Interview: Ernest Bai Koroma
Politico: Good afternoon Mr. President and thanks for granting us this interview. Could you tell me why you are running again for president?
President Koroma: Like as I have told Sierra Leoneans, I concluded my first term in
office with very high points on the Agenda for Change that we rolled
out. Even thought we have scored high marks, there are still issues
that are critical state of progression and there are other programmes
that we still have to ensure that we build on the present programmes
that will give us the satisfaction that we have laid a solid base for
sustainable development. That is why I am seeking a second term to
continue with the programmes that we have already started and also
ensure that we pitch them to a position of no reversal.
Politico: With
the benefit of hindsight in your last five years is there anything
you did that you would have loved to do differently?
President
Koroma:
Well hmm! I would say yes there are things I have done not out of any
error but influenced by the prevailing circumstances like the global
crisis that we have been through as a world, and Sierra Leone being
part of it. We had to take very difficult decisions in trying to
cushion the effect on our consumers and also decisions that have
affected the overall programmes that we had set out to accomplish.
There are other decisions on the issue of institutional problems and
personnel problems.
Politico: What
do you mean exactly?
President
Koroma:
Well of course as a nation we know that there are areas in which we
still have some institutional weaknesses. Weakness because our
capacity is still week. Decisions that we took that needed some
review in terms of the frameworks that we have put in place.
Politico: Could
you be a little specific Mr. President?
President
Koroma: Well
I don’t want to go to specifics because I am still president you
know. And I am seeking reelection. That is why when you come for a
second term you have an opportunity to improve on what you believe
you need to improve on and may be make the necessary corrections
without making the issues too public. That is why I don’t want to
go into specifics.
Politico: Would
you rather you had not appointed certain people into cabinet as you
have done in your last five years?
President
Koroma: No,
I am satisfied with the performance of my cabinet ministers. They
have a great source of support to me and the other government
officials. We all inherited a very difficult situation that is why I
talk generally about institutional weakness. There are some laws that
we have to review, there are issues that we should have addressed but
we have not addressed because of other circumstances beyond the
control of the politicians that are active in the process. But I must
say that the overall support from the ministers has been good. I have
enjoyed a good working relationship with them and maybe with the
experience some of them have acquired and the kind of background they
have may be a little bit of movement here and there, realignment of
positions will help to make them more effective.
Politico: One
of the criticisms your critics have leveled against you has been that
most of your cabinet ministers were drawn from one part of the
country. Should you win the elections on Saturday would you want to
have a lot more people from the south-east appointed to cabinet?
President
Koroma:
That is not a justifiable criticism. Every district is represented in
my cabinet. Every region is represented. When you look at the ratio
of ethnic groups to ministers even the ethnic group I come from is
under represented compared to other ethnic groups. So there is no
basis for the criticism. I will continue to ensure that my cabinet,
as I have done in the past, continue to have a national character. I
will ensure that institutions that people serve will have a national
representation and this is something I believe in. I am not going to
react because of criticisms that are unjustifiable. I will continue
with the process. Look at our visitations all over the country every
district is adequately represented in my cabinet. In fact people are
saying that people in other regions are over-represented in terms of
the positions they occupy. So I will continue to have a national
cabinet and my actions will continue to be national in character.
Politico:
Another thing that has been said about you by your critics is that a
lot of public officials are directly involved in party politics
something you were against very vehemently before you were elected
President?
President
Koroma:
Well I have made it very clear that public officials especially civil
servants should stay away from politics, and I don’t have any
evidence of a hard core civil servant that is actively involved in
our own political process. Most of what you hear may be rumours here
and there but if there is any hard core evidence to the effect
appropriate action will be
taken.
Politico: What
do you think about your main challenger, Rtd Brig. Julius Maada Bio?
President
Koroma:
Well he is the flag bearer of his party and the party had reasons to
make him the flag bearer. But elections generally are elections and I
believe that I have done so well in the past five years. I have
ensured that most of the promises I made I have kept. An audit
conducted of my manifesto overall is like 75% to 80 % achieved so I
am happy with my own position as a candidate and I believe I am going
to win the elections.
Politico: And
what do you think about him?
President
Koroma::
Well
I don’t want to be specific it is left with the people to judge.
Politico: Do
you think he will make a better president than you?
President
Koroma: Give
us a few days, Sierra Leone will tell you.
Politico: But
what do you think, Mr. President?
President
Koroma: Well,
if he were a better candidate I would have said so. But I believe
that I am a better candidate and a president. Sierra Leoneans know
it, Sierra Leoneans see it. It is demonstrated all over. I am
unifying the country. I believe the country is now visibly on a
transformative stage. I believe that is done because of my effort.
Politico: Do
you respect him for having served this country’s armed forces?
President
Koroma: Well,
I will not comment on that because I am a democrat. I don’t believe
in military coups, I don’t believe in junta regimes. I believe that
democracy in whatever form should be respected and we must confine
ourselves to using the democratic process in changing governance. And
what happened during their regime is there for everybody to see and I
think he has now a lot of work to do to cleanse himself.
Politico: And
his services before he became a junta leader, his services in the
army?
President
Koroma: Well,
he served the army at a very junior capacity. I will not be in a
position to assess what he did at that time because he just joined
the army and for a second lieutenant or a lieutenant, I think you are
just at the entry point. You have not done anything remarkable to
earn you a kind of credit or credential that you could use for your
future.
Politico:
Finally, your top priority should you be elected?
President
Koroma: We
will continue with the programmes of transformation and I think in
the agenda for prosperity we will lay a lot more emphasis on human
resource development. We want to ensure that we create opportunities
for the youths but also equip them with the skills and capacities
that will let them live up to the expectations of transforming this
great nation.
Politico: Mr
President thank you very much for your time.
President
Koroma: You’re
welcome.
