Abubakarr Benson
Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. When President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah came with his post-war reconstruction agenda, people believed peace had finally returned and development would follow.
When President Ernest Bai Koroma introduced his “Agenda for Change” and later “Agenda for Prosperity,” he also stressed attitudinal change, putting emphasis on the mindset of Sierra Leoneans.
Today, President Julius Maada Bio has placed human capital development, especially education, at the center of his leadership.
Each of these leaders came with different promises and slogans, but the ordinary Sierra Leonean is still asking the same question: why are we not moving forward? For me, the answer is simple: our problem is not mindset, our problem is leadership.
For too long, we have been made to believe that Sierra Leone’s underdevelopment is the result of the mindset of its people. Each time we fail as a nation, the blame is shifted to the ordinary citizen – that Sierra Leoneans are too divided, too corrupt, too lazy, or too complacent. But I hold a different view.
Our problem is not mainly the mindset of the people but the quality of leadership that we have had over the years. We cannot sit and wait until the mindset of eight million people magically changes before experiencing progress. When a nation is blessed with the right leadership, the people move along naturally.
Leadership inspires change faster than any motivational campaign on mindset ever could. Nations don’t wait for the people to change; they rise when leaders lead.
History is filled with examples of countries where ethnic divisions, corruption, and polarization were even worse than what we face in Sierra Leone today, yet they managed to rise because they had leaders who were bold, visionary, and selfless.
Take Rwanda, for instance. After the horrific genocide of 1994, one would have thought the country was condemned to permanent division and chaos. Yet, through the leadership of Paul Kagame, Rwanda has risen to become one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa.
Kagame’s style has often been described as disciplined and uncompromising, prioritizing national unity, anti-corruption, and efficient governance. The ethnic hatred that once tore Rwanda apart was reduced not because people woke up with new mindsets, but because leadership gave them a clear and firm direction. Rwanda proves that leadership can heal wounds that mindset alone cannot.
We can also look beyond Africa. Singapore in the 1960s was a struggling island, divided along racial and class lines, with very little hope of survival. Under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore was transformed into one of the most developed nations in the world. Lee was a tough, pragmatic, and disciplined leader who placed meritocracy and anti-corruption at the heart of governance.
Similarly, South Korea was once poorer than most African countries, yet President Park Chung-hee’s focused and disciplined leadership set the stage for the “Miracle on the Han River.”
Though his style was authoritarian, it built industries, education, and infrastructure that carried South Korea into prosperity. The lesson is clear: when leaders take responsibility, the people align.
Closer to home, Ghana offers another important lesson. In the early 1980s, the country was drowning in economic chaos, corruption, and hopelessness. But through the leadership of Jerry John Rawlings who began as a military ruler and later became a democratic reformer, the country stabilized and laid the foundation for growth. Ghanaians did not suddenly develop a new mindset overnight; it was Rawlings’ reforms, discipline, and eventual embrace of democracy that shifted the nation’s trajectory.
This is why Sierra Leone must stop the lazy argument of blaming the people for every national failure. Citizens naturally mirror the standards and values set by their leaders. If leaders are corrupt, people learn corruption.
If leaders are tribalistic, people practice division. But when leaders demonstrate honesty, unity, and service, citizens follow suit. Change begins from the top and flows down to the grassroots. Ordinary Sierra Leoneans are not more corrupt or divided than ordinary Ghanaians, Rwandans, or Singaporeans; what we lack is leadership that sets the right standards. The character of a nation is a reflection of the character of its leaders.
So, what then is the solution? It begins with demanding integrity and accountability from those who seek to lead us. Leadership must be treated as a sacred trust, not a personal privilege. Our leaders must understand that their words and actions set the tone for the entire nation.
When they prioritize service over self, when they punish corruption without favoritism, when they rise above tribal and partisan interests, they create an environment where citizens can thrive. No matter how difficult, the responsibility to reset this nation lies first with those at the helm. I usually say: leadership is not about position – it is about responsibility.
But it does not stop there. We must also build systems that outlive individual leaders. Singapore and South Korea did not succeed by charisma alone; they built strong institutions, enforced discipline, and made excellence the standard. Sierra Leone must do the same. From our schools to our courts, from our hospitals to our civil service, we need structures that reward merit and punish mediocrity.
Leadership must invest in education, empower young people, and create opportunities that channel their energy away from drugs, crime, and hopelessness. This is how we can turn potential into progress. Strong leaders build strong institutions, and strong institutions sustain nations.
The truth is simple: the destiny of Sierra Leone will not be changed by waiting for the mindset of eight million people to evolve on its own. It will be changed by leaders who dare to lead with vision, courage, and example. Once the head is right, the body will follow.
That is the missing link in our national journey, and until we fix it, we will continue to go in circles. Sierra Leone deserves leaders who will rise to this challenge and prove, once and for all, that our story can be different.
Source: Sierraloaded
For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone Follow Africa-Press
