public schools in Sierra Leonean are taking ages to graduate due to incessant strikes by lecturers as the government cannot pay their salaries and dilapidated teaching aids. This isn’t what they bargained for. However, Sierra Leonean youtha aren’t furious because President Bio failed to create a million jobs as promised. They aren’t furious because they weren’t included in his developmental plans. They’re furious because President Bio has created a toxic environment for the youths, they’re furious at the lack of basic amenities, they’re furious about the lack of electricity, bad roads, the distorted academic calendar ,they’re furious about the absence of security and lack of enabling environment for entrepreneurship, they’re furious that they can’t even live without constantly walking on eggshells, the youth are furious about everything. To worsen the situation, they’re furious because they are today seen as thieves and thugs and that their very government cannot afford to pay their university fees.

 

The aforementioned, have  left many to ask the question as to whether if their future is still bright?

From endless protests to incessant arrests and extrajudicial killings by the Sierra Leone police, it’s not a rocket science to figure out that the future of Sierra Leonean youths  is under serious threat. Their future is now looking bleak. Thanks to a government that lacks vision and sound judgment ; a government founded on lies and deceit. Sierra Leonean youths want a future from where they can look back and not regret living. They want a future where they can be globally recognised entrepreneurs, business moguls, and Nobel Prize winners. They want a future they can be proud of.

However, that future is increasingly becoming elusive.

 

The of our youths is being mortgaged and sold off to the highest bidder. Their dreams are being killed and their ambitions are being squashed. And President Bio is driving this campaign of retrogression. For many youths, living in Sierra Leone is like skating on thin ice, it’s risky living in Sierra Leone under such bad government. If there’s anything the youths are certain of today, it is the uncertainty of their future. The  future of our youths that they have dreamed of and eagerly awaited is gradually slipping into delusion. The tomorrow they are  hoping  for is seemingly not coming. Their world is crumbling, their ambitions are taking a nosedive, and their dreams are increasingly becoming unrealisable while the government of the day watches.

 

Under President Bio, Sierra Leonean youths have been boxed into a place of despair, and from the looks of things, there’s no respite on the horizon. The bottom line is Sierra Leonean youths are frustrated. They have been driven to their breaking points and they have reached their elastic limit. For most of them, schooling or working in Sierra Leone is synonymous with leaping in the dark. For them, living in Sierra Leone is like skating on thin ice. If there’s anything the youths are certain of today, it is the uncertainty of their future.

 

It’s now very apparent that President Bio is not the Messiah Sierra Leone has been waiting for. He is not the President that will empower Sierra Leonean youths and save them from despondency. So, while they hope and wait for the ‘Messiah’ to emerge in 2023, Sierra Leonean youths will continue to live in Sierra Leone running around in circles.

 

And for those who can afford to leave Sierra Leone in search of greener pastures, Canada beckons. And not even the snow can stop them. There is hope for a new beginning come 2023.