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The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant has been the centre of debate among citizens. The award was signed on Friday, September 27, 2024, between the Sierra Leone government and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Washington, DC. The signing of the grant was not without controversy.
DUBAWA takes an in-depth analysis of the fund expected to provide power in Sierra Leone.
Worth and purpose of 2023 Compact
According to President Maada Bio, the Compact won by Sierra Leone for 2023 is worth $480M and will address the country’s perennial problem of energy/electricity production and distribution for its over seven million population. Sierra Leone is one of the West African nations rated among the countries experiencing ‘energy poverty’.
History behind Sierra Leone’s Compact
Sierra Leone was announced as one of the African countries that passed the 2023 Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact. This is the fifth Compact the country has passed in consecutive years since President Julius Maada Bio assumed power in 2018.
In 2022, the country received a compact fund to support its energy sector. In 2023, it also passed the MCC Compact, and it is worth $480M; this one, too, is going into developing Sierra Leone’s poor energy sector for the interest of its citizens.
Compact’s challenge
Even though the country has passed the Compact for 2023, the outcome of the national elections held in 2023 has been a key impediment, significantly derailing the award of the Compact to Sierra Leone.
The U.S. Embassy in Freetown and key partners had earlier raised doubts over the outcome of the 2023 nationwide electoral process, leading to the announcement of the incumbent president by the country’s national Returning Officer for the second and final term, as provided by the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
It took some time for the government and the MCC to return to negotiations.
The disbursement of the Compact’s funds saga
The main focus of the debate is whether the MCC board has or has not disbursed the funds in the compact award. Different schools regarding the funds have emerged; citizens hold varying views on the status regarding the disbursement of the Compact’s funds to the government of Sierra Leone. Evidence from the signing of the Compact’s agreement between Sierra Leone and the MCC suggests that the funds have not been released to the government, stating that—the funds would only be disbursed after the fulfilment of two key conditions, which the government must complete before the MCC would release the funds to the country.
Conditions to be met by Sierra Leone’s government for the Funds to be released: U.S Embassy’s perspective
The U.S. Embassy’s press release confirmed the signing of the MCC Compact Award agreement between Sierra Leone and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Management headed by Alice P. Albright.
The release of the Compact’s funds, according to the press statement accompanying the Grant—would be released to the government of Sierra Leone upon addressing the electoral issues emanating from the 2023 nationwide polls.
The release reads, in part:
“Cooperation between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the opposition All People’s Congress on adopting recommended electoral and constitutional reforms and achieving justice and accountability for violence related to the 2023 electoral cycle will be key to this effort.”
The image of the circled paragraph states the conditions to be met for Sierra Leone to release the MCC Compact’s funds. Image Source: U.S Embassy
Hence, this statement makes the status of the MCC Compact’s funds disbursement to the government of Sierra Leone obvious.
The significance of the Compact to the people
The significance of the Compact’s funds to the State is overwhelming. The $480M funds that the US government will give to the government and the people of Sierra Leone would help boost the struggling country’s energy and infrastructural developments, including the construction—of roads, health centres, and education. Thus, the Compact’s purpose of improving the State’s poor energy sector will lead to Sierra Leone’s production and distribution of electricity, not just for its citizens, but also to extend the energy development to border nations.
President Bio expresses hope for Sierra Leone’s energy sector
The President of Sierra Leone, Dr Juluis Maada Bio, signed the MCC compact agreement with MCC Management in Washington, D.C., United States of America, on 27 September. While signing the agreement, the president commended the board for the grant and promised to use the funds for their intended purpose.
He noted further that the signing of the formal agreement indicates the willingness and support of the US government and the MCC management to support the transformation of Sierra Leone.
DUBAWA gauges citizens’ reactions to the significance of the Compact
Amadu Bah, a civil servant in Freetown, expressed his joy at the great opportunity, noting that the compact’s significance to the country cannot be overemphasised.
He added that he hoped the funds would be used for their rightful purpose, saying that the government received funds in the past to improve energy in the country, but little improvement has been seen.
Dissent voice
Lawyer Lansana Dumbuya is the substantive scribe for Sierra Leone’s main opposition political party, All People’s Congress (APC). Via his X account, he stated,
“The MCC ought not to have been granted to the government of Sierra Leone at this point in time…”
Mr Dumbuya added that the MCC compact funds should not be granted to the government until it respects or obeys the conditions attached to them.
Government’s reaction: SLPP’s scribe urges citizens to own the Compact achievement
The current National Secretary General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), who also serves as the substantive Dep. Minister of Mines Umaru Napoleon Koroma, Esq., urged Sierra Leoneans to seize the great opportunity. He said the funds from the Compact would be used to develop the country.
He noted that every Sierra Leonean should be happy about the award, adding that the funds accompanying it will significantly transform the nation’s energy issue—a problem that has existed for decades.
A popular lawyer and politician of the main opposition political party, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, Esq., also commented on the MCC Compact award, urging its proper use.
J.F. Kamara, Esq., who served as Anti-Corruption Commissioner and Minister of Justice under the then APC party’s 11-year reign, commended both the government and the MCC for signing the Compact agreement.
However, he strongly admonished the government to use the funds to benefit all Sierra Leoneans adequately.
I want to thank all those that contributed to the decision of US placing conditions on the MCC grant. As clearly stated, Sierra Leone leaders have and are still taking the countries resources for self interest and would be a sad mistake to release this amount into their hands. Mr. Napoleon Koroma, the deputy minister of mines visited the Kono district in SL and said on social media that everything, including living conditions of the people were fine. If he did not see anything wrong in Kono, I leave the answer to the US ambassador who visited the land of Kono in 2023.
We will forever be grateful to this great nation for it’s democracy.