WHEN POLITICAL OPPOSITION BECOMES POLITICAL COMPOSITION
A spokesman for the US-based group calling itself Concerned Sierra Leoneans says there are no opposition parties in Sierra Leone to stand up for the people of this country even in times like these when the problems facing the country are many and varied. He said what we call opposition parties are actually COMPOSITION parties. What? COMPOSITION? Yes, They are part of the ruling party.
We heard this from the MONOLOGUE programme last week end and since then we've been trying to make since of this description on behalf of our people. Here's what we've been able to dig up.
1. COMPOSITION parties are those whose leaders that appear in US-style presidential debates and instead of talking about their own programs, they concentrate all their time and energy on praising another opposition party and its leader. Cast your mind back to 2007
2. COMPOSITION parties are those whose leaders also tie their own political destiny to the success or otherwise of another political party. Does that make sense at all? So the leader of the composition party tell the whole world if this government (of which I am not a part) fails, then my political career should be considered over. How about that?
3. COMPOSITION parties are those whose leaders appear at a final presidential debate only to endorse the leader of the ruling party and announce they are withdrawing from the presidential race. This also includes those whose senior members are constantly drifting towards the ruling party. LIFE IS HARD IN SALONE.
4. COMPOSITION party leaders are those who spend all their time defending the ruling party even as their own party drifts into total oblivion. They are surrogates.
5. COMPOSITION parties are those parties whose leaders are simply using their so-called political parties as a cash cow. They couldn't care less what happens to those who claim to support them. We have quite a few of them around.
GREEN MOVEMENT COURT WAHALA: WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE
The chaos in the Green Movement continues unabated. In fact it's assuming frightening proportions now as the party leadership race draws ever closer. One peace mission after the other have all ended in failure. Even that most patient of institutions, the PPRC, appears to have tactically pulled out of trying to sort out the GREEN MOVEMENT.
Lawyers are having a field day; journalists have a running story to fall back on when they experience a slow news day and those same radio stations are selling air time for endless and boring discussion programmes done only to target other leadership candidates, the ruling party is having fun with the issue, the rest of the country is wondering how things came to this in the Sierra Leone equivalent of the GOP.
Sometimes we wonder why some people become so obsessed with themselves. It's either them or nobody else. We also wonder why an essentially political question is taken to court. This matter can only be decided by the Green Movement people when the time comes. So somebody could score a big victory in the courts and lose in disgraceful manner at his party's delegate conference. So what's the point?
The only way to end this nonsense is to keep such squabbling political organisations out of power because if we end up with one of them in State House, they will be fighting each other over every little decision for five years. People who can't tolerate each other should never try to lead a whole country. PLEASE DON'T TAKE US TO COURT. WE HAVE ONLY EXPRESSED OUR OPINION AS ORDINARY SIERRA LEONEANS WHO ARE FED UP WITH THE CONSTANT INFIGHTING.
MANY PEOPLE SAY SALONE NOR SWEET O. HOW CAN THEY TELL?
The talk all over Freetown now is this: "SALONE NOR SWEET O." It simply means things are hard in Sierra Leone. We've been trying to find out why so many of our compatriots have suddenly realised that. It's been hard for a long time. OK be that as it may, we went around Freetown with notebook in hand to find out why this SALONE NOR SWEET O BUSINESS is now on so many lips.
1. Transportation is a major problem. Months ago Logus Koroma started his spin about the coming of ONE HUNDRED buses. The buses are still on the high seas. Meanwhile the spinning continues. Logus is not answering the crucial question of how having 200 buses with the kind of roads we have would solve our transportation wahala?
2. Many young people are living on the streets. They control the streets. They collect parking fees for their pocket while the City Council is broke. The police are too scared to act. Is that the best way to deploy youthful energy or to collect tax?
3. Too many young girls are hanging around central Freetown and the beachside waiting to be picked up for the night. The number is growing daily. NGOs are busy writing projects. No country can develop by such projects.
4. Freetown has hundreds of churches. Victoria Street alone has FIVE. Well nothing wrong with that. Everybody wants quick salvation. In God's name.
5. The slums of Freetown are packed with new arrivals. The few rich people are building massive houses on land previously occupied by the poor. The only option open to the downtrodden is to look for a place in the slum. SALONE NOR SWEET O.
6. Sycophancy is growing in popularity. Very decent people are doing incredible things just to get something to eat. SALONE NOR SWEET O.
7. We suspect there are many Sierra Leoneans among those migrants dying to enter Europe from Libya. Nobody is telling us something about that. Our people are fleeing poverty and disease at home.
8. Some politicians are unashamedly crossing over to the Red Movement at the slightest opportunity. They have to put food on the table. Carry on guys.
9. Public exams are very corrupt. High School students are chasing their papers all over the country to bribe examiners who, we are not sure have been paid their pittance of an allowance for three years. What do we expect?
10. When you hear people calling into all radio programs to praise De Pa, don't blame them. They are simply calling attention to themselves for a piece of the pie. SALONE NOR SWEET O.
HILLSIDE BY-PASS ROAD NEEDS SPECIAL ATTENTION, PLEASE
We are afraid, very afraid indeed, that the Hillside By-pass road, starting from Dwazark Junction to Berry Street, is in danger of becoming another slum area. We are not even halfway through this project and already the beauty of the place is under serious attack.
When we drove through the other day, we saw many ugly structures built over the sidewalks. From Dwazark Junction vehicle mechanics are at work. We saw what remains of a rotten 4 wheel drive vehicle abandoned just after Winner's Chapel heading toward Berry Streets. Wood sellers have also established a strong presence. Towards the Model Junction area, small Congo Market is developing. Where were all these people before the road was constructed?
We've been trying to identify exclusive areas in Freetown. Areas that are not besieged by the kind of people slowly taking over the Hillside By-pass road. We can't lay hands on any for now. The Freetown City Council should save themselves the trouble of coming back after the next six months to demolish those structures that they can block now. Can somebody do something now, IN GOD'S NAME?
HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD THE NFA SACK STEPHEN KESHI?
Sierra Leone should hire Stephen Keshi right now because he's been sacked again by the Nigeria Football Association. This time Goodluck Jonathan is not around to give him another life. In fact Jonathan was the first to be sacked by Nigerians. We are not sure the General is interested in determining the next coach of misfiring Super Eagles.
We can't really understand why Keshi stayed so long with the team. When he coached Togo, he was involved in a disgraceful confrontation on his team bus with senior players like Emmanuel Adebayor.
Instead of concentrating on his job with Nigeria, he's been trying again to switch over to Ivory Coast. Even Keshi knows that Nigeria will not tolerate that. Big Brother would definitely read that as a snub for their coach to even consider going elsewhere before being sacked.
There's a vacant job out here Mr. Keshi. Our national coach is a man who delights in using salty language. He has been sacked - so please send in your application Mr. Keshi and the job is there for the taking.
(C) Politico 07/07/15
