Emmanuel Sahr Saffa

A BROKEN STATE
By: Emmanuel Sahr Saffa
In quest to understand the subject that has pre-occupied many minds for over the past years and even now, which is as topical as it is relevant. The downfall of Sierra Leone on the count of the Sierra Leonean politician as the major factor causing poverty within Sierra Leone because our politics lacks hygiene. The hygiene in our politics has disappeared since 1967, during which one party state of governance was introduced and this marks the beginning and induction of corruption which has eaten into the fabrics and prosperity of this great nation in prospect but which has been destroyed by negative politicking and governance. In order to divulge what is actually meant in this topic and remain faithful to ny chosen subject, I will carefully deliberate on various sector of the government
THE ECONOMY
Sierra Leone is a small country with an area of 71.620 square kilometers (about 28,000 square miles) situated on the West Coast of Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a population of about 7.5 million and a population density of 69 per square kilometer (2014 Population and Housing Census). The country is bordered by Guinea on the North and Liberia on the South, with the Atlantic Ocean on the West. Sierra Leone for the past two decades has been going through massive transformations thriving towards economic growth and development. However, judging from the present economic trend, one can conclude that Sierra Leone has in the past been suffering from economic retrogressions. Human Development Index (HDI) report still locates Sierra Leone as one of the least developed nations in the world. This leaves one to wonder why Sierra Leone with its vast natural mineral endowment, agricultural resource base with good potential for raising yields and rich fisheries should find itself there. Agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy. Diamonds bauxite, iron ore, rutile and gold are the minerals that make the country rich in natural resources, diamond being the premier one. Sierra Leone economy started experiencing downfall in the revenue collections and economical setback in the 1980s when the nation led by late president Siaka Stevens hosted the organization of African Unity (OAU) summit. The government lavished huge sums of foreign exchange on the summit, reserves was seriously drained and leaving behind a huge debts which lead to a balance of payment deficit. The deficit in the economy was also affected due to the huge expenditure for the hosting of the OAU and the declines in prices for the country’s export are the primary cause for slow growth in the economy. The Leones started depreciating in value with relation to the Dollars or other foreign currencies, diamond and gold export fell sharply. Political instability also contributed greatly to the economic degradation of Sierra Leone as coup de-tats becomes spontaneous which resulted to treasury drainage and colossal external debts. The rebel war in March 1991 caused lot of economic activities to remain sluggish, as all sector of the society has suffered tremendous setbacks. All these had their impacts on the country economy growth rate and hence it level of development. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) twice rated Sierra Leone as the poorest country on the globe. The cessation of hostilities due to war and eventually restoration of peace nationwide strengthened confidence, which facilitated economic recovery. With the signing of the Lome Peace Accord, government implemented or adopted more comprehensive economic recovery programme, supported by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The European Union and UN-DFID also supported the government’s economic recovery programme. The programme aimed at re-establishing macro-economic stability, rehabilitating the economic and social infrastructure and rebuilding capacity for policy formulation and implementation. Moreover, with sound economic policies and favorable relations with development partners, the Sierra Leone economy witnessed an overall impressive performance in 2006. Growth was driven by a revitalized mining sector with sustained agricultural output and service delivery. The growth momentum was also facilitated by strong support from the development partners through loans, grants and donors to support macro-economic stability and good governance.
The 1991 constitution required government as part of their obligation to the people to “harness all the natural resources of the nation to promote national prosperity and efficient, dynamic and self-reliant economy” But a decade and half now we see a nation where the economy is constantly going down, an economy where people finds it very difficult to feed and take care of their basic needs. According to our new political heads (the new direction administration) our economy is the worse among countries in the sub-Saharan region. In this economy of our state we see a nation where young and potential men and women (youths) are unable to explode their talents because there are no platforms or opportunities to exhibit these talents. Coming up as a young man in this country thriving with all dedication, determination and commitment to eke-out is hard as climbing Mount Everest simply because our leader’s appetite for money and public funds is completely insatiable. Because of the undiversified nature of our economy, unemployment and productivity across all sectors has created limited capacity to generate jobs causing