Monday, September 7, 2026- Former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has publicly thanked President Dr Julius Maada Bio for facilitating his return to Sierra Leone from Nigeria and used a meeting at State House to reaffirm his commitment to national cohesion, peace and the country’s continued development.
On Monday, Dr Koroma personally thanked President Bio at State House for his decision and support in allowing him to come home. The former head of state, accompanied by Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, said he was happy to be back and intended to work across political lines for Sierra Leone’s good.
“Mr President, it’s good to be home again. “I must be here to thank you personally for the brilliant decision you have taken on my return,” Dr Koroma told President Bio during the meeting. He also assured the President of his continued commitment to national unity and pledged to support efforts to fast-track development across the country. The former President said his experience is at the administration’s disposal, and that he is ready to assist President Bio whenever called upon, adding that his commitment to Sierra Leone is beyond political differences.
On behalf of the government and the people, President Bio welcomed Dr Koroma back, recognising the personal significance of Dr Koroma’s return and the value of the former President’s experience as a former Head of State. God has put you in this place before, and only a few of us can be President. “Glad you are back home,” said President Bio, highlighting the symbolic and practical role that former leaders can play in national life.
President Bio reminded those at the meeting that progress and development require the collective contribution of all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliation or previous office held. He cited his involvement in the national sensitisation campaign during the Ebola outbreak to show the need to mobilise Sierra Leoneans in times of national need, adding that such public-spiritedness is crucial to building and protecting the country’s future.
The gathering highlighted the themes of dialogue, reconciliation and shared responsibility. Both leaders stressed the importance of unity as a basis for peace and stability, and of drawing on former officials’ experience to strengthen current governance and development efforts. This was cited as a tangible example of how national leaders, past and present, can work together for the greater good, with Dr Koroma expressing willingness to share his experience with the current administration.
Dr Koroma, accompanied by Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, who was with the former President during the State House visit, said he was happy to visit Sierra Leone and reaffirmed his support for the government’s development agenda. The Vice President’s presence at the meeting underscored the official character of the engagement and the cooperative tone the assembly intended to set.
Both government officials and observers agree that such exchanges between current and former heads of state can help promote stability and foster inclusive approaches to national challenges. Both leaders described the meeting at State House as a move to consolidate Sierra Leone’s peace and unity through constructive dialogue and collective action.
In their closing statements, both leaders pointed out the shared responsibility of today’s and former national leaders to help the country continue to advance. The visit ended with mutual assurances that Sierra Leone’s interests, including national cohesion, peace, and development, would remain central to future engagements.
