BOKO HARAM NOW A REGIONAL PROBLEM BUT IS SIERRA LEONE AWARE?
We can't believe the stories we are hearing from north-east Nigeria. Even at its worst, Foday Sankoh's RUF war machine didn't kill two thousand people within a few hours. The scale of the last destruction in Nigeria captured on satellite by Amnesty International has left the world speechless - man's capacity to destroy life and property is simply horrendous.
For now this looks like something in a faraway country but the reality is that a franchise could easily spring up in our part of the sub-region. The Boko Haram killing spree has now sucked in three other countries - Cameroon, Niger and Chad. So we ask, could Boko Haram come to Sierra Leone? Well we don't think so, at least for now, for the following reasons:
1. They are very afraid that they could easily catch Ebola and die because they don't even bury their dead.
2. Some of them heard stories of how their brothers who helped end the civil war in this country suffered from malaria throughout their tour of duty. So why risk almost certain death on the battle in a faraway country? UNICEF will never supply them anti-malaria drugs.
3. RUF fighters, now re-integrated into civil society could be easily mobilised for action. The first pair of hands they will chop off is that of the leader of Boko Haram. That's an effective way to stop abducting and raping children.
4. In Sierra Leone it's totally impossible to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims - we are one. So Boko Haram has no fertile ground to plant their seeds of hatred and war
5. They know very well that they will get a really bloody nose in this little corner of West Africa. The truth is, Boko Haram will not talk peace until they are bloodied on the battlefield. Sierra Leone should be prepared to send a crack squad of former Westside Boys and their criminal allies to join the international effort against Boko Haram inside Cameroon.
CASE AGAINST TRAFFIC WARDEN DROPPED: SO WHAT NOW?
There's hardly anybody in this country who didn't know that AgbaKholifa's case against that poor Traffic Warden had no legs. The poor man spent a good few nights in jail for allegedly behaving badly to the almighty AgbaKholifa. We understand a magistrate has now thrown the case out of court because it was a total no-show by AgbaKholifa.
Here is a Chief Immigration Officer who complained bitterly about the behaviour of a lowly Traffic Warden and invited his former work colleagues in the so-called Force for Good to arrest the man - AN LUC DID THE ARREST. Imagine that! But AgbaKholifa decided to stay away from court when it came to the crunch - for him to lay his case before a Magistrate. Dozens of Journalists turned up each time to cover the case but were disappointed. Is AgbaKholifa well or not?
On the day the case was dropped many questions were asked by the waiting media. We capture a few here for AgbaKholifa to deal with. By the way we are prepared to interview him. We can even send the questions ahead by email. Hahahahahahahah!
1.Let's say the poor warden was rude and deserved to be jailed, what about the issue of the immigration boss allegedly driving a vehicle with expired registration papers? Can we now investigate that, or is that not part of the equation anymore? We understand the guy was driving a private vehicle in fact. Hmmmmmmm!
2. Don't AgbaKholifa think that the poor warden deserves huge compensation for the time he spent in jail?
3. Does the justice system have no questions to ask a senior government officer who makes a report like that to the police and cause the matter to be charged to court and then never turn up for a hearing?
4. How many of the people in our jails today are facing the same situation as that poor warden?
5. Why is Sarah Bendu and her SLRSA completely absent when a member of her staff is going through such hell? JAKASS SAY DIS WORL NOR LEVEL. But for social media, the worst could have happened to our Traffic Warden in complete silence.
USING EBOLA FIGURES FOR COMIC RELIEF IS A SIN, AMEN
On behalf of the suffering people of Sierra Leone, we humbly plead with the Attorney General to get a law ready for parliament to make it a grave offence, punishable by long-term imprisonment, for people circulating fake Ebola infection figures every evening. We need it to reach parliament under Certificate of Urgency as usual.
We cannot believe that people will play such pranks with the life of a people more traumatised today by Ebola than during Foday Sankoh's war. And at a time when people are praying for the figures to reach zero so that this country could re-open for business, we have people trying to be funny even when Kingtom cemetery is now full with the remains of Sierra Leoneans killed by Ebola. This is the most tasteless joke ever.
We find it hard to believe that after all these months and all the fake figures, the ministry still cannot find a way of branding their Ebola results to make it impossible for these criminals to fake it. Many times we get three sets of figures, then we spend the next one hour asking around for clarification. This is the last thing we want. The life of the people depend so much on these figures that we will refuse to understand if people think this was time for pranks. Absolute nonsense.
TRUTH PREVAILS AT LAST AT AIRPORTS AUTHORITY
Change has finally come to the Sierra Leone Airports Authority. John Sesay, the manager who wanted to behave like Blaise Compaore has been given his marching orders. His term of office came to an end but he was busy scheming to extend his term to deny the long-suppressed Swaray-Deen the opportunity to serve in that high office. Human beings never learn from the example of others. Why did Sesay really try to stay on in that office? Is there something we should know about the operations of the airport - Ebola or no Ebola?
In the end it took strikes, demonstrations, many newspaper articles and radio programmes to call attention to that injustice and probably a change of board chairman to get John Sesay out. Lord Have Mercy.
Now there's uneasiness in the place as his trusted staff members worry about their future in the service. Why didn't they tell their man to leave on time?
How about his daughter and his in-law who in record time found their way into the executive management scale of the Airport Authority? Can we now please investigate that rapid movement through the ranks? This is no witch hunt. We want to ensure that justice is done.
Welcome Swaray-Deen. Please don't wait for strikes and demonstrations to force you too out when that time comes. We are fed-up writing about the same things daily. Good luck.
IMPEACHED AT HOME BUT NICE PHOTO-OPS IN ZURICH
We have been looking at pictures from the recent FIFA award ceremony in the Swiss City in Zurich. It was fantastic and congratulations to the Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo for winning the Ballon D'or. In attendance was the impeached queen of Sierra Leone football. We believe she was the only person in the room who had recently been thrown out of office by her own members by a process of impeachment.
Well, the queen enjoyed the Ballon D'or experience with several photo-ops with great football personalities. Her spin doctors did their normal elementary PR by posting them on their usual social media forums without thinking about the message those pictures sent to the world, particularly Sierra Leone. The comments that followed were amazing.
So after the glitz and glamour of that event, the queen must turn attention to events back home. And it comes into view as soon as her pilot asks passengers to return to their seats and prepare for landing at Lungi International Airport.
We find it strange that an impeached queen is still appointing coaches and administrators. Former international footballer Tostao has accepted a job from the queen, only a day after blasting the rottenness at the core of football administration in Sierra Leone. Sorry brother Tostao, Ajina and that under-performing East End Lions coach got away with huge cash from Cameroon but you came to the party too late. The queen has been impeached. Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
© Politico 20/01/15
