HARDSHIP RIFE IN SOUTHEAST

eople in the southeast of Sierra Leone have complained of the hardships they continue to experience since they elected president Bio on 24 June.

They complain of widespread hunger, saying: ‘D mami dey cook but we nor belful’, implying that ‘we eat but not to our fill’.

According to people that spoke to Daybreak newspaper in the ruling party heartlands of the southeast, the hardship and suffering is reaching biblical proportions in some parts of their region.

They are calling on the president, members of the ruling SLPP they voted for to the Sixth Parliament and all those who call such places home to check in on them regularly. A recent food systems survey recently revealed that eight out of ten people especially in the regions go without a meal a day. That survey necessitated the distribution of food and other material support from international organisations to assist vulnerable people.

Those that eat say they do so through the skin of their teeth claiming that it has become increasingly harder to provide since the 24 June election result announcement.

Those interviewed by Daybreak newspaper say they voted for Julius Maada Bio and the SLPP. Many admitted to being prevailed upon to deny some of their kinsmen the right to vote or campaign in their districts.

Some of the young people confessed to being used to intimidate and even assault and injured others to maintain an SLPP advantage in their heartlands.

‘People we know were used to set peoples’ homes on fire. But despite all we have gone through for the party we still go to bed hungry,’ some youth complained to Daybreak.

The widespread hardship that has engulfed the people in the southeast of Sierra Leone has however forced one time political opponents to switch into crisis mode and assist each other irrespective of political and or other considerations.

‘At present, no matter what party you belong to we are all suffering. This has made us to realise that no matter what at the end of the day when there is a problem we all suffer as Sierra Leoneans. We see a lot of people helping each other since things continue to get difficult. We have no choice but to help each other because since we re-elected president Bio we have not seen or experience a slow-down in our hardship and suffering. As a matter of fact they have gotten worse,’ they complained.


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