POLICE OFFICER JAILED FOR CORRUPTION. AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CASE?
The beleaguered ACC congratulated itself for a rare court victory the other day. We say they celebrated because the news of a police officer convicted for corruption was told to the mountains by means of a widely-circulated ACC press release. In the usual way, the media in this country ran with the story. Nothing bad about that but should the media have exercised some caution just in case?
With what we now know about the ACC, we dare suggest that they may just have celebrated too soon.
We are prepared to wait until the convicted police officer exhausts his case in the Supreme Court, should he decide to appeal to the end, before giving the ACC a pat on the back. We have seen how many people convicted in the High Court in ACC cases have managed to get those convictions overturned in the Court of Appeal. We have no reason to believe this case will be any different.
And let's, for good measure, ask this question again: why after all this while, the people's case against those people alleged to have mismanaged funds for the 50th anniversary celebrations has not been decided? We are not lawyers, but we've heard them say JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED. The ACC has not bothered to update us on this and a handful of other cases that we have not mentioned here.
We hold no brief for corrupt police officers. But we have this feeling that the ACC must fight this impression that their celebration has created once again that ordinary people caught with their hands in the till are quickly dispatched to Pademba road, while the big guys are seen in Freetown's big restaurants enjoying the good things of life.
By the way is the ACC more concerned about number of cases won as opposed to the quality thereof? At the end of the year we will be greeted with a high number of cases won - even if they were lowly petty criminals - and the amounts said to have been contributed to the consolidated fund without regard to the much larger ones stolen by the Untouchables.
Please ACC don't be angry with us. We are ordinary citizens who believe there should be EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW. And the frog - not the tadpole - is what matters more if the croaking sound is to stop.
DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY OR "INCITEMENT OF SALONE SOJAS?
Pallo Conteh has a lot of work to do to convince the nation that he really understands what democratic accountability means. He spent a long time in the West and he must have seen true democracy at work. But we are disappointed that every time the media spotlight is turned on the army to reveal a kind of wrongdoing, the minister runs to State House claiming that the media is inciting the army against the state. We will not fall for this anymore sir. Try another one.
The minister has told nationwide radio that the problem of accommodation in the military is very serious. Well we have family members in places like Juba Barracks living in mud houses. It's worse outside Freetown. Now, is that a legitimate issue for debate in the media or not?
The minister was celebrating the fact that De Pa had turned the sod for the construction of 15 housing units in Gondama. He castigated past governments for building only a few houses for soldiers.
Dear Pallo, if after six years in office, you can only build 15 houses - sorry PLAN TO BUILD - you need more than 3,000 years to build houses for your 8,500 soldiers and their families. How about that?
Pallo must stop hiding behind so-called incitement of the army and confront the issues. Let's not hide this, his own personality is not helping the situation - he is the only minister that has military escort. He is no longer a soldier but he wears army uniform many times and is the only one with military escort. Why?
Every institution in the land, including the presidency, must be democratically accountable. We will keep the light shining on MOD. This is no time to be hypertensive.
NEW CURRIULUM FOR SCHOOLS
And while we are on this, can we bring it to the attention of the minister, if he doesn't know already, that nine-year old primary school children are being made to fetch water every morning to service their school. We saw a clear example of this last week at a primary school located at the back of Model School near the new Hill Side bypass road. We published a story this week about a teacher using his pupils as labourers to build his houses somewhere in Kenema. Is this part of the curriculum now sir?
We hope parents will read this so that they will go to that school and tell the teachers to end child labour because we can't understand how in this century with all this Agenda for Prosperity thing, 9-year old children are being made to fetch water from half a mile away to fetch to flush their toilets daily. A school is not just about classrooms. It includes clean water for use by pupils. We have some pictures of the pupils fetching water but we will hold back for the next week or so.
HOW TO BEAT FOOTBALL TEAMS FROM SIERRA LEONE: OUR VITAL TIPS?
We have a new football association executive in place but the fortunes of our football clubs, including the national team, remains the same. Ordinary spectators like us have done all our best to lift the spirit of the teams but at this point, we believe only a genuine Truth and Reconciliation Commission at the SLFA, stretching from the days of Saramady Kabba to Isha Johansen, can change Sierra Leone Football. And we are not talking about a TRC report that will selectively implemented like the post civil war one.
There's a lot people are hiding and as long as that remains the case, our game will remain badly organised and continental or world glory will elude us again and again. Even tiny Sao Tome has cut a piece of the Salone pie. Our league champions Diamond Stars who won the league by taking points without kicking a ball, were terribly humiliated by Raja Casablanca. Pallo Conteh's soldiers also messed up.
Now, the second leg matches are due next week and we have some tips for particularly The Gambians on their home leg. And for Raja Casablanca too.
1. When our players travel abroad, even to The Gambia, they concentrate on shopping. So just introduce them to Albert Market in Banjul or some cheap clothing stores and they will be out there all day, instead of training.
2. They like night clubs too. And the products of the kind of night clubs we are talking about. Make that available. Take them to Jorkor Monument or Poko Loco. And the deal is done.
3. Our players spend all their time arguing about Ronaldo and Messi, ignoring their tasks. Make sure you screen an old EPL or La Liga match in their hotel throughout their stay.
4. Sierra Leoneans are very bad at actively supporting their team on the field. Make sure you take an early lead or dominate the early part of the match. The supporters will be so frustrated that they will start booing their own players.
5. If you are playing in Freetown, don't listen to any radio stations before the match. The sports journalists are very scared about being realistic about their team's chances. They will always tell the world Sierra Leone will win. Their statement can shake the will of even the bravest men. No radio please before the match please.
6. Now, in the match itself, hold your line very well and take your chances once in a while. Wait for the final minutes of the match and launch your raids. You will definitely get a goal. Our record on this is there for all to see.
7. Listen to the radio stations after the game and you will hear football pundits blaming the team managers and giving bogus statistics about ball possession, free-kicks and all that. All lies.
Good luck nevertheless, to RSLAF and Diamond Stars.
(C) Politico 13/02/14
