News Story

FREETOWN: JAMES KOROMA: Ten months into the tenure of the APC government, and all Sierra Leoneans can say for certainty is that life is a lot harder; there is a lot more suffering on the streets of Freetown; jobs are still not available; prices have shot up; the government is not clear on whether it will ever declare assets and practice transparency as it had declared; there is little investment in the economy. In essence, the lives of Sierra Leoneans have not changed one bit. Therefore, people are becoming despondent with APC's many promises and no delivery. The despondence was manifested in the APC organized rally today in Freetown. The crowd was a far cry from what the party expected.

There had been overwhelming hype about the APC rally. In fact, the APC radio had announced that all market women should not sell their wares today July 3 so that they can attend the rally. But it seems the call fell on deaf ears as the market women turned out full force to sell their wares especially on Sani Abacha street where APC has bragged to be in full control of the traders' support. Visibly worried APC organizers took to the streets asking people to join the rally but the response was: How we go rally wae we nor belful?

The crowd at the rally came in dribs and drabs, pockets of drug-crazed youth and other unemployed young people bused into various parts of Freetown and plied with cheap alcohol chanting incoherent slogans. Even the welcome team that met the President at Kissy Ferry Terminal lacked enthusiasm and force. There was very little fanfare, and the crowd was a far cry from the massive rallies that President Ernest Koroma pulled ahead of last year's presidential elections. If this crowd was any indicator of the president's standing, it is a solid indictment of him and his party, and their 10 month record in office.

It is becoming evident that APC has started losing its grip on Freetown. They may well win the majority of the seats in most wards of the city, according to most unofficial polls and voter responses carried out by our staff. But the APC's standing and massive popularity have suffered. A bystander opined that APC can only win the majority of the seats through the help of the chief rigger of elections Christiana Thorpe, if it wins.