By Tilly Barrie
Why, I sometimes wonder, do those at the helm of affairs in the Land That We Love are found wanting in the initiating and sustaining development. I wonder because it is so evident that we are faced with neglect and failure in almost all spheres of development in our country at a time when all others in the sub region are moving ahead very fast.
There are open elements of anger and disappointment, culminating into frustration, over the utter disregard by the authorities for the feeling of the populace. It would seem that those with the mandate to rule are insensitive to our feelings. Turning a deaf ear to this politically charged society of today is a turning a blind eye to a cause for instability. Talk, talk, talk, misinformation, deception, immorality and flinging mud at each other have become the order of the day. For politicians to call the kettle black is a misnomer, as they are all birds of the same feather. For long the seat of power in Sierra Leone has always been a musical chair, manned by some politicians that have lost their focus and cannot point to one legacy to be proud of. Their political survival has been and is still based on their tribal affiliation and mockingly taking advantage of the level of intelligence of their tribesmen.
But wait a minute, when that tactic fails, money and gifts are splashed openly all over the place with promises of making mountain out of a mole hill. We clap, we dance, we feast, we antagonise, we begrudge, we threaten, we fight, oh yes we are all guilty of these behaviours, when it comes to elections. And that is the time those with dirty minds settle scores. In the end those who are being fought over for are gleeful with delight at the buffoonery exhibited.
They loathe rubbing shoulders with the electorate and adopt a culture of pomposity, greed, neglect, envy and jealousy.
Yes sir, the end result of envy and jealousy is neglect. And if not nipped in the bud, it will lead to stagnation and ultimately failure. The failure to stand firm and assert authority for fear of their political affiliation, is the root cause of the indiscipline and the attendant lawlessness that has gripped the society like a hook worm.
There is no indication on the part of the authorities to address the naked anomalies. Either they are insensitive to the cries of the populace or have developed a nonchalant attitude to invite the backlash of the electorate. Majority of the populace go to bed disappointed and wake up in torpor.
The struggle for survival has forced many to take to many things and at many times. The hardship which that struggle emanates from is the cause for friction in most matrimonial homes. It is the reason people resort to untoward methods for their survival. It brings about the desperate urge for people with questionable level of intelligence and character to opt for politics. It breeds dipsomania, increased rate of school dropouts and teenage pregnancy. It is for that same reason of the daily strive for survival that gambling and burglary are commonplace, conmanship, a compromised police force, corrupt civil service, unmotivated teaching staff, the insatiable urge for those in positions of trust to deploy dishonest and loathsome behaviour like the Joneses. It is the struggle for the daily survival that has bred lethargy, ineffectiveness and ineptness of not only public officials but also private sector workers. And the concomitant increase in prison population.
In all this, among many others, what role has the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs? What role has the Attitudinal and Behavioural Change Secretariat played to ameliorate the social and welfare anomalies.
THE ABC SECRETARIAT
The President in good faith created the ABC Secretariat to collaborate with and facilitate the activities of the Ministry of Social Welfare. In fact it is safe to assume that it has a cross-cutting mandate. However an institution that should set the highest bedrock of standards has been is still being run by people some of whom are of hugely questionable character. The “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO” philosophy is well entrenched at the ABC Secretariat. Those that nominate and those that appoint state functionaries must be aware that there is a vast difference between theoretical and practical approaches to human performance.
The late President Siaka Stevens always emphasised on experience and despite his humble educational background he delivered brilliant speeches extemporaneously. His human touch coupled with his working experience before assuming the reign of power paid dividends for his long reign.
The Joneses of this Secretariat have never ever, visited or engaged in dialogue with slum dwellers, traders, ghettoes. In short the grassroots who may have to share some very interesting ideas or experiences they are forced to go through every day. The activities of the secretariat are absurd, irrelevant, counterproductive or even downright unknown. Meanwhile people cannot care less! Administrative failures, indiscipline and lawlessness are on the increase. I challenge the ABC Secretariat to come up with any conscientious and honest report of their progress so far.
The secretariat ran out of steam since the conviction for malpractice of the first appointees to that office. Its failure to rein in on the general lawless public to the extent the President had no alternative but to acknowledge and lament the increase in lawlessness and indiscipline in all aspect of the society, was in itself an indictment.
If some of these offices are manned by people with integrity, most would have resigned immediately after the press conference on indiscipline and lawlessness because the cap just fits them.
Resignation is not in our culture. The only language we understand is SACK or, as it is often euphemistically referred to, RELIEVED OF DUTIES.
SCRAP this ABC Secretariat as it is not only a white elephant but a complete waste of taxpayers’ money which has brought into ridicule the good intentions of the president.
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL WELFARE, GENDER and CHILDREN AFFAIRS.
This ministry commonly called the Hajj Ministry has been and is still sleeping as the grassroots yearn for direct access to them. The society needs down-to-earth people and not armchair officers. The ministry should be the poor man’s ministry and the link between the executive and the grassroots.
Regular visits to these slum dwelling communities and vulnerable areas to access and to address their problems will minimise some of their failures. The ministry should create avenues to minimise domestic violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, street children, missing children, child abuse and child trafficking.
It is but fitting for the ministry to attach its personnel in each Family Support Unit in every police station with the aim of taking over that role as the police have much in their hands than settling family issues.
Create social activities in communities to captivate the idle minds and to reduce the birth rate in these slums. Educate, reproduce and display family planning posters depicting the good things such as a man and one wife with three or four children and not the worried-looking man sitting between two wives with each her numerous children.
Mount a vigorous drive to eradicate rape and embark on massive sensitisation on rape and other forms of sexual exploitation. Map out a policy to minimise lawlessness and indiscipline among the youth, otherwise only less than 20% of them will be able to attain the so-called future leader role.
Dialogue with these street disabled beggars as they are an eyesore and more of a nuisance to the public. I want to believe the schedule of duty for the ministry cuts across almost all other government MDAs.
Lastly the ministry must be held equally responsible for the indiscipline and lawlessness. Regrettably the hue and cry of the masses stops at the State Avenue. The list of failures and stagnation goes on and on in sports, SLBC, Ministry of Labour, health, local government, youth, etc. God cannot come down. We have the responsibility to turn things around.
© Politico 08/10/13
