Sierra Leone's 64th Anniversary: 'Failing With Confidence'

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April 27, 2025, will mark the 64th anniversary of Sierra Leone's independence from British colonial rule on April 27, 1961.

Deliberate wrongs inflicted on the people of Sierra Leone by our two lead political parties, the SLPP and the APC, have brought our people into deep suffering and decline, and our once bright country has been dragged down into abject backwardness and darkness.

The chaotic situation seems endless, filled with one disaster after another.

“Dr. Prince Hyce Bull’s Reflection on Sierra Leone at 64.”

— Source: In Video

Both parties have a long and clear history of plunging Sierra Leone into severe poverty, ongoing hardships, widespread unemployment, and significant environmental degradation. They have consistently misled their unsuspecting supporters and voters with kindergarten tricks and false promises. And routinely treat voters as fools.

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Our country continues to struggle to find a path to prosperity.

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Corruption and Division!

Neither party is fit to govern post-cocaine, post-tribal Sierra Leone. The leaders of both parties have shown pettiness and foolish tribalism merely for selfish reasons.

Sierra Leone needs a clean start, a fresh beginning. Otherwise, the worst abuses during the past 63+ years would most certainly reappear in more vicious forms!

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Listen to what President Julius Maada Bio has to say on the country's 64th anniversary.

The speech that lacks substance.

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The Question Is: What Has Been the Cost?

Dr. Samura Kamara, 2023 Presidential Candidate, All People's Congress (APC) Party, 64th Independence Anniversary Address.

“Fellow Sierra Leoneans and Friends of our beloved Country.”

— Source: Dr. Samura Kamara | Sunday, 27 April 2025

Today, as we mark 64 years since we first raised our flag in freedom, we must ask ourselves, not just how far we have come, but why we have not come further.

Too many of the dreams of 1961 have been either delayed or denied. The hopes of our forefathers, to build a peaceful, united, prosperous, and dignified nation, have been choked, not by fate, but largely by the failures and poison of our subsequent partisan politics and leadership. For decades, the destiny of Sierra Leone has been hijacked by self-interest, political tribalism and regionalism, and short-sighted governance. We have accommodated politicians and leaders prioritizing power over people, party over country, and personal ambition over national purpose.

The question is: what has been the cost?

Our hearts are heavy and shaken. Families, homes, tribes, communities, and institutions have been torn apart in the interest of self and party politics. Instead of offering the quality of objectivity, reason, and tolerance, the peculiarity of contemporary party politics in Sierra Leone is characterized by a frenzy of greed, selfishness, opportunism, division, segregation, envy, and hate.

The promise of independence, namely, peace, democracy, dignity, and prosperity, has been dimmed. Our nation has faltered many times and over, witnessing a significant decline in governance, economic progress, and social justice. Economic stagnation, sticky abject poverty, and eroded public trust have become our reality. The aspirations of our youth, the architects of our future, have been rudely punctuated by an uncontrollable drug menace, while the dreams of our mothers and fathers, and the future of our under-five children, hang in the balance.

We feel it in the communities: divided by political colors, instead of converging in a national character, in national colours, and our national pledge.

We suffer it in our institutions: weakened by executive capture, favoritism, corruption, and cycles of revenge, instead of reform for a path to excellence and national responsibility.

We endure it in the daily struggles of ordinary Sierra Leoneans, who know that their hardship is not inevitable - it is man-made.

And, despite these painful truths, many of our political leaders remain defiant and in constant denial, while the rest of the country continues to suffer and slip farther and farther backward.

But you, our people, resilient as ever, have endured the hardship with patience. But patience has a limit, and must never be mistaken for acceptance. This is why on June 24, 2023, you, the people, spoke unequivocally and chose a new path.

The June 24, 2023, elections were a clarion call, demanding democratic change through the ballot box. The will of the people, recognized by the international community, was clear. It was a loud and determined, decisive victory for a new democratic direction. Sinfully, this was blatantly denied by the Chief Electoral Commissioner and the ECSL. Consequently, the continued refusal by the Bio regime to accept reality and to honor this mandate of the people has plunged our nation into uncertainty. It has continued to undermine any attempt by the people to advance forward and make their lives and livelihoods better.

But I believe in Sierra Leone. I believe in the strength of its people, in their resilience, and in their unyielding desire for a better tomorrow. And I believe that the future can be different if we choose it to be.

Democracy is not a privilege. It is a right. Its principles and practices are sacred, and these provide a solid rock on which to build a shared future. Therefore, the legitimacy of political leadership flows from the consent of the governed, and no individual is above the sovereign WILL of the people. Let us therefore avoid untold strife and write a new chapter of democratic practices and statesmanship, for generations to emulate.

In this context, let me now speak directly to those courageous men and women across our nation, young and old, who continue to believe in electoral and democratic justice. To all who have stood firm, spoken truth, and carried hope in your hearts, I want you to know this. Your voices have not been in vain. Though the wheels of justice may appear to be turning slowly, they are still turning. Though progress may feel delayed, it cannot be denied. I appeal to you all to continue to remain patient, peaceful, and steadfast. Justice has a timetable of its own, but it always arrives. And when it does arrive, it will vindicate those who chose the path of truth over deliberate denial and silence; integrity and rectitude over dishonesty and convenience.

As we reset Sierra Leone, we must now rise above the politics that have divided us and distracted us. We must reject the culture of "us versus them”, of “I and I alone and no one else”. Instead, we must embrace the spirit of "all of us, and for all of Sierra Leone", of “my Sierra Leone, my responsibility.” The time has come to put country first and above self, to put national progress above narrow political sentiments, truth and reality above personal convenience. It is also time to eradicate the seeming practice of privatizing political parties as the exclusive property of a certain political order, or of powerful individuals, or of a group of select persons. Democratically, a political party is the property of all its members and those who look up to it as an instrument for positive change. Thus, any sustainable unity within a political party or between political parties must be an embodiment of all members and the country as a whole. A true political leader must have the love, carrying capacity, and will to serve all shapes of people.

Let us choose unity over division, discipline over disorder, and a shared national purpose over narrow agendas. Let us build a Sierra Leone where the next independence anniversary is not marked by speeches of regret, but by celebrations of renewal and positive developments.

Our best years are not behind us, they are within reach. But this is only if we are brave enough to change, bold enough to lead differently, and committed enough to serve, and not to rule, suppress, intimidate or control with impunity.

Over the past 64 years of independence, we have been tested by difficult external circumstances, in particular, a devastating 11-year civil war, very lethal Ebola and Covid 19 virus outbreaks, and major setbacks in our economic trajectory, including a sharp deterioration in mining and agricultural performances. We emerged resilient, thanks to the sacrifices of countless heroes and the solidarity of the international community.

During the first 15 years of our post-conflict reconstruction, 2002 to 2017, we showed the world what Sierra Leoneans can achieve. We established new public institutions and implemented bold public financial management and structural reforms, to strengthen accountability and transparency in public service delivery; we made positive strides in transportation, energy, health and education infrastructures; we transformed our economy into one of the fastest-growing economies; we established and consolidated national peace; we held democratic elections and allowed peaceful transfer of power between ruling governments and opposition parties. In these efforts, Sierra Leone had started laying out strong building blocks in state building; we fought hard for stability and democracy, and hence, a beacon of hope and progress.

Sadly, we have suffered an unanticipated derailment of peace and progress across all works of life in the last 6-7 years. But by the Grace of God and the will of everybody, this awkward trend is not irreversible.

So, on this 64th Independence Anniversary, let it not just be a day of reflection, but a turning point. Let it be the beginning of a new and lasting covenant between us, and let us make uninterrupted progress. A new covenant, rooted in integrity, service, and shared sacrifice. It is a new commitment to serving each other’s interests, protecting each other’s rights, and working for the common good. Let us engage our collective strengths to conquer our difficulties and salute a New Dawn for Sierra Leone.

Let us remember that our strength lies in peace, unity, and mutual respect. Together, we can transform our current trials into triumphs. The dawn of a new Sierra Leone is within reach - a nation where every voice matters, every dream is valid, and every citizen thrives. A nation where political propaganda and untenable promises can thrive no longer. A nation where spoken words can be challenged if found to be deceitful.

To our International Partners, we thank you for standing with Sierra Leone in her darkest hours. We pray and invite you to steadfastly continue to walk with us as we reclaim our destiny.

Finally, 'it is still not over until its over! and what God cannot do, does not exist!' Happy Independence Anniversary to all. May God bless you, and bless our beloved Sierra Leone.

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The Brass Band of Methodist Boys High School performed at their 151st Thanksgiving Anniversary, which coincided with the nation's 64th Independence Anniversary.

This year's Independent holiday was somewhat bittersweet, but regardless of the circumstances, we celebrate 'we lek we Salone.'

A special thanks to the Methodist Boys High School Brass Band for their beautiful and classic performance at the 151st Thanksgiving celebration, which brought smiles to the faces of our cherished communities.

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‘Sierra Leone at 64’ ~ by Anonymous!

The national anthem that represents the current conditions of Mama Salone. Must Read!

High we exalt thee, realm of the free, But today, tears fall where pride should be.

Great is the love we have for thee, Yet sorrow covers our land and sea.

Our leaders roam from shore to shore, while our people suffer more and more.

They chase titles, they chase fame, while hunger and fire shame our name.

NRA closed EDSA’s gates in shame, because taxes unpaid became a game.

A whole institution brought to its knees, while the common man begs on wounded streets.

Firmly united, ever we stand, yet betrayal poisons our precious land.

Parliament signs away unborn lives, while the voice of the people barely survives.

Fires rage, and homes turn to dust, every minute, another cruel gust.

Ashes rise where dreams once lay, and all we can do is weep and pray.

We raise up our hearts and our voices on high, but who listens to a broken cry?

The hills and valleys re-echo our pain, a land begging for healing again.

Blessing and peace be ever thine own, but chaos and grief are all we've known.

O Lord, have mercy on Sierra Leone, the land that we love, the land we call home.

Theo Edwards for YAME Digital