By Musa Nikawa
The ongoing debate over the 2026 Appropriation Bill took a dramatic turn in the Well of Parliament when Hon. Sulaiman Osman Sesay, a vocal Opposition lawmaker representing the All People’s Congress (APC), dismissed the government’s financial blueprint as a “gbolan gbolan budget,” sparking reactions across party lines and reigniting concerns about the country’s economic direction.
Hon. Sesay, who serves in the Sixth Parliament, was contributing to the general debate on Wednesday 3rd December, 2025, on the national budget when he delivered the sharp critique.
According to him, the proposed allocations lacked clarity, proper sequencing, and credible policy direction hence his description of the document as “gbola gbola,” a Krio expression loosely interpreted as chaotic, directionless, or clumsily structured.
The 2026 budget, tabled by the Minister of Finance, outlines government spending priorities for the coming fiscal year, covering recurrent expenditure, capital investment, debt servicing, and social sector support. But Hon. Sesay argued that beyond the numbers, the document fails to speak to the urgent realities facing citizens, particularly around inflation, unemployment, and the rising cost of living.
He further stressed that many of the proposed programmes appeared hastily crafted, lacked measurable outcomes, and did not demonstrate clear strategies for revenue mobilization. “When a budget is not aligned with the aspirations of the people, when it does not offer coherent solutions to economic hardship, and when it is merely padded to give the impression of progress, then what we have before us is nothing but a gbolan gbolan budget,” he asserted.
The Opposition MP also raised questions about the government’s fiscal discipline, pointing to what he referred to as “unnecessary administrative overheads” and “over-ambitious, underfunded capital projects” that have reappeared in budget books without tangible progress in previous years.
He said the pattern suggests a disconnect between official projections and real implementation capacity.
Members of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), however, swiftly rejected Hon. Sesay’s assertions. They defended the budget as a realistic and responsible plan designed to stabilize the economy, expand social services, and sustain key development priorities.
One ruling party MP argued that, in the face of global economic shocks, the budget provides the best path forward, balancing investment needs with revenue limitations.
Government supporters further emphasized that sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure continue to receive significant allocations evidence, they said, of the administration’s commitment to improving livelihoods and building long-term national resilience.
They insisted that the Opposition’s criticisms lacked substance and amounted to political rhetoric ahead of the 2026 electoral season.
But Hon. Sesay remained resolute by highlighting what he described as inconsistencies in projected revenue streams, especially around domestic tax collection and donor funded commitments.
According to him, recurrent expenditures continue to rise disproportionately, while revenue strategies are not bold enough to address the widening fiscal deficit. “We cannot continue with business as usual when people are struggling every day,” he said. “This Parliament must not rubber-stamp a budget that offers no real hope of economic transformation.”
His comments have since stirred public conversation, especially on social media, where citizens are debating whether his critique reflects popular sentiment or political theatrics.
Many Sierra Leoneans continue to face high food prices, unemployment, and low disposable income conditions that make the national budget a matter of deep public interest.
As Parliament moves toward the final stages of budget scrutiny, the “gbola gbola” characterization has added a colorful yet provocative tone to national discourse.
Whether the Opposition’s concerns will lead to amendments or remain symbolic resistance remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that the 2026 budget has once again exposed the sharp divide between the government’s development narrative and the skepticism of its political opponent