high level of poverty in the country. Unemployment is not only a challenge for these youths but turning many into something undesirable, youths continue to see gerontocracy dominance in every spheres of governance. Approximately about 20% of people in the economy within the labor force are working (employed) and remaining 80% struggling to make ends meet. Our people live a mysterious life of what can be referred to as “han to mot” (Daily bread or survival). The government generates huge revenue from taxes paid by the people and receive donor funding but no effect on the lives and livelihood of the common Sierra Leoneans at grassroots. Sierra Leone as a nation does not experience economic development but rather individual development (chosen few) only certain set of people prosper at the expense of the entire nation. We cannot feed ourselves because the funds meant for agriculture has been consumed by the people we select to run our affairs. ‘When we are given chance to select our leaders we select hyena to take care of goats and when they are consumed we wonder why”. We are among the most resources nation in the world but we cannot run or cater for ourselves without foreign interventions because our leaders desired it to be that way. The government responsibility to provide for its citizens basic necessities or amenities but however, cannot provide them because of that thing called corruption, “usai den tai kaw na de e de et” (A cow grazes where it is tethered). The advent or beginning of high level of (corruption), embezzlement of public funds meant for national development pocketed by private individuals. Our annual budgets over the years showed the allocations of monies to different sectors in the economy but these monies allocated are invisible and accounted for. Inflationary measures are deliberately avoided; our macro economy is shattered in the hand of our trusted political economists. Our government is not accountable and transparent to their people, our dignity, integrity and pride as a nation is no more because of corruption. Corruption is an endemic in Sierra Leone. Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index has ranked Sierra Leone 119th out of 179 total countries because corruption is prevalent in many aspects or sectors of the society in Sierra Leone.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Sierra Leone following independence in 1961, it had been a British colony since 1808. Sir Milton Margai became the first prime minister and ruled the country under the Sierra Leone people’s party (SLPP) political banner until his death in 1964. His half-brother Sir Albert Margai succeeded him until 1967, when Siaka Stevens, All people’s congress (APC) party leader, won the election, which was followed by a military coup. Siaka Stevens returned to power in 1968, and several years later declared a one party sate, the APC as the sole legal party. It was the beginning of ‘rotten politics” hygiene started disappearing from our politics, which many will say sprout and contributed to the eleven year disastrous civil war. Many say it was a revolutionary war, liberation of the people from their corrupt government. All the issues that emerged from the war have implications on human rights and corruption as influenced by power dynamics. After the periods of both slavery and colonization we gained independence because we wanted to run and control our own affairs, which was good for our dignity, integrity, pride and prestige as a nation. But as time goes by Sierra Leone started producing leaders one cannot imagine. Leaders who feels their country owes them, leaders with no morals. We asked ourselves for what purpose did we gain that thing called independence because we weren’t seemed prepared for it. Our democracy is in turmoil, the citizen’s right and opportunity to express their views on matters that affect their welfare is not guarantee either through media or their elected representatives. Impartial justice system, our government guarantees basic human rights only with regards to tribe, region and party affiliates. Oppression and marginalization of individuals, both within and outside of tribal groups; the trust and confident of people in their elected officials and state institutions are broken by fake promises they made .people no longer have that trust and confident in the politics of the nation and for nation building and socio economic transformation because their politicians only seeks largely their own interest than the people who voted for them. Our nation is in the state of persistent bankruptcy because we have monsters as leaders. An ordinary citizen in Sierra Leone will tell “we jus vote fo dem’ (we only voted for them) meaning they are not sure or certain if their elected officials will work for the common good of the nation. The peoples trust and expectations are constantly betrayed; their will are not considered as they assumed power. This nation has been divided by politics based on tribalism and regionalism, where people from the north and south are being divided by their different political ideologies and this has divided our nation. During elections political parties in bid to attain power divides us by preaching wrong sermons of hatred and insightful statements which causes violence and misconduct by supporters on other peace loving Sierra Leoneans. They attack each other personally and even physically with weapons all in support of their party vision. Politics has been and still is our problem that has broken our state.

