LET'S CELEBRATE AFRICAN UNITY DAY BUT LET'S ASK THE REAL QUESTIONS
There is definitely something to celebrate about the African Union project started as far back as 1963. Today the whole of Arica has been liberated from colonial rule. We can argue about the degree of independence but at least we take some decisions at home without necessarily asking the consent of the big boys in the west.
We have sub-regional groupings like ECOWAS, IGAD, SADCC and so on that are doing well in conflict prevention and resolution. And also on the development front. There's is increasing awareness of our African identity and the willingness to assert it anywhere. So for all of that, we thank God.
But we still can't understand why xenophobic attacks continue in South Africa of all places. Black South Africans are killing other black Africans, chasing them to leave that country. Let's even forget the fact that the whole continent played a big role in getting rid of apartheid, it's just not right for them to treat their African brothers and sisters like that. Even their government is very embarrassed by that behaviour.
Also, why are there so much visa restrictions on travel on the continent - Africans requiring other Africans to get visas to visit their countries. When will this end, people?
Our leaders go to African Union meetings and pretend as if all is well on the continent. They refuse to openly and shame and ostracise greedy and power-drunk leaders for the senseless killings and maiming of African peoples in places like South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. Come on Africa!
The biggest problem on the continent though, is illiteracy. Our leaders have taken no serious steps to educate the people. Their game plan is to keep the people so illiterate that they are unable to challenge dictatorship and corruption in their countries. Long live Africa but...
POPE JOHN PAUL GOES TO TOWER HILL WITH A BOMB IN HIS ENVELOP
What a day it was on Tower Hill when the pope turned up to explain to the gods of Mount Olympus why he was having this extra-ordinary row with the SLFA yet again. The gods are completely baffled by this turn of events because the pope put everything, including what was left of credentials as a man who had stood for fairness since his day in journalism, to help bring the Madam to power. And we know how it all went. We were the least surprised when the pope came clean on breakfast radio the other day on the issue.
So the pope had a bomb with him on that day. He presented the envelop to the gods and declared he was ready to fight the SLFA. Things are really crazy at the SLFA. Just over a year ago, Madam brought a similar envelop to the pope. In the envelop were documents from FIFA and CAF in which people were named in match-fixing. There were also other documents. Madam passed the envelop over to the pope and told him to support her on the strength of that evidence. The pope was convinced and he obliged.
Now that Madam wants to consolidate her political base ahead of what promises to be a stormy SLFA congress due soon (Madam is like to be impeached), she has made up with some of those whose names were on that list. Now the pope is very, very angry - how dare the Madam make such a U-turn?
We are in for a long struggle. Even Kemoh Sesay who is now a kind of Prospero in dealing with SLFA wahalas will fail here.
On behalf of our people, we now announce that we have received our own part of the bomb the pope gave parliament. We have invited ballistic experts to take a really close look at the materials. Read Politico in the coming weeks as we make the people's case. Truth will reveal.
We are truly fed up with people saying one thing and doing the other. MONIES SPENT BY THE SLFA ARE AT THE HEART OF THE BOMB IN THE ENVELOP.
WHY OUR NATIONAL TEAMS CAN'T WIN ANY MATCH
We are not saying anything strange here. Many Sierra Leoneans know what is happening to our football teams and why they don't win matches. We are only putting those points on record for posterity. And let's be clear, we feel very bad about this state of affairs and pray that something drastic would happen very soon to reverse the trend. Here we go:
1. The football association has lost its way. The corruption and lack of organisation started under NahimKhadi who ran the SLFA on the phone from some flat in London. He spent all his time trying to satisfy his cronies in Freetown by turning a blind eye to inefficiency and corruption. The former General Secretary has just had his conviction for corruption confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Freetown.
2. There is too much politics in SLFA matters. At the heart of all the political struggle is the huge money FIFA constantly sends to Freetown for football development. Let's also take what the minister is talking about match-fixing very seriously. Our team has gone abroad to play nondescript competitions in countries not known for football, like Malaysia, Jordan and Syria only to return home comprehensively beaten but with officials and players swimming in US dollars. So let's investigate that.
3. The Ministry of Sport under Pope John Paul has not helped the situation. He's been too meddlesome in SLFA affairs. He started even before the Madam came to office. With the Madam now in office with the unashamedly partisan support of the pope, the ministry is actually running the place.
4. Let's be honest, some of our players are simply not fit to be in a modern national football team. They are old and tired but have used threat, blackmail and sometimes bribery to stay in the national team. We must weed them out. We hope you now understand why we always lose games in the final moments.
5. There is always too much grumbling and fighting among officials and players ahead of every match. Sport Journalists are also involved. There's too much about the politics of the SLFA and far less about the actual game on our papers or on radio. We are really tired. Sierra Leone is not the only country with a national football team. What is all this?
BABABODE MISSING IN ACTION AS PIGS ROAM FREE IN FREETOWN
Where is the Mayor of Freetown? We've not heard from him for a long time. A few weeks ago, we heard one of his officials on radio talking about their revenue collection drive. There's nothing wrong with that. We want the Freetown City Council to collect a lot of money so that Bababode will be able deliver what he promised us in Freetown.
And we feel compelled again to call his attention to dirty pigs roaming important streets in Freetown, like Lighfoot Boston Street, Waterloo Street, Krootown Road and in areas like Kingtom. We don't know how many times we have to do this for the Mayor to act. These pigs will eventually turn up, perhaps on the Mayor's dinner table, so for that reason alone, he should do everything to make sure they are bred by accepted international standards of hygiene. If the owners can't meet those standards, then the Mayor must cancel their licenses (well, if they ever had one).
There's no country in the world where pigs are left to roam in this way eating all sorts of rubbish. What's the matter with the Freetown City Council? They don't take anything seriously apart from collecting revenue and spending it on, only God knows what. Pigs on the streets? Come on Mayor, this is 21st century Freetown.
We have clearly avoided the issue of stray dogs here because it's a whole menace in itself. We will take our time to deal with it.
(C) Politico 27/05/14
