By Kadijatu Bangura, Staff Reporter
Marking Sierra Leone’s 65th Independence Anniversary on Monday, Acting National Chairman of the All People’s Congress Alhaji Osman Foday Yansaneh said “national unity must be actively built, not selectively applied,” warning that rising political intolerance and eroding trust in public institutions are straining the promise of independence.
In a statement issued April 27, Yansaneh said many citizens feel excluded, unheard, and marginalised. “This is not the Sierra Leone our founding generation envisioned,” he said. “Independence must mean more than symbolism. It must translate into dignity, opportunity, and hope in the daily lives of our people.”
Yansaneh tied the anniversary to the 1898 uprising led by Bai Bureh against colonial rule. “That moment is a timeless lesson: Sierra Leone is strongest when united, resolute, and guided by shared national purpose,” he said. “Today, that lesson is more relevant than ever.”
The APC leader also described drug abuse among youth as a national emergency. “We are witnessing a generation losing its potential, our children exposed to harmful influences, and communities weakened by addiction and despair,” he said. “A nation that cannot safeguard its youth endangers its future.”
He called for governance that is inclusive, accountable, and responsive, adding that the wellbeing of citizens should take precedence over partisan interests. The APC, he pledged, would continue to offer “constructive alternatives” and hold leadership to account.
Yansaneh urged Sierra Leoneans across political, regional, and social lines to treat the anniversary as “a moment of reckoning and a call to action.”
“If our forebears could unite in 1898 under far greater adversity, then surely we can unite today to correct our course and secure our future,” he said. “Let us rise with courage. Let us act with purpose. Let us unite for the sake of posterity.”
He closed by extending Independence Day greetings: “Happy 65th Independence Anniversary. May God bless Sierra Leone.”
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