Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 25 September 2025:
Jaiama Sewafe is a mid-sized town in Kono District, located on the foot of the Nimi Hills and straddled by River Sewa – one of the longest rivers in Sierra Leone. It has an estimated population of about 7,249 that can pass as a microcosm of Sierra Leone’s demographic landscape. The town boasts of 10 schools including primary and secondary (that’s how we called it in my day).
Jaiama Sewafe is the administrative and economic headquarter of Nimi Yama Chiefdom, which borders Tonkolili and Kenema Districts. It is the first town that serves as the gateway to Kono District from the capital city Freetown eastwards.
It used to be a predominantly mining town, 18 miles from the environs of the famous Yengema NDMC fame. The residents of Jaiama Sewafe are predominantly farmers today, despite it being in Kono District with all the unfortunate and blessedly cursed diamondiferous landscape.
It is worth recalling that Jaiama Sewafe had its own share of destruction, plunder and death at the hands of the rebel forces during the decade long war. It goes without saying that the impact led to a significant displacement of its residents.
The end of the war coincided with the coronation of a new and current Paramount Chief Geoge Bockarie Torto, following the passing of his father Chief Martin Ndapi Torto. Under the guidance of Chief Bockarie Torto, Jaiama Sewafe implemented the Life After Diamonds (LAD) initiative and programme. This was a direct response to and reflection of what became of the town in particular and the district in general, before and after the rebel war.
The aim of the LAD was self-explanatory as its title purposefully projects. Despite the seasonal and sporadic discovery of pockets of gold deposits, Jaiama Sewafe’s population is 70% agrarian.
Life After Diamonds (LAD) was a tacit reminder of the transient nature of diamond mining. Although it recognised the benefits of minerals and especially diamond mining in Sierra Leone, LAD was supposed to engage the youth in a more sustainable form of employment and vocation.
In addition to LAD’s initiative to engage especially the youths; the project was in reality, a reflection of the ephemeral nature of mining in the country, which has become largely industrial in nature.
Notwithstanding the view of the resource -curse that is universally associated with minerals on the continent, LAD was a subtle contradiction of the misguidedly held notion that “Diamonds are forever”. With a focus on regenerating an alternative for the youth, it was sad to note that despite the loftily perceived intentions, the initiative is dying, if not already dead.
With President Bio’s FEED SALONE agenda, many residents expected to benefit from this major programme. With a sizeable proportion of the population engaged in private small-scale agriculture, and with vast amounts of arable and fertile land available, the residents would expect that Jaiama Sewafe would be one of the prime exemplary areas to propagate the project in the district.
Many saw LAD as one of the channels to benefit from channelling the FEED SALONE programme in the area. This could be in addition to any other existing local projects around. Time will tell.
Sadly, Jaiama Sewafe has not only suffered from the resource curse but has also been a victim of successive governments over the years. The town has been a victim of the typical behaviour of politicians during the political life cycles of successive governments.
The residents are struggling to get their head round the kind of neglect or what some see as punishment from both the APC and the SLPP political parties.
The former President Ernest Bai Korma of APC fame achieved legendary status for his association with the national regeneration of infrastructure, especially in road construction. “DE PA DON WOKE” became the signature mantra of admiration from his supporters.
Whether this was started by the late Pa Kabba or supported and financed by the International Community (The EU), one cannot deny EBK’s role in the country’s regeneration programme.
President Bio has not bucked the trend with similar projects. Unfortunately, Jaiama Sewafe continues to be the bridesmaid in Kono District. The residents still recall when experts and logistic personnel visited the town on several occasions with the promise to rehabilitate the main streets and roads in the town.
EBK never honoured the promise to repair the main road despite the many surveyors who visited in the town. Some residents believe that this was because of a tilt in political loyalties, when C4C had entered the political crime scene. Many residents saw the neglect as vengeance.
