FALLAY RUNS WILD WITH THIRD TERM PROJECT - DESPERATE TIMES
Once again the nation has been put through the painful process of listening to Rocking Robin with his "third-term" nonsense. The only explanation we have for his behaving this way is that the man absolutely believes that Logus Koroma's route to a ministerial job is the shortest and surest one. Here's the trick: Go on radio and make a lot of noise about the indispensability of De Pa to the presidency of Sierra Leone; take some kicks all over the place; run back to De Pa saying, BEHOLD THY HUMBLE SERVANT and he in turn will say, WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, BEHOLD THY REWARD. As it was with Logus, so shall it be with Rocking Robin. But the constitution is his undoing - although many things unconstitutional are being done every day.
The man is banging on about FREE SPEECH and all that but as soon as somebody suggested that other groups opposed to his third term nonsense would pour into the streets to make their feelings known, he talked about incitement. Is that what you call INCITEMENT, Rocking Robin? So all the efforts he is making to mobilise opinion in favour of a failed project is not incitement, those who are mobilising contrary views are inciting trouble. FOOLISH! Now, more than ever before, we should come together as a nation to take the temperature of our democracy. Our democracy is very sick.
We will not waste more time talking about this. But we warn Rocking Robin again that he will either be consumed by the fire he is starting now or he will take up residence in Belmarsh prison as a guest of Her Majesty's Government serving time for crimes against humanity. At that time we will ask for special permission to lecture him about FREE SPEECH.
We warn him also that no political deal as happened in his alleged electoral fraud case will get him out of Belmarsh Prison. He crept out of Kenema prison when he agreed to join the Red Movement in 2012. The electoral fraud case was dropped but the judges at the ICC are not looking for votes, and they have conscience and are decent and just. This nonsense must stop!
THE THIRD TERM ANTHEM
High we exalt thee, realm of De Pa
Great is the sycophancy we exhibit for thee
Stoutly we'll defend your Third Term Agenda, pa!
Singing worship songs for the dollar-giver known as thee
We raise up our voices and be violent if need be
Hills Wusum and Mena and the valleys re-echo our scream
But curse and bondage will afflict all of them
Who for greed of power set our country ablaze for their own vim
Land that we will defend our Sierra Leone
LIKE SAM SUMANA LIKE ATIKU - THIRD TERM WAHALA RAGES ON
Chief Sidikie has no option now but to openly declare that he will be a candidate for president in 2017. His friends say he prefers going quietly until De Pa approves his leadership of the Red Movement, if he ever does. By the look of things, that approval will not come. We have an encore of the Obasanjo-Atiku situation all over again. And because Obasanjo made that unprecedented interference in our politics in 2012, he may well have infected De Pa with his third term bug as he had tried and failed.
We have never seen a case like this in West Africa - a situation in which a former president travels to another country to actively campaign for a presidential candidate in their election. Can you imagine how Ghanaians and Nigerians would react if De Pa went to their countries and openly campaigned for one candidate? Many things are possible in Sierra Leone.
He would have been campaigning in Nigeria at that time but he was stopped by his Vice President, Atiku Abubakarr. Chief Sidikie finds himself in the same situation today. Like Atiku, Sumana is never going to be endorsed by De Pa to lead; like Atiku, he may well be forced out of the Red Movement; like Atiku, he may not achieve his ambition of becoming president. To defy all these predictions, he must speak up now.
The fact that some of his own people were in T-shirts last Saturday calling for him to be president, means that for them the gloves are off. Will Sidikie stand up now and boldly approve their campaign or will he run to his fortress at Regent and continue his nocturnal consultations?
In fact, we could have a situation in which Atiku will on the ballot in Nigeria and Sidikie doing same here. Just that picture will mean a lot for the democratic maturity of our sub-region. Just when we thought the world was now done with THIRD TERMISM we are confronted with the scenario of De Pa flying a huge political kite and listening to see how the wind will blow.
That purported State House press release denying De Pa is interested in running for a third term, is no longer enough. If Rocking Robin is doing something contrary to what the Red Movement dictates, why is he not being disciplined? When Kamarainba announced he wanted to lead the Red Movement, he was slapped down and told to shut up. In fact, his membership has been cancelled. Why not Rocking Robin. What more evidence do we need that this is a kite flown with De Pa nodding a quiet approval?
This business of hanging on to power beyond constitutional limitations in Africa is no longer in vogue.
SIERRATEL RADIO JINGLE DISRESPECTS NATIONAL ATHEM
We humbly plead with Sierratel to withdraw their long-running jingle that fades out with our national anthem. We have heard and read about unholy links between some big guys in power and SIERRATEL but that is clandestine. So their action is disrespectful to the country of Sierra Leone and her people. We are very insulted. Whoever produced that jingle should hang their heads in shame. Bad production.
We know that the national anthem is only played on radio at very formal occasions involving the president, or when he wants to address the nation. But these days, we wake up every morning to the tune of the national anthem hoping to hear something from De Pa, only to hear that Sierratel has this and that product. We also know that even to use the country's name, flag and other national symbols, permission ought to be obtained from State House. Are we the only ones who've heard this jingle? If no, why is everybody pretending not to have heard it?
We know there was a promise to run our country like a business concern but DOO YAA make e nor reach ya. State and business interests must be separated. Withdraw that jingle now!
FOR HOW LONG WILL RAWDON STREET REMAIN LIKE GUARD STREET?
Good Morning Mayor Bababode. Please urgently answer the question above because we are losing patience over this unilateral decision of yours to turn Rawdon Street into the worst form of Guard Street. Rawdon street is an important eastern artery into or out of central Freetown. Even in the best of times the street was being taken over by traders with all the consequences that come with that. It's worse today with the total surrender of the place to traders. We have nothing against the traders but as people of Freetown, we feel badly let down by that decision.
Mr. Mayor sir, you know that State Avenue has been closed off between Pademba Road and the VP's office for the longest time. Now the other section leading to Model junction has also been closed off to ordinary people, increasing the suffering of the down-trodden. Everyday, sections of Freetown are being cut off for all sorts of things.
So the big people are making themselves comfortable under all circumstances while life is being squeezed out of the ordinary people. You can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time.
(C) Politico 01/05/14
