ANOTHER WEEK ANOTHER GREEN MOVEMENT WAHALA
Journalists in Sierra Leone know that as long as the Green Movement remains somehow active in politics, there will never be a slow news day. They always give us something to write about. And their stories sell papers you know. We love them for that. For the rest of the people of Sierra Leone who are looking for high quality opposition to a misfiring government, we say tough luck.
The Green Movement is in a very bad shape staring down the barrel of what looks like a THIRD STRAIGHT ELECTION DEFEAT and possible political oblivion. There doesn’t seem to be any chance of a Cinderella project.
We have an opposition party whose leaders hate each other more than the way God hates sin. The party is held hostage to the greed and violence perpetrated by leadership contenders against their opponents inside a party office meant for all? Can anybody understand that? When would they start welcoming strangers, when they can’t accommodate each other?
So when a few leadership contenders turned up at the party office during a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee the other day, they were rudely turned away like lepers at the dinner table. And shamed by gangs loyal to Farah Aideed – Mr. I DID THIS, I DID THAT and I WILL DO THOSE - very self-centered.
How would a party that really wants to make a case about their suitability for government have behaved if their potential leaders turned up uninvited for a meeting of their highest decision-making body?
1. First of all there should be no need for somebody turning up uninvited to a meeting of that nature. The process of inviting people should be clear to everyone. If people were to make guest appearances, they would be properly informed at least ONE WEEK ahead of the meeting.
2. Ok, let’s say they turn up uninvited, what would the party BIG MEN DO? Well, simply bring them into one of the many rooms in that battered office and tell them politely that they cannot be part of the meeting, give them a cup of tea or something before they leave.
3. A serious party wouldn’t always have that intoxicating mix of cruel ex-combatants, and people of no fixed abode hanging around headquarters humiliating their own members because they disagree with certain positions. When did this really start in the Green Movement? Just check the dates and get the answer.
4. The other point is, those party leaders who we understand were not PROPERLY INVITED should simply have walked away and not allow a scene like that to be created. Don’t you guys get tired?
5. Most people thought that after that murder in Kenema, the Green Movement would honour the soul of the young man by bringing an end to their unnecessary civil war. But no, they have simply intensified things. The wait for a credible opposition to De Pa’s failing outfit goes on. Salone sorry!
UPDATE FROM PUJEHUN: DMO AND THE RUBBISH QUESTION
So last week we took you to the government hospital in the southern district of Pujehun. We were angry with the DMO for allowing rubbish to take over portions of the hospital compound, including the area just behind his office window. We argued that the hospital compound is the last place we expect to see such piles of rubbish because the DMO cannot claim to be healing people when the possibility exists for patients to leave hospital with a disease they didn’t have at the time they went in.
So here’s the update: we understand that through the Pujehun council, the RSLAF in the district has been contracted to clean the place. Our sources tell us that the Khaki Boys have told the council that the job would last for ONE MONTH. ONE MONTH? Why?
1. Well, we don’t know the number of foot soldiers there, but clearly, those available now need all the time in the world to clean Pujehun government hospital while still doing Soja work.
2. Frankly, there’s just too much rubbish piled up in different parts of the compound so to do a decent job, even Masada, who are cut out for that, would struggle on a tight budget and schedule.
3. By the way, is this only domestic waste or does it include dangerous hospital waste? Does the army in Pujehun have the capacity to deal with hospital waste?
4. DMO sir, can you please tell us how much money is involved in this cleaning contract with the RSLAF? You can do it by SMS. We ask on behalf of the people, you know.
5. When all is said and done, does it really have to take a newspaper gossip column to get our dear DMO moving against rubbish in his own backyard? We are putting in a request to interview the Health Minister this week. Surely, we shall put this question to him.
AND OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE PUJEHUN COUNCIL ITSELF
We are proud of Pujehun District Council for apparently helping to negotiate the deal with the RSLAF to clean the hospital compound, good work. But there is this small matter we want to raise with you Sadiq Sillah, Chairman of the council. We have no idea how involved you were in striking this deal but it was done with the help of your council.
But why didn’t you guys heal yourselves first before healing others? We have noticed that for an unnecessarily long period now, the main toilet that the general staff and visitors like us use has been out of service. Completely blocked! Why? The other day we stood outside the council buildings for a few hours and noticed council workers constantly going in and out of the other important institutions near the council office on Jah Street to answer to nature. Come on Chairman, your council is known for many good things. Don’t allow this TOILET issue to soil your good name.
Now we have two things we are monitoring in Pujehun: first, the cleaning of the hospital and second is the re-opening of that toilet at the offices of the Pujehun District Council. Long Live Journalism!
MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE 100 BUSES
We have a few questions to ask about those 100 buses Logus bought but please, we pray on our knees that Logus does not report the matter to either the IMC or the CID. We are only doing our job in the interest of the good people of Sierra Leone. Is that understood? We remember how David Tam- Baryoh was locked up at the CID and then had his Monologue programme banned.
In fact, we are not saying anything new. We said at the time that there are lots of questions to answer about those buses especially after the SLRTC boss made that appearance on Monologue and unwittingly told us some truths. And of course, there was that parliamentary inquiry. Now we have something very substantial to deal with, produced by an official body like Audit Service Sierra Leone. We have selected certain portions of the report to comment on in the coming days.
The SPIN MACHINE is already at work. They are using old and tired lines like WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. Come on guys, we are smarter than you imagine.
We can’t even understand why people have not resigned their jobs right now? We are living in the only country in the world where people refuse to leave even when such official bodies come down so hard on them.
We applaud the move to bring those buses but we have many questions we want answers to. The audit report has just given us more to play with.
(C) Politico 07/06/16
