Sierra Leone

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, has returned to Freetown after spending more than two years in Nigeria, following the withdrawal of treason charges filed against him.

Koroma left Nigeria on Sunday morning in the company of former Nigerian Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The former Sierra Leonean president governed the country from 2007 to 2018. He faced treason charges over an unsuccessful coup attempt that occurred in November 2023.

Following the incident, an agreement was reportedly reached under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The arrangement allowed Koroma to relocate to Nigeria while proceedings against him were discontinued.

Koroma arrived in Nigeria in January 2024 and remained in the country until his return on Sunday.

The Sierra Leonean government announced in July that it had ended the criminal proceedings against the former president.

The office of the Attorney-General said the case was no longer before the court and confirmed that Koroma was free to return to Sierra Leone.

Vice-President Mohamed Jalloh also announced on Friday that Koroma would return to Sierra Leone as part of efforts to promote peace and national cohesion.

In a statement issued on Sunday by Magnus Eze, media aide to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the minister said negotiations involving ECOWAS, the Nigerian government and other stakeholders had helped resolve the issues that led to Koroma’s relocation to Nigeria.

“His conduct throughout this period reflected restraint, statesmanship, and commitment to a peaceful outcome,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.

The minister expressed appreciation to President Julius Bio, Koroma and the Sierra Leonean authorities for their cooperation and commitment to peace.

Jonathan also issued a separate statement in which he said discussions had promoted dialogue with Sierra Leonean authorities and helped establish the conditions required for Koroma’s safe and dignified return.

The former Nigerian president said he was pleased that Koroma had returned to Freetown and expressed hope that the development would usher in a period of renewed hope and reconciliation in Sierra Leone.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has promised to reduce the prices of petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel to N200 per litre if he wins the 2027 presidential election.

Adebayo made the pledge on Sunday in Abuja during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said his proposed pricing policy would take effect within 12 months of assuming office.

According to him, his administration would focus on reviving the country’s existing refineries while also supporting modular refineries to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

He argued that the age of Nigeria’s refineries should not prevent the government from rehabilitating them. He cited refineries in the United States that have remained operational for more than a century.

“SDP will pick cooking gas, petrol and Jet A1; those three, we will put them under a regime where the price does not go past N200,” he said.

Adebayo said his plan would include the restoration of what he described as the original subsidy arrangement, under which 450,000 barrels of crude oil are set aside for domestic consumption.

He explained that the crude would be processed locally, while the sale of other petroleum products such as naphtha, heavy fuel oil, diesel and kerosene would generate funds to sustain the proposed pricing system.

The SDP candidate said his party would collaborate with the National Assembly to create a framework that would allow revenue from other petroleum derivatives to support the scheme.

He maintained that Nigeria should concentrate on developing adequate domestic refining capacity rather than relying on imported petroleum products sold at international prices.

According to him, the country already possesses two major resources needed to achieve this goal: crude oil and existing refining infrastructure.

Adebayo also said the prolonged debate over fuel subsidy had shifted attention away from what he considered the deeper challenges affecting Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

He dismissed the argument that subsidy removal alone would solve the country’s financial difficulties, describing such a position as a “red herring”.

He further said Nigerians would not be subjected to petrol subsidy under an SDP administration, as he does not consider subsidy a government economic programme.

On transportation, Adebayo proposed a policy that would combine lower petroleum prices with improvements in public transportation and railway services.

He said workers and students would have access to public transport through their employment and student identification cards. Employers, he added, would contribute six per cent of workers’ salaries towards transportation.

He said the measures would reduce the cost of transportation and boost economic activities across the country.

The presidential candidate also proposed that housing costs should be capped at seven per cent of workers’ salaries, while education and healthcare would be provided free of charge.

“The summary of it is that transportation costs cannot go more than six percent of your salary and housing costs should not be more than seven percent of your salary, education and healthcare should be free,” he said.

Adebayo added that agriculture and food security would receive priority under his administration, with the aim of making food more affordable for Nigerians.

Dear Nigerians,

May God have mercy on you! Your country’s name reminds me of abundance — the ceaseless and abundant flow of the River Niger. The great resource that is ever willing to serve Nigerians and non-Nigerians, like me, and countless others. It does not stop there; myriad resources – human, natural, and other— are scattered all over the “Niger-aria” that force the envy and admiration of many people who were not blessed with Nigerian citizenship.

Yet, here we are shedding tears in recognition of the waste it has suffered in the hands of those who have mismanaged it. The teardrops force their way out even more when we consider how ignorant the Nigerian youth is of the resources around him. Who are the successors to this great wealth called Nigeria?

