Sierra Leone’s ruling party lawmaker Hon. Musa Fofanah on Thursday defended President Julius Maada Bio’s administration during a parliamentary debate on the President’s recent address, saying the government is delivering data-driven development across multiple sectors.
Fofanah, a second-term member of parliament representing Kono District under the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), said the government’s progress was grounded in planning and evidence-based policymaking, contrasting it with what he called “unstructured” governance by previous administrations.
“For 58 years of our country’s history, no government has worked with a proper national document for planning and precision as we are doing today,” he told lawmakers. “This government is guided by data — we plan, we implement, and we deliver.”
Fofanah, who chairs Parliament’s Committee on Economic Development and Planning, dismissed opposition criticism of the government’s energy policy. He said national electricity coverage had increased from 15% in 2018 to over 36%, despite setbacks caused by transformer vandalism.
He cited the former All People’s Congress (APC) government’s 2015 promise to generate 1,000 megawatts of power by 2022, questioning its delivery record. “When the former government promised 1,000 megawatts, they left this country with barely 15% energy access. Today, in less than six years, we have more than doubled that,” he said.
Fofanah said the current administration has electrified seven district headquarter towns, including Kono, Moyamba, Pujehun and Karene, and expanded rural access through solar and grid systems.
On agriculture, he said rice production had increased from 60,000 metric tonnes under former President Tejan Kabbah to nearly 1 million metric tonnes projected by the end of 2025, adding that the country was saving foreign exchange through local food production.
He also cited progress in road and bridge construction, noting that four major bridges had been completed and at least ten major road projects were underway. “From Freetown to Kailahun, from Kono to Karene, construction is ongoing. That is visible development,” he said.
Fofanah said the government had also made “bold steps” to address Freetown’s water shortage, pointing to the installation of large storage tanks in the Hill Station and Tower Hill areas to improve dry-season supply.
He added that the Kono Maternal Hospital of Excellence would be handed over within a week, describing it as a key healthcare milestone for his district.
“This is a government that has changed the narrative,” Fofanah said. “From energy to health, roads to education, we have local politicians working with a global vision.”
He urged opposition lawmakers to focus on constructive debate. “We are not in this Parliament to tear down what is working,” he said. “We are here to strengthen it.”
