By Ibraheem Daramy
A lot has been said about the 69th Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit held in Sierra Leone. I must say that most of what is being said about it is mere speculation. I know that the chairmanship of the regional bloc is rotational. I don’t know how it suddenly became a chess game for incumbents. The naysayers were up in arms, portraying the entire gathering as a waste of resources and, most importantly, a deliberate attempt to cover up our economic woes. Some even went further, suggesting it was going to leave us much worse off. They might have found a soft spot among the majority of the population, who are at the receiving end of the pain of a largely avoidable hardship.
The conveners would have none of the above, so it’s understandable that they were also out there with their own narrative. Though they did not have well-stocked shelves with tempting goods, they still recorded good numbers among willing buyers. And with our type of politics, they already had customers in the queue, even when they had no clue about the merchandise. So let’s just say the political divide was in overdrive as our regional political elites enjoyed themselves. Yes, you heard me. I said they enjoyed themselves.
I saw parallels being drawn between the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) conference of the 1980s and the recent ECOWAS Summit, particularly with respect to cost and the subsequent fallout. Those who didn’t take kindly to it told us that the OAU conference was the catalyst for our downward spiral, whatever that means. Growing up, I was also told that the conference marked the first step towards our economic meltdown. I can only respectfully request that you set your political allegiance aside so you can make a fair judgement on a subject that is bound to become a point of reference.
Proponents of the ECOWAS Summit have argued that it will open up the airport town of Lungi and ease pressure on the congested capital, Freetown. I remember saying the same during a radio group discussion, but someone suddenly cut in and said that fixing the bridge across the estuary separating the city from the airport town would have been a much easier sell. I immediately threw in the towel because I found his argument more compelling.
And let’s not forget that the man advising the President on infrastructure has been all over the place displaying the architectural design and explaining the importance of the bridge project. He even elaborated further on the funding model. Some ruling party faithfuls even touted proposed dates for its launch. Given that the President cancelled the proposed new airport project initiated by his predecessor in favour of the bridge, the opposition wasted no time wishing the bridge project would never happen. I prayed their wish would never come to pass. But with the time left in office for the current Chief Executive, it would require a miracle of monumental proportions for it to happen while he is still calling the shots.
The facilities put in place for the conference are not going to be flown abroad, so we will have to rise to their standard. We cannot afford to let them become like those built for the OAU conference in the 1980s. I believe that, with the build, operate and transfer (BOT) model adopted for the ECOWAS Summit facilities, the investor must have been guided by something quite scientific and therefore predictable. Though I wouldn’t want to get ahead of myself, I just feel this might convince onlookers that we are ready for business.
I’ve listened to air travellers complain about the delay in getting to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The other day, we had to board a dugout canoe so we wouldn’t miss an appointment in Freetown. As if the associated risk wasn’t enough, we also had to use plastic sheets to ward off the marauding saltwater driven by ferocious winds. The operator had to make intermittent stops to avoid entangling his outboard engine in nets cast by artisanal fishermen.
Of course, the elephant in the room was the cameo appearance of Sierra Leone’s former President, Ernest Bai Koroma. It was his first visit to his motherland in nearly three years. There was so much attention on him that almost everybody suddenly became a sign language expert, and not even his demeanour was spared from interpretation. I’m not a psychic, so I can limit myself to only what he said. But the standout moment for me was his photograph with the First Lady, Fatima Bio. It was like a daughter whose long-lost and forgotten father had suddenly reappeared. If that scene was only meant for the cameras, then it’s obvious why Fatima once made a living on the screen.
Some members of his political party told me they would rather he return when their party reclaims power. I had no regrets about my sarcasm when I told them that whether the former President is in or out of the country, they would still have to figure out where their next meal is coming from.
Ibraheem Daramy
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