DE PA BANS DEMONSTRATIONS NEAR THE BIG HOUSE
Just when we thought this was the way to go to get things done quickly in this country, De Pa has pulled back from DEMONSTRATE AT STATE HOUE TO GET WHAT YOU WANT mentality. De Pa now says he wants to be able to work in a quiet atmosphere and not be constantly greeted on the entrance to State House by demonstrators calling for this and that.
So we congratulate those who went there before the ban and got what they wanted - we are talking about Football Stakeholders, Market Women, Physically-challenged folks, Civil Society Groups, Bike Riders, Ebola Survivors, and many other, too numerous to list down. Someone even joked that quarrelling couples too. hahaha!
This is the thing: we are now at a point where it appears as if only State House can unlock things in the country. There are ministers but why is it that everybody runs to State House for a thing as basic as organising a University grading system that makes sense to the students who are trained by those institutions?
So good bye to State House demonstrations. But here are a few issues to consider:
1. Don't the people at the Big House think that those demonstrations persisted simply because the people who organised them saw some results of their agitation in a matter of hours following the demonstrations?
2. Let's present some examples - Football administrators went there and got what they wanted namely a 7-member committee which is now at work; students went there and got an extension in the final college registration date, market women remained on the streets against the police wanting to throw them out and biker riders who even went there with a dead body on their shoulders are still a nuisance on our roads. The list of condoned lawlessness is endless - excluding the progressives who want to deal with real national issues like withheld WASSCE results, journalists against the Supreme Court’s unconstitutional delay in ruling in their matter, those against the sacking of the Vice President Sam-Sumana, etc.
3. Let's be honest with ourselves, some of our ministries are completely unable to do anything serious without De Pa baby-sitting them. Look at the situation with the NPSE exams, water wahala, blackout, etc. Strangely, Bra Minks is still on duty despite the bungling of the foolish and unnecessary postponement of the NPSE exams. And the Milk Man is still at water resources despite Da Pe spending sleepless nights over the water crisis (courtesy of OrBangu) that is ruining our children.
4. So how is this directive going to be enforced? Please don't send in the Munu Boys. Their performance at the Green Movement office recently is still being looked at by international human rights monitors.
5. We believe that De Pa will soon begin to miss those demonstrations. They were beginning to become part of the welcoming party at State House. And with elections coming, you never know. Long live democracy!
ANOTHER ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE BUT CRIMINAL LIBEL STILL ON
It's now close to NINE YEARS since De Pa came to office with a big manifesto promising to REPEAL the anachronistic colonial legacy called Criminal and Sedition Libel Laws. Throughout his campaign before the 2007 elections De Pa was very clear that those laws would go on day one of his presidency. NINE YEARS on, the laws are still hanging over the heads of journalists. In fact it has fallen on many heads, at least 25 according to SLAJ, since De Pa came to office. That's a shocker not least for someone who sounded so progressive during his campaigning that he said what he said on criminal defamation.
Half way through his term, De Pa's then Attorney General, the late Serry Kamal (RIP) told the media that De Pa never promised to REPEAL but to REVIEW the piece of legislation hated by all in opposition but cherished by them once they are in power. Many journalists simply went back to their little recorders and reminded themselves of what De Pa actually said. The journalists were absolutely CORRECT.
We now have a new Minister of Information and his deputy, and their first step is to call a ROUNDTABLE. These things never achieve much but looks like some in the media still want to give the process a fighting chance.
Meanwhile has the media learned any lessons from this experience? We think so. Let's capture a few of those lessons.
1. Promises made in the heat of political battles are not to be taken as DONE DEALS.
2. Journalists must always continuously focus on their own issues and not be too cozy with politicians just because they promise things.
3. When politicians come campaigning next time ask clear questions and hold them to account.
4. If journalism is all you know, hold on to it and let politicians do politics and run the country.
5. This law will almost certainly remain in force even on the day De Pa hands over power in 2018. The CRC provisions will run into difficulties in the Red-dominated parliament.
MORE SEATS IN PARLIAMENT AND A STRUGGLING ECONOMY
So the number of seats in our parliament is going to increase by TWENTY after all? Is this not what this whole census thing was about? We've not been told where those seats are located but we believe the whole country knows how things will play out in the end. These days there are no surprises in Sierra Leone.
To say we are concerned about the implications of this outcome will be an understatement. We are more than concerned. For the following reasons:
1. We are a very poor country, depending on the taxpayers of other countries to fund parts of budget, and instead of reducing our bureaucracy to cut cost and take care of ourselves, we are creating more offices for political reasons.
2. We will not listen to any argument about this having anything to do with the representation of the people. We are not talking about the number of seats, we are talking about the quality of the representation provided by those occupying the seats. Who does not know of how much use our Parliament has been!
3. We know of many MPs who have not visited their constituencies for more than five times since they were elected. Instead of getting them to do their jobs, we are bringing more of the same. Come on!
4. So would the well of parliament need some infrastructural upgrade to take in those additional TWENTY people? And how much will that cost the ordinary man? Maybe even their new parliamentary health centre will need an expansion.
5. Ok, can we also increase the number of teachers, nurses, doctors, police and correctional officers? This is about the people eh?
STRAY DOGS AND PIGS ATTACK FREETOWN ON BABABODE'S WATCH
The pigs are continuing their conquest of areas around Connaught hospital and Kingtom, completely unchecked. Now stray dogs are looking to take central Freetown. 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. Where is this Bababode Council?
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 movement would have to win on their own steam.
We call on people living in Freetown to walk past 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 unauthorised 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 18/05/16
