LEICESTER ROAD JUNCTION AND "WORKS YARD" PUNISHMENT
We have to once again call attention to the way the construction companies doing some roads in this country are treating the people. These companies have no respect for the people. In fact they believe they are doing us a favour and we should start our day by worshipping them. For the last week or so, thousands of people between Leicester Road and Gloucester have been put through one of the most horrific experiences of their lives.
The people woke up one morning to find Leicester Road Junction completely cut off with half a dozen 21-year-old boys trying to lay a culvert underneath that key junction.
In general we appreciate the work being done but it cannot be right that ordinary people are made to suffer so much especially so without foreboding. Even in the best of times, Leicester Road is full of chaos, so imagine what the last week or so has been for the people. We believe that the same work could have been done with very little pain.
One of the biggest communities beyond Leicester Road is Fourah Bay College with more than 4,000 students. Our enquiries indicate that neither the college nor the other huge communities received any leaflets warning them about the pending inconvenience. Heaven wouldn't fall if the college was closed down for a week to allow the boys complete the job. Now see how the future leaders are having to climb some rugged mountain by-pass routes to make their way to college. Never mind their lecturers. It's even worse for those petty traders of Tree Planting, Gloucester and Leicester who toil daily on the streets of Freetown for their living.
We find it strange that the company didn't first do a by-pass route to facilitate the movement of vehicles? This country is a "works yard", we know. But we have been living here long before De Pa announced his "works yard" idea. This must be a very cruel "works yard" indeed!
THEO NICOL FLIES OUT AGAIN: WHAT VALUE FOR OUR TAXES?
When the Access to Information Law is finally made operational, the first documents we will apply for are those relating to Theo Nicol's many travels abroad on all sorts of meetings. Our sole aim would be to establish whether our taxes were well spent. In fact we hear that his new name in the ministry is Gulliver's Travel. So when he returns from Lilliput, we shall formally christen him as such.
We have no problems with our ministers travelling abroad to represent the country and meet their colleagues in our best interest. But the documents we have now tell a tale reminiscent of a character in Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities - Sydney Carton. We really can't understand in terms of the public benefit that comes from some of Theo Nicol's many travels. Isn't this all about per diem?
Well we understand why Theo Nicol needs a lot of money from his many travels. He would need to buy a lot of "cheap deodorant" for all those journalists who "smell like raw fish". Again, we are using his own words. He would also need the cash to pay for certain newspaper publications because, according to him, some journalists chase him for that too.
Continue reading these columns because we will soon publish interesting stories of drivers and their per diems when certain ministers travel out of Freetown. You shouldn't miss it because it goes to the heart of why some people are in politics. All we see on TV and in some papers is pure grandstanding. Money is at the heart of their time in public life. We hold nothing personal against them. We warn them however that to be unnecessarily rude about people in public is not a joke.
We urge SLAJ once again to wake up to its primary duty of protecting the welfare and reputation of journalists. That includes making sure nobody insults them and gets away with it.
WHERE IS MOHAMED KAMARAINBA - SALONE PRESIDENT 2017?
The story of Mohamed Kamarainba is an interesting one. A handsome young man, with some experience in Obama Land, returned home recently to announce that he would be seeking the highest office in this country. He organised a few marches in Freetown with mostly young Freetown boys and girls who enjoy marching for anything. To increase their participation, simply get a few cheap T-shirts and some food - you have a crowd. Kamarainba knew this and went for it.
Our man then announced that he would be running on the ticket of the Red Movement, that was the beginning of his troubles. Many thought he would form his own movement but he probably wanted a route through an incumbent to State House.
The Red Movement with their long queue, slapped him down with a press release. In one incident we were told his meeting was disrupted by hired thugs in Waterloo and Kamarainba fled like a wounded tiger.
Can somebody please help us find Mohamed Kamarainba? We have good political advice for him and he doesn't have to pay a penny. But he may first have to clear some issues for us:
1. Does he have a Masters Degree from the United States?
2. If yes, can we also know the University?
Once this is cleared, we shall throw in our full support for KAMARAINBA and even lobby for him to have a role in the movie THE NEXT PRESIDENT PART II...hahahahahah!
SALONE UNDER-20 OFF TO EBOLA-RAVAGED GUINEA FOR QUALIFIER
Well, well, well, our national Under 20 football side should be off to Guinea soon for the return leg of their qualifying match in the African Youth Championship. That should be a great match given that we managed to squeeze a 1-0 victory recently in the SEAT of POWER.
Guinea is a friendly country. In fact both countries have huge migrant communities across the borders. But we must be careful as Ebola continues to ravage that country. We would ordinarily have asked for our boys to stay home but competition rules would probably mean we would be disqualified. But for the sake of the records, let the following points be made regarding this trip.
1. Travelling to Guinea for this kind of event at this time of Ebola is extremely risky and should be discouraged. Or we should ask - or should have long asked if we had an FA that's worth its salt - that the match be played in a neutral place.
2. No victory is more precious than the lives of our footballers. Not even the World Cup
3. If the decision is made to go ahead with the trip, only players and officials should be allowed to travel. There are thousands of Sierra Leoneans in Guinea who could cheer our team - well that is if they are able to leave their home at the time of this lockdown.
4. All officials and players must get double per diem because of the risk.
5. Our players must spend the night on the Sierra Leone side of the border and drive straight into the field of play and return home one minute after the final whistle.
6. We must screen them properly at the border before they are allowed to return to Freetown the next day.
Please, we are not trying to scare anybody. Those who have closed their borders with Guinea are the ones who are creating PANIC. Long live SHOOTING STARS. Down with Ebola.
(C) Politico 10/04/14
