Bio’s ECOWAS Job: Travel, Not Leadership

 

By Alpha Amadu Jalloh

Sierra Leoneans are paying the price while their president flies first class across West Africa. Julius Maada Bio’s ECOWAS chairmanship has become less about leadership and more about a tax-funded joyride. While citizens struggle with soaring costs, failing infrastructure, and a crumbling healthcare system, the man sworn to serve them is busy collecting airport selfies and photo-ops. If leadership is about presence and results, then why not stay home and Zoom instead

 

President Julius Maada Bio’s recent appointment as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has been paraded by his supporters as a triumph for Sierra Leone. Yet the reality is far less glamorous. Rather than a testament to his leadership skills, the role is already looking like a convenient excuse for more globe-trotting at taxpayers’ expense. This is not leadership. This is indulgence at the cost of a struggling nation

ECOWAS is facing monumental challenges: coups in West Africa, terrorism in the Sahel, economic instability across member states, and a deepening crisis of public trust. What ECOWAS does not need is another leader who treats the role as a ceremonial title and an opportunity to fly first class across the subregion. With technology today, much of the work can be done remotely. Bio’s habit of leaving Sierra Leone for weeks under the guise of official duties has already left the nation with a leadership vacuum. His new ECOWAS role threatens to make that absence permanent

 

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In an era where high-level summits can be conducted virtually without sacrificing the quality of discussions, the constant travel is hard to justify. Bio seems addicted to the prestige and perks of physical travel. The constant photo-ops, luxury accommodations, and the chance to rub shoulders with other presidents appear more important than actually addressing the pressing issues at home. This is not leadership. It is a tax-funded joyride

Sierra Leone is grappling with spiraling inflation, youth unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and a healthcare system that barely functions. Hospitals lack basic equipment, schools operate without resources, and electricity outages are daily struggles for citizens. Roads are potholed, bridges unsafe, and essential services faltering. The president’s absence only deepens the chaos. Instead of demanding accountability, he is often boarding planes. Leadership is about presence and action. By being away so frequently, Bio is sending a message: domestic crises are secondary to personal prestige

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The ECOWAS Chairmanship should be a platform for regional stability and integration, not a personal travel show. Other West African leaders balance domestic governance with regional responsibilities. Bio appears to have confused visibility with effectiveness. He risks being remembered not as a statesman but as a man with feathers, flying aimlessly while his country struggles

Bio’s domestic priorities cannot be ignored. Citizens are not impressed by ceremonial meetings abroad when electricity is erratic, water is scarce, and youth unemployment is at a historic high. A leader who prioritizes foreign appearances over national solutions is failing the people he pledged to serve. The contrast between his luxurious travel schedule and the daily struggles of ordinary Sierra Leoneans is stark and unforgiving

 

The financial cost of these trips is staggering. Air travel, security details, accommodation, allowances, and the logistics for presidential entourages drain millions of leones. Money that could fund rural clinics, support education programs, or improve basic public services is being spent on glamour and perception. While other ECOWAS leaders embrace online meetings to save costs, Bio continues to set an example of indulgence rather than efficiency

 

Diplomacy today demands innovation and pragmatism. Countries like Sierra Leone cannot afford to treat regional engagement as a personal playground. When Bio attends meetings in foreign capitals, the expectation is that he brings back strategies, partnerships, and initiatives that directly benefit his citizens. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that these trips have produced outcomes. The people of Sierra Leone are left wondering if their president represents their interests or simply enjoys the perks of power

 

Beyond the financial and logistical burdens, there is a moral dimension. Leadership is about empathy, accountability, and connection. Sierra Leoneans need a president who is present, accessible, and responsive. A man who travels incessantly for ceremonial duties risks becoming distant, disconnected from the realities of the nation. His absence reinforces a growing sense of disenfranchisement among citizens who feel their concerns are ignored

 

Consider the example of President Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire. Despite his advanced age, Ouattara’s travels are strategic, tightly scheduled, and focused on clear outcomes. Each trip abroad is balanced with domestic governance priorities. Bio, on the other hand, treats regional engagements like a festival tour, visiting countries where the optics look good but the substance is often absent. Nights spent in Cape Verde or other picturesque locations may make for appealing headlines, but they do little to address instability in Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso

 

Bio’s role in ECOWAS could have been a historic opportunity to demonstrate strategic thinking and regional leadership. Instead, the emphasis appears to be on optics. Leadership is not measured by how many airports one has visited but by the tangible improvements delivered at home. If Sierra Leoneans cannot see progress in their daily lives, they will view this chairmanship as nothing more than a public relations stunt

 

If President Bio truly seeks to be remembered as a statesman, he must balance his regional responsibilities with a renewed commitment to domestic governance. Zoom and other digital platforms provide the means to engage effectively with West African leaders without abandoning the pressing needs of Sierra Leone. Staying home more often does not signify weakness; it signals prioritization of national progress over personal image

 

The ECOWAS Chairmanship is a responsibility that demands vision, strategic thinking, and accountability. A leader who neglects domestic issues while pursuing ceremonial recognition abroad risks leaving a legacy defined by absence rather than achievement. Bio has the choice to be remembered as a leader who delivered results or one who squandered an opportunity for prestige at the expense of his own citizens

 

Sierra Leoneans deserve a president who understands that true leadership is rooted in action and presence. Every trip abroad must be justified by outcomes, and every moment spent away from home must contribute meaningfully to the nation’s progress. The time for symbolic gestures has passed. Bio must embrace a leadership style that combines regional engagement with a strong domestic focus. Only then can the ECOWAS Chairmanship serve as a platform for genuine transformation

 

The people of Sierra Leone are not asking for glamour or image. They are asking for service, accountability, and results. The nation cannot afford a leader whose priority is appearances and whose absence speaks louder than any statement or speech. ECOWAS leadership is an honor, but it is meaningless without substance. If Bio continues this pattern, history will remember him not for regional leadership but for neglecting his country while indulging in prestige and perks