SLPP’s Assault on Freetown’s Unity
By Mohamed Pope Kamara
National Deputy Publicity Secretary
All People’s Congress (APC)
In a breathtaking display of political cynicism, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government is aggressively pursuing a proposal to divide Freetown into two separate cities. This move, disguised as an administrative necessity, is a transparent act of gerrymandering aimed at fracturing a traditional stronghold of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC). At a time when the nation yearns for unity and cohesive governance, the SLPP is choosing a path of divisiveness, undermining the social and economic stability of the nation’s capital.
The government’s central argument, that Freetown’s population is too large to manage, is not merely flawed; it is a statistical deception. With an estimated population of 1.39 million people, Freetown is far from an unmanageable megalopolis. In fact, it is one of the smallest capital cities in Africa, both in terms of population and physical size, which is a mere 82.48 km². Compared to other African C40 cities like Nairobi, Dakar, or Johannesburg, Freetown is a modestly sized capital. The true irony, however, lies in the economic argument. Sierra Leone’s GDP per capita is a mere $915 (nominal), the lowest among the nations hosting these C40 cities. This fact alone exposes the absurdity of the plan: the government should be focused on generating wealth and improving services, not on creating redundant administrative structures that will further strain the nation’s scant resources.
This proposal is not about improving governance; it is about political survival. The SLPP believes that surgically dividing the city will allow it to carve out a political foothold in an area that has consistently rejected its governance. This is a party prioritizing electoral calculus over the well-being of citizens. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr rightly condemned the move, highlighting that it will exacerbate the issues it claims to solve: worsening coordination challenges and diverting already “inadequate financial resources” to cover the bloated administrative costs of a new council.
The timing of this divisive action is particularly egregious. Freetown City Council is already struggling with a lack of support from the central government, having not received its 2025 budget allocations. Instead of bolstering the existing council to serve its people better, the SLPP’s scheme would foolishly duplicate bureaucracy and waste resources. Furthermore, the attempt has been pushed through with a shocking lack of transparency and inclusive public consultation, a hallmark of poor governance.
The people of Freetown and all Sierra Leoneans who believe in national unity must vehemently oppose this cynical ploy. We must stand against the politics of division and demand that the government focus on the people’s real needs: improving service delivery, fostering economic growth, and uniting the country. The future of Freetown must not be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. APC and Freetownians will resist lawfully such recklessness and defend the non-negotiable unity of our nation’s proud heritage and capital.