Recently social media erupted when Sheik Mohamed Kamara or Jagaban announces his bid to officially run for the Vice-Presidential candidacy of the leading opposition All People’s Congress (APC). Shockingly so, many of the comments I have read and debates I have seen amongst young people have been focused on whether the so-called multimillionaire is indeed worth more than 50 million USD. The argument has since grown to a fully fanned political dialogue one sadly familiar amongst young people and one that is a direct representation of our current state of affairs.
As you read, you may sense that I may be a bit emotional and if that is your guess- you are right. For far too long, young people despite tremendous sufferings have consistently neglected the overarching conversation about true leadership and the need to have Leaders whose plans resonate, and whose visions are established on a foundation that we can hope on. And as the “Jagaban” conversation continues, I have seen some ridiculous yet very eye-opening comments on this and I think it is time to address this so bear with me.
Jagaban’s announcement for the Vice-Presidential Candidacy of the All People’s Congress is his constitutional right as a citizen of our country but also as a party member of the party, but that is NOT the issue. The issue is the youth of our country have decided that politics and effective leadership are synonymous with how much money someone has- from “ataya bases” to intellectuals on social media- the conversation has been about his money and not about his vision ( I do not even know if he has one).
As you continue to read you may think this article is about “Jagaban” I promise it is not, it is about the deeper issue of the systemic failure of our young people (both so-called intellectuals and those without access) to hold leaders vying for political position along the lines of their manifestos (sustainable socio-economic development of our country). It is about the disregard to understanding that as a nation, we must stop cheaply engaging in conversations that do not edify nor provide a sensible and logical representation of our state of affairs and how we forge a way forward. It is about the very reason why political leaders feel all it takes to get us to vote for them is a few green hyper-inflated papers (leones) and a t-shirt.
So, it was no surprise that “Jagaban” like many politicians made the fundamental error to think we are still in the era (debatable, because from what I have seen so far, we may just still be thick in it) where all he needs to do is flaunt wealth and it is enough to get nominated. I mean it is not uncommon for many of our political offices to be occupied by those who contributed the most financially to political campaigns, than those who are experienced enough to do the jobs.
What I am yet to bring myself to, is the fact that young people who have consistently talked about and in some ways demand better leadership are failing rather drastically to use logic and a bit of emotion to understand the importance of June 2023 (especially when we DO NOT HAVE MUCH OF AN OPTION).
We must be critical now more than ever, that wealth while good, does not constitute effective leadership, we must begin to debate issues and not personal successes- frankly just because Bill Gates has been one of the richest men in the world for the last 20+ years does not mean he will be a great president or vice.
Are you still here? Good. For those of you amongst us who have been reading saying “yes, thinking we are in alignment- we are probably more misaligned than ever”. While “Jagaban” wealth is not a stamp for political leadership, it is a testament to successful leadership in business. Whether or not he exaggerates his wealth (which should be an ethical conversation- but who does not exaggerate these days, especially in politics and on social media) is beside the point, but if it is true, he employs 100s of Sierra Leoneans, that can easily translate to 1000s of families back home depending on the remittances from these individuals.
Remittances, in Sub-Saharan, continues to be one of its greatest source of income sitting above 40+ Billion dollars alone in 2022 according to the World Bank. So, saying that his wealth or employment of even one Sierra Leonean does not matter, is just a plain display of ignorance (Yes, I said it, it is nothing but stupidity to say that in a country that depends hugely on FDIs).
As I come to a close (I know, it is rather abrupt, but if you do not get my point by now, you probably won’t even if I were to continue), let us start defining leadership based on a shared vision and belief, let us stop the idea of taking crowns from one person in a bid to elevate others (you can elevate one without bringing down another), let us continue our dialogue on the note that what we say have the potential of defining what others believe an act upon.
So redefine “Jagaban” to be people like Sorie Sengbe Marrah (who consistently fight for good governance), Haja Bah (who consistently break glass ceilings), Jaime Yayah Barry (Who fearlessly takes on issues objectively), Dr David Sengeh (Who remains to be by far the best Minister I think may have come from Sierra Leone, and I do not even agree with him most times), Yakama Manty Jones (Who have more than sacrifice herself to mentorship and leadership driven by data), Theriyeh Koroma-Nenneh (Who has been one of the most consistent voices for equality amongst young people that I know), Hamid Marah (Who stood up against a failing system and won), Mariama Smile Kamara (Who continues to lead in solving with solar energy), Wahid Awonuga (Who consistently shows what passion and etiquette can do) the list goes on (add yours).
Let us start choosing our leaders on the back of the future we hope for and the foundation and testament they present. Let us have conversations that are devoid of “poverty-driven hate” (just bcus u Po so all man sef Po or for Po) hate and let us form a bond, right here, right now that as much as we hold others accountable, we will be objective and honest with our conscience (that is if we have one).