THE PRICE OF OIL FALLING ABROAD BUT STAYING PUT IN SALONE
That the price of oil is falling steeply on the world market is in the news daily. The last we heard is that it has fallen below $ 68 a barrel. That is definitely good news. Well…except you live in an oil-exporting nation. But why is it that our government is not saying or doing anything about the price we pay at service stations here?
Here's what would have happened had the price of oil suddenly spiked: The greedy oil marketers in Freetown would create artificial scarcity with the stock they had before the increase in price; there will be chaos in Sierra Leone with long queues and shady petrol sales at unbelievable prices; consequently transport cost and the price of basic foodstuff would rise and the people would take to radio phone-in programmes to complain. The government would then unleash its spin doctors to visit radio stations to tell the people it's all the fault of the GLOBAL TREND. We know this place called Sierra Leone.
Now we know what's happening with the GLOBAL TREND, why can't the government slash the price of petroleum products so we benefit from the good fortune in the GLOBAL system? This is a very serious matter. We pay the highest for fuel in this sub-region and we are not even sure we get what we pay for because we are being cheated at the pump.
We are waiting to receive a press release or a mobile phone text message addressing one of two issues:
1. The government acknowledging the fall in price but telling the country that prices would remain the same because despite all advice, they've been subsidising what we pay now so they must recover the extra cash.
2. The government is responding to the steep fall in the price of oil by reducing the pump price in Sierra Leone. Not the kind of Christmas present we are looking for but we will accept it.
WITH NOTHING GOING HIS WAY, WHEN WILL MAYOR BABABODE RESIGN?
To be a Mayor in Freetown at this time is a pretty frustrating exercise. We say so because we still can't put our finger on any tangible thing Bababode has done since coming to office two years ago.
Please forgive us sir, we acknowledge that you have kept something called the city council in some shape and that could be counted as an achievement; you have not dismissed your increasingly temperamental spokesman and you sometimes make big speeches that make a lot of sense. Forget about implementing what you say. We will address that in 2017.
We note sir that you have received a lot of official slaps with the public looking on that we are wondering what it will really take for you to give up the job and return to Wilberforce to write your memoir titled YOU GEE ME DE COW BUT YOU OL DE ROPE.
1. Bababbode signed up to OPERATION WID which was basically about clearing the streets of people hawking razor blades and rat poison and also dealing a decisive blow to lawlessness on Freetown's streets. De Pa himself made a big speech at State House announcing the measures. We have a recording of that speech in our system.
Bababode's men went to Bombay Street to road-test Operation WID; the traders marched to State House and Bababode was told to stay put. When we last visited Bombay Street we found things as they were.
2. Bababode conducted De Pa round Sewa Grounds where stalls had been built with tax payers’ money to house traders. De Pa condemned the whole venture and asked Bababode to do a better job. Bababode's spin doctor tried to limit the damage and loss of face but we refuse to be bamboozled as long as TEMPORARY has become PERMANENT on Rawdon street.
3. Now Bababode somehow managed to stitch a deal with traders to make Fridays and Sundays no-trading days. That would have been a good move in the face of the Ebola menace and the TOUCHING BODY that goes on there. He went home in the evening pleased with himself. Just as we were about to congratulate him came news that the deal had been dealt a fatal blow. “Not again!” we shouted. But it was confirmed by media announcements.
So we have a Mayor who cannot properly collect taxes and rates; a Mayor who cannot clear stray pigs and dogs from our streets and is having to look over his shoulders every time he makes a decision. Resign bra...what's the point hanging in there?
GREEN MOVEMENT POLITICIANS GATHER IN LONDON: SO WHAT?
Two Green Movement politicians and some of their flip-flopping so-called executive members turned up in London last week to begin campaigning for elections in Sierra Leone. We don't even know when that will take place. We've seen pictures on Facebook of people eating, dancing and pretending things were normal. It's up to their partisans to believe that leaving behind a weak, battered, poor and badly-organised party to campaign in London is a good idea. It's up to them.
During the same week of their departure, we read stories of their Tiaman aktwally shlapping another member for being dishreshpeckful. We hope nobody gets SHLAPPED near Elephant and Castle shopping centre.
By the way, we are waiting for information on how Osuofia who now lives in London received the news of the other two guys partying out there. He must be somehow very concerned that other candidates are slowly eating into whatever support he has in the UK. Alpha Timbo recently caused a serious upset in America. The reality of Osuofia’s vulnerability is beginning to sink in.
We hope the British would soon cancel the visas and send those people home. We need all the hands we can get in this fight against Ebola. What's the point of going to London when we need you here to help us fight for the Emergency measures under which the country is now governed to be properly explained and made specific? Seems like everything now is covered by State of Emergency, including what to say in a cookery shop. May be they will also apply in London against the Green Movement fellas.
END OF SERVICE EXTENTIONS EVERYWHERE, AND WHERE IS THE ACC?
We have reached a point in Sierra Leone where people just don't want to leave office either with age or end of tenure. We have just been through a very messy situation in which for the first time the media, the Bar Association and individual lawyers have been making public demands for the Chief Justice to leave office.
We don't know where that issue is now, well officially because we've seen reports on social media that she would be out of office by the end of this week. But without prejudice to the outcome of that situation we notice that the airport authority boss and Dr. Orman at SLBC are refusing to leave office long after they were due to. They are only making things difficult because other people will refer to these examples in years to come and the boot may be on the other foot at that time.
What is the ACC doing about these two officials? Is the ACC only interested in the office of the Chief Justice? Please we don't want that impression to be created – most people think so anyway. Why has the ACC not investigated the recruitment and promotion of the daughter of the airport authority boss and her husband into executive management positions? That's a matter to INVESTIGATE – it is called Conflict of Interest. We are gathering minutes of certain meetings and telephone conversations on this issue. When that job is complete, we will give the ACC some clue a little time to start work. Otherwise, we will do our own bit in the interest of our country.
We have to stand up against people prolonging their stay in office for God knows what? The system is blocked in many institutions and frustration is boiling over.
© Politico 02/12/14
