INSEARCH OF MORE SERPENTS AROUND POWER
We are back on the road in search of those serpents that her Majesty the Queen of Salone believes are working against the interest of good governance, particularly adequate and timely service delivery to the people of this country. The difference between us and the queen is that she was not very clear as to who the serpents are. We have gone even further to track down and clearly identify those serpents. Our clues are so powerful that even children born yesterday in this country should be able to fill in the blank spaces with names.
After this next batch of serpents we will take a little rest from this search and wait for our queen to crush those identified so far. If the queen allows them to escape, we will withdraw from the project because there will be no point continuing the search. Your majesty this is not a threat, we are simply stating the facts. So here are a few more serpents.
1. Those that wish their country would erupt into chaos and strife because either they have lost power and wealth or can’t wait for their turn to be appointed to their dream jobs.
2. Those that steal money from the state and expect to keep their loot by threatening war as the forces of law and order close in on them. We warn them to be very careful what you pray for.
3. Those that plot against law and order in their country so that their asylum claims abroad would get a sympathetic hearing. Their funny games like getting absolute lies about them being initiated into secret societies or FGM published in some newspapers would fail and they will be deported to this land that we love.
4. Politicians who before the last cabinet shake-up switched their phones off and told their secretaries to always tell people they were in meetings but have suddenly emerged pretending to be philanthropists fit our understanding of those the queen describes as serpents.
5. Those people that quit the Paopa project in the darks days out of their firm belief it will fail but are now hanging around power, telling the world how much they always believed Principal would end up at State House. Come on guys such serpentine behavior will take you nowhere. The queen will surely get you.
DEBATING THE SPEECH AFTER THE BOYCOTT? REALLY?
We are struggling to understand how dozens of MPs would walkout of parliament during a state of the nation address by Principal only to return afterwards to debate issues raised in the very speech they refused to listen to. What is really happening with those who tell the world they came to Tower Hill to represent people but abdicate their responsibility with amazing rapidity and for the most ludicrous of reasons?
The order to walk out came from the RED Camp but for some of those MPs they are holding constituencies in which the collective opposition vote is far more than what brought them to Tower Hill in the first place. Are they telling us they care only for the minority Red groups in their constituencies?
So we unfortunately watched some of the debate and we were definitely not surprised by what we saw and heard. Here’s why
1. As always the presence of TV cameras in the house for live debates is a major distraction. Some of our lawmakers were merely acting in front of the camera. There was very little substance in what we witnessed.
2. Is there no MP from the ruling side who has a different perspective on issues already articulated by Principal? You can support the general line but add new angles to help those who will implement the policies. Falling over yourselves to agree with Principal every step of the way will not impress him. Bring new ideas.
3. Frankly we didn’t expect the Red Camp to be debating anything. How can you boycott the Football World Cup and then appear at the medal ceremony expecting to be crowned World Best like Messi?
4. In fact, we were expecting the Red Camp to go back to their headquarters and ask those supporters who told them not to attend Bintumani III whether they should take part in the current debate. We thought Red camp is now adopting Ancient Greek style democracy.
5. Did Paran Tarawally register the civil servants who were told they must attend? Attendance was far from encouraging. Is there anything like per-diem for them?
RAINY SEASON OF DISCONTENT AT COLLEGIATE SCHOOL
How many pupils from WAM Collegiate School are the police still keeping in detention, if any? Apart from one unnecessarily overzealous police officer who clearly misbehaved to parents of the children arrested the other day, the rest of his colleagues were very professional. The overzealous officer was in plain clothes and he actually head-butted a young man just after a brief argument in full view of everybody. The young man’s sin was, like many other people he wanted to enter Congo Cross police station to reach his brother.
We think this guy should be thrown out of our force for good. And we are on his case.
As for Collegiate School, we feel sorry for innocent children who are trying to get an an education and those teachers who honestly deliver their courses. But we’ve been told there is a class in that school that is out of bounds to even teachers. The pupils are their own teachers and tramadol is not prohibited. These are stories we heard on the streets on that day from those who should know. So take us seriously.
We understand some teachers had stopped going to class and may well have been dropping inciting words around the gullible pupils. Collegiate school may not be alone in this and the problem is not yet over.
Free Quality Education may have brought a lot of children into our schools but for them to imagine that they are in a free for all situation will be a mistake and Teacher Timbo cannot pretend the water is calm out there. It is not.
ACC TO APPEAL JOHANSEN VERDICT BUT WHAT’S THE END GAME?
It’s looking as if Johansen’s celebration after being acquitted by Justice Reginald Fynn on all counts in an ACC indictment may be short-lived after all. Kaifala is back in his trenches vowing to fight on by means of an appeal. We hear he will be in the Court of Appeal bright and early next week, filing papers.
So we expect more agony and uncertainty for Johansen and her very loud General Secretary, with whom she was standing trial for the last twelve months or so.
Be that as it may, Johansen is back in a very polarized office in an air of suspicion and anger much to the satisfaction of FIFA. Now they should lift their suspension on Sierra Leone. There is no more excuse.
So what’s the end game here?
1. Honestly we don’t know. Johansen has gone past her controversial mandate as president. This was the case even before she was forced to step aside. So what now?
2. Johansen hates any talk of organizing an elective congress of the SLFA. She knows that will be the end of her hold on power. Can she continue under the protection of FIFA?
3. The so-called football stakeholders are completely against Johansen. They are simply waiting for the opportunity to vote and throw her out. She is aware of that and would not willingly allow herself to be slaughtered in her own abattoir.
4. Football loving fans in Sierra Leone are sick to death with the state of the game. They fear the recent gains might be eroded now that Johansen is back. Her people are already calling for the league to be scrapped. That will be a colossal mistake.
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