Koidu Is Burning Because Fatima Jabbie Bio Lit A Fire: Why Dag Cramer’s Alleged Statement Is the Consequence, Not the Cause

Fatima Babih, EdD

Let me be clear from the outset: this is not a defense of Dag Cramer’s alleged statements. This is a defense of the truth and an effort to remove the smokescreen that Fatima Bio’s media machine is desperately trying to create. Sierra Leoneans deserve to understand the real consequence of Fatima Bio’s actions and behavior , not the manufactured narrative designed to protect her from accountability.

The Mende people of Sierra Leone have a saying:

People don’t see the one who dropped the dirty rag in the river; it’s the one who pulls it out that everybody sees.”

This proverb perfectly captures the absurdity of Sorie Fofana’s recent Global Times commentary branding Dag Cramer, CEO of Koidu Limited “a very dangerous man.” While Sierra Leone’s media circus focuses on an embattled CEO’s alleged frustrations, they conveniently ignore the woman whose dangerous actions created this entire catastrophe in Sierra Leone.

The Real Timeline

Let’s establish the facts that the SLPP controlled Global Times want you to forget:

Before Fatima Jabbie Bio’s intervention:

• Over 1,000 workers in Koidu had steady employment
• Koidu children had bus transportation to and from school
• The local economy was  functioning relatively well
• Dag Cramer was never quoted for publicly criticizing the Bio regime

After Fatima Bio politicized the labor dispute

• Over 1,000 workers lost their jobs
• Koidu children no longer have bus transportation
• So far, eleven former Koidu Holdings employees have allegedly died
• Kono’s local economy continues to collapse
• The company shut down operations indefinitely
• Now, suddenly, we hear alleged statements from a “frustrated CEO”

This timeline matters. Dag Cramer’s alleged comments to Africa Confidential are not what plunged thousands of Koidu families into crisis, and they are not why the Sierra Leone government has lost its investment partner. His alleged words are the symptoms, not the disease.

The Manufactured Crisis

The truth of the matter is that Fatima Bio did not only create Koidu’s nightmare, she brought about a rift between the Sierra Leone government and it’s investment partner, Koidu Holdings.

What Fofana conveniently omits in his commentary is how this crisis actually began. In March 2025, Fatima Jabbie Bio inserted herself into a corporate labor dispute where she had no legal authority or expertise. She:

• Bypassed established labor laws and dispute resolution mechanisms
• Acted as an unauthorized strike leader without union representation
• Encouraged workers to remain off work until she personally gave permission to return
• Promised lawsuits on behalf of workers that never materialized
• Turned what should have been a structured negotiation into a political spectacle

The result? Complete devastation for the very workers she claimed to champion.

The Rice Bag Theater

Perhaps nothing illustrates Fatima Bio’s deceit more clearly than her dangerous manipulation disguised as charity; her bag of rice “rescue” mission to the people of Koidu.

In April 2025, the Chinese government donated 27,600 bags of rice to Sierra Leone, aid intended for public relief and schoolchildren. Much of this rice mysteriously disappeared into politicians’ private warehouses, including those controlled by the First Lady. These are the bags of rice she distributes selectively, presenting stolen public aid as personal charity while cameras capture her “generosity.”

This cynical theater raises critical questions:

• How long will one bag of rice feed the average family of eight?
• Has the First Lady returned since April with more rice?
• Did the workers ask for rice handouts, or for the jobs she caused them to lose?

The people of Kono don’t need charity from the woman who created their crisis. They need their livelihoods back.

The Smokescreen Campaign

The SLPP’s media machine, represented by outlets like Global Times, desperately wants Sierra Leoneans to focus on Dag Cramer’s alleged statements rather than examine how we got here. This deflection serves multiple purposes:

1. Protects Fatima Bio from accountability for her destructive interference
2. Diverts attention from the real cause of Koidu’s economic collapse
3. Creates a foreign villain to distract from domestic policy and governance failures
4. Justifies further political interference in private sector operations

But Sierra Leoneans are not fooled. We know the difference between cause and consequence.

