A Sierra Leonean, Jaime Yaya Barry, has expressed support for Dr. Ibrahim Bangura’s vision for Sierra Leone, describing the presidential aspirant’s Heal, Unite, Build agenda as a message that resonates with his hopes for the country’s future.
In a public Facebook post, Barry said he had been following the public appearances of several aspiring presidential candidates and had also had opportunities to speak privately with most of them. Based on his observations, he said Bangura had presented a clearer vision for leading Sierra Leone towards a better and more united future.
Barry’s comments focused on the importance of national healing, unity and community development, arguing that Sierra Leone’s social divisions and the challenges facing communities make the question of future leadership particularly important.
He said Bangura’s emphasis on healing and uniting the country stood out to him, contrasting it with what he described as the tendency of some politicians to make ambitious promises about major infrastructure projects.
According to Barry, Sierra Leone’s development requires more than promises of large-scale projects. He argued that addressing divisions, recognising the challenges confronting communities and helping people rebuild trust should be central to the country’s progress.
He further maintained that unity would be essential to building a prosperous nation, stressing that meaningful development would be difficult to achieve without addressing the divisions affecting relationships within communities.
Barry acknowledged that the policy positions and plans of other presidential aspirants would become clearer as the country moves closer to the 2028 elections. However, he said his current assessment of Bangura’s message gave him hope for Sierra Leone’s future.
His statement adds to the public conversation surrounding the emerging presidential race and the competing visions being presented for Sierra Leone’s next phase of national development.
The views expressed in Barry’s post represent his personal assessment of the aspirants he says he has observed and spoken with. His statement does not, on its own, establish how widely his assessment is shared among Sierra Leoneans.