Ironically, Jaiama Sewafe (Constituency 022) was one of, if not the only constituency that returned an APC candidate Honourable Tom Tucker to parliament in 2018 general elections. While the Freetown to Kono main trunk road was efficiently regenerated, the one into Sewafe remains a road to perdition as the tsunami of constructions conveniently passed by the town. The promises from politicians and visits from the artisans came to zilch.
Following his victory in 2018, President Bio visited Jaiama Sewafe (Nimi Yama Chiefdom) in November 2021 on his way to commission the Diamond Clock Tower in Koidu. Like from the previous government, the promises kept coming.
As usual, the residents of Jaiama Sewafe have euphemistically had empty spoons shoved down their throats by various politicians, with the much-lauded nation-wide electricity regeneration raining lots of false dawns.
As part of the promise, there was a massive construction of electricity pylons throughout the length and breadth of the town. Residents were encouraged to install electricity meters and incur other eye watering costs.
It would be difficult to try and illustrate the hope and joy that the residents felt when the electricity transformers were installed. Unfortunately, one transformer was reportedly stolen but it did not dampen the hope and enthusiasm of the residents. The residents were taxed to foot the bill for the replacement transformer.
With immeasurable hope, the residents painfully, doggedly but enthusiastically raised the required amount to pay for the transformer. The electricity was tested once, much to the jubilation of the community. Sadly, that has been the last time Jaiama Sewafe tasted any source of the promised electricity.
It is painfully obvious to note that despite the best efforts, the residents of Jaiama Sewafe continue to wait for the promised electricity and the road reconstruction. This seems to be the general pattern from our politicians anyway. Irrespective of which party is in power, it is difficult not to conclude that Sewafe has had a raw deal from both parties.
Interestingly, most of the promises have been made in the run up to elections; when politicians promise to build bridges where there are no rivers. The residents of Jaiama Sewafe can be excused to be green with envy when they pass through Bumpeh, Motema, Koquima etc on their way to the district headquarter of Koidu Town. These towns boast of predominantly constant electricity without a wink, while Sewafe drowns in darkness and despair.
In the run up to the June 2023 elections, NACSA was widely reported to have secured the contract to rehabilitate the road into the town. Officials from NACSA visited Sewafe on several occasions.
On one occasion, Paramount Chief Torto was attending a very important cultural meeting in Peyah village when the NACSA delegation visited. Chief Torto had to abandon the meeting and return immediately to play host to the NACSA officials who were in Jaiama at the time then. Though he broke traditional protocol, it demonstrated Chief Torto’s desire for his town to also benefit from the promised electricity.
As we go to press, the roads remain deplorable, Sewafe remains in the dark, and at this rate, the chances of hell freezing over seems more likely than Sewafe getting the promised electricity. The town has been fed with the proverbial empty spoon.
A day in politics is a long time, but 2028 will soon come. We are sure that our political foxes will promise to become vegetarians if they win the election again or vote for the welfare of chickens.
Why is Jaiama Sewafe getting a bad deal from both APC and SLPP parties?
Unlike most towns in the country, Jaiama Sewafe or Nimi Yama chiefdom has always oscillated between the APC and SLPP during general elections and voted both for parties alternately. It’s like an equal opportunities voting bloc that vote for the candidate and not with a predominantly blind loyalty to any particular political party.
Some residents feel that perhaps, Jaima Sewafe is being punished for its “apparent disloyalty” to the ruling parties of the day or “political disobedience”. This is what continues to baffle the residents.
Whether it is the APC or SLPP, Jaiama Sewafe has been treated like a bridesmaid by both parties. They are very eager to find out their criminal offence that has put them at such a disadvantaged situation, as they always get to the altar but never wear wedding the ring.
Does that mean that the constituency has become a political orphan?
EBK promised and failed to make good on his promises. Bio promised and Sewafe is still waiting. But it will soon be 2028 and the politicians will surely be on first name terms with the residents again. Can someone just explain this phenomenon? Or should the residents wait for 2028 to get another sugar-coated load of cobblers?
Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave the room, except if you live in Sewafe.
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