A WEEK OF NATIONAL SHAME ENDS WITH MINISTERIAL SACKINGS
We can further confirm today that De Pa now sacks his ministers on MONDAYS. In the early days of De Pa's rule, ministers and senior officials were sacked on FRIDAYS. We've been told that the reason behind the shift from Friday is so that a sacked minister is able to clear his desk during the week and leave. It's only against that background that we are prepared to understand why it took De Pa so long to end rude and mediocre ministerial performance in that so-called Social Welfare Ministry.
We don't understand why anybody expected anything serious in a ministry partly run by a very RUDE Congo Market Karaoke master who before he found himself thrust into the national limelight made his living producing and selling profane and largely pornographic music that no parent would allow their children to listen to. Sierra Leone's shame is on all social media platforms now on account of that guy. How can anybody explain that?
Even ghetto boys in this country have rules in their drug settlements against the use of foul language but Karaoke Minister had no reason not to assault our decency in the way he did. He was sure he would still be in office still enjoying taxpayers' cash. The spectacle of him and his boss appearing alongside De Pa at this year's International Women's Day celebration, would have been too hard to swallow.
There are a few issues outstanding that we must investigate. Otherwise this sacking would simply cover up the whole mess there and in other ministries.
1. Allegations by Karaoke Minister of Rape, Drug Abuse, Visa Manipulation and Corruption. These are very serious issues. All these came from the mouth of a deputy minister. Let nobody tell us to move on. Unless he issues a written apology and cause it to be published in THREE NEWSPAPERS this week, we should set up a judicial panel to investigate those allegations. A recorded apology thrown on social media is too little. Most times they accuse the media of being alarmist and destroying the image of the country. Who are those now branding us as rude people with no respect for others? The man must even do some voluntary community service to atone of his sin.
2. We also saw damaged office furniture and electronic equipment… They were bought with our money so let's find out who trashed that office. We need to charge people for malicious damage to government property.
3. The so-called Deputy Minister went into his boss's office fighting for his vehicle tyres to be changed. We believe this was more than a TYRE WAR. But let's assume that's all what it was. The picture we get is one of a ministry where there are no procedures in place for anything. We know of small time NGOs that have a policy of changing their tyres every six months as part of safety precautions. Why should there be any argument about that?
4. Can we also take a look at the names of people on the official government delegation to that US conference on the Status of Women and their designations? We simply want to be able to account for all those people, on whose behalf a VISA request may have been made to the US embassy in Freetown. That RUDE minister referred to that issue in his diatribe. We think there is something to look for in that context.
5. Whether the BIG Minister was APC or not is not our business and we cannot care less. So we were not impressed by Karaoke Minister's noise-making in that direction. We however think the RED Movement guys can do a SAM-SUMANA on him - charge him for ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES and throw him out. He will be left with one option - take two steps backwards, PMDC and then SLPP.
A DEPLETED CABINET BUT A BADLY DELAYED RESHUFFLE
De Pa has a cabinet that now looks very depleted. Several positions are vacant. Some have been vacant for a very long time. Again, we don't want to force the hand of De Pa because the constitution gives him a lot of powers to run the country - among them SPECIAL EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY with which he can turn a man into a woman, metaphorically speaking. As humble citizens of Mama Salone though, we want to make the following comments.
1. If De Pa cannot find any suitable Sierra Leoneans within his own party, why can't he look outside? Or are other political parties equated to Daesh?
2. There are many Sierra Leoneans who are not associated with any of these parties but are willing to serve their country. Why not give them a chance? Must they SWEH BLOOD to the Red Movement before their Sierra Leonean-ness is guaranteed!
3. We often hear about THE LINE being too long. Why not pick out one of those waiting for jobs to succeed those who have been sacked or are running their ministries from abroad?
4. Maybe we really don't need all of these ministries in the first place. Scrap some of them right now because there are agencies doing the jobs for which you have created ministries. We need to save money. We need to spare ourselves another round of RUDENESS in some of those ministries.
5. Many people have been waiting for a real shakeup of this government - not because they expect anything radical in terms of performance but just to make things look fresh a bit. If De Pa is unable to deliver that, we are prepared to name a Citizen's Committee that will put some good names forward for De Pa to consider. Would that help sir?
GT BANK IN BO FEELS LIKE AN OVEN...THE AIR-CONDITIONING PLEASE
Have you ever turned up at GT Bank in Bo for a simple transaction recently? Please, next time you think about going there, remember your mobile air-conditioning system along. The air-conditioning system in the bank is down and customers sweat profusely throughout their stay. We have experienced it.
We don't particularly have any gripe with them about in terms of how their staff discharge their duties. They are nice people, but how can the management allow a great institution like that to transform its waiting area into a kind of oven? You guys don't need any lessons from us about customer care but certainly the people deserve a better environment to operate with you at your office in Bo.
We will check again before the end of the month to see if you have done anything about the situation. Watch out for two young ladies - probably in their 20s - who would spend a few minutes in the banking hall, and who leave without talking to anybody or transacting any business.
(C) Politico 09/03/16
