By Fatima Babih, EdD
As a people who continue to endure so much hardship and backwardness in our country, Sierra Leoneans yearn to see the day when our nation will soar, to watch our flag legitimately fly high in the skies, a symbol of pride and progress. The launching of Air Sierra Leone may appear to be a step in this direction.
However, I strongly caution my fellow Sierra Leoneans to beware of quickly celebrating this seemingly national achievement that may well be a sham. This partnership between the Julius Maada Bio government and Xejet, a privately owned Nigerian company, has been shrouded in secrecy. And when you take a closer look, you would discover many red flags that should make us question whether this “partnership” venture will genuinely serve Sierra Leoneans or is it just another political mirage of the Julius Bio cabal?
Lack of Transparency from the Get-go: First and foremost, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and Xejet has not been made available to the public. We, the citizens, have no way of knowing the specifics of this agreement—what Sierra Leone stands to gain or lose, the obligations of both parties, and most importantly, the financial benefits for the country. If this partnership is intended to benefit the people of Sierra Leone, the MoU should be open for the public to examine. But it is not the case, which beg questions like,
- Why are the terms of this partnership shrouded in secrecy?
- Could it be that what’s hidden within MoU does not serve Sierra Leone’s best interests?
A Partnership with Limited Benefits to Sierra Leone: In this Air Sierra Leone partnership, Xejet is the sole operator that controls the revenue generated. Information that has been revealed does not indicate any profit-sharing agreement or meaningful financial return to Sierra Leone’s coffers. In other words, any profits generated will be funneled directly into Xejet owners’ pockets. At the same time, our government plays a facilitating role in exploiting our country. Typically, a national airline primarily benefits the people of the nation whose name it bears. But that is not the case with this Air Sierra Leone partnership structure, which raises a fundamental and serious question in the minds of Sierra Leoneans about Julius Bio government’s intentions and motivations:
- Why is our government so willing to hand over control of such an important revenue stream from an airline bearing our name without securing a share for the development of our country?
The Mystery of Xejet’s Ownership: While the Bio cabal has quickly showcased Xejet as “our aviation partner,” details about who owns this company are yet to be available. Apart from Emmanuel Iza, the CEO of Xejet, no other stakeholders, Nigerian or other investors have been disclosed. We know that Xejet is a relatively new company that started in 2019 but only obtained its Air Operator Certificate from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in 2022. Since then, Xejet has only been operating as a commercial airline within Nigeria. Sierra Leone will be its first regional operation and it does not operate internationally. The secrecy about the ownership of Xejet and its newness and limitations raise many questions:
- Who are the stakeholders/owners of Xejet and why are they hidden?
- With only one functioning airport in Sierra Leone and Xejet unable to operate internationally, how much service can it offer for the people of Sierra Leone?
- What are the interests of Xejet secret owners in Sierra Leone’s aviation sector?
- Could Xejet’s secret investors have ties that prevent true transparency in how the profits and control of this operation are managed?
- Without clarity on the terms of this partnership, how can Sierra Leoneans be sure that Xejet is not Julius Bio’s private personal company that he has set up to further exploit our country while giving back nothing?
Missed Opportunities for Local Empowerment: As Sierra Leoneans who continue to suffer the worst hardship in our history under the Bio regime, we must question why this Air Sierra Leone venture does not include more robust initiatives to build local capacity. By placing complete operational control in the hands of Xejet alone, Sierra Leone misses a critical opportunity to train our citizens in aviation management, engineering, and operations. A genuine national airline should help develop Sierra Leoneans’ skills set in this field, create jobs for the youth who are languishing in chronic unemployment in vast numbers, and foster long-term expertise in our aviation sector. Instead, this partnership may even perpetuate our reliance on foreign expertise and interests, which strips us of having any sustainable legacy in the aviation sector.
Symbolism versus Substance: Another disappointing aspect of this Air Sierra Leone deal is how the Julius Bio cabal has sold it to the people of Sierra Leone and the world. Simply putting Air Sierra Leone on an aircraft is not enough to evoke patriotism and pride. A national airline bearing our country’s name should mean that the people of Sierra Leone have a stake in it, both financially and operationally. Without national control or tangible economic benefits, Air Sierra Leone is just a symbolic gesture—a distraction meant to generate the usual undeserved applause for the Julius Bio regime. At the same time, its promotion causes us to ignore the unfavorable underlying issues that will eventually haunt us.
We, the people of Sierra Leone, must ask ourselves: Is it worth celebrating our name on a plane if that’s all we get?
Sierra Leoneans deserve better. We deserve a transparent government that works for the interests of its people. We must not accept that the Julius Bio cabal continues to hide details of agreements it makes with foreign companies and prioritizes political gains over economic stability and growth. This Air Sierra Leone partnership between the Bio cabal and Xejet raises more questions than answers. It serves the interests of a few rather than laying the groundwork for real national pride and economic empowerment for our country.
I urge my fellow Sierra Leoneans not to be fooled by mere appearances. We need to demand transparency and accountability from Julius Bio and his cabal. Let’s not allow this so-called revival of Sierra Leone’s Airline be yet another hollow achievement paraded by the corrupt Julius Bio cabal.
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 