THE NINE-DAY WONDER CALLED “FLY SALONE”
So what was celebrated as a masterstroke in attracting foreign direct investment to the world's "fastest growing economy" otherwise called Sierra Leone has ended in an obvious business and PR disgrace. FlySalone can no longer Fly. This is not because nobody saw this coming, at least we at Politico simply looked at the TRACK RECORD of those behind the venture and concluded that the whole project was taking off on financial MOSQUITO LEGS.
Those who made political capital out of the setting-up of FlySalone should also be prepared to take some kicks for its failure. That’s the way things go in the real world. As with everything else in this country, including the purchase of a few public service buses, the noise was deafening. Can we now hear from them about how things could have gone so spectacularly wrong within so short a period?
We've been waiting for some information since the news about the death of FlySalone broke but as usual where there are no obvious propaganda cherries to pick, they all pretend nothing has happened. We can assure them that something extremely serious has happened and we will keep the bell ringing.
1. The real truth is that this was definitely not a serious venture. Those behind the project are not the greatest of businesspeople and FlySalone is simply going to add to a list of failures. By the way where is the Delta Airline promised by Logus?
2. This is just out of curiosity: could it be that some people had certain things to bring to Sierra Leone by this plane? We are Sierra Leoneans and we are free to ask.
3. What is now going to happen to the ALMOST 100% Sierra Leonean crew? In fact how many workers are we talking about - cabin crew and ground handling staff?
4. When will Logus Koroma face the nation on this FlySalone question?
5. Can Logus please tell this nation whether the STATE OF SIERRA LEONE lost any money as a result of the collapse of FlySalone? THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
6. And that recent FINANCE ACT 2016 and its concessions...how about that in relation to FlySalone?
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DE PA'S SACKED MINISTERS
With the stroke of De Pa's pen some people have been made jobless. Some will be out of government housing soon. Many of these former ministers have also lost privileges they can now only dream of. Sometimes people use this tired expression - No Condition is Permanent. We know that Pope John Paul, Alhaji Emmanuel, that Karaoke guy and a few others have just realised that No Condition is Permanent. Even the dead will one day rise from their graves to face their maker in judgement.
So what are some of these sacked ministers up to right now. It's early days yet since they were sacked but already we notice something suggesting desperation.
1. Pope John Paul turns up for work - for work or to pack his stuff out of his former office on the morning after the night of his sacking and ran into something very unpleasant. His Civil Servants were not so civil anymore - certainly they didn't behave like servants. The Pope's driver went missing; he lost his cool and sprayed his usual bullets at some journalists standing around - the incident was captured on phone and is now comic relief on social media. The Pope can now either stay in Red Movement politics or take up his pen again. The latter is unlikely. At least he has that option.
2. What was Alhaji Emmanuel really up to, trying to quell a peaceful student protest just hours after being sacked? Come on fellow, would you have turned up at that demonstration when you had all the powers of a minister? There are many ways you can demonstrate that you still love De Pa besides putting your body in line in the way you did.
We really don't know the options open to you besides going back to South-east London and linking up with your buddies. Or attempting an attack on a parliamentary seat somewhere down south. That's difficult but not impossible.
Please don't imagine yourself in any frontline role in government until after 2018 at the earliest. Even many of those who've been hanging around the LONG BENCH all this while are very frustrated that they've been ignored again. The game is up. Alhaji move on.
When will our Karaoke Man return to the Washington pub to play his rude music? Or is he planning to make up with his former boss who made him a significant person in this country?
There's not much to do. Karaoke Man should never think about becoming a minister again. We can never risk polluting the moral conscience of our nation with that man in serious political office. His social media apology is totally unacceptable.
HON. PATEH BAH SPEAKS ON FBC REHABILITATION. REALLY?
If this guy returns to parliament in 2018, that feat will represent the 9th wonder of the world. It will be a real miracle. The guy is completely out of touch with the most important institution in the constituency he found himself after the 444 election. And possibly out of his depth at FBC.
Last week we read in some papers that he had congratulated the government for signing that BADEA agreement for the rehabilitation of FBC campus. Here is an MP hanging on a small thread to give himself some relevance. Since that report appeared in some papers we traveled to FBC and asked TWENTY students selected randomly if they knew the name of the MP whose constituency covers FBC. None of them knew the guy?
1. Who is this guy really representing in parliament?
2. OK let's not just focus on FBC. He covers a wide area, so can he tell us the last time he addressed parliament on any issue? We have also looked at the Hansards and our man was absent. Is he part of the I CONCUR SQUAD?
3. The injustice of creating a constituency as large and diverse as the one this guy is pretending to represent has left a key section like the FBC area virtually unrepresented IN REALITY.
4. The people of this country ought to have learned their lessons now from their experience with 444. Any prudent voting, not that done strictly on party lines, would have resulted in the defeat of this absentee MP.
5. Next time we meet him, we will ask him a number of questions about the very BADEA project he spoke about. We warn him now to spend a little time reading about BADEA and the FBC project. We will not leak any specific questions.
CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL NGOR MAMBU TO STAY QUIET?
Next time Ngor Mambu goes into any radio studio to do his usual rambling about this and that, he should be ready to face the ordinary people of Sierra Leone outside in a peaceful demonstration against him pretending to be seeking their interest when in reality, the whole ONE MAN Coalition nonsense is a failed attempt to do civil society work.
And can Ngor Mambu please brief us on the small matter of that money in the Auditor General's report? We are talking about the Ebola Funds.
We probably shouldn't question other people's judgement in deciding who goes on their radio programs, but surely Ngor Mambu cannot be the guy to talk about accountability after all we saw and heard in that parliamentary inquiry into Ebola Funds. And what we recently read.
Why hasn't this guy simply paid our money and dismantled his ONE MAN Coalition and returned to his native land for cleansing? Maybe some people are having fun with his unique accent but frankly, let's not create the impression this guy remains the only one who understands how to make people accountable. Foreigners living in this country must be forgiven if they convince themselves, on the basis of Ngor Mambu's performance that we are a nation of people who can take anything.
(C) Politico 22/03/16
