18/07/2026
*THE PRICE WE PAY FOR OUR WICKEDNESS*
Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio hosting the July 2026 ECOWAS summit.
Ceremony. Red carpets. Speeches about unity.
But at home, the people are bleeding. And the bill is due.
*1. Fighting for legitimacy*
Critics have called it what it is: damage control. After the 2023 election malpractice, after the killings, after the August protest, the government needs a photo op. Hosting ECOWAS is not about West Africa. It’s about convincing the world that all is well in Freetown, while nothing is well in Freetown.
*2. Fighting to retain the chairmanship of ECOWAS*
Power. Influence. Immunity from scrutiny. Retaining the chairmanship is the goal. But you cannot chair a region for peace while you use arms against your own people. That contradiction is the price we pay.
*The price in our blood*
Since SLPP came in 2018, the pattern is clear. The attack on the main opposition. The killing of innocent people. The August protest met with bullets, not dialogue. When dissent is answered with death, democracy dies.
*The price in our name*
We are now known internationally for drugs. Our land is a transit point, our youth are victims, and the stain is on all of us. Meanwhile, millions of dollars were spent to build a conference center and other facilities to host ECOWAS — not to fix schools, not to fix hospitals. Just to equalize the 1980 OAU hosted by Siaka P. Stevens. Image over people. Legacy over life.
*The price in our pockets*
The living standard is hard. Prices climbing, wages collapsing. And yet, excessive, fruitless traveling in the name of "cleaning the country's image." The more we travel to sell the lie, the deeper the stain gets.
*The price in our democracy*
2023 exposed us. The malpractice broke trust. People voted, but did their vote count? Until we answer that, no summit can give us credibility.
*The alternative*
2028 is coming. APC says it will redeem Sierra Leone. Whether you believe it or not.
