Crony Capital Nationalism In Sierra Leone: A Constitutional and Developmental Betrayal

 

By Mahmud Tim Kargbo

Sierra Leone’s post war aspirations for democratic governance, social justice, and economic reform, efforts exemplified by the legacy of the late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, have been gravely undermined by successive governments under the All People’s Congress (APC) and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). Despite outward commitments to reform, both the Ernest Bai Koroma led APC administration (2007 to 2018) and the current Julius Maada Bio led SLPP government (2018 to present) have entrenched a system of crony capitalism under the guise of nationalism. This governance model has perpetuated mass poverty, weakened national institutions, intensified inequality, and betrayed the principles enshrined in the 1991 Constitution and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report.

 

Part I: Decline Reflected in Global Indices

Sierra Leone’s Human Development Regression

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Sierra Leone ranks 184th out of 193 countries in the 2023/2024 Human Development Index, with a score of 0.458. This is a decline from its 2021 position of 181st (0.477). Sierra Leone is now one of only ten countries with a Human Development Index score below 0.460, indicating widespread deficits in education, life expectancy, and income (http://www.sierraloaded.sl/news/sierra-leone-declines-latest-undp-human-development-index/).

Persistent Hunger and Malnutrition

The 2024 Global Hunger Index places Sierra Leone at 117th out of 127 countries, with a score of 31.2, classified as “serious”. The World Food Programme notes that 77 percent of Sierra Leoneans face food insecurity, while 26.2 percent of children under five are stunted, and 6.7 percent suffer from wasting (http://www.wfp.org/countries/sierra-leone). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) attributes these figures to erratic rains, post harvest losses, and government failures to invest in rural farming systems (http://www.fao.org/sierra-leone).

Backsliding on Anti-Corruption

Sierra Leone’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, released by Transparency International, shows a national score of 33 out of 100, two points down from the previous year. The country now ranks 114th out of 180 globally, and third worst in West Africa, after Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea (http://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leones-anti-corruption-efforts-face-setback-in-latest-transparency-international-index/). In 2023 alone, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) received 1,112 complaints but prosecuted fewer than 5 percent, raising questions about selective enforcement and politicisation (http://www.anticorruption.gov.sl).

Part II: The Constitutional and TRC Blueprint Betrayed

Sierra Leone’s 1991 Constitution clearly states in Section 5(2)(b) that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” (http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/constitution1991.pdf). Sections 7 and 10 further mandate that wealth must not be concentrated in the hands of a privileged few and that the state shall promote an equitable distribution of resources.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report warned of the risks of “corruption, impunity, political exclusion, and a culture of unaccountable power”, the very conditions that triggered the brutal 11 year civil war (http://www.sierraleonetrc.org/index.php/view-report-text-vol-2/item/volume-two-chapter-three). The TRC called for deep constitutional reforms, devolution of power, and the protection of marginalised communities.

Yet, these obligations remain largely unfulfilled. Neither the Koroma nor Bio governments have implemented key TRC recommendations, including decentralised governance, judicial reforms, or equitable economic planning.

Part III: The Two Faces of Crony Governance

The Koroma Years: Corruption Camouflaged as Prosperity

The APC’s flagship policies, “Agenda for Change” and “Agenda for Prosperity”, promised infrastructure and job creation. In reality, these initiatives became vehicles for elite enrichment. Contracts for roads, energy, and mining were frequently awarded without competitive bidding to politically connected firms. African Confidential reported that the Tonkolili iron ore deal and several Chinese funded road projects lacked transparency and yielded minimal national revenue (http://www.africa-confidential.com).

Public service institutions deteriorated. According to the IMF’s 2018 Article IV Consultation, over 35 percent of capital expenditure between 2014 and 2017 could not be traced to physical outcomes, suggesting widespread embezzlement. The Auditor General’s 2017 report confirmed large-scale irregularities in procurement, payroll fraud, and fictitious invoicing.

The Bio Administration: Continuity Through Control

Elected on a reformist platform, President Julius Maada Bio pledged a “New Direction” focused on education and anti-corruption. However, similar patterns of favouritism and opacity have prevailed. The 2022 Audit Service Report revealed unaccounted expenditures exceeding Le200 billion (http://www.auditservice.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ASSL-Annual-Report-2022.pdf). Key procurement processes bypassed standard regulations, including in the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, and Defence.

The Free Quality School Education programme, a flagship initiative, has seen uneven implementation. Over 30 percent of public schools reportedly lack sufficient learning materials or trained teachers, according to UNICEF. Meanwhile, politically linked firms have won contracts to supply materials at inflated rates.

