Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 August 2025:
The people of Sierra Leone are looking on with dismay, as the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party’s motto – ‘One Country One People’ begins to unravel, following a dramatic, uncouth, and disrespectful display of SLPP members of parliament and the First Lady, at last Thursday’s State Opening of Parliament.
The drama began when the First Lady – Fatima Bio was entering the chamber to a call by the Sergeant-at-Arms for all to rise to receive the First Lady. To the shock and horror of those attending parliament and those watching on national Tv and on social media, a large cross-section of ruling SLPP parliamentarians burst into a popular, provocative street song – “You coco roas o” – meaning “your coco is burnt”, as the First Lady makes her way to her seat, though looking unruffled by the taunts.
This popular street song -“You coco roas o” – meaning “your coco is burnt”, was also two weeks ago sang at the ruling SLPP party’s convention in the Bintumani conference hall in Freetown, after the First Lady’s favourite candidate for the party’s chairmanship – Kanneh, lost the election.
But what many thought was ironic, is that the singing of that song at the party’s convention was started by no other than the outgoing chairman of the party – Dr. Prince Harding, who supporters of the First Lady and herself are now accusing of orchestrating a vicious campaign aimed at damaging the First Lady’s chances of getting her preferred candidate for the party leadership elected at the forthcoming party convention.
The ugly and disgraceful scene watched live on national Tv last Thursday, is first in the history of Sierra Leone’s parliament, that such an ugly and uncouth scene has been witnessed.
But the disgraceful drama in the wells of parliament did not end there.
As the Vice President and Speaker of Parliament enter the chambers, Fatima Bio remains seated. She did not get up as protocol would demand, to acknowledge their entry. She sat still with her personal headphones in her ears.
It is not clear whether at that point, she was listening to music or simply using the phone to drown out the shouting and heckling from her ruling party colleagues.
The drama continues even as the president himself enters the chambers, with the First Lady – Fatima Bio refusing to stand to acknowledge his entry.
But worse is to come.
After all standing protocols had been observed by the Speaker, the president then went on to deliver his address to the people of Sierra Leone. Was the First Lady listening to the speech?
The First Lady was still seen wearing her headphones. Clearly not intersted in listening to her husband’s – the president’s speech. At that point, she did look emotionally broken by the heckling and taunting from her ruling party members of parliament.
But critics of the First Lady and the ruling SLPP say that her behaviour in parliament last Thursday, reflects a growing rift and discord between the president and the First Lady. They also accuse her of disrespecting parliament and the Office of the President.
So, what does the First Lady say in her own defence?
Speaking on social media in a recorded video two days ago, Fatima Bio says she has done nothing wrong. She accused the outgoing chairman of her SLPP party – Dr Prince Harding and the State House Spokesman – Yousef Keketoma Sandi and other senior officials in the party, of orchestrating the heckling she was subjected to in parliament last Thursday.
With respect to the wearing of the headphones, she says that she put them on simply to drown out the heckling, which she said was emotionally disturbing. She said there was no intention to disrespect the president or parliament.
With regards her decision not to stand during the entry of the president, she said that she has never stood up as a mark of respect for the presidency, since her husband was elected president in 2018, a claim that many critics are now looking into in search of the records.
There is no doubt the ruling SLPP party is seriously in turmoil, as its motto of ‘One Country One One People’ is being ripped apart by internal feud.
In the meantime, president Bio has chosen to fly out of the country to avoid the in-fighting in the party and the drama in his matrimonial home, rather than show strong leadership in the country.
You can watch the First Lady defending hereself here:
