The monkey’s Black Hand is always black no matter what you do to it: a fitting cap for the APC!

It is true that twenty-four years of post-independence misrule by the All People's Congress Party (APC), which ironically returned to power in 2007, has been largely responsible for Sierra Leone's economic failures.

Hence, when in 1992 the young and disgruntled military officers of the country's armed forces toppled the APC government, whose president was also a military general - donning civilian suit, the entire population came out in full support of the 'boys in Kaki', praising them for getting rid of decades of economic and social injustice, committed against the people.

Fifteen years on, we seemed to have forgotten about the economic and social strife caused by APC's poor governance: we elected them back into power in 2007, while singing a new 'hallelujah chorus' – "this is a new APC that has a fine boy leader".

But in all seriousness, what we forgot was that the monkey's hand is always black no matter what you do to it.

Sierra Leone is a very small country with a population of about 5.5 million people - living within a geographical space of 71,740 square kilometers and a coastline of 402 kilometers. Yet 75% of the population is classed as poor – living on less than $1 a day.

Colonial British governance brought significant progress in the social, economic and educational sphere. Good communications – road networks and railway were constructed, which transformed our economic and social lives. New crops, including coffee and cocoa were introduced and became key sectors of our economy.

A nation that once boast of its civil service, high educational standard, best health service, a disciplined army and police force, much better infrastructure; is today a demoralized, fragmented and lawless poor nation - governed by incompetent, lazy and lethargic politicians.

Fourah Bay College that was once an envy of West Africa, responsible for educating thousands of West Africans, has today suspended students' examinations, because of the lack of paper to write on.

When I read this story on the BBC's website, I cried because it is the most shameful and embarrassing story I have ever read about my country, in a long while. This is what President Ernest Koroma's four years of misrule has brought upon us.

The colony's diamond and gold export earnings increased significantly, contributing to the economic wellbeing of the people.

Today, we produce a variety of agricultural produce and have joined the rest of the world in growing thousands of acres of sugarcane for biofuel. But like many African countries, Sierra Leone has been cursed with its natural resource paradox.

Siaka Stevens' brand of poor governance had laid down the blue print for corruption in high places. Wealth from the country's natural resources has not translated into wealth for the average Sierra Leonean. Every discovery of significant quantity and quality of potential export earning mineral, is frequently accompanied by political power struggle among those in power. Top officials and politicians are seeking to increase their personal wealth and popularity, by lining their pockets with public funds through corruptive means. They are mortgaging the country's future for their own instant economic gratification.

Successive governments have not been able to harness the vast natural resources for any meaningful development, with poverty reduction as its goal. The effect is that, foreign investors are controlling much of our natural wealth throughout the life span of its extraction.

Before the hosting of the OAU in 1980, Sierra Leone's Gross National Product was one of the highest in sub-sahara Africa. We had a one party government that was ruthless, the policies of which led to the civil war in 1994.

Yet, despite these bad track records, we elected another APC government, entrusted to make things better for us. We ought to have known better.

The truth of the matter is that, since the ousted of the first SLPP government in 1967, twenty-four years of APC governance did not lead to the effective management of the country, despite the vast range of natural resources at their disposal, while the average Sierra Leonean became poorer.

APC's record 24 years in power, reversed the country's development by neglecting investment in agriculture and infrastructure, and discontinuing vital projects started before independence.

Another factor that accounts for our retrogressive step as a nation is the erosion of morality. Siaka Stevens rule created a society where people became gradually demoralized and apathetic to nationalism and patriotism.

Today, we have seen the return of those same policies implemented by Siaka Stevens and the return of unpatriotism and apathy. Politicians, public servants, and the youth have become more greedy, dishonest, corrupt and undisciplined. Everyone is scrambling for material gains by any means necessary - hook or by crook.

The entire system has become so corrupt that, state institutions are unable to achieve positive results from the implementation of government programs and policies.

Siaka Stevens' mantra - "Usai you tai cow nar dae he go eat grass" has returned with deadly force, thus institutionalizing corruption. There is disorder everywhere. State institutions for many years have become goldmine for public servants, who now see themselves as public lords.

Political leaders have not been sincere in trying to tackle the myriad of economic and social problems blighting the lives of our people. They talk too much - pay lip service – and do nothing.
If not for the international agencies that are delivering vital relief services in the country, life in Sierra Leone would have been a disaster for most people.

This government lacks foresight and leadership, but enjoys peddling false propaganda and lies in order to placate the people. These so called "new APC" politicians and their technocrats have failed the people of Sierra Leone.

It is now time for the opposition politicians to rise up, roll up their sleeves and begin to work on their manifesto policies and programmes that will salvage our people from the morass of economic collapse, caused by the return to power of another APC government.

But all participating political parties must be pragmatic and non-partisan, devoid of cheap propaganda and political expediency. We have a very serious national crisis of leadership in Sierra Leone.

What we need today is a leader and a government that can honestly and competently work towards harnessing our endowed natural and human resources, so as to accelerate the pace of socio-economic development for the benefit of all of our people – not the few.