By Septimus A. M. Saffa
Reports filtering in to We Yone press relating to the botched mid-term census nation-wide, may have drawn the attention of a seasoned Political Analyst who in a latest interview with We Yone has noted, “People’s rejection of mid-term census portrays Bio’s failure in 2023.”
According to comments by the Political Analyst, the fact that the so-called mid-term census has from day one hit rock bottom with many technical, logistical and material challenges coupled with the refusal of citizens across the political divide to participate in the process indicates it is a project not in the interest of citizens.
“The World Bank has withdrawn its support having its reasons for doing so on the grounds that, “there is insufficient time between now and December 10, 2021 to satisfactorily address all pending actions.”
The Political Analyst reinterated the concerns of the World Bank like the failure of the government to produce a pilot census report as well as an evaluation; field operation plan for the enumeration, and training of enumerators.
“The major set-back of the project is the non-cooperation and non-participation of major political parties including APC, NGC, C4C, etc forming the Consortium of Progressive Political Party (COPP),” the Political Analyst noted, while equally lambasting the SLPP Bio-led government for attempting to coerce citizens to participate in a sinister project.
“Coercion will not work because in a democracy, the powers of authority do not cancel the freedom of the citizens,” the Political Analyst quoted sections of the latest press statement issued by COPP.
The Political Analyst ago intimated We Yone that citizens especially the poor and suffering majority are preoccupied with salient issues of survival in this dispensation of ‘paopaism’.
“Citizens are hungry as the cost of living is astronomical; citizens are largely unemployed and they are tired of the brutal and frontal attacks of the Bio regime on the rights of citizens,” the Political Analyst expressed, adding it is an insult on the poor people for Bio to be trying their patience with a project calculated to ensure Bio wins an underserved second term.
“Hence, by rejecting this so-called mid-term census, majority of citizenry have already rejected Bio for any so-called second term,” the Political Analyst noted.
Meanwhile, reports have confirmed that most of the tablets are faulty and others have already been configured to give advantage in numerical strength to the Southern-Eastern regions.
However, what makes the so-called mid-term census disastrous is the fact that Bio’s assumed supporters in Kenema, Bo, Pujehun, Bonthe, Moyamba and even Kailahun have rejected the project, equaling stating ‘bread and butter issues’ are their concern and not Bio’s illegal and sinister mid-term census project.
Latest reports from Kailahun and many other districts indicate the workers are in a tug of war with Statistics Sierra Leone (SSL) for non-payment of training allowance. Intelligence reveals President Bio has succumbed to genuine concerns and has reportedly instructed for the project to be abandoned, though yet to be independently confirmed.
“Close family sources disclose, Bio and his overbearing wife, First Lady Fatima Bio have accepted that they will not succeed in 2023 and that they are working out exit strategy,” reports state.
