THE POLITICS OF HOSPITAL GLOVES: WHAT WAS THE DOCTOR THINKING?
We were badly let down the other day by the man who has been leading the nation's fight against the dreaded Ebola disease. Well, this was not about the way he has conducted the battle so far, but he did something that could cause his counterparts in established democracies to be sacked. He mixed his very delicate job for which he is paid from the national coffers with Red Movement partisan politics inside Old Marine House.
Our dear doctor had gone there to receive thousands of gloves donated by a Diaspora branch of the Red Movement. At the end of the speeches and the actual handing-over of the gloves, the big men then held each other's hands like children in a playground and sang the Red Movement victory song. Our great doctor was also in the ring. What was he thinking? Here was the MEDICAL CHIEF of Sierra Leone in an official capacity singing the victory song of the ruling party. Come on doc, wasn't that a little odd?
We welcome the gifts donated by the Diaspora group of the Red Movement because these days even something as cheap as that, patients at Connaught hospital are made to buy. What kind of health care system is this? But it was wrong for a very important civil servant like our Ebola destroyer to join hands with partisans in lustily signing a ruling party song.
Doc, you could have asked for the venue of that donation to be changed or you leave before the singing started or you could have stayed and asked for the SLBC camera crew to be thrown out just before the victory song. In fact it was sung completely out of tune.
We know that like many other people, you belong somewhere. But come on doc, you were on state duty! We demand an apology. We'd thought you were an exception from this ever-increasing blurring of the line between state and party.
MIXING SPORT AND RAW POLITICS ON SLBC TELEVISION, NO SURPRISES
Meanwhile, in the same line of blurry partisan politics, here was this sport presenter on SLBC straying completely off her course to become so political and partisan that some of our friends watching her programme with us, asked us to simply switch off. We pleaded with them to allow us to endure her reporting because we had this lesson to deliver.
Here was this lady accusing the media of driving investors away from this country with their "unpatriotic" reporting. She even quoted the former PRESIDENT of Koinadugu, now Minister of Tourism as accusing the media of keeping tourists away. When he played the national anthem on radio before speaking to his people in Koinadugu was that not so scary that investors could flee? We are used to national anthems being played for THE PRESIDENT, not a failing district council chairman who was sacked by his own people, only to be rescued by De Pa.
Our TV sports presenter also blasted journalists for reporting the disappearance of Sierra Leone's marathon runner - the presenter was killing the messenger. The marathon woman didn't miss her flight out of Freetown, why did she miss the return flight? How come we still can't see her on this soil? Instead of asking her to return, the TV woman was busy talking down on those who reported her as AWOL.
When it came to the so-called Freetown Marathon, the presenter announced that De Pa would be there because De Pa is "very healthy". Madam, you are not a doctor. You are supposed to be a journalist. If you don't know, speculating about the president's health is a very dangerous thing to do. That was what you did.
This belief in all SLBC presenters that their programmes must all sing the praises of De Pa and his ministers is destroying the place. Even a boring sport programme like that finds time to sing Alleluyah to De Pa. So so sycophancy.
COMMERCIAL BANK ANDTHE PLASTIC BUCKET IN THE BANKING HALL
What is a plastic bucket doing inside the banking hall of the GREAT SIERRA LEONE COMMERCIAL BANK? We were shocked to see that. Commercial Bank can explain this but here's what we think is happening: Water is leaking from somewhere in that building and dropping inside the main banking hall where hundreds of people assemble to transact business. What message is the management of SLCB sending?
While we stood there, we saw a young guy in blue with a dirty-looking towel mopping the area around the bucket. He squeezed the water from the floor into the bucket and went away. It was almost as if this wasn't happening in the real world. We are talking here about the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank. Aren't you the LION IN BANKING in Sierra Leone? How can a LION allow water to settle in the most important part of its body? In fact where is that water coming from? The rains are still a month away, so is it from the air-conditioning or from the sewers? This is very disgraceful.
We hope the managers of the SLCB get a call for a meeting at State House before this week is out, like their friends at NASSIT. We are tired with half measures.
RUFP SUSPENDS "OPERATION NO LIVING THING": NA WAHALA O.
News came through last week that what is left of the political party built out of the rebel RUF, has suspended their leader - a man commonly known by the name, "operation no living thing". We wonder why anybody is fighting over a political organisation like the RUFP. Their political fate is sealed: The RUFP will never win any election anywhere in Sierra Leone. All they can do is hang in there and wait for Goodluck Jonathan to spray some cash down this road. And De Pa to share some more freebies.
We feel a little sorry for the former RUFP leader because he has lost the trump card he uses to Dreg. He attended many meetings and proclaimed the all-conquering power of De Pa at elections for obvious reasons. Could it be that he decided to kill all he got without passing some on to his former comrades in the "Operation No Living Thing" camp?
These days we know how people disciplined by their parties behave. They organise STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT with the Red Movement and then go to court; they ask for an injunction which they always get; and the substantive hearing starts dragging on and on and on. We reference the Green Movement case. See you in court soon, Mr. "operation no living thing".
419ers AND THE LONDON MINING COMPANY "POWER OIL" DEAL
What is it about London Mining that makes it attractive to 419ers? We are quite sure many people are receiving calls from criminals around town claiming to be procurement officers of London Mining Company wanting to buy POWER OIL for their machines. It's crazy eh?
The 419ers would typically ask you to contact a Senegalese man who supposedly works for a construction company, CSE who they say can help people get the oil at a cheaper rate so that when the oil is sold to London Mining the trader will get huge profits. It's a proposal any greedy person would fall for. But we are too clever for that kind of cheap scam. Besides, we don't deal with lubricants, we are journalists, we live by what we publish. Please don't ever call us on such matters. We will not fall for it like that MP who ended up going to court to get his money back. HAHAHA. May be he should lose his seat. Kikikiki.
We urge London Mining to issue a statement stating clearly how they get their "POWER OIL" or any other oil they use for their machines. They can even explain their procurement process so that those who are likely to fall for this 419 business know their way. Here are two numbers from which we have received such calls recently - 079 403- 721 and 076 802 774.
As far as we know, NATCOM registers all SIM cards, so we now ask the CID to arrest those whose names are tied to this SIM cards and prosecute them. We are prepared to cooperate with the police in this. As soon as this begins, hundreds of people receiving such calls would come forward. Investigate now, please. If NATCOM does not have that information then someone at the telecoms agency should be fired.
(C) Politico 29/04/14
