A “FRESH START” FOR SIERRA LEONE PART TWO: ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION AND THE DIASPORA’S CONTRIBUTION In this second part of four articles, I will discus what changes we need in our country and what type of person would be best to bring them to Salone. Sometimes a country just needs a fresh start. Sierra Leone has made much progress since the return to democracy in 1996. The Government of President Tejan Kabbah and theSierra Leone Peoples Party laid much of the groundwork. It is without doubt thatPresident Koroma and the APC benefited from that legacy. While Salone has seen power change hands from SLPP and APC relatively peacefully, this masks serious political division in our country: the SLPP maintains its southern stronghold and the APC its northern bastion. Elections continue to turn on the middle – Freetown and Western/Rural areas and Kono. Yet, what all Sierra Leoneans can agree on is that we need more economic development, more investment, focus on youthengagement, addressing inequality and social justice and more jobs – and fast. Much of Sierra Leone’s economy is based on extractive industries, particularly the mining sector. While this does create jobs, it does not create many: mechanized production takes care of that. Another crucial industry is agriculture, yet much of our production is for our own tables. In both mining and agriculture, what we lack – that would create thousands of jobs, help boost our economy and create additional jobs in services companies such as shops catering to many Sierra Leoneans who would have money to spend – is processing and manufacturing. Take for example, cocoa beans - one of our big exports. Most are shipped raw to foreign countries and made into cocoa powder. It’s these other countries, where the cooking, preparation and packaging of these beans that are benefiting from the jobs our raw materials are creating. It’s just the same for mining. Our diamonds are unpolished and our aluminum and our titanium metals un-smelted. Imagine how many jobs we could create if only a fraction of the raw materials we extract from the ground were also processed here in Sierra Leone? And it’s not just by failing to create additional industries to our extractive and agricultural sectors that we are missing a trick. Take for example, electricity. In other countries in Africa solar panels are being fitted on homes and village halls that are paid for in small installments using mobile money transfer services, such as those we have in Sierra Leone. Instead of having to pay large sums up-front, small amounts are paid by individuals or communities using their mobile phones so their house or village can have light. The importance of this cannot be underestimated: with light in the evenings children can study their homework better; homes can be kept cleaner; neighborhoods can be walked safer; injuries incurred by many, just because they cannot see where they walking can be reduced. At the same time thousands of jobs are being created in other African countries installing and maintaining these solar panels. But this isn’t happening in Sierra Leone, and we all need to ask ourselves the question – why? The simple answer is that it is not the fault of people of Sierra Leone, but our political classes. They have taken the country as far as they can, with their limited experience. It is not surprising therefore our economy has not diversified away from digging raw materials from the ground or growing them in our fields. There are many good people in public life in our country – there are bad ones too – but it is true to say that our current leaders are reaching the end of their usefulness to the people of our country. If we want a fresh start, then we should consider, seriously, and without a descent into the political-party rivalries that have caused so much division in Sierra Leone, who would be best placed to seize the opportunities for development and job creation that other African countries are benefiting from. Currently the Presidential election of 2017/18 seems like a long way away, but as President Koroma cannot stand again as he is limited to only two-terms, both the APC and the SLPP will be seeking new candidates for this contest. Already in the SLPP there is jostling for position, with many names being considered in party meetings up and down the country, on social media and in the Diaspora. In the APC it is less certain who will come forward, as President Koroma has dominated his party for so long. Already though in both parties there are arguments being waged by those who say Sierra Leoneans who have spent time out of our country – in many cases gathering and learning the very skills that we desperately need in a leader to take the country forward and develop our economy – should not be allowed to stand to become party flagbearers. If notbeing in the country constantly during a period of war and the early stages of reconstruction were a reason to disbar someone from being elected President, then countries such as France would never have seen their greatest President Charles de Gaulle elected after the Second World War, nor would the countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have elected the leaders that took them into the European Union. Were someone from the Diaspora not seriously considered, or even barred from standing for flagbearer this would be serious mistake for Salone, and disadvantage not just the Diaspora, but the whole country. The diaspora often brings volume of invaluable skills, knowledge, experience and networks. Studies and research show that about 30% of new start-ups in Silicon Valley were done by people/ entrepreneurs of Asian descent. In fact, they have been a major factor in the IT and outsourcing boom in Asia. Chinas powerful diaspora send back almost $30-35 billion in remittances per year; in Philippines remittances account for almost 10% of GDP, which has supported construction of shopping malls and condominium complexes while Nigeria is in the top 10 of remittance recipients. Other countries with powerful Diasporans contributions are Mexico and Bangladesh. In short, other countries nourish, mobilize and encourage their diaspora, they do not legislate against them or disenfranchise them. What Sierra Leoneans – and our political parties – need to consider very carefully is who most likely to be able to bring manufacturing and thousands of jobs to our country? Who is best placed to help electrify our towns and villages? Who is most able to encourage international investors and friendly governments around the world to invest the funds so Sierra Leone can succeed? Is it, for instance, members of the civil service and those whojust never left the country? Or is it someone who has the experience who can give Sierra Leone the fresh start it needs? There are many of those who think that the person who should ascend to the Presidency of our country should be qualified to take us forward. Too many of our current politicians just think it’s their turn: but that should never be good enough for the people of Sierra Leone. We should think big, and that’s when we will have the fresh start we need – and the President we so very much deserve. And who might fit the bill? There are increasing number of Sierra Leoneans – from the north, south, west and east – as well as those countrymen and countrywomen who live abroad – who believe there is one candidate that is more qualified than any of the rest.But first we must consider further the background we want that candidate to have for the most important job in Sierra Leone. There are so many Sierra Leoneans who could or may qualify for the ultimate job. But inthis day and age of technological advancement and networking, the real question will be what kind of a background and pedigree should that candidate have in terms of experience, character, knowledge, depth, capacity, ability and influence? I will attempt to toil on that question and even suggest an answer in my fourth and final part of this four series of articles. But before that, in my next and third article, I will be exploring how best we as a nation and how the next president and government can best deal with the ever growing and never ending youth problem and how best we can engage with and cater for the future of the nation – THE YOUTH. BY: COUNCILLOR DR COLUMBA BLANGO - FORMER MAYOR OF THE LONDON BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK, FORMER SOUTHWARK COUNCIL’S CABINENT MEMBER FOR EQUALITIES, COMMUNITIES, CULTURE, SPORT AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP. Sent from my iPad Web site of The Sierra Leone Peoples Party, United Kingdom & Ireland -slpp.ws/ Sent from my iPad
Posted on: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:24:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015