The Human Cost of Fatima Bio’s Political Games

While Fatima Bio and her media machines play deflection games, real people are suffering:

• Hundreds of families have lost their primary source of income
• Now, eleven former employees have allegedly died since the shutdown
• Thousands of dependents continue to face economic hardship
• Local businesses in Kono have lost customers and revenue
• Government tax revenue from the mining operation has disappeared

These devastating outcomes didn’t result from anything any CEO said in a publication. They resulted from Fatima Bio’s dangerous politicization of a labor dispute that should have been resolved through appropriate channels.

The Dangerous Precedent

What makes Fatima Bio truly dangerous to Sierra Leone is not her involvement in this single incident, but the precedent it sets. When a country’s First Lady’s ill-gotten power can:

• Override labor laws with impunity
• Interfere in private sector operations
• Promise legal action she cannot deliver
• Face no consequences for creating economic destruction
• Then rebrand herself as a savior with stolen public resources…

…we have moved far from the rule of law toward rule by personal whim.

Foreign Investment and National Reputation

While we debate alleged quotes, foreign investors are watching. They see:

• Political interference in business operations
• Breakdown of legal dispute resolution
• Economic instability caused by political actors
• A country where power trumps process

This is the real national security threat we should be concerned about in Sierra Leone today; the systematic undermining of Sierra Leone’s investment climate by one power-hungry First Lady.

Accountability, Not Smokescreen

Sierra Leone deserves better than political theater. Moving forward requires:

1. Honest acknowledgment of how the Koidu crisis actually began
2. Accountability for those whose actions created economic devastation
3. Restoration of legal processes in labor disputes
4. Protection of private sector operations from political interference
5. Genuine support for displaced workers, not photo-op charity

Above All, Remember Who Lit the Fire

As Sierra Leoneans, we must not allow manufactured outrage to obscure the truth. Koidu Holdings CEO’s alleged statements are not the cause of Koidu’s economic collapse and friction between Sierra Leone government and its investment partner. The real dangerous force in this story is not the man pulling the dirty rag from the river, but the woman who threw it in to begin with.

So, remember, if Koidu is burning today, it is because Fatima Jabbie Bio lit the fire.

The people of Kono deserve justice, not rice bag photo opportunities. They deserve their jobs back, not political theater. And Sierra Leone deserves leaders who strengthen the rule of law rather than systematically undermining it.

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Dr. Fatima Babih is a commentator on Sierra Leonean politics, governance and social justice.

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Referenced Article

As received on WhatsApp Messenger:

“Short Comment Dag Cramer Of Koidu Limited Is A Very Dangerous Man!

By Sorie Fofana

Two weeks ago, some people in Kono district, anonymously wrote an open letter, calling on the government to settle the dispute between the management of Koidu Limited, a subsidiary of Octea Limited and the mineworkers employed by the company in Kono. They alleged that, since the indefinite shut down of operations at Koidu Limited, a total of eleven former employees have so far died. When the company shut down operations, it led to the loss of at least a thousand jobs and a significant loss of revenue for the government. The Chief Executive of Koidu Limited, Dag Cramer, has admitted that, they do not even have the money (US$50M) to refinance the company to restart operations. On top of that, the company is facing several legal hurdles in the country. The company’s debts obligations continue to mount. Recently, Dag Cramer granted an audacious interview to the “Africa Confidential”, stating boldly that, he would welcome a regime change in Sierra Leone. Sounding frustrated and exasperated, he said, “I hope we don’t have to wait until 2028 (the date of the next election). It would be wonderful if he (President Bio) walked into a coup or something like that”. This shows the level of hatred that this son of a bitch has for our President. We call on the government to take appropriate action to demand clarification from Dag Cramer. His threat (or wishful thinking) should not be treated lightly. He should be brought to Sierra Leone and made to explain himself. Such a dangerous man deserves to be treated like a common criminal. His utterances are a threat to national security. Dag Cramer is a very dangerous man! CREDIT GLOBAL TIMES NEWSPAPER”