| Following recent press publications that a “soon to | | | | relates to the presidency and executive arm of |
| be published” memoir of Hon. S.A.J Pratt was | | | | government, remains a cause for grave concern. For |
| imminent, I have since remained cautiously hopeful that | | | | example, since independence there has existed a |
| just by its publication, one critical disservice by most of | | | | cabinet secretariat, which even with the change in |
| Sierra Leone’s politicians to our nation is at last | | | | administrations stubbornly refuses to divulge the |
| being put to pasture. The paucity of the memoir genre | | | | participation of our highest political leaders in decisions |
| in the political history of the country reflects poorly on | | | | that have shaped the country. A legal mechanism, |
| the political elite, whose penchant for unaccountability | | | | such as the proposed Freedom of Information Act, |
| only partly explains this status quo. The failure by | | | | being currently lobbied by civil society groups in Sierra |
| political leaders and elites generally to provide a written | | | | Leone will help ease such constraints both on |
| accounting to the citizens and posterity, of the reasons | | | | intellectual discourse of policy decisions and or a |
| and meaning for political events and decisions | | | | reassessment of historical decisions. |
| undertaken on their behalf, has been a long standing | | | | One such historical decision that I hope the S.A.J Pratt |
| vexing concern among political scientists, | | | | memoir can shed a greater light on is the decision by |
| commentators and historians in understanding the | | | | the Siaka Stevens government to close the railway |
| political culture and practice of our country. | | | | system in Sierra Leone by 1974. A national railway |
| As a piece of autobiographical writing, a memoir | | | | system, which initially started operations in 1897, at the |
| generally embraces the full breath of the writer’s | | | | time the first in British West Africa, that by 1907 had |
| career and relevant national events that require | | | | traversed through Waterloo into the hinterland of |
| contemplation, reflection and meaning. Thus, the | | | | Songo, Rotifunk, Bo, Baiima, Kenema and down to the |
| publication of the memoirs of a politician once dubbed | | | | eastern most reaches of Pendembu. This railway |
| by the celebrated historian, Christopher Fyfe as | | | | network which by 1914 had reached Makeni and |
| “the doyen of Krio politicians”; a learned | | | | subsequently Kamabai was rather brought to an |
| technocrat and leading politician with service to our | | | | ignoramus closing, not only by having the company |
| country spanning over decades, both nationally and | | | | ceasing operations, but with all railway tracks being |
| internationally cannot be more timely in bringing about | | | | uprooted throughout the entire 311 mile stretch, remains |
| some perspective and meaning to most of the | | | | one of Sierra Leone’s dumbest political decisions |
| decisions of both the SLPP, under whom he served as | | | | for which no politician has adequately explained their |
| a senior economic policy adviser and the APC | | | | role to the people and or taken responsibility. |
| administration under which he served in senior cabinet | | | | As a former general manager of the Sierra Leone |
| positions. | | | | Railways, Minister Pratt’s policy positions on the |
| For our nation is only placed in a position of learning | | | | closing and sale of the locomotives, coaches, rail |
| and understanding, both the positive and negative | | | | tracks and property of the railways during the Siaka |
| aspects from the past, with a view of forestalling and | | | | Stevens regime will be highly anticipated. What national |
| preventing repetition of prior mistakes; when the | | | | policy reasons were adduced by the proponents of |
| decision makers or parties privy to the decision making | | | | such a proposal that to all intents and purposes must |
| process objectively critique their decisions and those | | | | be seen now, even by the original proponents, as a |
| of their contemporaries through such written media as | | | | major catalyst for Sierra Leone’s |
| the political memoir. | | | | underdevelopment? Some have even postulated that |
| As a student of Sierra Leone politics and history from | | | | the absence of the railways greatly inhibited the |
| an early age, one memoir of a Sierra Leone politician | | | | government’s response to the RUF rebel attacks |
| that I have always yearned to read is that of Mr. S.A.J | | | | and the resultant prolongation of the war. Glaringly, the |
| Pratt, whose political experiences spanning the period | | | | demise of productive commerce in the country can be |
| from independence, the SLLP administrations of both | | | | attributed largely to the closing of the only reliable |
| Sir Milton Margai and Sir Albert Margai and the | | | | transportation network in the country, resulting in our |
| prominent ministerial positions and roles played by him | | | | transformation of producers and exporters of various |
| in the APC administration of President Siaka Stevens, | | | | agricultural commodities into a nation of importers of |
| must help elucidate on decisions and events that have | | | | even our staple food, rice. |
| largely shaped the development, or lack thereof of our | | | | Another area of keen review will be the establishment |
| nation. | | | | of the one-party state and the driving force behind |
| Memoirs by President Tejan-Kabbah and other | | | | such mass disenfranchisement of political dissent in the |
| members of the erstwhile SLPP government, | | | | country during the 1978 to 2001 period. This period also |
| especially Dr. Sama Banya, who also served in high | | | | saw the rampant “cross-carpeting” from the |
| cabinet positions under both the APC and SLPP and | | | | opposition to the APC, as is again being manifested, |
| former vice-president, Solomon Berewa would also | | | | through coercive and other unconstitutional measures |
| greatly help in shedding scholarship on some of the | | | | culminating into opposition party leaders nearly all |
| nation’s recent history, economic strategies and the | | | | assuming positions in the APC government. |
| civil war period. Political and historical scholarship, that | | | | Does he sense any similarity in the reported push by |
| by and large continues to remain largely in the domain | | | | the new-APC to absorb opposition political parties and |
| of newspaper articles, mostly devoid of analytical | | | | thus ultimately weaken and establish a new one-party |
| depth and contributions by the major participants. | | | | state? What lessons can be learnt from the above |
| These politicians would be providing our nation an | | | | two political currents of which he was confronted |
| invaluable service by penning memoirs of their | | | | while a senior cabinet member in all of Siaka Stevens |
| experiences in government, how and why monumental | | | | APC administrations from 1968 through his retirement |
| policy decisions were made during the civil war and | | | | from elective office. Aside of the principle of collective |
| subsequent decisions pertaining to events surrounding | | | | responsibility for cabinet decisions, it would be worthy |
| the path of development, executions of people | | | | to have Mr. Pratt’s take on the debates and |
| perceived as collaborators, implementation of various | | | | protagonists that shaped our nation’s |
| peace accords and the decision relative to the arrest | | | | Finally, as the memoir of Professor S.A.J Pratt is slated |
| of Chief Hinga Norman, among just a few. | | | | to be released, we wish to encourage other historical |
| Political discourse among Sierra Leone’s active and | | | | political figures privy to decision making processes on |
| retired political elite has remained relatively barren as | | | | behalf of our nation since independence, to avail of |
| participants have remained largely mute in discussing | | | | themselves the written memoir genre to explain, reflect |
| and publishing policy positions, while running for offices | | | | on and offer perspectives of their participation in |
| and memoirs of their experiences in government, after | | | | events that for good or ill has shaped the course of |
| they leave or retire from politics. The written historical | | | | our history. The archives of socio-political and |
| accounts of our political leaders’ participation in | | | | economic policy decisions by successive governments, |
| major socio-economic and political events have thus | | | | especially in the cabinet secretariat and in ministries, |
| largely remained non-existent. | | | | departments and agencies (MDA) must be made |
| The absence of archival records into how, who and | | | | available to scholars so posterity can learn from |
| why in governmental deliberations and policy | | | | mistakes and accurately apportion responsibilities. |
| formulation by governance institutions, especially as | | | | |