SELECTED VEEP IN SOUTHERN ROAD: HOW DID IT GO SIR?
Emergency restriction or no emergency restriction, the SELECTED Veep was on a road show in the second capital city of Bo last week. The Supreme Court has just reserved its ruling in a case in which lawyers for sacked Chief Sidikie are trying to get the highest court in the land to grant an injunction preventing the SELECTED man from serving as Veep. That's a serious situation facing the country but the road show went ahead anyway. And it seems that not everybody in Bo listened to the opposition's call for a total boycott of the SELECTED Veep's programmes. At least one minister went on facebook to give a head count of all those who were there. We are very angry he didn't mention Politico. We were there writing the first draft of history. Anyway!
We are looking for an opportunity to interview the SELECTED man so we can ask him how that visit went because it certainly wasn't what the organisers expected. And it also wasn't what the opposition Green Movement expected. You can trust Politico to be honest...hahahahahahahahaha.
The SELECTED Veep is very Chinese. He likes Chinese clothing, Chinese phones and on the day he was sworn-in, his speech was all about the greatness of China and their undying love for Mama Salone. The Chinese are a great people, we know that. But, a poor country like this cannot afford to alienate our powerful Western allies who have stood by us all this while. Speeches like that can send the wrong signals to London, Washington and Paris. What do you think sir?
Anyway, we are ready for the next leg of the road show. These are really important periods in the history of this country and we have put a handsome budget aside to document it. Long Live Sierra Leone!
SALONE WAHALA AT THE DOORSTEPS OF THE WHITE HOUSE
Demonstrations and counter demonstrations are taking place in the West. It started in London, it has reached Washington. Where next? It could be Tokyo, Canberra or Ottawa. The reality is that the world is waking up to political uneasiness in Sierra Leone once again.
Throughout last weekend, we received pictures and videos of those demonstrations. The irony is that those who want to demonstrate in Sierra Leone are not allowed to do so by the most politically-controlled police boss since Bambay Kamara. In Green Movement days, even Acha Kamara allowed the Methodist Women to protest against hardship. Although they were put in buses and driven to different ministries to present their petitions. But, at least something happened. Munu is busy doing the hatchet man's job for the Green Movement.
We live in a strange country, we aspire to the lifestyle of the West but we don't want to copy the value systems that brought them those very high standards. And some of those preventing the people from having their say here, have their passports ready to return to the West to enjoy the fruits of those values, once they are sacked or defeated in elections. Funny eh? They believe nobody sees through their contradictory behaviour. By the way, did Obama take any notice of the demonstrations?
After carefully watching pictures of the two sets of demonstrators, we noticed the following:
1. Those against what is happening in Sierra Leone were in really large numbers, considering the fact that in those countries our brothers and sisters are at their jobs almost all the time.
2. Those on the pro side, though not many, appeared very well resourced. Could it be that some trans-Atlantic wire transfer took place to help facilitate things?
3. The whole thing passed off peacefully in another man's country. At home, we heard all sorts of doomsday predictions and threats...are we a true democracy?
4. We also notice that the Krio grammar written on some of the placards was heavily influenced by the English language. Some of our people have been away too long. Right?
5. And on both sides, they looked extremely well fed. So guys, while you demonstrate in solidarity with those who can't do it here because of Munu, please keep the remittances coming because things are very bad back home. No cash.
EBOLA MONEY EXHAUSTED SO LET'S NOW TALK POST-EBOLA RECOVERY
We are now beginning to hear a lot about post-Ebola recovery all over the place. Hmmmmmm, please our people let's stand firm. We don't want another televised inquiry into anything having to do with Ebola money and how it was disbursed and utilised. Please, please!
We bumped into officials of the ministry run by Alhaji Emmanuel registering Ebola orphans at a house in Wellington...now we are very scared that those figures will be seriously distorted. Why did it take so long for them to do this?
As ordinary citizens of Mama Salone, we humbly demand for a national conference on post-Ebola recovery to be held without any further delay. And we have very good reasons for demanding that right now.
1. This government and their international partners must put all plans on the table for the whole country to see. People will come to Freetown from all over the country to participate.
2. The people want to have a say about which agencies and individuals have come forward to play a role in the coming post-Ebola phase.
3. Let's say from the outset that all those people who disgraced themselves before the Public Accounts Committee recently, should find something else to do. They should just stay away from our post-Ebola recovery exercise.
4. We will demand a People's Welfare Committee to oversee all the activities in the post-Ebola recovery plan. Please don't bring any of those politicians and civil servants who messed themselves up at recent PAC hearings to this new effort.
5. And finally, the people also want to know, how much of all their cash is going to be used to pay the salaries of UN people now flooding Sierra Leone afresh.
EYELESS AT OLD TRAFFORD: PELLEGRINI HAS LOST THE PLOT
The NOISY NEIGHBOURS left Old Trafford quietly last weekend after they were thrashed by Manchester United who are enjoying something of a last minute revival. Has the fear factor returned to the so-called THEATRE OF DREAMS? Umaru Fofana would have us believe so. There are six games to go so let's reserve judgment on that for now. But it was another brilliant performance by Manchester United who only recently went as low as finding themselves at the end of a 5 - 3 whipping by lowly Leicester.
It may be premature to predict the fall of the NOISY NEIGHBOURS but the signs are not looking good. Look at this - they've been thrown out of Europe after being completely out classed at home and abroad by Barcelona, a determined Crystal Palace side also taught them a lesson at Selhurst Park and now their neighbours have picked up the pieces - Manager Manuel Pellegrini is now looking as clueless as he was during his last days at Real Madrid.
Manchester City assembled great players from all over the world. They wanted instant success at home and in Europe. They haven't done badly at home but they are a disaster in Europe. These days some of those stars appear on the field looking jaded while the wealthy Sheik who owns the team, is beginning to think twice about that investment.
We have always said that the NOISY NEIGHBOURS are a team without a SOUL. Manuel Pellegrini is only trying to make things happen. Let's see how they end this season.
© Politico 14/04/15