THE CONSTITUTION
Sierra Leone is a constitutional republic with a unicameral parliamentary and with three spheres of government, national government, local and chiefdoms councils all subjected under control by the central president elected during national elections. A constitution is an attempt to embody necessary principles of government in a single document. Our constitution has been broken, the constitutions as a systems of laws, contraventions and customs by which a country is governed; which can commonly be called the “ground norm of a state’ the highest document that contravenes any other laws and customs. Our political leaders interpreted this sacred document in a way that best suit their interest not considering the will of the people or what it clauses or sections actually intended to mean. A popular case study is the sacking of the former vice president and the mayor of a city council and most recently the parliamentary election for the selection of the current speaker. For the past years this nation has experience unconstitutionalities and demonstrations of no respect for the rule of law. The most sacred document of the land is not properly interpreted by political legal practitioners and not adhered to by our leaders. Our constitution has been broken.

GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
Institutions are structures that support government programs in pursuit to achieve its objectives and effectively deliver proper and adequate services to its people. But infrastructural developments within Sierra Leone is anything but a challenge because the money meant to build roads, bridges schools, health care centers and other necessary facilities goes into the pocket of government officials. Our governmental institutions are broken. In this section we will look at our various government sectors as education, the judiciary, media and the health sector.

THE EDUCATION SECTOR
At independence Sierra Leone inherited a British type education system which was biased because it was only made available and accessible to the elitist and aimed purely at the urban middle class or those who were academically gifted. In later years more emphasis was placed on the education sector by the government because it was considered to be the rock upon which the nation could build free, democratic and economically-viable society as a result Sierra Leone witnessed a phenomenal growth in the education sector. Primary and secondary were established by private individuals and UN agencies provide technical assistance by rehabilitation of secondary schools and revise syllabuses in science, mathematics, English and social studies. Education in Sierra Leone is legally required for all children to be educated and the government should provide educational facilities at all levels of the education which must focus on the following:
Character and personality development
Cultivation of desirable attitudes
Interests, ability and aptitudes
Manpower needs of the country
The economic resources of the state
In 1980s Sierra Leone educational system started crumbling due to the huge expenditure by the then Siaka Stevens’ government on the Organization of African Unity (OAU) summit, uncontrolled corruption and the drastic reductions of funds from the International Monetary Funds (IMF) reduced the amount of funding in the education sector. Greater premium was put on wealth than education; this clearly spoke volumes about the country’s future. The government according to the constitution shall “provide all necessary structures, finance and supportive facilities for education as and when practicable” but shortage of infrastructure, schools and teachers poorly motivated has made education a challenged to many children. Two thirds of the adult population of the country is illiterate despite the increasing awareness in education. According to written history, Sierra Leone was used to be called the Anthems of West Africa but not anymore. Sierra Leone has one of the longest histories of western education in the sub-Saharan Africa all gratitude to the Christian missionaries who established these institutions. The values and standards of these institutions and the entire education sector dwindling or falling as every day passes. The first school and college (Fourah Bay College opened in 1827) and (Grammar school in 1845) in the sub-region of West Africa, which contributed in producing Sierra Leones greatest intellectuals and some across Africa and these institutions attract people from all over West Africa and Africa as whole to come to these noble institutions for learning but through the vicissitude of time our education systems drops to an extent that we go to countries we educate to get quality education. Our educational systems are poor to an extent that the honor and accolades it used to have faded away because it lacks quality. Our education sector has been politicize, instead of our politicians leaving academic to the academia’s, what we see is a clear manifestation of political involvements in the education sector especially in universities and this has repel effect on the standards of our education.

THE JUDICIARY
The constitution states “the government shall secure and maintain the independence, impartiality and integrity of the courts of law and ensure that the legal system promotes justice and equal opportunities to citizen are not denied by reason of economy or other disability”. The judicial systems in the state have been politicize hindering it ability to enable the protection of human rights, provide equal opportunities, fair and impartial access to the judicial sector, the judiciary which is an important organ of the government charged with the responsibilities in administering the law through court systems with various functions like to interpret the law and determine its meaning, resolves disputes among individuals and the state, interpret the constitution and most importantly advise head of state but these amazing functions has been breached by political interference. The independence of the judiciary in Sierra Leone is always questionable and untrusted because politics has taken root in the judicial systems. The ordinary people in the country on the other hand cannot channel their grievances to court in quest to seek remedies because they don’t trust and have no confidents on the independence, impartiality and credibility of the judiciary to deliver desired justice. With deliberate attempt made by certain legal practitioners and other Sierra Leoneans to keep the judiciary separate and independent but politics has still crumbled it operations.

THE HEALTH SECTOR
Our medical systems are broken because the budget meant for it effective operations has been consumed leaving the sector dilapidated. Our typical Sierra Leonean politicians when they are sick they will not go to Connaught to be treated they will go to another civilization for better treatment because they don’t trust the medical systems which they preside over. Medical care is not readily available and accessible particular to the rural areas because doctors and hospitals are out of reach by many people living the villages. The free health care provided by the government still remains a major challenge for these villagers and many are evenly not aware of those rights to free health care. Accessibility and affordability of the health care systems is an impediment to many Sierra Leoneans. Just like other countries in Africa, access to quality health care can be difficult and often sometimes require bribes for hasty access simply because medical practitioners are under pay by our government. Corruption has contributed immensely to the failure in major health care initiatives including a policy that would provide free maternal health care to women in Sierra Leone. A Sierra Leonean woman who thought upon independence they will go around their community hospitals to deliver safely but still a victim of village mid-wife, also a Sierra Leone woman who thought they will fetch water from a tap in his compound but will have to walk miles to fetch unclean water and they still suffer maternal and infant mortality because the medical systems provided by their government is poor. High death rate tolls our health sector every day, the sector is not better because it has been broken by bad governance and politics.

THE MEDIA
The Sierra Leone constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and freedom of the press; but however, the government maintains strong control of media, and at times restricts these rights, many journalists and advocates who have being agitating on behalf of their people and challenge government on issues affecting Sierra Leoneans are normally imprisoned in exercise of their social rights and responsibilities by political elites. Access to internet is extremely slow in many areas of the country, television stations are centralized only in few big towns, exception to the radio which is highly used by Sierra Leoneans. The media is not better because it has been and is amputated by the government. Section 11 of the 1991 constitution states: “The press, radio and television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this constitution and highlight the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people”. But, people don’t speak out on the affairs affecting them and don’t question the direction they are taken by their political elites without the fear of being arrested.
REFERENCES
Joe A.D Alie, Sierra Leone since Independence 2006:
The 1991 constitution of Sierra Leone, Dr. Peter L. Tucker Report