… Sierra Leone on Ban List
By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Government led by Rt. Brig. Dr. Julius Maada Wonnie Bio, politically tagged as the Champion, the Lion, the Conqueror, may have become a soft touch for dishonourable global categorisation and ranking.
Yet, the president of the richly endowed West African nation continues to expend huge sums of money scooped from the Consolidated Revenue Fund on numerous international journeys purportedly to rebrand a nation observers say had nothing to rebrand on the eve of his assuming its governance affairs!
Sadly, while the nation was patiently waiting to reap the good fruits of these expensive diaspora voyages and purported rebranding moves over the time, what have visited and stayed with Sierra Leoneans so far are embarrassing low rankings on global indices, overwhelming international cocaine scandals, and now a US proposed travel ban.
Mines and mineral resources-rich Sierra Leone ranks shamefully among countries with the highest inflationary trend in food prices, and even the Hunger Index. This would not have been had the Paopa government demonstrated a serious political will in implementing their “Feed Salone Project.” But it now seems this project was designed only as a strategy instrumental to attracting donor funds, not to actualise food security in the country.
While the country is grappling with dire economic circumstances amid global cocaine scandals, and many more, it has suddenly appeared on the list of countries whose citizens are to be banned from entering the United States if President Donald Trump’s Executive Order issued in January gets a clean bill of health.
43 countries stand to face the US travel ban, but the category in which Sierra Leone finds itself remains the concern. The country sits in the Orange category together with Russia, Belarus, Eritrea, Pakistan, Haiti, South Sudan, Laos, Myanmar and Turkmenistan, countries that are considered not well placed in the global books.
Though the travel ban proposal is yet in its draft form and is subject to changes, the “Orange” category in which Sierra Leone falls is second to worst on the list, in that issuance of visas to citizens of countries under this category would be “Sharply Restricted.”
Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Venezuela, Libya, Cuba, Sudan Somalia, Bhutan, and Yemen fall in the “Red” category, and citizens of these countries would face a complete travel ban if Trump’s Executive Order holds.
Fortunately, the countries under the “Yellow” category are 26 in number, and will be given 60 days to address security concerns before a final decision is taken on them.
Commenting on the new development, firebrand lawyer – constitutional and rights advocate – Augustine Sorie-SengbeMarrah writes: “Our government spent 7 straight years bragging about actively cleaning our nation’s (image) abroad only to land us into international cocaine scandals of embarrassing proportions and on a proposed US travel ban mainly because of a weak or corrupt governance. Maybe it’s time for a Result/Performance Audit of the numerous travels. I have no doubt that the results will reveal shocking dimensions of waste and absolute lack of value for taxpayers’ money.”
The Paopa government is famous for its mantra “Paopa Salone for Betteh.” But with the poor political and socio-economic state of affairs, coupled with the devastating cocaine scandals, poor international relations, widespread internal corruption and mismanagement of state resources, the alleged harbouring and close protection of Europe’s most wanted drug baron that has undermined the country’s moral standing, and the manipulation of democracy that has left the country partially isolated and badly affected, Sierra Leoneans are asking, “when will betterment come under Bio’s Paopa government?”