Dear Mr. President,
Re: Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act, 2025
I write in relation to the above subject matter and to appeal to you to assent the Constitution of Sierra Leone (Amendment) Act, 2025 passed by the Legislature on 10th August, 2026.
Your Excellency, the three branches of Government have their separate and distinct roles and responsibilities well defined in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
The Legislature is one of three equal, independent branches of Government tasked primarily with making, changing, and cancelling laws.
On this particular occasion, the legislative members have discharged their responsibility, by amending or altering some clauses in the 1991 Constitution as prescribed by law.
Your Excellency, I am not a Lawyer. And I do not pretend to be one. From a laymanโs point of view, the Sierra Leone Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2025 went through all the stages in Parliament before a vote was taken on it.
More importantly, Your Excellency, the main opposition APC MPs took active part in all the debates preceding the voting process. Why did they walk out of Parliament when voting was underway? They acted in bad faith!
Your Excellency, you have always acted in the best interests of this country. You joined the Army to defend the territorial integrity of Sierra Leone.
You handed over power peacefully to a democratically elected government in 1996 and left the country to pursue higher education.
In 2018, the people of Sierra Leone elected you as their President for a period of five years. Based on your excellent performance, that mandated was extended to another five years in 2023.
You have always given your best to the country you so dearly love.
It was former President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah who once told me that, governing a country is difficult than winning an election.
Mr. President, the people of Sierra Leone know and respect you for one thing: you take tough decisions. That is leadership!
Your Excellency, the APC leadership are using their surrogates in some civil society groups and the Sierra Leone Labour Congress to put undue pressure on you not to assent the Sierra Leone Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2025 passed by Parliament on 10th August, 2026. Do not pay attention to them!
Your Excellency, let me conclude this open letter to you, by quoting what the Speaker of Parliament, Rtd. Hon. Solomon Segepoh Thomas said in the well of Parliament on 10th August, 2026 โHonourable Members, if you have any issues with my rulingโฆIf there is any need for interpretation of my ruling, I will urge you to seek redress from the Supreme Courtโ.
Your Excellency, I am once again, appealing to you, to assent the Sierra Leone Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2025 passed by Parliament on 10th August, 2026.
Yours sincerely,
Sorie Fofana
