STATE OF EMERGENCY; DAY OF REFLECTION - SALONE IN LOCK DOWN
Things are not looking good in Mama Salone. We don't want to start pointing fingers here and there but we are under emergency rule right now. De Pa announced a raft of measures to help fight Ebola. For now we will behave like British politicians: no matter how much they disagree on policy, as soon as British troops are deployed, they support them. So in this emergency period, we can only offer our support for De Pa's initiatives.
We have done some rough calculation as to how much we will save as a result of De Pa banning all official travels. We reckon that if emergency rule continues till Christmas, we would have saved something like Le 5 Billion. Huge eh? Hahahaahahah. Well consider air tickets, hotels, meals and the almighty per diem.
In fact we understand that some of our ministers had collected per-diems for some official travels before the emergency was declared. Are they going to return those monies to the treasury now? They MUST! We know a few and we will expose them if they do not.
For how long would these measures be in place - 60 to 90 days? Hmmmmm! The predictions we have heard so far are not encouraging. Can we now have details of which areas would be quarantined? Can somebody please tell us what that means in practice? Would Commonwealth Marah return to Parliament with another supplementary budget? There are so many questions waiting for answers eh?
Please on the day De Pa has declared for reflection, let's also ask ourselves in very honest terms whether we could have put these measures in place when Ebola initially attacked neighbouring Guinea; whether we could have communicated properly to our people about this calamity and all that. Long live Mama Salone.
CONFRONTING THE ISSUES AS HIGH COURT RE-OPENS SOON
The High Court re-opens in September as always. In times gone by we would hear powerful speeches by clergymen at church services about the state of the judiciary and the legal profession as a whole. We shall be listening again this year.
Our fear is that in the new atmosphere, even clergymen are scared to stand up like Desmond Tutu because they are afraid they will be branded as Green Movement people or being anti-De Pa. Journalists are used to that but our men of the cloth for whom that should be oxygen, are busy towing the line. Aayyyyyyyy Salone!
But whatever happens, we are hoping this year's preacher would say one thing at least. Please it's not that small matter with Pastor Chambers. It's about the state of the law courts building at Siaka Stevens Street.
You know, we really hate the way things are in that law courts building.
1. There are too many people hanging around the place every day in search of something to eat. When has a courtroom become such a hunting ground? Are we missing something? Can't people be given cards for a seat in particular courtrooms daily? We mean only those connected with cases and of course journalists. What is difficult about that?
2. The holding cells in that place smell very badly. And we lock human being there day after day. In fact the cars of those who matter in that building are always parked just near those cells. Don't they get the smell?
3. The sanitary system in and around that building has collapsed. Wetin dae apin ba?
4. Why can't the judiciary prepare a decent canteen for their staff and clear those cookery sellers who attract all sorts of people from that Golan Height just outside the courtrooms.
5. Finally, for now at least, can't the judiciary clear those Marijuana Smokers and Poyo Drinkers from behind their wall near the State House end? Isn't it too brazen that the stench of marijuana continuously invades the courtrooms near that wall.
Even in the US state of Colorado, where weed has been legalised, smoking marijuana so close to a courtroom would be illegal.
As for the sewers, we shall return to that in due course.
By the way is the Master from the Land of Gold still CONSULTING? Longest-running Consultant in the history of West Africa. We hope she will not be leaving soon because of Ebola. This is the time we count our true friends. We will soon start counting the enemies.
DISABILITY COMMISSIONER BLUNDERS AGAIN
The national disability commissioner needs help. He needs it urgently. We have no doubt that he is a very wise man but something is very wrong with the way he is running this new office. We think politics is taking hold. We saw him donate the commission's money to a group of physically challenged people calling themselves Disabled APC. We have a lot of problem with that. And the venue too.
As we write this right now other such groups have sprung up in the other parties and they will soon be at the door of the commissioner. Let's see how he deals with that. He worked himself into that corner.
As if that was not wahala enough, in the last couple of days he has donated mattresses and stuff to physically-challenged people hanging out at a squatter camp at Pademba Road. Come on Mr. Commissioner, your job is more than that.
Our commissioner is encouraging a dependency syndrome that will keep those people in that squatter camp for a long time to come. Like all other Sierra Leoneans, our physically-challenged brothers and sisters should be made to live normal and independent lives.
We are really confused about what the commissioner has achieved in real terms since he started work. Policy documents? Yes. And what else? Please sir, you have to stop this sporadic, politically-correct media-driven engagements and take a long view of your task. We really don't want to see people living in the kind of conditions at that Pademba Road squatter camp.
PLANTING TREES AT REGENT BUT IS BIG SAM ON BORROWED TIME?
The big tree in the Forest of Youyi Building was out on the new Regent - Grafton road the other day planting other trees. De Pa also planted some. There were many other people around including some of those people whose only job is to cut down our trees and sell them abroad.
But we ask again, when will the ACC make this very important call? You know, we mean the call to invite the big tree in the Forest of Youyi Building to tell him his date with Justice MA Paul. (Can we quickly renew Justice MA Paul's contract please?)
The big tree is pretending to be doing things normally but he knows the ACC are just a stone's throw away. In fact, we cannot believe that call was not made a month ago.
We have seen the notes by which the ACC boss was briefed by his investigators on the big tree and we know the recommendations made.
The people definitely have a case against the big tree. The evidence is so overwhelming that if the defence didn't play its normal tricks like unnecessarily delaying their case, that trial should be up within a month and of course ending with the big tree being convicted.
And in the style of Justice MA Paul, the big tree may be planted at Clarkson House Pademba Road to grow in five years. Let's watch it, it will soon "please his Excellency to make the following cabinet changes".
MASSADA WOMEN
Last week, or so, we brought you the agony of some women in MASADA-inscribed jacket sweeping the streets of Freetown and loading garbage without gloves. Even in normal times this would be horrendous, let alone in Ebola times. When we asked the women they told us that only the men wore gloves.
Well some MASSADA people called us up and also came to our office admitting that the women are gloveless but that they are not their employees. Enti U sef sabi! Promises were made during the last elections which are yet to be fulfilled. HAHAHA. So those women were imposed on MASSADA whose wage bills cannot absorb the old ladies who are only looking out for a living. You remember why the airport tax was raised last year or so? De Pa promised jobs for Bullomites. The jobs did not come. The airport authorities were forced to provide the jobs. Wage bills heightened and the passengers were made to pay for it.
Whatever the rationale, we DEMAND that those women who clean the streets of Freetown be given gloves. Road Maintenance Fund and SLRA, among others, we demand an answer from you because we understand you are behind this enslavement of these innocent women. UNA SEF, GLOVES BO!!! And MASSADA whatever the excuse, you may decide not to absorb these women, but please get them gloves.
(C) Politico 01/08/14
