Twitter Special
De Pa's New Year’s Day Broadcast
Christmastide – which also includes the New Year – has come and gone. In the choking grip of Ebola, celebrations were extremely low key. And we understand why De Pa announced all those restrictive measures. We also join him in prayers for God to have mercy on Sierra Leone.
To say the truth, we did what was possible, by way of celebrating Christmas – lots of food and booze and plenty of Boxing Day football in the English Premiership despite the fact that DSTV charges have gone through the roof without an explanation. And it seems NATCOM is powerless against them.
Anyway…On New Year's eve we stood outside our homes singing Auld Lang Syne and Api New Year we nor die to usher in 2015. So it wasn't all that bad.
We later listened to De Pa's speech. It was a good one but we have a few comments to make about the issues covered in that speech as ordinary citizens of this great republic. We quote extensively from the speech.
De Pa – “The resolution must be action oriented and geared towards positive change. I am very sure that all Sierra Leoneans want this scourge to end; and it is therefore time for all Sierra Leoneans to follow up their aspirations with their actions... Do not touch the sick; do not touch corpses; call health workers to handle the sick; do not seek to disobey quarantine orders.”
Twitter - But sir, your use of "Positive Change" reminds us of Charles Margai. And we've not heard a word from him about this Ebola outbreak. Sir, have you been in touch with him lately? Anyway, is there something in the DNA of the average Sierra Leonean that keeps them trying to disobey the law? Or is this something politicians – past and present – have encouraged to win votes? Lawlessness is killing Sierra Leone. After De Pa's battle cry speech as he launched Operation WID, we thought the nation was finally ready to end lawlessness. But since then... Sheyoooor!
De Pa – “I know what we are being asked to do is very difficult; we are a people that have built our humanity on hugging each other, on shaking hands, on caring for the sick and showing communal empathy by participating in funeral activities. But today the Ebola devil of illness and death hides in the innocent clothing of our culture to get us. That is why it is very necessary to suspend these cultural practices to defeat this evil virus.”
Twitter – Well said, but we doubt very much if shaking hands will forever be part of the way we greet each other in Sierra Leone. Maybe in the future we should go around with sanitiser if we must shake hands – every time we shake hands with someone, we apply some sanitiser. How about that sir? And politicking and impressionism must end now – provide clean drinking water for the masses so they not only can drink potable water but also can wash their hands and improve on hygiene.
De Pa – “We are people of faith, a people who believe that without God’s intervention, we struggle in vain. With the consent of religious leaders, we hereby declare seven days of prayers, fasting and charity with effect from today 1st January 2015. We have put in place mechanisms to secure our country from this evil virus; but the Bible teaches us that except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watches in vain.”
Twitter - We know right? But the thing is, we forget God too easily. See how sinful we have become as a nation after all those prayers and fasting during the war years. Stealing from the state coffers what is meant for the masses, going into agreements for love of self instead of the majority poor, using state institutions to silence the critical mass, etc. We believe God needs some more re-assurance before He lifts this veil. We must end corruption, nepotism, marginalisation on the basis of political opinion and all those things that satisfy a small group of people but destroys the whole nation.
De Pa – “Fellow Sierra Leoneans, with my instruction, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is putting in place modalities to reopen schools and colleges in the shortest possible time. Dates for the reopening and other modalities will be announced by the ministry in due course.”
Twitter – What does this say – if anything?! Whenever we hear our politicians talk about "putting in place modalities..." we conclude that they are merely kicking an important issue into the long grass or shadow-boxing. And didn't the ministry of education already have a plan B? We can't believe this – eight months into the outbreak. So they are only going to start work now after your instruction? And by the way the people did not need a warning ahead of an announcement – the needed an ANNOUNCEMENT!! Full stop! Look at the confusion now created by that garrulous so-called PRO in the education ministry. He basically asked WHO of all organisations to make the decision on how to carry out your instruction. Sorry Mr PRO we blame it on your boss for you are only a ventriloquist. By the way, De Pa, what do you think about that ministry?
Look at what happened with the school-by-media project. It started well only to be seriously disrupted by allegations of corruption against some ministry officials by one of their partners. Yet neither the ACC nor State House has bothered to look into those public accusations of malfeasance. The nation's children want to return to school now and in safe conditions. And thieves – no matter who or what they are must he hounded.
De Pa – “There are some people, from all regions, professions, and age groups, who want to use this moment to make money, to score political points, or to cause mischief and disaffection in the land. We must resist them. There are people who don’t work but want to hide under the cover of those who work to get paid; we must expose them. There are people who are not involved in raising awareness about the disease, but who are raising funds to siphon unto selfish ends, we must bring these shameless crooks to book.”
Twitter - Phew! Strong words, sir, but part of it is petty. Well, SLAJ said exactly that not too long ago and we understand some in government didn't like it. Some people who have jobs in all the structures created to fight Ebola don't want to lose their jobs. Sierra Leoneans seeking Ebola asylum abroad are praying daily for the virus to continue ravaging the country. People playing with Ebola money are in the same category. We have to deny them that opportunity.
De Pa – “Government agencies stand instructed to keep record of all Ebola related transactions for accountability now and a more thorough auditing of the process after we defeat this virus. We expect all international agencies, NGOs and Civil Society Organizations who have received the majority of funds to fight Ebola to have similar records for a thorough accounting of their actions.”
Twitter - Please don't re-hire KPMG. We don't like people who walk away when things are tough or not going right and refuse to explain their action to the public. They don't feel obliged to speak to the people who pay their fees. We stand ready to recommend external audit institutions for the job should De Pa ask Politico, because we don't believe anybody takes the work of our Auditor General seriously despite the brilliant work she and her agency are doing. What's the result of all their reports? It took the Gavi Alliance people to come here and open up the mess in the ministry of health before we knew how those funds were being used.
De Pa – “This is not a time for politics; it is a time for healing. This is not a time for strikes; it is a time for service. This is not a time for partying and going unto crowded places, but a moment for reflection and prayers. This is not a time for holding on to practices that cause death; it is a moment for promoting habits that promote wellbeing, understanding, and national survival”.
Twitter - Well said again but there are some clandestine political movements taking place all around. Some have moved locus to England. There should be no family gatherings, no road shows and all that – or even a meeting with Pomasus and other Kono traditional heads to give them bags of rice and livestock in exchange for political favours. We know and will be returning to that soon. Otherwise it would be like referring a boxing contest in which one of the boxers have his hands tied to his back.
Happy New Year Sir
© Politico 13/01/15
