Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 6 August 2026:
In general terms, many see the constitution of any given country as the cornerstone of law, liberty and governance that should guide generations with enduring wisdom. If this premise is anything to go by, it means that the wisdom with which our constitution has been written should endure the test of times.
To suggest that the constitution should endure the test of times does not naturally mean that it’s impregnable or not malleable. While constitutions are subject to amendments, thanks to the changing fortunes of the times, it is imperative that they remain so honest that they always pass the truth test.
As one of the most important guardrails of our society, the constitution of Sierra Leone should be seen and treated as a testament to our enduring principles that have guided and shaped our quest for liberty, justice and democracy.
Therefore, we should regard it as an inspiration to all of us in serving as a moral compass and beacon of hope in challenging times. Even during such challenging times, we do not expect our constitution to develop cold feet, because it will always stand on its amendments.
Unfortunately for Sierra Leone, such amendments have been coming thick and fast with every change of government or every election cycle. At this rate, our constitution is fast becoming a lawful comedy, and as citizens we would be legally obligated to laugh. That in itself qualifies the Judicial Review for comedic preview.
As we all know, the trend these days is the judicial review with Proportional Representation taking centre stage in the discussion.
Why do we review our constitution so very often?
Why do our politicians find it irresistible to tweak our constitution each time they become the government of the day? We all know that the constitution of our country is facing a political abortion currently.
With their scalpels, tweezers and forceps, our political gynaecologists and legal wordsmiths have been parading across the corridors of our parliament to carry out some constitutional abortion in our name. Many wonder why the so-called amendments have become regular features of every sitting government.
This is the same thing that happens with our censuses. While most countries use census to help plan the resources of the nation to suit the needs of the population, our two main political parties have taken turns to use it for land reforms disguised as delimitation.
Our country’s land mass remains the same, but each time we have a census, the sitting government performs a caesarean section to give birth to new constituencies and districts. This is the same thing that is happening with our constitution nowadays.
It is becoming very common for the government of the day to initiate constitutional gymnastics called “reviews” for every reigning cycle.so, what is wrong with our constitution that we need to fix so frequently?
No one will begrudge a government conducting constitutional reviews. What is becoming gnawingly disgusting is the frequency of such occurrences. Each time a constitutional review is undertaken by the government, are the politicians literally accusing their predecessors of something we don’t know?
If you recall how many times our constitution has been reviewed, you would be forgiven to refer the constitution for therapy…….to resolve its issues.
Do we have politicians or statesmen as leaders?
There is a difference between a politician and a statesman. Winston Churchill once said that “The Difference between a Politician and a Statesmen is that a Politician thinks about the Next Elections, while the Statesman thinks about the Next Generation”.
If constitutions are meant to serve the people into posterity, and if the constitutions require tweaking, amendments, alchemy, reconstructions or surgical implants every so often, does that mean that what we have are politicians who just think of the next elections? As if to prove a point, why is it that all constitutional reviews come on the eve of elections?
When our politicians and governments take the reins of power, why don’t they conduct the constitutional reviews immediately like they do with their Commissions of Inquires? Why do these constitutional reviews only take place during the last days of the incumbencies?
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma came to power in 2007 but only launched his Constitutional Review Committee on July 30, 2013…..during his second term in office. The final report was presented on January 24th, 2017, one year to the 2018 election.
President Bio is now initiating his own review with only 25% of his term left. Do you see the pattern here? Does this mean that Sierra Leone is at risk and at the mercy of authoritarian democracy? When these leaders initiate these constitutional reviews, are they really thinking of the next generation or the next elections? Are these guys Politicians or Statesmen?
Over the past weeks, we have seen our politicians, like during the scramble for Africa, putting on a show of grandstanding in parliament. While there have been a lot of opposition about the issue of Proportional Representation, some of us will find it difficult to expect foxes to vote for the welfare of chickens, just like turkeys to vote for Christmas.
A lot of opposition to the concept of Proportional Representation seems to come largely from the Opposition Party, as the name implies. So, what happens when the shoe is on the other foot? Sadly for me, I am constitutionally so bankrupt that I don’t have the foggiest idea of the merits and demerits of the concept. Thankfully, I enjoy my allergy to constitutional discourse.
That is one of the greatest tragedies of Sierra Leone’s democracy. We have a parliamentary democracy but unfortunately, our politicians will keep quiet even when they see their own party doing the wrong thing.
Opposition as the term applies, will mostly come from the opposition party of the day. Politicians in the ruling party will always take a vow of “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil”….while in power. They only break their vow of silence when the shoe is on the other foot. That is why, each time you accuse the SLPP of wrongdoing, the SLPP will give you a history lesson of similar examples of such wrongdoing by the APC. This is vice versa, as the APC will not run out of examples either.
Sadly, both parties and their supporters use this kind of ruse as if it’s justification for whatever allegations that are thrown in their direction. No wonder it is uncommon to see or hear a member of the ruling party criticise his/her government. Ali Kabba bucked the trend though.
When the APC Secretary General Lansana Dumbuya was arrested and denied bail in February this year, Ali Kabba (SLPP) was one of , if not THE ONLY SLPP member to remind his party and government that “Bail is a Constitutional Safeguard”. This was not in support of Lansana Dumbuya per se, but in standing up for the principle of constitutional democracy.
While some politicians in the hierarchy of SLPP might have considered Ali Kabba’s view as treasonable, he earned a lot of respect from many Sierra Leoneans worldwide, if social media is anything to go by. Interestingly, Ali Kabba and the word “bail” are strange bedfellows.
During the late Siaka Steven’s One-Party government, as Student Leader of Fourah Bay College, Ali Kabba and other legends like Pius Foray, Hindolo Trye, Lamini Warity, Kabs Kanu, Frank Kposowa, Daba Kallon, Paul Kamara, Sam Tumoe formed the vanguard which became the de facto opposition party, thanks to their anti-establishment stance to the APC then.
It goes to show that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter” (MLK). This is the reason why as Sierra Leoneans, we should always remember that “However good a constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. However bad a constitution may be, if those implementing it are good, it will prove to be good” (B.R Ambedkar).
The constitution is for the people. The people are not for the constitution. The constitution should only be changed for the betterment of the common man. While our parliament is busy with the political abortion called constitutional review, let us ask ourselves whether these reviews are for the next generation or the next elections.
Do we have politicians or statesmen? If it was the APC that was presiding over this constitutional review, what would the SLPP be saying today? And since the shoe is on the other foot, what are we saying today? Today for you…..Tumarah for Me.
Let us amend today with some good times.
Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave the room.
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