Agricultural policies have also skewed towards large-scale agribusinesses. The rice self-sufficiency programme, worth over 620 million US dollars, has been criticised for enriching foreign firms and sidelining local farmers (http://www.apnews.com/article/6ba8eb3047b9b43f6ccf55e3b9a78af6). The National Federation of Farmers’ Associations reported that less than 15 percent of project funds reached smallholder cooperatives.

Part IV: Nationalism as a Mask for Patronage

Writer John G. Grove, in his critique of nationalist populism, notes: “The solution to a corrupted culture is not simply to hope that, as a whole, it will think, decide, or act differently” (http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/blog/crony-capital-nationalism). This insight resonates in Sierra Leone, where nationalism is increasingly weaponised to justify political patronage and the suppression of dissent.

The strategic use of youth wings by both APC and SLPP to enforce party loyalty and intimidate opponents has mirrored authoritarian models. Reports from Amnesty International and the Sierra Leone Human Rights Commission detail numerous instances of excessive state force. For example, the August 2022 anti-government protest in Freetown led to the death of over 20 civilians, most of them youth. Police reports later admitted to using live ammunition on unarmed demonstrators, violating Section 15 of the Constitution (http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/constitution1991.pdf).

The judiciary has also come under pressure. Journalists and civil society activists have faced harassment, including arrests under the Cybercrime Act of 2021, which critics argue is being used to stifle online dissent.

Part V: Towards Constitutional Redemption

To arrest the nation’s slide into systemic failure, Sierra Leone must return to its constitutional and post-war moral compass. The following reforms are critical:

Strengthen Institutional Integrity

Guarantee the independence and resourcing of the Anti-Corruption Commission and Audit Service.

Establish parliamentary oversight committees with prosecutorial powers.

Depoliticise appointments in the judiciary and civil service.

Ensure Economic Justice and Inclusion

Prioritise investment in smallholder agriculture with direct input subsidies and extension services.

Mandate public procurement through transparent digital platforms.

Reform tax laws to close loopholes exploited by politically linked businesses.

Protect Civil Liberties and Democratic Space

Repeal or amend the Cybercrime Act to align with international human rights standards.

Support independent journalism through public funding and legal protections.

Empower local governments through fiscal decentralisation.

This alarming trend of crony capitalism masquerading as nationalism, once considered a foreign affliction, now infects Sierra Leone’s body politic. Both the Koroma led APC and the Bio led SLPP administrations have fostered environments where political loyalty, rather than constitutional obligation or professional competence, determines access to economic opportunity.

The vision of equity and inclusion articulated in Chapter II of the 1991 Constitution (http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/constitution1991.pdf), and the peace agenda embodied by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, is now under severe threat. Unless the state reorients itself towards genuine structural reform, Sierra Leone risks replicating the very conditions that led to its devastating civil war.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission warned in its 2004 report (http://www.sierraleonetrc.org/index.php/view-report-text-vol-2/item/volume-two-chapter-two?category_id=21): “Without dismantling exclusionary systems and rooting governance in transparency and justice, peace will remain fragile and development hollow.”

The time to reclaim Sierra Leone’s democratic covenant is now.

References:

UNDP HDI Report: http://www.sierraloaded.sl/news/sierra-leone-declines-latest-undp-human-development-index/

Global Hunger Index 2024: http://www.sierraloaded.sl/local/sierra-leone-2024-global-hunger-index/

World Food Programme: http://www.wfp.org/countries/sierra-leone

FAO Sierra Leone: http://www.fao.org/sierra-leone

Transparency International CPI: http://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/sierra-leones-anti-corruption-efforts-face-setback-in-latest-transparency-international-index/

Anti-Corruption Commission: http://www.anticorruption.gov.sl

TRC Final Report: http://www.sierraleonetrc.org/index.php/view-report-text-vol-2/item/volume-two-chapter-three

Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991: http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/constitution1991.pdf

Audit Service Sierra Leone 2022: http://www.auditservice.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ASSL-Annual-Report-2022.pdf

Grove, J. G. on Crony Capitalism: http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/blog/crony-capital-nationalism

African Confidential: http://www.africa-confidential.com

Associated Press on Rice Import Policy: http://www.apnews.com/article/6ba8eb3047b9b43f6ccf55e3b9a78af6

UNICEF Sierra Leone Education Report: https://www.unicef.org/sierraleone

Amnesty International Sierra Leone: https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/west-and-central-africa/sierra-leone/report-sierra-leone/