SO-CALLED CNN WEATHER FORECAST AND FLOOD SCARE
We have a lot of respect for CNN as far as their journalism is concerned. Since 1980, there are many things they’ve done to change the global media landscape. We congratulate them. But we believe that depending on CNN for our weather forecast is not the best thing to do.
Global Media networks like CNN understandably only turn to countries like us when conditions are getting out of hands like floods, political upheavals or if they have an interest in a particular place. We should not fool ourselves about that.
So how often are they going to be talking about weather conditions in Sierra Leone? Even the media in this country, do whatever weather report they do by copying from BBC without properly crediting them. We take a lot for granted in this country.
Anyway, in all this, where is our own meteorological service? Where are they? They are the most marginalized of all government agencies and departments in this country. Even the media talks about them only once a year as if their service was only needed during the rains. And we are living in a country that is facing very adverse climate change.
The headquarters office building of the meteorological service is a clear demonstration of our attitude to their work. It is an old Victorian building on Charlotte Street, opposite UBA, that should actually be in the hands of the Monuments and Relics Commission.
1. We have no option but to put money and political attention in the meteorological services of Sierra Leone. Reports have clearly told us that CLIMATE CHANGE will definitely affect us adversely.
2. Why do we have all those highly trained professionals in that department only for them to be using Iron Age equipment to deal with a phenomenon like Climate Change?
3. We have a problem with government agencies not speaking about the difficulties they are facing. They are so scared about losing their jobs that people like us are forced to feed on scraps of information. This is one such department.
4. Whatever happened to the weather forecast from that department that the media use to publish! Where are all those professionals who use to do that forecast?
5. We call on the international community to make that department a priority. The US ambassador recently told AYV that Sierra Leone was in the eye of the climate change storm. We need to help in that direction.
WELCOME MR. TAYLOR BUT COMMERCIAL BANK HQ BUILDING NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION
We congratulate the new man in charge of the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank. We believe it’s your reward for hard work. Congrats!
But, can we bring this small issue to your attention please? This is the second time we are highlighting it in this paper. We believe we were ignored the last time. Please take this seriously. We are going to stay on this issue until we see people at work in front of that building. We believe you have a lot on your table but this is a very serious issue for the rest of us Sierra Leoneans.
We are waiting for work to begin on the entrance to the headquarters building of your bank because it seems the tiles on the building are falling off with nobody taking notice. Or they are turning a blind eye.
We've been praying quietly for the senior people in that bank to act without being urged to do so in the pages of a newspaper.
This bank came into operation in the 70s so it must give a good impression of itself at the entrance to any of its buildings, not least its headquarters.
Some of us, loyal customers, are prepared to contribute to a fund for the rehabilitation of bank's headquarters building, if it came to that. The managers can go ahead, open an account and make the number available to us. No amount of money should be considered too small for this effort. Long live the great bank.
COPING IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES IN MAMA SALONE
Sierra Leone is in the grip of very difficult economic conditions and our pockets have been hit very badly. We can see that on our dinner tables and on the faces of the ordinary people on the streets.
So in our own little way, we want to help people cope. Here are a few tips:
Politicians and Senior Civil Servants – sometimes you guys have tried more than hard to satisfy people for political reasons. You think about getting votes at the next election. But given the present economic ‘wahala’, here are a few things to consider:
1. Remove all of those number plates that actually identify who you are. In good days, they were used as status symbols but they are likely to become a burden now.
2. We know secretaries have really good skills in keeping people away from your offices. Train them a bit more. In fact, close your waiting rooms for now by putting a notice on the door telling the world ‘REPAIRS IN PROGRESS’.
3. Close all your social media accounts. People are going to chase you across all platforms. Don’t go jogging on the beach at weekends. Spend your little cash at home with your families. Change your phone numbers for the next six months.
4. Business People – expect sales to be seriously affected. People are only going to spend money on food, medicine and basic transportation. Sorry!
5. Sierra Leoneans abroad – the times have come again for you to trigger a sudden increase in your remittances. It means you have to work a bit more and deny yourself some of the good life in the West. It’s not easy but the economic squeeze back home is your business.
6. Foreigners in Salone – please be careful how you interact with screw faces on the road. Those little jokes are no longer jokes. A hungry man is an angry man.
7. University Students must be a little clever in getting money out of their parents and friends – please don’t go talking about pamphlets anymore. That’s a very old trick that people are tired with. Also cry about being broke when you spend so much time on social media. We see you there all the time and it costs money.
8. Vehicle owners driving into the CBD – be very careful. The criminals who normally lurk near your vehicles are going to be very desperate. Their wants are very basic – a plate of rice in the morning and in the evening but those people who generously gave little change here are there are also now facing austerity so that life line is now cut. The guys have to survive. They live on the streets, they must survive on the streets.
FREETOWN UNDER ATTACK BY STRAY DOGS
The Freetown City Council is completely absent in the lives of the people of this city. The only place we see them are in markets collecting dues or rounding up traders or in the media, sometimes complaining about City Rates or grave spaces.
We are desperately looking forward to the next local elections so we do away with Bababode and his people - a clean sweep is coming. This time the RED MOVEMENT is going to be so busy trying to save itself that those seeking offices under their name would have to win on their own steam.
We call on people living in Freetown to walk pass that eyesore the FCC has created in the middle of our city. Since they knocked down the former City Hall, the place has become an open defecation square for street boys and girls. The other day we saw a dog with six or seven of its young just beneath the foundation at the Wallace Johnson Street end.
Those ones are going to join the many other stray dogs all over Freetown. We have complained and complained about stray dogs, stray pigs, raw sewerage, unauthorized street trading, many very bad Municipal schools and all that. Bababode has decided to ignore us. We have to keep going anyway.
This is perhaps the only country that doesn't seem to have a policy on pet ownership. Or animal husbandry issues in urban settings. May be we have the laws somewhere but political correctness is keeping Bababode away from following the rules.
See you at the polls sir.
(C) Politico 16/06/16
