How is it that an island with fewer than 100,000 people can do what we can’t — when we have the same, if not more, natural beauty?

I came to Antigua for peace. What I found was a painful reminder of what Sierra Leone could be — if only we had serious leadership. Every time I walk past their clean, well-kept beaches and see how smoothly their systems function, I feel a mix of jealousy, envy, and sadness.

As you can see from the photos. Like us, they have stunning beaches, warm weather, and raw natural beauty. But unlike us, they’ve done something remarkable: they’ve turned their natural gifts into a thriving tourism industry. Antigua sees four flights a day from the U.S. and a daily flight from Gatwick. In 2024 alone, they welcomed 1.1 million tourists. Tourism accounts for 60% of their economy.

How is it that an island with fewer than 100,000 people can do what we can’t — when we have the same, if not more, natural beauty?

The answer is simple: They are not busy parading around, fighting each other to consolidate power. They invest in their people. They protect their environment. They build systems that deliver. Their leaders prioritize real outcomes over performance politics.

Meanwhile, in Sierra Leone, governance has become pure theatre. Our leaders, desperate to distract the public from their lack of meaningful progress, they decorate their failures in glossy photos, empty slogans, and grandiose displays — even speeches now come with dramatic background music. Remove the theatrics, and what’s left?

Trash on our beaches. Broken institutions. Streets overflowing with beggars. Young people lost to kush and hopelessness. Communities still fighting for clean water and basic services. The list goes on.

It’s heartbreaking — because we know Sierra Leone could be so much more, if only our leaders believed more in real progress than in appearances and power-grabbing games.

Basita Michael on ‘X’ Formerly Twitter @MichaelBasita

Twitter users reacted with some harsh comments. One user said, "You are absolutely right, my sister. My APC party was in power for 11 years, from 2007 to 2018, and during that time, they only succeeded in laundering and looting our economy, leading it to a state of austerity."

Read Twitter replies:

I came to Antigua for peace. What I found was a painful reminder of what Sierra Leone could be — if only we had serious leadership.

As you can see from the photos. Like us, they have stunning beaches, warm weather, and raw natural beauty. But unlike us, they’ve done something… pic.twitter.com/ONZ83ub91A

— Basita Michael (@MichaelBasita) August 8, 2025