Sierra Leoneans in recent times have congratulated the ruling SLPP government, led by President Bio, for taking bold steps towards maintaining peace and stability.
Those moves, according to many citizens, are ones to be reckoned with as it could be recalled that the country has gone through series of political tension since the March 2018 elections that brought the then main opposition SLPP to power.
The political tensions cut across supporters and sympathizers of the two main political parties, SLPP and APC, during which we have witnessed women and children from both political parties partaking in violence.
Among many other things that led to increased tension was the walking out of the main APC opposition party out of Parliament in the form of a protest, the indictment of various former APC political officials of being corrupt, the sacking of lower and higher level bureaucrats of the APC party members within various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the withdrawal and replacement of the security personnel of the former President.
The other that added salt to injury was the court decision of removing nine members of the APC from Parliament bringing in its wake protest that led to the firing of tear gas canisters on APC supporters and arresting some at the party’s Head Office in Brookfields.
Recent moves by state functionaries like the visit of Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to former President Koroma in Makeni, the half payment of benefits to former government officials and allowing the security personnel to return to the former President have led to some semblance of peace and stability in the country. We have seen recently the former President visiting his party office in Freetown after his last visit many months ago and also his visit to the leader of the NGC to sympathise with him for being bereaved.
It should be noted that meaningful peace in any country is based on peaceful coexistence among political parties especially between the two main political parties in this country.
Peace must be gained through open communication and problem-solving via non-violent channels as the present government has already started. The Government must not relent in its strives to bring lasting peace and stability to our beloved country as no country can succeed in terms of development without peace and stability.
