Alpha Amadu Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph:
Two weeks ago, August 7, 2025, President Julius Maada Bio delivered his speech during the State Opening of Parliament. He presented what he called the “Big Five” priorities of his government: electricity, water, roads, education, and healthcare. While the speech aimed to convey progress and transformation, a closer examination exposes a wide gap between rhetoric and reality.
This op-ed represents an analysis of the current realities confronting Sierra Leone. The evidence suggests that claims made by the President were either exaggerated or outright false, with very few areas showing genuine progress.
Without systemic change, prioritization of needs, and accountability, the gap between rhetoric and reality will continue to widen, further eroding public confidence in government initiatives.
Sierra Leoneans deserve a government that speaks truthfully about its achievements and failures. Political speeches must be matched by measurable improvements in infrastructure, services, and social welfare. Only then can rhetoric align with reality, and only then can citizens feel the tangible benefits of governance promised by their leaders.
Electricity: Power Promises vs Power Outages
Gross Exaggeration – “We have achieved unprecedented strides in electrification, with new power projects and increased connectivity across the nation.”
Only about 15 percent of Sierra Leoneans have access to electricity. Frequent power cuts affect urban and rural areas alike. Many communities remain completely off the grid, while rolling blackouts are commonplace in cities. The government has invested in infrastructure projects, but delays, corruption, and outdated equipment undermine their impact. The promise of reliable electricity remains largely unfulfilled for the majority of citizens.
Water: Clean Water Claims Fall Short
False – “Clean and safe water is now accessible to a significant portion of the population.”
In reality, millions of Sierra Leoneans, especially in rural and peri-urban regions, still lack access to safe drinking water. Broken boreholes, contaminated water sources, and long distances to fetch water persist as daily challenges. Women and children continue to bear the brunt of water collection. The President’s assertion that clean water is broadly accessible does not reflect the lived experiences of these communities.
Roads: Connectivity Overstated
Gross Exaggeration – “New highways, bridges, and rehabilitated streets are connecting rural communities to economic hubs, enabling trade and economic growth.”
Despite some visible infrastructure projects, many roads remain impassable, particularly during the rainy season. Bridges are dilapidated, isolating communities and endangering travel. Farmers struggle to transport produce, and businesses face delays and losses.
Travel conditions are hazardous, with potholes, flooding, and erosion creating constant obstacles. The government’s portrayal of seamless connectivity is far from reality.
Education: Progress Promises in a Failing System
Partially True – “We have improved access, better facilities, and quality teaching staff. Government scholarships and new school construction are evidence of educational reform.”
While minor improvements exist, Sierra Leone’s education system remains strained. Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are underpaid, and learning materials are scarce. Scholarships are limited and often do not reach the most deserving students. Many rural areas remain underserved, and school construction projects are unevenly distributed. Quality education continues to be more of aspiration than reality, making the President’s claims only partially accurate.
Healthcare: Transformative Claims vs Sector Collapse
False – “New hospitals, better access to services, and improved maternal and child health initiatives are transforming the health sector.”
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Healthcare in Sierra Leone is under severe strain. Hospitals and clinics lack essential medicines, equipment, and trained personnel. Rural communities often have no functional healthcare facilities, forcing citizens to travel long distances for basic treatment.
Maternal and infant mortality rates remain high, and health workers are overworked and underpaid. The President’s statements about healthcare transformation are false, masking the ongoing crisis in the sector.
Fact-Checking the Claims: The Big Five Reality Check
Electricity remains unreliable and inaccessible to most citizens. Despite the President’s promises, blackouts are frequent, and rural electrification is minimal.
Water access is still a significant challenge, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Roads are often dangerous or impassable, disrupting trade and daily life.
Education is underfunded and unevenly distributed, limiting opportunities for young people.
Healthcare is still in crisis, with facilities lacking essential resources and staff.
Each of the President’s claims fails to reflect the reality on the ground, ranging from exaggeration to outright deception.
The “Big Five” as presented in the President’s speech, are aspirational in tone but largely unfulfilled in practice. The government continues to prioritize appearances and political narratives over tangible results.
Citizens remain frustrated by unmet promises, unreliable services, and systemic inefficiencies. This op-ed underscores the critical need for transparency, accountability, and genuine investment in sectors that directly impact the lives of Sierra Leoneans.
President Bio’s rhetoric may sound promising in Parliament, but the facts on the ground tell a different story. Electricity is inconsistent, water access remains scarce, roads are hazardous, schools are under-resourced, and hospitals are struggling.
Sierra Leoneans are left to navigate these realities, while the government continues to offer rhetoric as progress.
By critically examining the claims made during the state opening of Parliament, it becomes evident that much of the President’s speech was disconnected from the lived experiences of ordinary citizens.
The government must prioritize follow-through, practical solutions, and equitable development. Political speeches should not substitute for action, and citizens deserve a government that addresses their immediate needs rather than presenting aspirational narratives as reality.
The assessment of the Big Five sectors exposes a persistent pattern: promises are made at grandiose levels, yet actual implementation falls short. This gap between rhetoric and reality undermines public trust and highlights the need for greater accountability in governance.
Sierra Leoneans must hold their leaders responsible for delivering on commitments that affect their everyday lives, from having light in homes to access to clean water, passable roads, quality education, and functioning healthcare systems.
President Bio’s speech on August 7, 2025, serves as a stark reminder of the divergence between political promises and practical outcomes. While the Big Five remain important objectives for national development, current evidence demonstrates that these sectors are far from achieving the progress portrayed in official narratives.
Citizens and civil society must demand transparency and concrete results to bridge this gap.
The analysis of President Bio’s speech demonstrates that bold statements in Parliament cannot replace action on the ground. For the Big Five to translate from promises to realities, the government must commit to honest reporting, transparent planning, and effective execution. Citizens should continue to monitor, critique, and demand accountability to ensure that political discourse does not obscure the urgent needs of the population.
Sierra Leoneans continue to endure daily hardships while being presented with a narrative of progress that does not exist. Until the government closes the gap between political rhetoric and lived experience, speeches will remain hollow, and trust in leadership will continue to erode.
It is the responsibility of both leaders and citizens to ensure that promises result in tangible change, not just ceremonial declarations in Parliament.