The aspiration, needs, values and beliefs of the young ones are the key focus of every effective national curriculum. Youths should be more useful to their societies than mere patient seekers of white collar jobs. When values and character escape the curriculum, how will dignity and progress not escape the people? The hope of Nigeria is in its curriculum. If Nigeria is to present to the world those great nation-builders it once won the world’s attention with, it should be reflected in what is happening in the schools presently. The worst kind of slavery a country will ever suffer is to leave its abundant resources in the hands of ignorant successors.

What wrong could the people of Nigeria do to their blessed nation if they restrain themselves from those destructive desires that will ruin their owners and the country? Will Nigeria lose anything if it loses all its corrupt citizens? It is common knowledge to the corrupt and those who are not that nobody gains from harming fellow human beings. Surely, the criminals are running from the evil consequences of their crimes. What do we gain when all we have toiled and killed for is left in the hands of our enemies, and the only thing left with us is our graves? If we turn our backs on all opportunities for reform, what use will an enormous and deformed nation have in our modern world?

Despite the problems and conflicts Nigeria endures as a nation, no sane mind can deny that Nigeria holds great potential if its people cooperate in development and nation-building. When people become good neighbours to one another, they won’t suffer and perish in the midst of abundance.

I dream of a Nigeria that will no longer be Nigeria (in the sense that the word Nigeria is synonymous with crime and corruption) I dream of a Nigeria that will ever be Nigeria (in the sense of its blessings and beauty) When the people beautify their beliefs and character, they will achieve their aims, by God’s permission. Let the brave ones among the good-doers come forward wherever they are. Let the people’s hope reflect in the young ones’ willingness to embrace reform. There is great hope for Nigeria, and nobody should say there is no hope for Nigeria. Let it not be a cause of despondency to those sincere and diligent Nigerians that things are not going well in their beloved nation. Let them rejoice that nations with more problems than Nigeria have risen to great heights in the past. Let this awareness motivate them to start work at once. 

Weak minds say: “There is no hope”. The strong and wise minds reply, “We have been appointed to a new office, and there is a lot of work to do” Nigeria is the office of every Nigerian. Its progress should be the concern of every worker, and whoever has good intentions for Nigeria has already entered his office; instead, he has begun receiving his remuneration. Why should we shed tears when we have all the resources to avert the pain and frustration? Is it not this same Nigeria that has served as the nourishing mother of many great minds in diverse fields and life endeavours?

I have spent what I consider to be the best of my life on earth in Nigeria. During this period, I have seen many things that signify hope for the future of Nigeria. As a student, I have encountered many young, intelligent, and morally upright Nigerians. As a neighbour, I have never encountered a situation that makes me feel like returning home; rather, everyone around me has done their best to make Nigeria a home away from home for me. 

As a member of society, I have seen men with vision and energy to reform Nigeria. As a friend, I have met very kind and sincere Nigerians. As a teacher, I have seen students who have the potential of being nation builders, if provided with aconducive environment. In brief, there is a lot of good locked within the Nigerians we see around. All they need is somebody to awaken them and tell them, “Yes, you can”. Somebody to inspire and motivate. Are you the one?

If you are the one, then be patient about proving your worth. Do not let anger or frustration lead you to violence, lest you destroy the very lives you stood up to defend. Do not cry even when you feel powerless to reform society, and do good things for your people. Keep the good dream, and one day, you shall wipe away the tears of your people with your utility and services to them. Praise Him who made you a Nigerian, reform yourself, and be patient about bringing reform to society. Don’t let up, just go on! 

It may take a long time to see the desired change, but your efforts will never be wasted, even if all the circumstances point to that effect. If you can change a single Nigerian, then we can’t quantify the benefit you would have brought to the world through that change. If you can’t change anybody and find people who are obstinate in crime and corruption, never give up.

Your goodwill, endurance, kindness and sacrifices are inspiring to the very people that have caused you so much pain. Also, your efforts are a strong foundation for those who will tread the path of reform after you. No doubt! You did not lose anything. Instead, you gained a lot and left a lot for others to gain from. So don’t give up! Continue to educate your people on what they stand to lose by not being upright nation builders. The people are not as bad as you think; they are just ignorant of the consequences of their evil actions. So educate them.

Mass Quality Education/Awareness, not violence, indifference, or migration, is the answer. If the people are enlightened, they will learn lessons from all the war-torn countries around them. Look around Africa and see where violence has led nations. In the end, somebody like me, born and bred in Sierra Leone, a war-torn country, realised that war, in most cases, means wasting All Resources.

Also, you can’t run away from what you have. You run, run and run, yet one day you will realise the need to return home. Take note and ACT NOW.

Amara Sessay can be reached via femohsesay@googlemail.com.