By Amin Kef Sesay
His Excellency the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, on the 27th April 2020 delivered a short address to the nation after the country woke up to celebrate or observe its 59th Independence Anniversary.
The President stated that as we observe the 59th anniversary of the nation’s independence, we are once again reminded of how we are a resilient people, who have stood together as a nation in trying times and come out every time a stronger and better nation.
He stated that these are not normal times in our country and in the world at large as the ravaging Coronavirus has overwhelmed nations and left over two hundred thousand dead in its trail.
“This pandemic has changed societies, unsettled notions of unilateralism and left economies in shambles,” he highlighted informing that as we mark the day, he would like to thank our healthcare and other essential workers, Chiefs and community leaders, journalists, development partners (local and international), and Sierra Leoneans who have volunteered to work hard to rid our great nation of COVID-19.
“I am also profoundly grateful to every Sierra Leonean who has complied with restrictions on movement, assembly, livelihood, and lifestyles,” the President expressed appreciation further mentioning that those measures may seem intrusive and unbearable now, but they are necessary to break the chain of transmission in order to return to normal life and routine.
He thanked all for doing the needful by preventing, protecting themselves and others and to curtail the disease. He admonished all to be communicators and social mobilisers who should not only act to prevent Corona but also educate loved ones, neighbours and communities about the highly infectious disease.
The President said all are aware that before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had made steady progress as a nation stating how there had been improved macroeconomic stability, increased revenue mobilization, and measures taken to open the country up for competitive and rewarding investments in various sectors.
“We had allocated 21% of national budget to support free quality education for two million children regardless of gender and ethnicity. We were building effective and resilient institutions and fettering corruption because corruption is inimical to our development. We were deploying new technologies for governance, education, healthcare, agriculture and for business. We will continue pursuing these and many more as we fight to contain COVID-19,” he mentioned some of the programmes that his Government has rolled out.
President Bio said the baseline for the country’s development remains to be human capital development stating that as he has always maintained, a fit-for-purpose education that nurtures talent and promotes innovation; a resilient healthcare system that is affordable and accessible; and a vibrant agriculture sector that targets food security through promoting modernized farming, value-addition, and agro-based businesses for our citizens, are the very precursors and the very foundation for our development.
He reminded all that the task ahead is arduous furthering how now is the time for every patriotic Sierra Leonean to unconditionally contribute his or her fair effort for Sierra Leone.
“Patriotism is not about standing up only for people with whom you share the same political loyalties, ethnicity, or region. It is about embracing and caring about people who hold different views, and who belong to different ethnicities and different regions. It is about standing up for the ideal that your country’s call in its hour of need is supreme,” the President intimated.
The First Gentleman said only with our collective commitment, determination, focus, and unity of purpose, shall we prevail over Corona.
The President ended by entreating every Sierra Leonean to strictly adhere to all hygiene protocols and healthcare directives, and to report anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19. “You must also continue to use healthcare facilities for all other illnesses,” he further enjoined maintaining that if natural disasters, war and the Ebola
Pandemic never vanquished our resolve to survive, we shall overcome this yet again and together build a strong and productive SIERRA LEONE.
