From Abubakar Hashim, Freetown
Except by miracle, and all economic variables held constant, the coup attempt today will send economic shockwaves to Foreign Direct Investors FDI.
The coup attempt is coming just a week after the Africa Investment Forum AIF in Marrakesh, Morocco and the Saudi-Africa summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where, virtually all 53 African Presidents were in attendance and benefitted immensely from the two gatherings.
The economic package in the twin investment fora was worth over 25 Billion Dollars.
Sierra Leone got a pledge of 500 million dollars to industrialise rice production, the country’s staple food and tge President’s pet project, “ Feed Salone”.
Other African countries benefited too.
There were other economic packages on the line, like the proposed construction of the 8.4 Km Lungi bridge that will, not only link the capital city to the international airport, but will create another financial capital at Lungi, boost agriculture and the mines, particularly iron ore and create over 5,000 jobs for the youths.
With the coup attempt early today, and the subsequent chaos and uproar like the forced opening of pademba prison yard, ongoing, no investor, foreign direct or portfolio, will put in money into a country in such a sad scenario.
President Bio has announced he is on top of the situation. In a late night broadcast, he disclosed that the plotters have been arrested and appealed to his compatriots to support the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and order.
With an 11 year- old war that ended 21 years ago by late President Kanba, Sierra Leone does not need another war, as it will cause loss of innocent lives irrespective of political colouration.
