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Hamza Koroma, a Sierra Leonean youth leader and social media influencer, has urged citizens to stay grounded as political conversations around President Julius Maada Bio’s appointment as ECOWAS Chairman continue.
In an open letter shared online, Koroma addressed government supporters who have been mocking the opposition and citizens raising concerns, saying the ECOWAS chairmanship should not be seen as a free pass to avoid public questions or to ignore people’s concerns.
He reminded readers that ECOWAS is a regional body focused on cooperation between West African states, not a national institution or legal body. According to Koroma, leadership in ECOWAS is rotational and based on consensus not on how popular or democratic a government is at home.
Koroma pointed out that the chairmanship is not a reward for performance, and that holding such a position does not erase the concerns citizens raise about justice, governance, and the rule of law.
He stressed that true leadership is judged not by titles, but by how fairly a government treats its people. Dismissing or laughing at those who speak up, he warned, doesn’t make the issues disappear if it only highlights a shallow view of leadership.
Closing his message, Koroma reminded his audience that history keeps record of how people respond in times of tension not just what leaders did, but also how their supporters reacted when others demanded justice.
You well said it. Vice versa. Call spade a spade. I pray that peace and love reign in our country, Sierra Leone. God bless Sierra Leone.
What a word,
Your recent “open letter” titled “ECOWAS Is Not Your Personal Courtroom” makes loud claims cloaked in the tone of righteous indignation. But let me assure you, volume is not the same as value. While you pretend to be the voice of moral clarity, what echoes most in your words is partisan frustration masquerading as national concern.
You accuse people of “mocking and cheering without understanding.” Yet you fail to understand that the reactions you mock are not born of ignorance but rather of political irony. For over a year now, we’ve heard opposition members boldly claim they will bypass the national judiciary and run straight to ECOWAS, dismissing Sierra Leonean institutions as illegitimate. They made ECOWAS sound like their last hope for redemption. So when the very institution they idolized appointed the leader of the SLPP as its Chairman, the reaction was not ignorance it was poetic justice.
You call the ECOWAS chairmanship “ceremonial” and “rotational,” trying hard to diminish its relevance. But that’s disingenuous. The truth is, ECOWAS leadership reflects not just regional trust but political diplomacy and credibility. You cannot pretend ECOWAS is the beacon of justice when it suits your narrative and then declare it “not a courtroom” when its decisions no longer benefit your preferred political outcome.
It’s convenient how you downplay the significance of ECOWAS when the chairmanship goes to someone you oppose. Isn’t that a double standard? If the President of Sierra Leone being made ECOWAS Chairman has no weight, why did the opposition place so much hope in ECOWAS in the first place? Or is the value of an institution dependent on who leads it?
You point fingers at the President, institutions, and government officials as if Sierra Leone’s problems began and end at State House. But let’s be honest with ourselves. The real virus eating away at our country is not a party it is the mentality of the people. Citizens who treat politics like a football match, who cheer only when their side scores, and sabotage progress when the other side is in power. Citizens who would rather see their country fail than see an opposing party succeed.
This tribalistic, partisan, bitter kind of politics is what’s keeping Sierra Leone from moving forward. Not ECOWAS. Not the judiciary. Not the President.
If every time a new government is elected, the opposition dedicates itself not to constructive criticism but to obstruction and sabotage, then how will Sierra Leone ever progress?
You claim that “power is never permanent.” True. But neither is opposition. The very people crying foul today had their chance yesterday. And if Sierra Leone is still struggling, it’s not just because of current leaders it’s because of those who failed us in the past and now pretend to be saints.
The sad reality is that many people are not fighting for Sierra Leone they are fighting for their party. Their stomachs. Their titles. Their turn to eat.
If some people are celebrating the ECOWAS chairmanship, it’s because it symbolizes regional validation of our national leadership. And if that irritates you, maybe it’s time to check your motives. Because unity should never offend a patriot. You say ECOWAS is not a courtroom well, fair enough. But Sierra Leoneans also know hypocrisy when they see it.
Instead of writing divisive letters full of recycled slogans and emotional tantrums, why not write a letter that encourages reconciliation and national development? Why not call for citizens to be better, to put country above party, and to promote national dialogue?
But no you would rather remind people of every criticism while ignoring every success. You want us to believe that you stand for justice, yet your tone reeks of resentment.
Finally, Sierra Leone doesn’t need more political poets. It needs builders. People who will unite rather than divide. Citizens who know that ECOWAS, like every other body, functions based on trust and that trust, this time, has been given to a Sierra Leonean. If that offends you, perhaps the problem isn’t with the country or its government, but with your inability to celebrate any good news unless it comes from your corner.
For those who are trying to sow doubt over ECOWAS and ridicule national achievements wake up. This country needs grown-ups, not grudge-holders.
Thanks,
Fogbawa – A Proud Citizen, Not a Political Pawn
Well
But the ECOWAS chairmanship is rotational and largely ceremonial. Why is stating that fact offend so much. Many Sierra Leoneans care about what is happening at home than what is happening in a regional organisation. What can I tell you? People care about their pockets and their daily life more than anything else. Saying so should not be characterised as unpatriotic. That’s ridiculous!!!